on violence and silence « Letters from Grenada

on violence and silence

So the other day it came to my attention that I was following someone on Twitter who enjoys jokes about stalking and beating and killing women. Now, if you’ve seen my tweets, you know I’m certainly guilty of joking about delicate subjects. Suffice it to say, I definitely would not want either of my grandmothers (may they rest in peace) reading my tweetstream.

Not caring to start a big hullabaloo, I just unfollowed the guy. But he noticed, and publicly asked me if the unfollow had been a mistake, so I decided to refollow him temporarily so I could tell him why. I sent him a link to the tweet that I found particularly offensive (scary) and asked him if he cared to offer an explanation.

His response was to get really angry, ask if I’m the “Twitter police” or perhaps a “middle school librarian”, exclaim that he’s just JOKING and that if I can’t take a joke won’t I PLEASE just GO AWAY. He then unfollowed me and heckled me for a bit in his public timeline.

My “favorite” part was when he pointed out that I had recently made a joke about Elvis, and Elvis has a DAUGHTER who might be OFFENDED, as if saying that I’m going celebrate Elvis’ birthday by passing out on the toilet is in ANY WAY comparable to talking about stomping a woman’s face into the pavement until she dies.

Jerk.

The point of the story I stand up to bullies. I have done it before and I will do it again, with relish, because there is nothing more pathetic than people who prey on those they perceive as weak and/or unprotected, AND, as with all forms of violent hate speech, keeping silent is tacit approval.

Oh, AND? If Lisa-Marie Presley calls, please tell her I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.