Your Darkest Point May Be Your Calling
The following post is from the ArmaniTalks Newsletter
There used to be a show called How to Catch a Predator.
It was a show on Dateline hosted by Chris Hanson.
The show was popular in the late 2000s.
Adults would pretend to be a minor online, and chat with grownups.
The grownups who tried to meet with the minors would be exposed on national TV by Chris Hanson.
The show was compelling because you saw someone’s life getting ruined in real-time.
No other show was doing it like How to Catch a Predator.
Fast forward 20 years.
These predator catchers have turned up the volume.
Where Chris Hanson would chat with the predators, the new-age predator catchers beat up the predators!
There is a group called DAP.
Dads against predators.
The group was started by 2 guys named Jay and Joshua.
If you’re on Twitter, you’ll see their videos floating around.
They will shame the predators, slap them, make them call their wives to confess their dreaded deeds etc.
They have been taking the internet by storm.
Yesterday, YouTube recommended me a Vice documentary about them.
What led them to start DAP?
As I watched the documentary, I learned why.
They were both directly affected by predators…
Jay used to get molested by this older man when he was 12.
Since Jay’s dad passed away, there was a guy who took up the father figure role in his life.
This older guy eventually abused his power and would cuddle with Jay in motel rooms.
When Jay became an adult, he confronted his childhood predator on camera.
The video is still on Twitter.
Jay confronted the predator in front of his wife.
The next day… the predator killed himself.
The other member of DAP is Joshua.
His stepdaughter was molested by a family friend.
As Joshua recalled the experience, he said how he failed at protecting his stepdaughter.
And he cried mid-way into the interview.
Both of these guys went onto start DAP because of trauma and pain.
They got their calling from darkness.
There are debates about the strategy they are taking for exposing these predators.
Is it ethical or not?
Is it right to beat up people on the streets or should you let the police do their jobs?
Vigilantism is hard to monetize.
So, a lot of their content gets demonetized on YouTube.
However, they keep pushing on.
When you have a calling, you ride the waves way better than someone who is just doing something because they have to.
DAP showed me that your calling isn’t always born from inspiration.
It can also be born from surviving hell.
