CLEMENTINE FORD IS A FEMINIST WRITER WHO IS VERY USED TO
TERRIBLE VITRIOL WHEN SHE WRITES ABOUT EQUALITY, AND SOME OF
THE ISSUES THAT WOMEN FACE.
RECENTLY, WHEN SHE WAS WRITING ABOUT THE TERRIBLE COMMENTS THAT
SHE GETS, ONE MAN BY THE NAME OF MICHAEL NOLAN THOUGHT IT
WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO COMMENT
ON THAT POST BY CALLING HER A SLUT.
SO AFTER HE CALLED HER A
SLUT ON FACEBOOK SHE REALIZED, I CAN PROBABLY CLICK ON HIS
PAGE AND SEE WHAT HIS IDENTITY IS AND WHERE HE WORKS.
TURNS OUT SHE DID FIND OUT WHERE HE WORKS.
"THE ORIGINAL COMMENT WAS POSTED BY NOLAN ON NOVEMBER 25,
IN RESPONSE TO A POST WHERE FORD CALLED OUT ANOTHER MAN FOR
MAKING DEGRADING COMMENTS.
CLEMENTINE FORD SAID I WONDER IF THE FOLKS OVER AT MILITANT
APARTMENTS ARE AWARE THIS MAN WHO REFERS TO HIMSELF AS A SUPERVISOR
FOR THEIR BUSINESS LIKES TO LEAVE COMMENTS ON WOMEN'S
FACEBOOK PAGES CALLING THEM SLUTS?"
SHE THEN WENT AHEAD AND
CONTACTED THE EMPLOYER, AND
NOLAN GOT FIRED.
OF COURSE SOME PEOPLE ARE MAD ABOUT THIS.
THEY ATTACKED HER FOR IT, BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT AS A
PERSON WHO IS BEING ATTACKED ON
THE INTERNET AS A SLUT, AS EVERY NEGATIVE, TERRIBLE WORD
YOU CAN IMAGINE, YOU SHOULD JUST SIT THERE AND TAKE IT.
YOU SHOULD NOT HOLD THE PERSON, WHO WAS ON A PUBLIC FORUM,
INSULTING PEOPLE, ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS ACTIONS, BECAUSE
THAT WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE.
THIS WAS WRITTEN ABOUT ON THE DAILY BEAST.
THE AUTHOR POINTED OUT SOME INTERESTING THINGS.
SAYING THAT IT IS WEIRD THAT HE WILL SAY, FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
LET'S GET THE OBVIOUS OUT OF THE WAY, FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS SO
THAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T TAKE AWAY YOUR RIGHTS.
AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH APPLIES BOTH WAYS.
HE HAS THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH TO CALL HER A SLUT AND THE
GOVERNMENT CAN'T LOCK HIM UP.
DOES NOT MEAN THAT HIS EMPLOYER CANNOT FIRE HIM.
WHYíD YOU YELL AT HER FOR USING HER FREE-SPEECH?
YOU ATTACKED ME, I AM NOT GOING TO ATTACK YOU BACK, I AM
JUST GOING TO POINT OUT WHAT YOU SAID.
IF YOU ARE PROUD OF IT, YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY.
I AM NOW GOING TO FORWARD THAT TO YOUR EMPLOYER.
WHATEVER IT WAS, YOU WROTE IT IN A PUBLIC FORUM.
I AM FORWARDING IT TO YOUR EMPLOYEE.
IF YOU ARE PROUD OF IT, GREAT.
IF YOU ARE NOT, THAT IS FOR YOU TO DEAL WITH.
AT A MINIMUM WE CALL THAT EVEN, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS THE ONE
BEING ATTACKED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THAT IS GREAT ARGUMENT, USING OUR CONSTITUTION FOR REASONING.
LET'S JUST BE COMMON SENSE INDIVIDUALS ABOUT THIS,
HOWEVER, YOU ARE AN ADULT WHO IS ON A PUBLIC FORUM, USING
YOUR IDENTITY TO SAY HORRIBLE THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE.
