Twitter wars
The Weekend Herald asked male and female politicians to post a similar message on social media and compared the response. Within minutes, the personal abuse began. As part of a social experiment, National Party deputy leader
Paula Bennett and police spokesman Chris Bishop this week posted similar messages on Twitter and the Weekend
Herald compared the results. The two MPs chose the subject matter and the wording. They decided to post about a recent event involving gangs at Te Mata Peak in Hawke’s Bay. “Local councils and police should not facilitate gangs having patching ceremonies, public places should be public. Lock the gangs up,” Bennett tweeted. Bishop posted a slightly less provocative message.
While many of the comments under Bennett’s post addressed the issue, several more were personal.
A user named Rosie raised Bennett’s daughter’s past relationship with a gang member. Another woman, named Phillippa, appeared to allude to Bennett’s youth in Taupō and suggested she had been promiscuous.
Many comments were vitriolic. Bennett was called a fascist, a moron and an embarrassing idiot.
“F*** off with that s*** & don’t f***ing come back to me with that trumping bulls***,” said a user who went by the name of Paul.
The comments under Bishop’s Twitter post were more reserved, and generally stuck to the issue raised. “Agree wholeheartedly,” one commenter said. “It’s giving gangs a tacit seal of approval when their core business is outside both the law and any sense of common decency.” Green Party MPs Golriz Ghahraman and Gareth Hughes were also asked to post similar messages,
The results were unremarkable, though a quick trawl through Ghahraman’s comments show a steady stream of toxic commentary. “You deserve everything you get,” said one commenter after Ghahraman spoke about how white supremacists had threatened to lynch her online. Hughes said he often experienced name-calling, but got none of the vitriol and anger which his female colleagues received.
“Women often have to defend their view in public at the most basic level,” he said. Didn’t PB hang out and party with them, her daughters partner is/was one, lived with PB at her house? Freedom of speech and expression for groups in the community be damned then. Fascist. Before you criticise American voters... remember that they rejected Sarah Palin the same year we gave this moron a job. Oh look entitled woman throwing rocks at the underclasses. How nice of you Paula. What’s next kicking babies and stabbing puppies? How about you sort out your own dysfunctional party and then this. This popularist appeal to knuckle draggers is woeful. Bahaha check it out she’s trying to look tough on crime. She’s not very bright. National politicians, try actually doing something productive instead of just moaning “nothing is happening”... Paula you’re a dickhead. It’s called the f***ing law for a f***ing reason. You have to break a f***ing law to end up in prison. F*** off with that shit & don’t f***ing come back to me with that trumping bullshit.
Agree wholeheartedly. It’s giving gangs a tacit seal of approval when their core business is outside both the law and any sense of common decency. Yup, it is ridiculous. What did those people DO to get their patch? Actually you can rock up to any wedding held, public ceremony. The issue is the use of public/council maintained facilities & police resources esp considering the vile history of gang “conventions” & abductions & gang rapes of young girls etc. they have done. Agreed. But you were positive about the local gang after CHCH... Why the change of heart? I agree in some respects but if they put in all the necessary paperwork and applications to council like everyone else that holds events in public places and their application is approved then they should be allowed to have their event. Unsurprising @nzpolice have no time to safeguard public right of access when they’re too busy visiting people who post on SM critical of @jacindaardern.