Twitter Expels Trump Account Two Years Too Late
A Call that fell on deaf ears: Many Twitter users, myself included, implored the social media’s developer Jack Dorsey to delete Trump’s account.
My question for CEO Jeff Dorsey: Why won’t the social media platform implement the same infraction for Donald Trump?
According to a statement issued by Twitter to Buzzfeed media last year Yiannopoulos’ account was suspended because “ … no one deserves to be subjected to targeted abuse online and our rules prohibit inciting or engaging in the targeted abuse or harassment of others.”
A week later, Trump attacked cable news host Mika Brzezinski using strong, vile language. Still, his account remained active. Why, I wondered to myself? (And being elected president of the United States is not a solid defense.) Trump is mortal, like the rest of us. As a nation, if we believe no one is above the law with regard to the rule of law, and the constitution, then the same standards of conduct and behavior must be applied in our institutions — private and public — no matter the perpetrator of wrongdoing.
At the time Brzezinski reportedly said Trump is “destroying our country,” calling him out for his repeated use of a fake Time magazine cover as décor in some of his private clubs. Trump’s response continued what has been his modus operandi since taking office using Twitter as a tool to further his reckless narrative of the press as villain; successfully distracting from the job he was elected to do — govern — all the while drawing the public’s attention into trivial entanglements that pervade his empty universe.
Based on Twitter’s rules of conduct Trump has breached the contract through the creation of messages that encourage, support, and potentially “incite” others to abuse, target or harass those with whom he disagrees, both online and off.
The resulting consequences of his behavior and rhetoric reached its apex when — a little over a week ago — a Florida man was arrested for the assassination attempts on two former U.S. presidents and several Democratic figures. Less than 24 hours later a domestic terrorist slaughtered eleven members of a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh before his arrest.
It is a fact that Trump’s rhetoric and the lack of impunity he’s faced based on his own behavior and actions has given rise to a toxicity in our society and culture not seen or felt since 1968.
The man with the biggest bully pulpit, it turns out, is the biggest bully any of us have seen or experienced in our lifetime.
Americans didn’t take seriously Trumps attacks last year on comedian Kathy Griffin who received scathing backlash following her posing with a decapitated likeness of Trump’s head; his posting of a Photoshopped video in which he body slams a CNN avatar; or his refusal to condemn Montana Republican congressman Greg Gianforte who publicly assaulted a journalist the night before his re-election in May 2017.
We all agree Griffin’s post was distasteful and she recanted her actions, however, she, like Trump, is a D-list entertainer. And despicable though it may be to those of us who consider ourselves civilized it is not surprising that the ringmaster of a third-rate circus didn’t have a problem circulating a doctored video endorsing harm to others.
Trump never wanted the presidency, but he was “winning” with his base throughout the primaries while the media writ-large gave him a pass never pressing him on specifics related to policies his administration might carry out while cable news organizations gave him a podium to endlessly spew foolishness.
This is what indifference hath wrought.
Trump is a petulant 12-year-old schoolboy with an odious personality; desperate to be liked and unwilling to acknowledge or take responsibility for his diabolic behavior, which is the root cause of the chaos that has rained down on America for nearly two years. He remains defiant in the face of repeated pleas urging him to stop his reckless and irresponsible tweeting — even by those in his own party — and focus on issues of policy and legislation that are important and relevant to the lives of the American people.
Again, I ask, Mr. Dorsey, Why in God’s name won’t you suspend his account?
[Original Copyright © 2018 Jennifer E. Mabry. All Rights Reserved in all Media.]
Post script: 2019. Listen to my interview with comedian Kathy Griffin regarding the First Amendment and Life after Donald Trump attacked her right to free speech.
Copyright © 2021 Jennifer E. Mabry. All Rights Reserved in all Media.
