I was surprised Monday morning when suddenly I found for the first time in the 3 years I have been on Twitter, I couldn’t access my account. I later came to learn that I had been suspended. I had to go home and retrieve my password to access the site only to discover that I had been suspended due to “complaints” that I was sending “unsolicited replies” (which sounds oxymoronic) with a nasty tone to them. They said this made for a bad atmosphere on Twitter and I had to promise to be nice, otherwise I would be permanently banned from the site.
I later came to learn that I was not alone that morning. Several of my Twitter friends were also suspended. I then learned that trolls gang up on our accounts; send in faux complaints about our content to get us suspended. Made sense because in the days prior to this I broke my long-standing rule of not engaging with trolls and right-wing nut jobs when they enter my time-line opting instead to simply block them. However with the tone of things coming down in response to the Sandy Hook shooting and the crap coming from the mouths of the pro assault weapon and high-capacity magazine group, I couldn’t let many of them go unchallenged. Of course there could also have been some complaints because in recent months I’ve learned to send my snark directly to the Twitter accounts of our nation’s leading idiots. Perhaps that’s what they mean by “unsolicited replies”. I’ve been especially active in sending tweets to Governor Rick Snyder @onetoughnerd and @RepLouieGohmert. I’ve also sent tweets of a particularly snarky tone to @ChuckGrassley, @SpeakerBoehner, Mitch McConnell @McConnellPress, Eric Cantor @GOPLeader, @Limbaugh, @SarahPalinUSA, @SenJohnMcCain, Sen Lindsey Graham @GrahamBlog, and @MicheleBachmann, you know, the usual suspects.
Although these are public servants, perhaps they’re too thin-skinned to be challenged via Twitter on their actions and instead of blocking, ignoring or manning up and responding, they go to Twitter to silence those who don’t agree.
Fair enough. I can understand not wanting to deal with people who don’t agree with you and trying to stop it. However I would think public officials would have more backbone. So be it.
Since then, because maybe I can’t trust myself to be good or because the problem may be trolls ganging up on those of my point of view I’ve done two things. First of all I’ve stopped responding to trolls and RWNJs again. When I get a mention I’ll check the bio and Time Line and if they’re stupid and insulting, they’re blocked without a response. Second, I’ve created a “Bunker” account on Twitter that I can go to if I end up in Twitter Jail or get suspended again.
So if you can’t find me on Twitter for some reason, you can find me in my bunker where my Twitter rants will continue. Afterall, the first amendment comes before the second amendment.
UPDATE:
Here’s a post from Crook’s and Liars over this very same issue. We’re not alone and Twitter monitors appear to be as gullible as those on the right in suspending those who really aren’t doing anything wrong based on thin-skin accusations of those who get their panties in a twist because people don’t agree with their narrative.
http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/breitbots-gulags-and-free-speech
AZModerate Rants 
I’m new on Twitter ( Hey, I got hooked on PC gaming, gimme a break! ) but this is something I am also guilty of doing, so I’ll follow your guide and block rather than respond to dipsy-doodles.
I love your work…keep it up…!!
Thanks Ed, I appreciate that and your support.
This is exactly the information I needed. This gives me the option for “security” I didn’t know about, the “bunker account”; do you keep it “private”? or is that necessary? I tried private, but it cut me out of so much wonderful contact and information!
Its not a private account, I keep it public as a fallback account in case anything happens to the primary. However you can make it private if you chose.
I usually resort this this standard reply to the nutjobs: “Please keep tweeting. You’re confirming the stereotype of the modern unhinged Republican”. I used this line on a former head of the GOP in SC (I forget his name). He had just suggested that the Michigan State Police fire on those protesting RTW in Lansing at the time. The line is not too impolite, and it actually sometimes makes *some* tweeps step back from the ledge.
Great line! Mind if I borrow it?
Go for it, its now public domain.
I remember this quote from childhood “When good People do nothing Evil prevails”. If it takes getting suspended for tweeting for Gun Control Laws and taking Assault Weapons off the streets our of cities. So be it.
Same thing happened to me a couple of times (after I live tweeted the 1st night of the RNC I was shut down. And I wasn’t even engaging with RWNJs)
I like to send things to Michael Medved, Dennis Miller, Malkin, Hannity,Huckabee, Trump, Christie, etc. They are public figures who spout their opinions, but WE aren’t allowed to respond?
If it bothers them can’t they just block them? What else is the block for? Only Laura Ingraham and LOLGOP have blocked me. Why LOLGOP? I have no idea. Laura blocked me after I asked why she tweeted prayers to Aurora CO, but NOT to WI Sikhs two weeks later.
Does Twitter do any “fact checking” before suspending?
I though the whole point was engagement. And you’re right about “unsolicited replies” being oxyMORONIC, I said the same thing to them.
I could go on forever, and kind of did, but unless your racist, cruel, or threaten somebody, I cannot understand what they’re doing. Thought this was the ultimate megaphone, where everyone had a chance to be heard.
if you’re racist, cruel or threatening then you’re using the arsenal of the Right Wing Nut Jobs and trolls who oddly enough rarely get suspended. Hmmmm.
Thanks for the comments 😉
Good advice. I don’t usually engag the RWNJs because most are a waste of time. It seems many of them are reading from a script anyway. I also think some are paid trolls. I’d rather spend my time discussing issues with those that are open to the facts and reasonable opinions.
This is still going on except it’s becoming even more frequent. My acct was suspended 2X within a week after 3 years on Twitter w/o a problem. If these idiots cannot tolerate hearing a different opinion, they’re the ones who need to leave, not those of us who can debate politely.
Don’t let them get you down. I enjoy your tweets, very clever and informative.
Hey Arizona wondered where you were. I’m probably not too far behind. Are you giving out your new account? If so send me a DM. Good Luck. JimmyWhiz.
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