It was less than a month ago that I wrote an article about Facebook policies allowing networks of “trolls” to take out profiles of political activists. The article took off, spreading through social networks and mirrored on other sites. I continue to receive e-mails to this day from people who stumble upon that article and are glad I wrote it. The next day after posting it, Stephanie Leigh, the woman mentioned in the article, had her profile renewed. The article also seemingly caused Facebook to review things as this form of abuse has been down lately and I have heard reports of Facebook legal team monitoring Wisconsin Activists to help prevent this.
Unfortunately, they turned to a new trick. Stephanie Leigh was recently banned for having a “fake” profile. She was told she had to send her ID to verify that she was who she said she was. The problem is, for safety, she does not go by her first and last name, yet her first and middle name (a common practice on Facebook for security). She now could lose her profile and her page simply for the fact that she chose to use her first and middle name as her display name. Is it so wrong to not want people who have threatened and harassed you to know your last name? But the harassment continues and today I was approached and the story sickened me to the core.
It all started this morning when I got an e-mail thanking me for the previous article on Facebook abuse. I decided to do a follow up article given the amount of attention the first article got so I posted on my Facebook for anyone to contact me if they have been falsely accused of abusing Facebook policies. The reports flooded in. People getting suspended for posting pictures of their infants without shirts, saying thank you to a post on my status, commenting on my page (nothing inflammatory), and the list goes on. No one was still suspended that I heard from, so I figured the story could wait. But I also noticed another trend. Many people were sending me information about the harassment and threats they received on right wing pages. At first it didn’t hit me as I get harassed and threatened on Facebook and elsewhere daily. Just check the comments on some of my articles (in the Facebook plug in, which are pale in comparison to what comes to my inbox). It just seems normal to me, after all I have been put on the no-fly list and gotten my own hate site (complete with music video and video game) simply due to my activism. But then I got a message and it tipped me over the line.
The message was from a lady named Nancy Butzlaff. Even though I was not talking to her I could sense the fear and pain in her message as I read what she wrote. She told me that she was sent to me, told I could maybe help her. She went on to explain that there was an article posted about her, accusing her of wishing rape on the Governor and his children (we will get to this false allegation in a minute). She went on to say that Vicki McKenna, local racist and talk show host, posted an article about her and that she was being slandered and attacked everywhere. She also went on to say that she was receiving death threats, some of which I personally saw on social networks, but were deleted. They also posted her CCAP, which is the free Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Program, where you van look up records of any Wisconsin resident, and made up lies about what was on there. She was shocked, a long time Republican who is upset with Scott Walker for ruining our state and the Republican image, and a disabled woman suddenly getting threatened and attacked. When she talked to WIBA, the station that Vicki McKenna spreads her hate and racism on (criticizing me nearly daily), they called her a “lard ass that needs to be dead” (she has COPD and due to her medications has little control over weight).
I told her I would help however I could. So let’s start by setting the record straight. Media Trackers, the site that the article was posted on, equates to no more credibility than an editorial page. Their entire mission is to spread conservative messages and ideas through news articles. They twist and turn everything, often even worse than Fox News. They are not considered a legitimate news site by any reliable source on journalism. But they post articles and send them to their networks of bloggers and right wing talk show hosts in hopes they will cover them because, like all “conservative news” it is true if they say it is (or at least they think so). Sometimes it will be picked up on by the super conservative (and often viewed as not very credible) Milwaukee TV Stations like Fox 6 or TMJ 4. They posted the article on Nancy alluding she wished rape on the Governor and children. Surely, they must have some sort of proof before claiming something so severe, right? Well all they have to “prove” their assertion that Nancy wished rape on the Governor or his family was this Facebook comment on a news article about Scott Walker cutting sexual assault victim service funding by 42%.
Another thing Walker has destroyed . . . well just more people that will sign for recall walker now . . . is he really that ignorant to even attack victims at their lowest . . . what a real prize, maybe someone should rape and victimize his wife and daughter if he has any . . . or even sons, then he will wish he supported this service a lot more.
