Twitter Bans Abusive Accounts, Unless You're the President

Twitter has become the first of the social media outlets to install rules forbidding certain bad behavior. One hopes that Facebook and other social media will soon follow. These rules are badly needed to halt the slide into anger and hatred that permeates America today. The Twitter rules went into effect around December 15.

Twitter is now prohibiting abusive tweets and abusive comments about others through their user names or profiles. And they will suspend accounts connected with “organizations that use or promote violence against civilians to further their causes.” They will also ban anything they consider “abusive content.”

Users are also prohibited from posting images that might be considered hateful—unless the user marks the post as “Sensitive Material.”

The punishment for violating these rules is brilliant. A user who breaks these rules can have his account removed.

Although Twitter will not tell you which accounts have been shut, people have already noticed several organizations and individuals gone. Separately, there have been organizations and individuals who have stepped forward to declare themselves banned.

According to The Chicago Tribune, among those accounts gone is that of Jared Taylor, along with his associated accounts New Century Foundation and his online publication. His groups raise money to benefit “the white race.” He appealed and was swiftly reconsidered. His ban stands. He believes it is permanent.

An account called Britain First was banned, as were the accounts of its leaders Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen. They had posted videos that supposedly (but falsely) showed Muslims engaged in acts of violence. They were also arrested in Belfast for what The Tribune reported as “stirring up hatred.”

Others suspended were Michael Hill, president of the League of the South, who espouses white supremacy, and Brad Griffin, who heads up Occidental Dissent.

I do believe this new change at Twitter is a cautionary tale for the President of the United States. He has built a vast following from postings based on hatred and abuse. I suspect if he keeps it up, he will suffer the same fate as the others. As they say, even the rich and famous put their pants on one leg at a time every morning.

On the other hand, now there is a second announcement from Twitter that seems particularly to refer to sitting Presidents of the United States. It gives Donald and other world leaders a pass. They can abuse whomever they want.

“Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets, would hide important information people should be able to see and debate” it says.

This sounds good, but it is baloney. The whole point is for people, including the president, to keep their ABUSIVE, RACIST inner 10-year-old to themselves.