Yesterday we noted how Mia Farrow tweeted — and then deleted — the address of Walter Palmer, the Minnesota dentist accused of killing Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, but it turns out we weren’t the only ones angry about it.
So was … Salon?
Well look at that.
Mary Elizabeth Williams writes:
You know what’s not cool? Going directly after Palmer or his family. You know what’snever cool? Anything that could lead to harassment and threats of violence and death. You kind of lose your moral high ground as the Person With the Most Compassion when you’re behaving in a way that has the potential incite serious damage on your fellow humans.
Naturally, this is a concept lost of the bottom feeders of the Internet, who seem to spend their time trawling for excuses to tell strangers to die. The Yelp reviews of his practice in the past few days have been a mix of criticism of his behavior and straight up violent and disturbing threats. Is posting information about Palmer’s daughter, on the grounds that “She should also be reminded constantly how pathetic and cowardly her father is” any kind of justice for Cecil? Does “I’m so looking forward to the day we hear about how you’ve been shot, skinned and beheaded for someone else’s fun” sound like the words of a person who may be overreacting just a little?
The post has been deleted, and Farrow has not commented further about it. And it’s true that Palmer’s business address is easily obtainable by anyone who knows how to Google — evidenced by the makeshift memorial that’s grown outside of his Bloomington office. But it has to understood and practiced that implied in the public dissemination of an address is a certain “Go get ‘em” imperative. It’s an abuse of one’s power and reach. And Farrow should have known better and behaved more responsibly. But please, self-righteous Twitter vigilantes, just don’t punish her for it.
OK, Salon … well said … now write a post on actress Rachel Nichols:
Or on how Bob Barker defended Farrow:
Or PETA?
These “bottom feeders” that Salon refers too aren’t really bottom feeders at all, but elite liberals who don’t see any problem ruining Palmer’s life over a legal practice that they don’t agree with.
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Related:
Aaron Paul has a message from the world for all of you psycho hunters/murderers
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