The comment, as anyone with any common sense can see, was simply pointing out how sick it is that Scott Walker would attack sexual assault victims and implying that he is insensitive to their pain. I agree with this. She was pointing out that if Scott Walker’s family got raped or sexually assaulted they would probably have a heart and accusing him of attacking people is Walker at his lowest and shows no understanding what these people go through. I agree with that as well. In fact, although I likely would have worded it differently, I agree with this whole comment. This is not wishing rape on Scott Walker’s family. This is simply pointing out that he has no empathy or understanding. But due to it, she has been villified, attacked, and threatened. In fact, on Vicki’s page alone, several people have posted personal information of her and her husband (taken down by Vicki hours later). Then, a daughter of hers tried to explain how she herself was a victim of sexual abuse, further explaining why Nancy can understand what it is like for a parent to have this happen. I couldn’t begin to imagine the pain a parent would feel having a child sexually assaulted or raped. I cannot begin to imagine the pain it would cause to hear that funding for those services was nearly cut in half. It is cruel and wrong to put a disabled woman who has suffered this through additional harassment, bullying, and threats, simply for asking for compassion.
But it goes even further. The article also mentioned her CCAP record, in which she did plead no contest for a count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. What Media Trackers failed to realize, however, was that by posting this information it doesn’t at all help their case. In fact, in Nancy’s case it reveals an injustice in the system that sickened me even further. Like most teenagers these days, one of Nancy’s children was having sex at the age of sixteen. Nancy, being a responsible parent, bought her child some condoms so at the very least they would be safe. See Nancy, like millions of other parents, realized that you cannot prevent children from having sex, however you can encourage them to do it safely. She did what any loving mother would do, knowing this, and bought some condoms. Unfortunately for her, buying a child condoms, at least in her county, can get you charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor (in certain circumstances). What has our state come to when a parent cannot even buy their own child condoms?
I feel bad for Nancy, I really do. The harassment, threats, and bullying, are nothing less or different than what I experience on a daily basis. But I am prepared for it. I do what I do knowing that I will constantly be attacked (many have even suggested I am the most attacked person on the left in WI). I am prepared and accustomed to it. But for someone like Nancy, who merely posts a comment and is thrust into a world of hate and attack, I really do sympathize. She now has to live with the fact that, although she did nothing wrong, her name was slandered throughout the state. She now has to live in fear that someone may attack her and her family. I hope people will share this story. Hopefully we can get some retribution for Nancy and end this attack. And we shall continue to fight. One day longer! One day Stronger!
Jeremy Ryan
Executive Director
Defending Wisconsin PAC
jryan@defendingwisconsin.org
[Editor's Note: Donations made through this post go to the author, not the website]
Note: Segway Jeremy Ryan has become a full-time member of the protests at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Formerly a businessman, he gave up his business to join the fight for the middle class in the State of Wisconsin. Through videos and writings he has informed hundreds of thousands of people about what was going on at the Wisconsin State Capitol once the mainstream media had mostly abandoned the protests. His full-time activism is completely funded by the people. If you would like to help out please click here.
Gray Mann, it looks to me like you ticked off one of the militants and that person has now called upon a buddy to hack your account. You will need to change your password to stop it. The best passwords are not words at all but are comprised of random letters and symbols so as to be more difficult to hack. Good luck.
Jeremy,
The problem with your article is that Nancy Butzlaff did not make an analogy or use a simile concerning Scott Walker’s desired family treatment (and clearly she doesn’t know much about him to know about his family situation) she made a threat. There is a big difference between the two. While public figures are often the subject of unfair or even uncharacteristic analogies (how many Madison protestors had Scott Walker is Hitler, is a Nazi, is like Chavez, etc… signs that were prominently displayed as they did laps around the capital)-it is much different when someone says that someone should rape his family. I can’t believe anyone would try to argue that calling for someone to be raped is OK because they were possibly assaulted at some point in their life. Is it OK for someone who was the potential victim of an assault by the police justified in calling for the attack of fellow officers?
As to your comments about Stephanie Leigh, you and many others who participate in WI online politics know she is the admin of several hate pages and has numerous aliases on facebook.
I hardly believe anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault would ever condone that same treatment to another individual. The ironic part is that maybe Stephanie is afraid that Nancy will call for the rape of her and that is why she is afraid of using her last name??? After all, it is not like Stephanie is being attacked for making a pro-Walker advertisement -we all know how fairly that person has been treated by the left!
