The immediate onslaught was horrible in the FB group. As soon as the woman said something, some of the other members replied in real mean ways. As I recall, members made nasty comments on her appearance, and I was absolutely horrified. Around the same time, someone asked about obtaining public benefits in another group, and again someone verbally attacked the person. The person asking was a single parent on a green card or some kind of a visa. The reply from another group member was that people like you should go back to Pakistan, and you have no right to these free benefits. It was simply terrible.Time and again, I have watched as people communicate “freely” with each other on various platforms, be it FaceBook or what’s app, etc. The way opinion is carried from person to person, but one thing is clear, social media has unleashed the inner monster slumbering inside many of us. Put simply, people feel that they have the freedom to say whatever they want; however, they want to say, especially when they cannot see the person. I am sure that many of these people cannot voice this opinion if they were in front of others. Words carry a lot of weight, and they make us feel a variety of emotions. In this chaotic world, many are struggling with many issues, i.e., loneliness, joblessness, financial crisis, family situations, health issues. The slightest courtesy we can provide for another person, i.e., kindness, encouragement, can matter so much. It does not matter who is right or wrong on any particular forum. What’s really important is how we behave and the feelings we create in another person. Next time, any of us are tempted to share our “honest” opinion, give a piece of our mind to someone else, remember a natural person is there and feeling the brunt of your words. We can elevate another person by our words alone, and God knows how much our terms can change a life. I know kind comments from Facebook friends on my cat picture postings make me feel pretty good.