Nothing rules quite as much as receiving an avalanche of death threats accusing you of inciting political violence - because you incredulously pointed out that Trump v. US seemingly legalizes political violence - and then realizing the people coordinating the smear campaign also organized Jan. 6
Dear media: now that you’re suddenly concerned with political violence, please pay a little attention to the fact that social media, and especially Twitter, is an absolute cesspool of implicit and explicit death threats, almost entirely directed from far-right extremists towards Dems and liberals
Running for office, or opposing MAGA, or being an outspoken Democrat, shouldn’t require a willingness to wonder if someone is waiting outside your home every day
not that this makes it any better… it is way easier to make threats today…
my dad was in local government almost his whole life. my mom recently told me that when i was a kid someone mailed death threats including a newspaper pic of me because they didn’t like a project my dad was involved with.
it’s a serious problem because it keeps good people out of politics. why would someone want to put themself and their family through this when they have other options?
Why are you still active on Twitter? You need to lock down your profile and get out of there. At this point, it's like going to a Nazi bar and then complaining that the people there are being mean to you.
Just speaking objectively, this is an *insane* thing to have to say to anyone on social media. And yet, here we are, I guess. 😭
(And, uh, same here, Will.)
In your case, there's clearly an attempt at stochastic terrorism going on where people are trying to egg each other on into action and to make you feel intimidated. That they're doing it while deliberately quotemining you to express faux-concern over political violence is part of the thrill.
I know some people doing this think it's Ok because its virtual and therefore less real, but this is truly appalling behavior - evil really. Just the worst people in the world acting in concert while powerful people help them organize.
The Christmas Cards with Assault Rifles people are all up in arms about people taking them up on their offer to pursue Second Amendment Solutions apparently.
