It seems as though talk of social media outlets squeezing certain types of thought is an everyday occurrence right now. Just recently we had the #VoxAdpocalypse, where YouTube cracked under the pressure of very objective and totally not deranged journalist Carlos Maza of Vox, a clearly reputable and nonpartisan media company. With the focus usually on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, Pinterest is now the social latest social media platform engaging in censorship.
Yes, even the outlet where my fiancée finds delicious recipes and craft ideas has entered this current political shit-show. Pro-life activist group ‘Live Action’ was placed on Pinterestʼs porn domain block list (wait, what?) as a means to stifle their content. A whistle-blower at Pinterest came forward. With the assistance of James OʼKeefe of Project Veritas – an organization known for undercover investigative journalism – the story was spread far and wide.
The whistle-blower – who remained anonymous – revealed some pretty damning information about how Pinterest conducts its business. In addition to the crackdown on pro-life messaging, pro-Christian content such as Bible verses and content from Ben Shapiro content have been flagged as “sensitive material”. Seems as though thereʼs a pattern here, doesn’t it?
There Is Clearly An Agenda At Play
So, Iʼm not a conspiracy theorist (though Iʼm sure some people would think I am because I donʼt buy all the BS on CNN). I fully recognize that Silicon Valley is very left-leaning, and that when you get a bunch of people together who think alike, you create an echo chamber. I had always believed that the echo chamber affects the relationships many in Silicon Valley have with mainstream journalists. When looking at it from that angle, social media bias/censorship makes sense on a human level. It never felt to me like a coordinated effort to reprogram minds in order to achieve a certain political outcome.
Lately, however, the evidence has been difficult to ignore. The Live Action de-platforming comes right after a handful of states passed some of the strongest pro-life laws seen since Roe v. Wade made abortion legal nationwide. Clearly, Live Action and other pro-life groups are making a huge difference. Is it a coincidence that a leading voice in the pro- life movement is being silenced at this point in time? Doubtful if you ask me.
I, like any sane American, am a huge believer in free speech. While I care about everyone having the ability to say and share whatever they want – so long as it isn’t threatening violence – thereʼs something that I find deeply irritating about this issue.
Want an analogy? I can guarantee that youʼve gone out to a restaurant and had the misfortune of sitting near a family with a kid who wonʼt shut the f*** up. Maybe youʼve even said something to the parents, but they keep making excuses for the kid and giving him or her whatever they want.
The people who whine the most about trivial things should not be catered to. They should either be ignored or put in their place. I was taught at a young age that complaining isnʼt how you get what you want. Our culture is quickly headed in the opposite direction, if not already there. Those with the mindset of Carlos Maza should not be taken seriously. The ones who complain about pro-life or Christian messaging on a social media platform, while cheering on O.J. Simpson, should be ignored. People who say that Ben Shapiro is a white supremacist should be mocked and treated as the crazy person they are.
As I’ve said before, I’m no psychiatrist, but I’m pretty sure that an orthodox jew has nothing to do with white supremacy.
Instead of ignoring them, weʼve let the vocal minority take over, and now itʼs almost as if common sense is controversial. You donʼt have to agree with Ben Shapiro or Live Action, but attempting to block them from getting their opinions out there is un-American. After all, why would you want to silence those opinions? I would be outraged if even the Carlos Mazas of the world werenʼt allowed to give their garbage opinions.
If youʼre for censorship, you either donʼt believe in your ideas, or your ability to advocate for them. Youʼre just the annoying kid at the restaurant who wants the world to cater to you.