Photo: Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash
“Oh, wow!”
“I know.”
“Did they really decide you were threatening violence against others?”
“Aha.”
“You!??”
Sigh.
“But you weren’t!”
‘I know.”
“And you’re the last person I can think of who’d do anything like that.”
“Thank you. Indeed I wouldn’t. I was speaking out against the threat of violence … and yet …”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah.”
“So now what?”
“I don’t know. As soon as I saw they suspended me, I’ve appealed. I pointed out I was protesting false-choice and threats of violence against the helpless. That I was absolutely not promoting violence. I pointed out that I’d placed any graphic words in quotes exactly because I wanted to make sure it was clear that this was an example of what someone like a Mafioso, in their false-choices, might say. I told them that this was an analogy. That that’s why I put it in quotes. I was certain they’ll reinstate my account. Instead, they wrote back to say that they’d reviewed my appeal and ‘found’ me to have been threatening violence and therefore they won’t restore my account.”
“I can’t believe this is the conclusion they’ve reached!”
“Me neither. It hurts my heart.”
“But you were doing the opposite of threatening people!”
“I know. I abhor violence. Against anyone. By anyone. In fact, this was why I was pointing out the wrong of using violence as a threat.”
“Can’t they see that for themselves? Also, all they need to do is read some of the stuff you write and do and stand for. I mean, this is ludicrous!”
Sigh.
“You of all people …”
Sigh.
“Sheesh! What’s wrong with them?”
“Actually, I’m not angry they wanted to take a look. If anything even appears to be threatening, it should be examined. I’m okay with that. What does upset me is that even after supposedly reviewing this, they say I was threatening violence, when I was absolutely not. I’m dismayed that in spite of me pointing out that this was a quote (and yes, it was in quotes!) of what a mafioso might say to gain compliance, they don’t see this for the analogy it was. I’m upset they don’t believe me I was protesting, via use of the mafia analogy, the untenable situation others are currently facing. I was protesting violence, not promoting it!”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“I know.”
“So now what?”
“I’ve re-appealed. I hope they’ll reconsider.”
“Now you wait?”
“I guess so.”
“And in the meanwhile?”
“I write here. I continue speaking against violence and injustice. I continue to trust people will do the right thing. I breathe. I don’t know what more …”
“Can I help?”
“You already are.”
“I am?”
“Yes. It helps that you’re listening. It helps to have you validate that you know I would not threaten to do harm to anyone. It helps that you’re here. It helps that you’re kind. It helps that you’re you.”
“Oh.”
For Linda Hill’s SoCS challenge: Oh
Na'ama Yehuda 
Excellent take, Na’ama
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Thank you … and …reality … as of yesterday. Ahem.
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So I figured… when I tried to share this on Twitter… What the hell??
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Exactly.
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BTW… I shared it anyway… just couldn’t quote you.
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Thank you, my friend! 🙂
I’m working very hard to not take the whole situation personally and hoping they’ll reconsider and restore my account. Because, really …
That little exchange I wrote was pretty much a transcript of a conversation I had about this.
Oy.
And … thank YOU. XO
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Seriously? Shee-it. That is absolutely nuts.
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Yeah. It is.
There is irony in the whole situation, given how much of my writing is about ENDING violence and the impact of trauma … And there they misread a tweet that was PROTESTING the untenable threats of violence, and claim that tweet itself as being the threat. As I wrote … sigh. Sigh. Sigh. Breathe. Sigh. Breathe … I am holding hope they’ll take another look and reconsider. Because … really …
XO
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Utterly ridonkulous
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XO
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You’ve earned a bucket of bonus points. Well done Na’ama.
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Thank you, John. Tis a true story … so … if you try to share this on the birdie (and I hope you would share the link), just know that you won’t be able to tag me on it … at least not at this time … Oy vey, eh?
So I still get to keep the bonus points?
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Yeah I did try and it didn’t work
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Sigh. Dale was able to just share the link without tagging me. I hope that’ll work. That is, if you’re so inclined.
Thanks, John!
Onward into the unknown I march …
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Don’t want to mess it up. So next time.
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No worries! And … thank you!
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Sorry to read of the misunderstandings – I hope the situation resolves with an “Oh…that’s what you meant, I’m sorry.”
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Me, too! So far it doesn’t seem to be the case (no real re-appeal process available) but we shall see. Sometimes misunderstandings that aren’t being given a place to resolve can indeed remain unmended. I hope this will not be the case here…
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I hope so too…
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Yeah …
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!!אוי ואבוי
!!!כל כך מתסכל לשמוע
😦
…התחושה שאתה לא מובן, והדברים מפורשים הפוך לחלוטין מהמציאות
אני מקווה שבסופו של דבר האמת כן תישמע
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Thank you, it is more frustration than disaster. And yes, truth usually finds a way.
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