Last week Steve Bannon suggested that Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI director Christopher Wray should be beheaded and that their heads should be put on spikes. Twitter has suspended him but Facebook has not disabled his account. Now I am not writing about his comments and if Facebook should suspend his account. I believe that those comments could be construed as a call to violence but that is not the reason for this article.
I have been a member of FaceBook for over 10 years. I was a member in good standing. I remember posting pictures when I was ordained a deacon back in 2010. I made my Facebook page into my own photographic history. I remember posting about how Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would be the worst thing to happen to America if they got elected in 2012. We should be so lucky now. I found a great sci fi polling place that made brackets for everything from Star Trek to Time Travel movies. I participated in many challenges and found like minded people who I could rant with. I also joined right wing groups to sharpen by debating technique.
All that ended a month ago. When I tried to log on to post a picture of the poster of the latest horror movie I watched for Shudder’s 61 horror films in 60 days and I found out I was blocked out. Both out of Facebook and Facebook messenger.
Now there was no warning, no reason, and no recourse. I tried to appeal and only got this message
Warning We Cannot Review the Decision to Disable Your AccountYour Facebook account was disabled because it did not follow our Community Standards. This decision can’t be reversed.
Now I don’t know exactly why I was put in Facebook jail, losing access to all my photos, my sci-fi fan clubs, Facebook messenger, and my brothers and sisters in the emergent progressive Christian Church. But I do have an idea. I used Hitler’s quotes about him being a defender of Christianity to try to make a point that Trump is playing by the same playbook.
And for that, I lost it all?
I don’t know if I would call myself a Facebook addict. I suffer from severe anxiety and depression and Facebook was my main social outlet. I could chat and get support from other anxiety and depression sufferers from across the world. I could find progressive Christians like me who hated what was going on in this nation so I wouldn’t feel so alone.
I looked forward to waking up and seeing what I posted 5 or 10 years ago. I loved seeing what my church friends were up to. Because of quarantine I haven’t seen my faith family in person for a while but I could chat with them on Facebook messenger.
I was working on a film project with some local filmmakers and it was easier communicating via Facebook messenger than e-mail. But being banned means I have lost most of my contacts. And for someone with social anxiety Facebook messenger was the easiest way to communicate. My dreams are dealt a severe blow from some computer algorithm that finds me more dangerous than Steve Bannon or people lying about non existent voter fraud?
I did not spout hate. I did not post lies about political candidates. I did not call for anyone”s death. I just compared Trump to Hitler when it comes to pretending to be Christianity’s defender. And for that post I lost a lifeline. I am sure I am not the only one.
I also found out that most of my other applications, I signed up with Facebook so most of my data on those apps are gone as well. You know what they say “You don’t know what you got till it’s Gone”. Or taken away from you without any recourse.
The other bad thing about this is. I am starting to blog again and I used Facebook as a way to share my blogs. Now that avenue has been robbed from me. I guess I will just have to stick with Twitter. At least they don’t view me as a threat.
And you know what, if Facebook would remedy this I would go back on it without any reservations or hesitations. I just want that opportunity. But I am not Steve Bannon. I am not an alt-right news source. I am at the moment just a nobody. But I am a nobody who speaks up for righteousness and will continue to do so.
2timothytrump 