Another story that misuses the term “troll”.
I read the original article in the BBC Magazine. Not least, because, like Holly, I am childfree by choice. So I’m aware of the tendency by some to look upon us as if there is something wrong. Although I find odd, the idea that people who choose not to have children because they want a particular lifestyle are dubbed selfish, yet those who have them because, well, they want them, are not…
Holly’s solution is somewhat dramatic. Personally, I chose contraception over sterilisation. I always considered the vague possibility that I or Mrs L might change our minds. We didn’t, but had one or other of us been sterilised, then that mind change would have made things much more difficult. Besides which, I’m really not keen on surgery on a healthy person.
Some people took their disagreement too far, though.
But nothing could have prepared her for the level of abuse she would receive once the article went online.
It was so vitriolic that she was forced to deactivate her Twitter account, and, as reported by Business Insider, had to be met and escorted from her car to the building by a security guard when she visited the BBC to take part in a Q&A.
She told the news outlet: “They actually got me a bodyguard to take me from the car to the building, they’re worried someone is going to attack me” – adding later that the “bodyguard” was most likely a BBC security guard.
She added: “There is no escape from it, it’s across all social channels, in my work email and my personal email. … I got a message from Linkedin!”
Okaaay…
What is the likelihood of someone actually committing violence? The reality here is that there are an awful lot of nasty, unpleasant people who like to bully others from the safety of their keyboard. The relative anonymity of the internet gives them a sense of invincibility – despite some being tracked down and prosecuted.
Now, I don’t approve of prosecution for what is nothing more than nasty words. There are means on websites to deal with these sad little losers – block them and delete their comments. If someone is being hounded on the likes of Twitter or Facebook, the owners of the service will deal accordingly with them – by blocking and deleting.
Sure, there are cretins who think that hiding behind anonymous proxies will do the trick, so when one account is deleted, they pop up with another one. So, delete and ban again. Don’t respond, don’t give them any oxygen, just keep hitting that delete key.
Will they come around and attack you physically? Sure there is a possibility that among the hoards of sad little losers, there is a psychopath. It’s a risk, but a low one, frankly. Mostly they are nothing more than keyboard warriors who, without the anonymity of the Internet, are just craven cowards who think they are big and brave for attacking someone for the crime of saying something they don’t like.
The BBC has given them more credibility than they deserve. And, no, they are no trolls. A troll is a specific creature. These are just unpleasant little bullies, so let’s call them what they are. Then delete them.
I’m still trying to get my head around why someone would have a problem with someone else’s decision not to have children. It’s not as if the human race is dying out due to lack of procreation is it? I tend to have a slight problem with people who have way too many and expect the government to support them with other people’s money but I don’t feel inclined to send them hate mail. I suggest that this might be because I’m too busy having a life.
Sorry to be OT, but I was sort of anticipating your take on the Mao’s red book story. The thing that I found odd was that the actual quote was perfectly sensible, although Mao seems to have completely failed to heed his own advice. But I find it interesting that the lefties in the shadow cabinet are so lacking in awareness that they didn’t anticipate that quoting Mao might be a bit of an own goal.
I’ve been busy, so didn’t get around to catching it while it was hot as it were.It was all a bit of a storm in a teacup and I got the joke. But, yeah, given McDonnell’s background, definitely an own goal.
Storm in a teacup, right on the nail, because our relationship with China was part of the issue and so the quote was actually a fairly clever joke. It is interesting that quoting Hitler would have been considered to be totally beyond the pale (pail?) but quoting the evil mass murderers of the left seems to be just a bit of a laugh. Oh no, my netiquette is terrible, derailed the thread and committed a Godwin, I promise to behave better from now on.
Having children is a personal choice, and no one’s business but your own. Why people should try and intimidate others with threats of force or death over a matter of opinion on this topic is to put it mildly, bizarre.
Maybe the drugs really don’t work any more.
The only reason she’s having problems getting the procedure is because she’s going through the NHS. If she went private there’d be no problems.