Sexist, vulgar posts on women's marches rebound on officials

[inanna]

Source: Associated Press

January 24, 2017


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A school board member in Hillary Clinton's hometown resigned after making a derogatory reference on Twitter to the female anatomy in describing women marching against President Donald Trump. An Illinois teacher was pulled from the classroom for tweets deemed sexist. And a freshman Indiana lawmaker was inundated with criticism over a Facebook post mocking "fat women."

These are a handful of examples from across the U.S. of mostly male public officials who have been reprimanded, called out or disciplined over social media postings about the women's marches around the globe last weekend.

The rash of incidents, which range from boorish to downright vulgar, highlight how nasty political discourse has become since the divisive presidential election. But in an era when Trump made lashing out against "political correctness" central to his appeal, the consequences these officials face for unfiltered use of social media once again demonstrates that what you say on the Internet still can hurt you.

"Very few people in public life, even today, get away with what Trump was able to get away with," said Michael Cornfield, a George Washington University professor who studies politics in the Internet age. "I wonder what these gentlemen were thinking."

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/sexist-vulgar-posts-womens-marches-233120303.html

[riversedge]

1. First--they were NOT 'gentlemen"!! 2nd, They were not thinking.

.............. "I wonder what these gentlemen were thinking."

[BumRushDaShow]

2. "Very few people...get away with what Trump was able to get away with"

And why is that?

"Society" usually nips this sort of thing in the bud but because he and his minions have been so outlandish, "society" has instead laughed (for too long now) instead of disciplined. Funny time is up.

[bdamomma]

3. Oh boy

We have struck a nerve in the male gender, the do not like when we unite together, too bad.

Are you threatened by us women????

[rurallib]

5. keep striking!

[DBoon]

8. Not at all

nt

[CBHagman]

10. Also, we know Trump's vulnerability, or one of his vulnerabilities...

...which is that he needs to seem himself in superlatives and any questioning of that leads him to go on the offensive, obsessively so. This has to be disconcerting even for his aides.

[tenorly]

4. It's good to see our Republican friends being their high-minded, chivalrous selves.

[spooky3]

6. I think they are missing a key point.

The point is that the sexism and misogyny are there, whether someone reveals it with a comment or not. Just knowing what "polite discourse" should allow and following the rules or not, is not the biggest challenge. A quiet sexist is still a sexist and if s/he is a legislator, judge, etc., can do serious damage.

As was the case with Pres. Obama, his election lifted the lid off evidence of racism still existing in society. The problem was not just that some people felt free to express racist views. It was that we still have racism and have to address it.

Professor, they're thinking exactly what they are saying. It's not complicated.

[TNNurse]

7. They are just following the example of their chosen leader.

[CBHagman]

9. It's been on my mind that Trump debased politics, perhaps beyond redemption...

...but then again, many let their jackass flag fly during President Obama's tenure, from Joe "You lie!" Wilson to Jim "“She lectures us on eating right while she has a large posterior herself” Sensenbrenner to that creepy official in West Virginia whose story I will not recount here. So the ugliness has been growing alongside, like a weed.