Important Note: My computer-savvy son agrees that I will likely never receive Twitter’s promised appeal. He advised me to change my password and try to receive Twitter’s confirmation code on a different cell phone. I did that; Twitter automatically deleted my “offensive” Trump tweet, and I’ve returned to Twitter.
He and others agree the tweet did not constitute “hateful conduct.” His logical supposition is that because I retweeted my comments three times, the tweet triggered an algorithm that locked my Twitter account. All’s well that ends well, I suppose, even if (in my view) Twitter’s action infringes on freedom of speech - Nicole Parton
What’s on my mind? Six days ago, on August 11, I was locked out of my Twitter account for “hateful conduct.”
The post that precedes this one (On Effing Morons) accurately explains the issue and accurately reports my offending statements on Twitter.
Today is August 17. I want to say more on this. And what I want to say is important.
I have no intention of wringing my hankie in self-pity or lashing out at Twitter for its well-intentioned policy of censoring hateful conduct. Nor am I about to point a finger at my accuser. How could I? The individual is anonymous.
I’ve only just begun to realize how serious the consequences of being locked out of Twitter are. As a writer, I often spend hours reading and communicating online. Even off Twitter, I am unable to read, respond to, comment on, or tick “like” to any post anywhere preceded by @ .
If you accept that the charge against me is baseless (as my August 12 post explains), imagine yourself locked in a dark cell with no way to let Twitter friends and acquaintances know you’re there. Beyond this blog and comments I’ve made to Facebook friends, no one knows my voice has been silenced.
Twitter is not Draconian. There’s an appeal process, and I’ve requested one. Twitter doesn’t know how soon they can consider that appeal. Fair enough: Drawing the line between fair comment, strong comment, and hateful comment can be like trying to decide where white becomes gray becomes black on a continuum. Many legal arguments have been made about that.
Twitter’s autoreply has suggested more than once that my Twitter account will be unlocked if I drop my appeal, delete my tweet, and no longer engage in “hateful conduct” - which I take to mean making strong comments about US President Donald Trump. The thing is, I believe my tweet to be fair comment: I will not voluntarily delete it.
When this shemozzle started, Twitter sent me an automated email informing me I was locked out of my account. Twitter wrote that if I gave them my cell and home phone numbers, Twitter would send me a “confirmation code” so I could resume limited Twitter service. I did this twice, but received no code. So Twitter now has my contact information, and I have zippo.
Himself says the response to my appeal will never come, either. Although I’m an optimist, I have a hunch he’s right.
When I try to access Twitter, this message pops up: “If you’d rather just delete your tweet, you can cancel your appeal.” The words “rather just” fit a category I call “shaded language.” The words make the tweet’s deletion sound like the logical and easy thing to so. It is neither.
Although my tweet doesn’t name a specific person, you can draw your own conclusions to whom my tweet (again, see my previous post) referred. Having not received Twitter’s promised “confirmation code,” I have a feeling I won’t get my account back, regardless. Although I’ve been locked out of Twitter, friends have said my @FisherParton Twitter handle remains on view, as does the offending post. My guess is that Twitter can’t delete them without my agreement - but a guess is all that is.
This is an issue of freedom of expression. If you feel it’s appropriate, send me a supportive Tweet.
I frequently post about Donald Trump. Shortly before my account was locked, I referred to Trump as “Liar, liar, pants on fire! I see an ash hole in those pants.” The “pants on fire” comment is a truism: Numerous fact checks prove Trump is a practised liar. “An ash hole in those pants” ...? There would be, if one’s pants were on fire, so this comment logically follows the first.
In early May, Forbes magazine reported Trump had told some 18,000 lies while in office: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmarkowitz/2020/05/05/trump-is-lying-more-than-ever-just-look-at-the-data/#59a1709b1e17
I believe Donald Trump is morally corrupt. There’s plenty of evidence for that. Whether he’s criminally corrupt remains to be seen; at least one major office has an ongoing criminal investigation.
Anyone, including Ever Trumpers, has the right to disagree with my comments. My account is open and welcoming to such disagreements.
I don’t pretend to carry a lot of clout on Twitter. I’m one small person, with one small voice. Regardless, I’m a nuisance. Twitter hardly has the time or the resources to examine the specific wording of each charge of “hateful conduct.” If an Ever-Trumper complained ...? Maybe that’s what happened.
If that’s so, the bigger issue is: How many other Trump opponents have got the bounce for expressing views unpopular with Ever-Trumpers? With such tweeters silenced, it’s impossible to know. Some locked-out tweeters may be scared. Some may miss Twitter so much, they’ll gladly follow Twitter’s suggestion to delete their tweet. Some may well deserve the censure, having strayed from strong speech into unacceptable hate speech.
Us President Donald Trump has on several occasions stated “fake news” journalists (Def.: Anyone who disagrees with him) should be jailed. Former national security advisor John Bolton alleges Trump once said “scumbag” journalists should be executed.
The brave journalists and publishers who expose Trump’s odious views should never be silenced. Nor should individuals whose one small voice speaks truth to power. In an open, fair democracy, one voice can become many.
As long as this dangerous man remains in power, I will protest his autocratic régime with my last breath. It is Trump’s conduct that is “hateful” - not my small voice nor the many others whose measured, rational voices oppose all Trump represents.
© Nicole Parton, 2020
