Progressives have a habit of shrieking about “harassment” any time one of their own is met with criticism. They define any sort of disagreement as abuse, but have no problem lobbing their own attacks at anyone whose views are not in alignment with their own. And when a man does it, it’s called “mansplaining.”
A passenger named Dan Goldstein accosted Ivanka Trump on a JetBlue flight yesterday, screaming at her about her father, Donald Trump. Ivanka was on the flight with her cousins, husband, and three children. His husband, Matthew Lasner, tweeted some of the proceedings—stating plainly that the man had chased down Ivanka’s family to harass them. Lasner would later claim (in contradiction to his initial tweets) that his husband had “expressed displeasure in a calm tone,” causing them to be removed from the flight.
“No bad tactics, only bad targets.”
The same social justice warriors who defended YouTube prankster Adam Saleh’s “Muslims on a Plane” hoax and called for the boycott of Delta Airlines are nowhere to be seen or heard, remaining silent about the shameful abuse of Ivanka. But some, like the Guardian columnist Jessica Valenti, are defending Lasner and his partner’s actions, going as far as to describe the yelling as “criticism.”
I don't know what this person said to her and in what tone – & obvs I'm not down with scaring someone's kids – but she's not a child.
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) December 22, 2016
Valenti says that Ivanka Trump should expect harassment because of her role in Donald Trump’s administration.
Also, it's infantilizing & sexist to argue that Ivanka should be shielded from public criticism.
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) December 22, 2016
Again, if someone was screaming up in her kids' faces that is absolute shit. But let's not treat grown women like children.
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) December 22, 2016
It is especially ironic for someone like Jessica Valenti to defend public harassment, given how often she writes about it. She previously expressed her exasperation with the comments readers leave on her articles, calling for the end of online comments sections.
“My own exhaustion with comments these days has less to do with explicit harassment—which, at places like the Guardian, is swiftly taken care of (Thank you, moderators!),” wrote Valenti. “Rather, it’s the never-ending stream of derision that women, people of color and other marginalized communities endure; the constant insistence that you or what you write is stupid or that your platform is undeserved.”
Much like Valenti, Matthew Lasner maintains a double standard on civic behavior. Lasner, who is an associate professor at Hunter College, had previously shamed a college high school student for wearing an old Reagan/Bush ’84 shirt. He said that it made him “seriously ill.”
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s hate speech,” declared Lasner.
Other notable progressives on Twitter have echoed Valenti’s views, stating that it is okay to harass Ivanka because of the actions of her father—as if she deserves it.
Ivanka Trump is trying to dismantle your country for personal fame and fortune. Yell at her all you'd like.
— Tressie Mc (@tressiemcphd) December 22, 2016
Jamelle Bouie, Slate’s chief political correspondent, similarly downplayed the abuse Ivanka received. Bouie previously described Trump voters as racists who “don’t deserve your empathy.”
Sure, don't yell at people I guess. But I'm not inclined to get too upset that someone yelled at a policymaker.
— Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) December 22, 2016
Had this happened to Chelsea Clinton, we wouldn’t hear the end of it. Hypocrisy, thy name is progressive.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken game critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.
