It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers−out of unorthodoxy
That edited video is absolutely abhorrent and that guy should be arrested for cyber-harassment and threatening harm to another person.
I'm all for free speech and the right to post disagreeing opinions, but when you cross the line of threatening physical harm to another, cyber-stalking/cyber-harassing them, you are scum in my book and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Sadly, as Dana pointed out, threats of violence are particularly an issue for women who are online. This story was reported months ago:
In 2009, Sarkeesian created the video web series Feminist Frequency to address the way women are portrayed in "pop culture narratives," according to the site
. As "a woman on the Internet," she was used to getting negative comments, but things blew up when she created a Kickstarter
for a video project called "Tropes vs. Women in Video Games," which aimed to analyze female stereotypes of women in the gaming world.
What followed was an almost instant flurry of online harassment, so vitriolic and misogynistic that it altered the course of her life. Her social media activity is bombarded with racist and sexist comments. She constantly receives rape and murder threats. Strangers attempt to dox her, disseminating her personal information online. Her website, social accounts and email accounts are regularly attacked by hackers.
She's become "hyper-vigilant" in her daily life, employing security and being watchful of restaurants and coffee shops she frequents. Sarkeesian refuses the term "paranoid," however, because it implies irrationality.
"It’s been going on for three years nonstop," she says. "There’s nothing irrational about my fear."
Last October, she was forced to cancel a talk
at Utah State University because an anonymous threat promised "the deadliest school shooting in American history" if Sarkeesian spoke. However, she was still willing to speak, provided the school amp up security measures. They didn't.
If you hadn't heard about #GamerGate, this is what sparked it all. And the threats she received for it are unbelievable.
As I've said before, "What you allow is what will continue" - every website and social media platform needs to step up their efforts in addressing this issue, and law enforcement needs to start dedicating task forces to this. As mentioned in the article, all too often victims are faced with the problem of law enforcement being ill-equiped to investigate, or even understand (if you have to explain how Twitter works before being able to describe the illegal activity, that's a problem), the illegal activity. In addition to all of that, many states are behind in even having laws passed to prosecute cyber-harassment. Colorado only passed one this past July
.
I hope they catch that guy, and anyone else who thinks it's okay to threaten others over and over online.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
I agree with everything you said. But then people wonder why more women want to carry a weapon for protection (most women can't afford armed security).
It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers−out of unorthodoxy
I had no idea this kind of thing happens frequently online. Bad enough in real life. On the plus side, some times negative opinions draw more attention to the issue and I admire Dana for having the fortitude and guts to address it. I hope her response goes viral and they nail the perp.
I do not condone what the perp in the OP did regarding Dana Loesch and threats against her. I want to make that clear right up front.
That being said, this certainly isn't an exclusive activity of anti-gun nuts. It definitely goes both ways. And both ways are totally wrong and unacceptable.
Ashley, it happens way more than any of us would like to believe it does. Bringing it into the discussion, as Rick has rightfully done, helps increase awareness.
What does that video have to do with the topic of this thread and what does it say about the majority of law abiding gun owners in this country? Absolutely nothing.
As soon as I saw the word "extremist", I knew what anecdotal or made up bullshit would follow.
It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers−out of unorthodoxy
Rick wrote: What does that video have to do with the topic of this thread and what does it say about the majority of law abiding gun owners in this country? Absolutely nothing.
As soon as I saw the word "extremist", I knew what anecdotal or made up bullshit would follow.
And that, that right there, is what's wrong with this thread in the first place, Rick. You put it out there about an "anti-gun nut". I'm trying to point out the reality that pro-gun extremists are just as virulent in their condemnations and death threats as any anti-gun nut extremist you can come up with. And this is what you have in response? Sheesh!
And, when you come right down to it, this video has anything and everything to do with the topic of this thread in that you implied with your post that only anti-gun nuts are "guilty" of this kind of vile behavior, that only people like Dana Loesch experience such vile behavior. Where was the outrage when the pro-gun extremists did the very same thing to Shannon Watts? Where was the outrage when pro-gun extremists did the very same thing to virtually every single person and/or page advocating for something, anything, to be done to try and curb the epidemic in this country known as gun violence. The intimidation is one thing. Death threats against individuals and their family members is a totally different animal. It's endemic to the gun violence issue, and it's not something that is exclusive to one side or the other.
Rick wrote: What does that video have to do with the topic of this thread and what does it say about the majority of law abiding gun owners in this country? Absolutely nothing.
As soon as I saw the word "extremist", I knew what anecdotal or made up bullshit would follow.
And that, that right there, is what's wrong with this thread in the first place, Rick. You put it out there about an "anti-gun nut". I'm trying to point out the reality that pro-gun extremists are just as virulent in their condemnations and death threats as any anti-gun nut extremist you can come up with. And this is what you have in response? Sheesh!
Nice try, the difference is that I pointed out one individual who did a despicable thing to try and push his agenda. Nowhere did I try to make a point about anyone else I may or may not consider to be anti-gun nuts. You come along and try to diminish the thread about one individual with your point about anonymous or made up individuals you think are just as bad or worse. Boring, but somewhat expected.
It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers−out of unorthodoxy