HERE IS THE THING, YOU HAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR ACTIONS.
THAT IS THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS, YOU ARE AN ADULT AND YOU
SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT.
IF YOU HAVE THE BALLS TO GO ON THIS WOMAN'S PAGE AND CALL
HER ALL KINDS OF NAMES IN A VERY PUBLIC WAY, WELL, FIRST OF
ALL YOUR EMPLOYER COULD FIND THAT WITHOUT THE WOMAN
HAVING TO TELL ON YOU.
I DON'T THINK THAT WHAT SHE DID WAS WRONG.
I WOULD NOT DO IT BECAUSE I'M NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF
POLICING WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT ME.
YOU THINK I AM A SLUT?
GO-AHEAD, THINK I AM A SLUT.
I HAVE DEALT WITH THAT TYPE OF VITRIOL AND RHETORIC FOR
NINE YEARS NOW, WORKING HERE.
I AM USED TO IT, I IGNORE IT AND MOVE ON.
BUT I ALWAYS FIND IT INTERESTING WHEN MEN ON INSTAGRAM OR
FACEBOOK, WHO ARE MARRIED OR IN
RELATIONSHIPS, SEND ME THEIR DICK PIC, AND THEY THINK THAT
THERE IS NO CHANCE THAT I WOULD
SEND IT TO THEIR WIVES OR GIRLFRIENDS.
IF YOU HAD DONE THAT, THEIR REACTION WOULD BE, HOW DARE YOU?
NOT HOW DARE YOU FOR SENDING THE DICK PIC WHEN YOU ARE
MARRIED, TO SOMEONE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR IT, BUT HOW DARE
YOU TAKE THE INCREDIBLY INAPPROPRIATE THING I DID
AND TELL OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT IT?
WHAT AN INSANE, UPSIDE DOWN WORLD THAT IS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL THIS WAY.
WITH ASKED THAT QUESTION ON OUR APP, A LOT OF YOU HAVE VOTED.
DO YOU THINK THIS IS FAIR?
ONLY FORTY PERCENT SAID THEY YES TO THE FACT THAT THE GUY GOT FIRED.
FIFTY-FOUR PERCENT ARE SAYING NO.
I AM CURIOUS WHERE THE VOTING WINDS UP ON THAT.
MY FINAL ANALYSIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO ANA'S.
I HAVE NEVER FORWARDED ANYTHING THAT SOMEONE IS WRITTEN
ABOUT ME ONLINE, AND BELIEVE ME I COULD FORWARD A LOT.
AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME TO FIGURE THAT OUT, AND PROBABLY YOUR
FRIENDS AND FAMILY ALREADY KNOW WHAT AN IDIOT YOU ARE, SO
I DON'T NEED TO REMIND THEM.
I HOPE YOUR EMPLOYERS KNOW, BUT PERHAPS THEY DO NOT KNOW
BECAUSE THEY HAVE EMPLOYED YOU.
BUT AM I GOING TO HATE ON HER FOR DOING IT?
NO, AND IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THIS MAKES PEOPLE A LITTLE MORE
CAREFUL, AND I GUARANTEE YOU THE PEOPLE DEFENDING THIS GUY I
LIKE, OH LIBERALS WITH THEIR VICTIM IDEOLOGY ñ SHE RATTED ME
OUT FOR CALLING HER A SLUT, I'M SUCH A VICTIM!
NO, YOU SAID IT, MAN UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
PEOPLE WANT TO USE THE INTERNET AS A SHIELD AGAINST ANY
CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR BAD BEHAVIOR.
THE INTERNET IS NOT A PERSONAL TOOL FOR YOU TO ATTACK
OTHERS, THREATEN OTHERS AND SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT.
THEY HAVE A REAL-LIFE CONSEQUENCES, AND IF YOU DO NOT
LIKE THOSE CONSEQUENCES, STOP
BEING A DICK.