Digital witch trials, torches and pitchforks
Public Notice retells this story of intimidation:
On the evening of August 30, operators at Children’s Hospital in Boston took a call from a woman who didn’t identify herself but who had a chilling message: “There is a bomb on the way to the hospital. You’d better evacuate everybody, you sickos.”
In a way, the bomb scare wasn’t a surprise. For weeks, Children’s Hospital had been on the receiving end of threats after right-wing social media accounts started spreading lies about the hospital, which boasts a pioneering pediatric adolescent and trans health program. For example, they claimed — falsely — that the hospital was performing hysterectomies on children as part of gender-affirming care. The hospital does not perform hysterectomies on people under 18.
Facts don’t matter on the right (you may have heard) when whipping up hysteria is the goal. The usual suspects got involved.
Among the large social media accounts targeting trans health care are Brooklyn real estate agent Chaya Raichik, who posts under the name Libs of TikTok, Daily Wire contributor Matt Walsh, and right-wing activist Christopher Rufo. In a longstanding and deliberate media strategy, these false claims are picked up by other, even bigger, conservative outlets, like the Daily Wire and the Post Millennial. Eventually, in the case of Boston Children’s, they made their way onto Fox News, where they were amplified by Tucker Carlson.
The woman behind the bomb threat faces 10 years in jail.
In response, many children’s hospitals, afraid that the online vitriol will lead to attacks on staff and patients, have started to remove information about gender-affirming care from their websites. This will make it harder for trans people in distress to find health care information. Such is the intended goal of the right, which wants to isolate trans people and force them out of the public sphere.
But there’s an even more sweeping agenda at the heart of these attacks: To build fascist power in the United States. Using the internet as an organizing tool, these operations establish and cultivate leaders, information networks, talking points, tactics, and shock troops. They create a blueprint for violent activism and give far right agitators a chance to practice and perfect intimidation and hatred.
In Michigan, Republican attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno under investigation for violating the law is running to administer it.
“DePerno and eight others, including state Rep. Daire Rendon (R-Lake City) and Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, conspired to illegally obtain and tamper with voting tabulators,” reports Michigan Advance. DePerno is running on prosecuting his incumbent opponent Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel for supposed crimes against Donald Trump.
If DePerno attacks her on her office’s investigation, she’ll ethically be unable to respond:
“I have every reason to believe Mr. DePerno will interject on this subject, whether asked about it or not,” Nessel said. “And in abiding by my oath of office, I will — for all intents and purposes — be drawn into a boxing match with one hand tied behind my back, unable to speak about the matter and unable to repudiate any untruthful or misleading statements Mr. DePerno may assert.”
Yes, it’s nuts. And it’s widespread. Prion disease has eaten away the frontal lobes of the GOP. What’s left is conspiracy theories and a thirst for vengeance. Among other antisocial behaviors. Let’s hope enough uninfected (or recovering) voters of all stripes have seen enough to stop them.
You’ve been warned.
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