Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- The big tech oligarchs never cease to amaze me. In 2021 it is nearly impossible to conduct business, network, and or stay in contact with people without using social media. Many of AmmoLand’s readers have put forward rather strong opinions on this subject, and like anything else related to personal policies and stances, there is no need to shame others for how they choose to conduct themselves. I use social media, as do many of the other AmmoLand contributors (including AmmoLand News).
On more than one occasion I’ve found so many contradictory stances on things. Free speech is not a thing, or even close to a thing, on certain social media outlets. A close contact of mine got several 30-day bans from a certain service for posting “Joe and the ho.” There was no context to the post…that was it, “Joe and the ho.” While this is not something I personally would subscribe to, I do feel however it is someone’s right to post that, especially since there is no clear breaking of any rules or more importantly illicit violent threats. The same platform would not allow the hashtag “mitchthebitch” to be posted. Anything that goes against the accepted narrative which we the feeble peasants are supposed to take in hook, line, and sinker is censored. The contradictions are endless. I’m sure many other users have found similar situations in their own experiences.
Going through a social media feed recently I ran into a post that had the captain:
“Sensitive Content,” eh?
And below the caption was a picture that had the “Sensitive Content” warning over it. To me, that is just an invitation to see what was posted, not a warning, but rather a tag that says “look at me, look at me.”
Naturally, I clicked on the “See Photo” button. What greeted me next was not something that was grotesque. Nor was it something that would bring on shock and awe. It was something that I would consider a safe and healthy practice. This is what my click revealed:
Somehow the ministry of truth at this social media service decided that youth being guided and instructed on safe gun handling is “sensitive content”. I’m not sure when “enough is going to be enough” with what big tech is allowed to get away with, but “c’mon man”, there is nothing sensitive about this post. Was it tagged as such because of the caption? Once upon a time pictures like the censored one were commonplace in magazine advertisements. Once upon a time gun ownership was not stigmatized, and now’s the perfect time to return that narrative to its rightful status – normal.
Now before all the nay sayers get all up in arms about this and start attacking me by saying things like
“Why are you using that service anyhow?”
or
“When there is no product, you are the product!”
or
Use your imagination. Here is the thing…Social media regardless of what banner it is flying under is supposed to be for everyone. Yes, I believe that we should have alternatives that are friendly that we should use. Yes, I believe every single freedom-minded person is subject to being shut down at a moment’s notice by big tech. And moreover, than that, I believe that there is no reason why “we”, the freedom-loving population, should fold to the freedom-hating population.
We are here. They, they should have to deal with us. So while I fully support people that take an anti-social media stance, 100%, however, that does not mean that we should be alienated, forced to pack up our marbles, and go home. No, a much bigger issue is at hand here, and that is the narrative that is being written is dangerous to our civil liberties.
John Petrolino is a US Merchant Marine Officer, writer, author of Decoding Firearms: An Easy to Read Guide on General Gun Safety & Use and NRA certified pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructor living under and working to change New Jersey’s draconian and unconstitutional gun laws. You can find him on the web at www.johnpetrolino.com on twitter at @johnpetrolino and on instagram @jpetrolinoiii .