By Elizabeth Steinberg
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Free speech and social media – though these topics seem like the go hand-in-hand, sometimes putting these two together can create major controversy.
Two weeks ago, former American Major League Baseball pitcher Curt Schilling posted some amazing news that his daughter, Gabby Schilling, had accepted an offer to play softball for Salve Regina University in Rhode Island. What started out as a simple congratulatory message turned into an easy target for social media predators.
Schilling ended up receiving a flood of distasteful responses, including some that mentioned the possibility of raping his daughter. He then turned to his blog to vent, publicly outing a few of the men’s comments, focusing on two offenders in particular: Adam Negal and Sean MacDonald. Negal, a Brookdale Community College student, was later suspended for his actions and MacDonald, who was recently hired by the New York Yankees as a part-time ticket taker, was subsequently fired from his job. The Twitter accounts of both men have been deactivated and the Brookdale police are currently investigating the issue.
This is all very unfortunate for Schilling and his family, but the fact of the matter is that when people decide to put something online, they open themselves up to feedback from other points of view. Understanding that the Internet can be unpleasant comes with the territory of being a public figure who uses social media.
There is, however, a limit to what people can and should say online. The sending of threatening or harassing email or instant messages that are dedicated solely to tormenting an individual, better known as cyber-harassment, is illegal in many states.
The fact that Negal and MacDonald could take one of the proudest moments in a father’s life and turn it around to the point where he had to worry about his daughter’s safety is disturbing. Threatening any type of violence toward an individual, especially rape, is not taken lightly.
Many social media outlets are private companies that are allowed to control what happens on their sites. When creating a Twitter account, everyone has to agree to a set of terms and conditions, which includes a code of conduct. The code states, “You may not publish or post direct, specific threats of violence against others.”
Social media is meant to strengthen relationships within communities, not tear them apart. When Negal and MacDonald threatened Gabby Schilling, they made the college atmosphere seem unsafe. Prospective students should be welcomed into the next chapter of their lives, not turned away by harassing comments.
Having the right to free speech in the United States is a privilege. We are lucky to be able to speak our minds without being penalized for it, but this does not mean that we should abuse that right.
It is in everyone’s best interest to be mindful of what they post online. Once something is on the Internet, it could be there forever. While we all have the right to free speech, we should never use that right to justify abuse toward others.
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