Several Hate pages??? Please share what hate pages you claim I have.
James, it appears to me you are reading something into Nancy’s comments that are not there. She made no actual threat to anyone. Suggesting that “maybe someone should” is not the same as stating “someone is going to….” or “I will….”. That would be indicative of an actual “threat”. Taking into context her entire statement, it’s pretty evident of what her actual intent was. To suggest that if someone in Walker’s family were ever raped, he would have a different perspective. Granted, it was not worded as correctly as it possibly should have been, but again, taking into consideration her entire statement, one would be reaching to suggest she was making an actual “threat”!
I’d say I’m surprised by this, but that would be a lie. I’ve come to expect new depths of inhumanity and immorality from the GOP, and their right-wing nut jobs, on a daily basis.
Thank you for understanding. I was visited by the Madison Police. It will be public record in about 30 daus. But thank God the detective and officer understood what i meant. I will not be arrested. I willnot be charged. But i am not replying to anything after i post this. My health is poor enough and i am not ready to to set myself way back.
Nancy, no need to reply to this. Just wanted to say that most people realize that your comments were not of an actual threatening nature. Just a statement,albeit not worded exactly as properly as could have been, expressing your opinion that if Mr. Walker’s loved ones were ever the victim of such a crime, he would have a different view. It’s a shame that someone choose to take your comments out of context and suggest that you were making an actual intended threat against anyone to the point of you being visited by the Police! I have seen many people say far worse with deliberate threats against others that got no acknowledgment of any kind from anyone in authority! I wish you well and just wanted you to know that some of us do realize that your intentions were never to threaten anyone!
I’m rarely on facebook since I’m disabled and have been abandoned by all friends and family but I made an account just to post comments. I posted comments on Ron Paul’s flip flop on the Occupy Wall Street Movement yesterday on a Think Progress story.
I was accused by one of the Paulites for working for someone and today I can not sign into facebook unless I give them my phone number.
The Paultards talk about free speech and liberty yet try to silence those who disagree and provide facts to btheirhier claims. No good hypocrites just like the man they worship Ron Paul!!!
I’m really hoping you pop back in to read this comment. Many Facebook users are encountering FLPs on Facebook (fake login pages) that LOOK like the real thing, but if you submit a phone number (or any personal information), the “send” button emails whoever made the FLP your information. Facebook will NEVER ask you for anything other than an email address and a password, unless you request a password reset, in which case I’m sure there’s some sort of security process. Good luck to you.
~Jessy
Thank you Jessy for your reply. I tried yesterday to give Facebook my phone number and they said that I made too many attempts and to try again later…after the first attempt??? Really??? I have had this account since the summer, and only have made about ten comments during that time period.
I don’t have any photos or many friends, but my actions should prove I’m not “working for anyone” I just wanted to be able to speak my mind on certain subjects and these days you must use Facebook to do so.
Facebook should of noticed the content of my posts I made yesterday and noticed who was making these false claims against me. They would of seen that it was a difference of opinion and that the Paultards were on a witch hunt.
I’m sure if I was posting info about any other politician I would be still able to access my account. Since I was exposing what Ron Paul first said about OWS on 10/30/11 in Iowa and the fact he has ties Christian Reconstructionists like Gary North and Chuck Baldwin, I was silenced by Ron Paul’s supporters using Hitler’s SA tactics of overwhelm, drown out and silence anyone who disagrees.
Freedom and Liberty SMH!!! More like corral and control with both facebook and the Paulites.
A big thank you to Addicting Info for allowing me to post my comments and bypassing Facebook.
Just an update on my Facebook account. Denial of access continues…First Facebook’s message was I made too many attempts to give them my phone number which happened the on the first try. So I waited one day to and tried again this morning. Now I get this message from Facebook…
Our systems are currently overloaded. Please try again in a few minutes.
I wonder if they are being flooded by false claims to silence people who are aware of the true Ron Paul??? Four days and counting….
Well Facebook won’t accept my phone number and now are demanding that I send them a copy of a government issued photo ID. They promised they would delete it once they confirm or deny I am a person…really?