(Opinion) The Internet is an amazing place, you can see both the best and absolute worst of society. After the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, we see this on full display.
The best is readily available, you can learn about the heroes of this tragedy, including a teacher who shielded his students with his body and JROTC students who saved their classmates and paid for it with their lives.
The worst is also readily available, as well, with adults going after children for having the wrong opinions on the matter, and this trend on the Internet Right to question the validity of victims’ experiences:
https://twitter.com/ATXScout/status/966291857805381635
Why this matters: This claim has made its way onto talk radio as well, and I blew it up repeatedly on my show this morning…
I told my audience if they believe these conspiracy theories that “they should keep it to themselves.” I also know of multiple other hosts who have knocked them down as well.
Conservatives and Republicans have to confront these kinds of idiotic theories because they only harm the entire conservative movement and force legitimate actors in the arena to respond to Internet trolls. We saw this with Obama’s birth certificate and we are seeing it here. The media latches onto these fringers and uses them to further boost their chosen narrative that highlights the insanity of the fringe Internet Right.
As a decent human being, you have one option when confronted with survivor conspiracy theories: Condemn them publicly, unequivocally and unmercifully.
The details:
— Last night, on CNN, Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg was asked about being an actor and not a student, he knocked it down.
— This morning, the #1 trending video on YouTube was accusing Hogg student of being a paid actor. It has been removed.
— Senator Marco Rubio called those pushing this message a “disgusting group of idiots”.
— A legislative aid was fired in Florida for sharing this conspiracy theory and calling the students “crisis actors”.
Dale Jackson hosts a daily radio show from 7-11 a.m. on NewsTalk 770 AM/92.5 FM WVNN and a weekly television show, “Guerrilla Politics,” on WAAY-TV, both in North Alabama. Follow him @TheDaleJackson.
