We have all heard the saying: “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never harm me”.
However, The Times They Are a-Changin’ as the iconic sixties barb and 2017 Nobel Laureate for literature used to sing, and maybe this saying warrants a total rethink.
In today’s world of The Social Network, the most common platform for discourse occurs mostly on such social platform like Facebook or Twitter.
These forums’ popularity is amplified – as are the dangers – because it allows users to enjoy untold power, frequently bordering on notoriety, while still being able to remain virtually (pun intended!) anonymous.
After all, anyone can hide behind a false name or an avatar and say whatever they want and social media is fast becoming a platform for haters to spew their invective and hide behind the argument of “free speech”.
This does however beg the question:
Where is the line drawn between what can be considered protected free speech and hate invective?
Black Land First leader, Andile Mngxitama, caused hurt and controversy with his recent post about the Holocaust.
And in case you have forgotten Andile’s tweet:
“For those claiming the legacy of the holocaust is ONLY negative think about the lampshades and Jewish soap.”
Tasteless and offensive to say the least, this one short tweet of 18 words exposes:
Interestingly, the number 18 for Jews signifies Chai or LIFE. However, for people like Mngxitama, his perverted choice of 18 words is all about DEATH – Jewish deaths.
The Mngxitama tweet does not exist in a vacuum!
One only has to spend a few minutes reading some of the comments on the Israelink Facebook page.
They veer from the somewhat irritating to the blatantly anti-Semitic. In fact, some of these comments would not be out of place at the Joseph Goebbels School of Propaganda (the author of this article was accused of being the “Chief Goebbels in charge”).
Every common garden variety hater has found their niche – the conspiracy theorists, far right, far left and all the noxious ones in between; they have all found their voices. Unfortunately, common grammar and spelling etiquette seems to fail them as well.
Now everybody has a right to an opinion and one of the intentions of the Israelink Facebook page is to provide a forum for discussion and discourse. Not for abuse.
There is no problem with controversy or asking difficult questions but when it crosses the line into blatant hate speech, then “Houston, we have a problem”.
Hereunder appears some of the comments posted on the Israelink Facebook page ranging from ignorance of the facts and history, to conspiracy theories and garden variety racism and hatred.
Please note that spelling has not been changed in anyway so excuse the appalling grammar and spelling. Others will be shown in pictures.
Hassan Kimmie:
“There are actually churches in Palestine. There cannot be mosques in “israel” because “israel” is a fake state. The land belongs to the Palestinians (jew, Arab and christian) & was sold by the British who had no right to the land. If you argue against that then you support colonialism.”
Nasroedien Gamieldien:
“Mary Hall Alexander you are a racist white bitch that reaped the benefits in south africa on the expense of others …you still lucky to enjoy the African sun…you hide behind walls and you think others are irrelevant. .your zionist days are numberd. ..you will have no place to hide when your punisment come…”
Georgina:
“we have cleansed our country of the filth of apartheid…and it left scum like you behind…you don’t deserve to walk our beautiful beaches. you are what we call the dust of aparheid ….1blow and you gone.”
Eleaser:
“I dunno if you black or a zionist or a jew….maby you ahalf breed..your surname is black..your name sounds white..maby the zionist master screwd your mom who is black..then he paid her well to vanish..then you grewup with hatered taking it out on others..”
Mogammat Cader:
“Bullshitt u zionistss hasbarah scumbags diaper wearing bitches ?”
Devin Luke Draiman:
“do not lie the israeli goverment wantd to give the apartheid regime nuclear weapons..you call us anti-semites because we see the true face of evil and that is the israeli zionist goverment…you killed alot of palestinians and syrians how can you think that we would not see you racist ways…israel is an illegal state on palestinian soil…”
Soraya Chalklen:
“it is called white washing to blind the world to their murderous thieving ways- i am sure they are behind the Rohingya crisis to turn the world’s focus away from the palestinian plight.”
Avenues to Educate
While there is merit in the argument to curtail the spreading of lies, filth and hate, the social media also provides avenues to educate.
While it is usually a small group of highly vocal venomous haters – more frequently grammatically challenged – the social network does provide opportunities to engage and educate. While some are beyond reproach, the network does provide an easy, user-friendly, cheap communication channel for nearly anyone to express their opinions and which can – and frequently does – achieve positive outcomes.
It can educate the uneducated on so many divers issues, and even those with ‘cast in stone’ positions, have, on those occasions considered other people’s perspectives have altered their hate-embedded stances.
“Hate” does not need to be “a life sentence”.
This may however be for the leader of Black Land First, Andile Mngxitama, still to discover, but I will not give up hope – for Andile and others!
Sticks and stones may break bones but people don’t throw them without being motivated first.
So too with “WORDS”!
Sometimes you just have to keep feeding the trolls.
There is a good chance they may not stay trolls!
