Juliana Sani, Uncivil Discourse, Sociology 3

Juliana Sani

Professor Kubal

Sociology 3

7 May 2017

In some countries, expressing your opinion about the government on Twitter could result in one being put in prison. It is a shock that now the United States is one of those countries. Uncivil discourse has become very popular within social media, especially on Twitter, because people are able to hide behind their screen. Uncivil discourse is harmful in that it can lead to unintended consequences such as violence and potential legal penalties

In the article, "Fresno State says FBI, Secret Service probing professor's tweets about President Trump", is a perfect example of uncivil discourse because the professor at Fresno State had tweeted about how President Trump "must hang to save American democracy". This is a violent opinion about the president and his ability to lead the country. Although the opinion was violent, there was never any intent to act upon the tweet but the result has had a major negative impact on his career as professor and possibly his freedom. The professor had 28 twitter followers and only expected that his tweets were shared within the small group of his followers. The tweets were a reflection of what his personal thoughts were at the time and tweeting them had the effect made him feel better because he was expressing how he felt. The professor apologized to the public and since then has deleted his twitter account because he did not want his tweets to influence others to take on his thoughts and potentially act upon them, he has since taken a voluntarily leave for the rest of the semester and what will happen in the future is unknown at the time.

Uncivil discourse is harmful because it can cause normally rational, respectful human beings to act in bizarre and irrational ways. Uncivil discourse that expresses physical violence or violent acts can inspire others to act out negatively. There are negative consequences to those who choose to express their hateful opinions, especially for those who are speaking about a government official as well as those that are the target of the hatred. Hate speech is a way to express one's own opinions but people have to realize the potential harmful consequences that could come from them expressing themselves.

The proliferation of uncivil discourse in social media posts is a phenomena with more negative consequences than positive ones.  The expression of these negative views publicly can result in damage to careers and reputations as well as endanger others who choose to physically express the uncivil discourse ideas presented.  The risk of unintended consequences such as violence and potential legal penalties is a real and present danger to the people participating in public uncivil discourse.

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article144293174.html