16 year old girl threatened with rape for challenging Bachmann.

[Thurnez Isa]

It's interesting .. we've seen a few stories like this in the last year, haven't we? Jessi Slaughter and Rebecca Black come to mind. It's like we haven't collectively established the appropriate response for a child being super annoying on the internet.

I agree that it's badwrong to troll kids, especially threaten them with violence. I also think that regardless of age, when you post something controversial on the net, you should be prepared for the fallout. (please do not read that as excusing people for being rude to kids) People were real jerks to Jessi Slaughter, but on the other side of the coin, she also shouldn't have told anonymous that she was going to "pop a glock in your mouth and make a brain slushee." This is why I wish there was a course in elementary schools about how to use the Internet and how to relate to the Internet.



@Nigel: I did not say we shouldn't criticize or condemn people

Wait are you saying, kid's aside, women who can't handle death and rape threats shouldn't post anything political, or anything of that matter, online?

[Cramulus]

Child posts

Internet froths

Child cries


that's what I'm talking about. We're going to see this happen a bunch more in the coming year, with increasing degrees of support or outrage depending on whether the kid annoyed us personally. There will even be a short-hand slang word for this phenomenon. But I think that's still a few months off.


By the way, this article is not about the girl getting trolled, the point of the article is to make you say "Supporters of Michelle Bachmann are would-be child rapists."

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Child posts

Child wrote a letter to a politician.

Child got smacked down by Bachmann's fans on the internet.

One more person who won't ever get involved in politics.

Thus endeth the lesson.  "Keep your opinions to yourself, asshole."

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Point of the article was "Kids, don't let this happen to you.  For God's sake, shut up."

[Cramulus]

Child posts

Child wrote a letter to a politician.

child's father posted letter on cnn.com

where it would be x-posted on tea-party blogs and forums and receive comments and criticisms

some of those comments and criticisms were badwrong, but you have to expect that's going to happen when you communicate via mass media.

I'm not saying that people should live in fear of harsh feedback, I'm saying that when you hold up a megaphone, you should be prepared for people to shout back too

[Thurnez Isa]

I'll rape anyone who disagrees with me
 

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Child posts

Child wrote a letter to a politician.

child's father posted letter on cnn.com

where it would be x-posted on tea-party blogs and forums and receive comments and criticisms

some of those comments and criticisms were badwrong, but you have to expect that's going to happen when you communicate via mass media.

I'm not saying that people should live in fear of harsh feedback, I'm saying that when you hold up a megaphone, you should be prepared for people to shout back too

Sure.  She only got what she deserved.  2/3rds do, sooner or later.

And like I said, this will be one - two, actually - people who will learn to SIT DOWN and SHUT UP, and that's what we're all about, here in The Church™ and in America™.

[Thurnez Isa]

This reminds me when Glenn Beck's followers threatened to kill that 70 year old sociologist earlier this year for something she wrote in the 60's

[Adios]

I'm going to threaten to rape every teenager who posts something political. The only real question is do I threaten to kill them before or after the rape.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Child posts

Internet froths

Child cries


that's what I'm talking about. We're going to see this happen a bunch more in the coming year, with increasing degrees of support or outrage depending on whether the kid annoyed us personally. There will even be a short-hand slang word for this phenomenon. But I think that's still a few months off.


By the way, this article is not about the girl getting trolled, the point of the article is to make you say "Supporters of Michelle Bachmann are would-be child rapists."

We're not talking about people being garden-variety mean on the internet. We're talking about people threatening a child with rape because she wrote a letter they disagree with.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Child posts

Child wrote a letter to a politician.

child's father posted letter on cnn.com

where it would be x-posted on tea-party blogs and forums and receive comments and criticisms

some of those comments and criticisms were badwrong, but you have to expect that's going to happen when you communicate via mass media.

I'm not saying that people should live in fear of harsh feedback, I'm saying that when you hold up a megaphone, you should be prepared for people to shout back too

Right

and if I hold up a megaphone announcing my intent to rape each and every one of you, I should reasonably expect to receive a response in kind.

The issue is that members of the Tea Party are openly using threats of violence to quell opposing political opinions.

[Adios]

It's the New America™. He who screams the rudest and the loudest wins.

Isn't there laws against that kind of shit? Seriously, threatening to rape a child is.....(speechless)

[Miss Demeanor]

Child posts

Child wrote a letter to a politician.

child's father posted letter on cnn.com

where it would be x-posted on tea-party blogs and forums and receive comments and criticisms

some of those comments and criticisms were badwrong, but you have to expect that's going to happen when you communicate via mass media.

I'm not saying that people should live in fear of harsh feedback, I'm saying that when you hold up a megaphone, you should be prepared for people to shout back too

Sure.  She only got what she deserved.  2/3rds do, sooner or later.

And like I said, this will be one - two, actually - people who will learn to SIT DOWN and SHUT UP, and that's what we're all about, here in The Church™ and in America™.

Or she'll learn to stand firm for her beliefs no matter what. 

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Child posts

Child wrote a letter to a politician.

child's father posted letter on cnn.com

where it would be x-posted on tea-party blogs and forums and receive comments and criticisms

some of those comments and criticisms were badwrong, but you have to expect that's going to happen when you communicate via mass media.

I'm not saying that people should live in fear of harsh feedback, I'm saying that when you hold up a megaphone, you should be prepared for people to shout back too

Sure.  She only got what she deserved.  2/3rds do, sooner or later.

And like I said, this will be one - two, actually - people who will learn to SIT DOWN and SHUT UP, and that's what we're all about, here in The Church™ and in America™.

Or she'll learn to stand firm for her beliefs no matter what. 

She might. And all the other kids who hear about it might, too.

But that doesn't make it OK.

[Requia ☣]

Child posts

Internet froths

Child cries


that's what I'm talking about. We're going to see this happen a bunch more in the coming year, with increasing degrees of support or outrage depending on whether the kid annoyed us personally. There will even be a short-hand slang word for this phenomenon. But I think that's still a few months off.


By the way, this article is not about the girl getting trolled, the point of the article is to make you say "Supporters of Michelle Bachmann are would-be child rapists."

We're not talking about people being garden-variety mean on the internet. We're talking about people threatening a child with rape because she wrote a letter they disagree with.

This *is* garden variety mean for any woman who manages to get the attention of the wrong parts of the internet.  Men can expect death threats instead.  The problem is a lot deeper than the politics.