HW for 4/16/20

The internet played a huge role in decriminalizing Marcel Fontaine. 4chan played the biggest part as most of the people on there are huge conspiracy theorist. They took a picture of Fontaine that was out of context posted it on 4chan the ” Florida Shooter is a Commie! ” (Pilkington 13). This was 2 hours after the shooting. Then a reporter for Infowars without verification of any kind ran with this bit and it quickly spread all around the world. Facebooks part in this was that is where Fontaine recieved most of his death threats.

This caused Fontaine, someone how is on the spectrum for autism, anxiety to ramp up as well as insomnia and social isolation. They weren’t able to function or do basic tasks like cooking. They said “I didn’t want to go out, I just wanted to be with myself” (Pilkington 18). He then started having frequent panic attacks. Over the months Fontaine as gone to therapy to help with the panic attacks and insomnia. They still freeze when every they see someone dressed liked a right-wing conservative.

Lenny Pozner is a father how’s son was one of the twenty that where killed at Sandy Hook Elementary. Many people on 4chan and even Alex Jones the host of Infowars believes that no one died at Sandy Hook and they where all actors. Pozner has tried to combat these claims by posting his sons birth, death, and kindergarten report card to show that he is real. He has received death threats with the exact location of his house which is why he ha dot move. The end up always finding where he lives and he has to move very often. In 2014 created an organization to help confront these hoaxers and to save lives of the ones it affects.

An instance that drives Dr. Offit is a little boy, who’s mother would not vaccinate him for the flu, came to a hospital with the flu. He started out on an oxygen face mask which quickly switched to a ventilator and finally to an oscillator and a heart and lung machine before the child ultimately died. His mother saw how bad her kid was and saw him die. Offit then asked the mother “If she would be willing to talk to other parents wrestling with this decision to vaccinate,” (Pilkington 57), she then said that she still believes she made the right choice and declined Offit’s offer. This is when his wife said to him that he most do it for the kids.

Many women are attacked by conspiracy theorist more than men. But they are to afraid to come out with their stories as they don’t want to put them and their children in danger. this causes women to be the main target of them as their will be no retaliation and so no harm when people post death threats and address of these women.

One thought on “HW for 4/16/20

  1. Solid work, Danny. A couple of little errors (decriminalizing for victimizing) distort what you meant to say. And you left some parts of some of the questions (like Pozner on the limits of free speech) unanswered.

    I’d love to hear more about sexism in Gamergate. What is it about the kind of gaming that caused Gamergate that makes it so hostile to women? Something about the games, about simulated combat?

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