Bullies shouldn't smile

Earlier this week, the smug, self-satisfied smirks of three cyber-bullies really pissed me off.

There they were, Michelle Shocked and two of her stooges, Perrin Blackman and Jaimito. For nine months these people have insulted, threatened, and harassed countless individuals. They have belittled the LGBT community, they have targeted African-Americans, and they trolled the Internet looking for information they could use against Michelle's critics. Michelle espoused one crackpot conspiracy theory after another while Perrin and Jaimito enabled her. Anyone who disagreed become a target.

Why? Michelle Shocked would have you believe her persistent racist remarks and gaybashing were part of her online "art project," that her victims were merely her canvas.

But that was just one of many of Michelle's rationalizations. Another was that she was trying to prove an elaborate internet conspiracy by Google, YouTube, and gay men and women all over the world.

Bottom line was that if you wished to be a fan of Michelle Shocked's you were never allowed to disagree with her. You were never allowed to question her. You were never allowed to speak to the wrong people or say the wrong thing or be civil to those with differing points of view.

Over the last nine months I've interacted with scores of individuals who joined in opposing Michelle's hate speech. Every single one of them, without question, was once a fan of Michelle Shocked. They'd bought her CDs. They'd paid money to hear her live. Some had met her and a few even knew her personally. Most eagerly anticipated the 25th anniversary of "Short Sharp Shocked." The people who have been so vocal against Michelle Shocked all wanted to support her. They all wanted her to seek help if she was mentally ill. They all wanted her to make amends for the hurtful things she said. Apparently, those desires were too much to ask for.

Michelle attacked her fans. She attacked her critics. She attacked the media and new media outlets that served as outlets where her fans and critics could gather. She attacked sites that archived her hate speech. For nine months she pushed away friends and fans and strangers alike, treating everyone with scorn.

Liz, an IRL friend, was cast aside after she tried to help Michelle pick up the pieces and resurrect her career. Cheryl, a fellow Occupy protester, who posted plea after plea for Michelle to seek help. Doc, a fan from Europe, who volunteered to help promote her UK tour if she'd focus on making music instead of spreading hate. Nicole, a broadcaster, who tried to offer an outlet for Michelle to publicly set the record straight. Chris, who wanted to believe Michelle was simply misunderstood, and hoped (and possibly still hopes) Michelle would stop the Twitter attacks and get back to singing. Anile, who assumed (as most of us did), that Michelle would offer up a mea culpa to the people of San Francisco, after which the healing could begin. Miranda, who reluctantly cancelled an appearance at her Seattle venue by Michelle Shocked, but still met with her and hoped for best, only to have Michelle frighten her children in their own home.

If you haven't followed the saga since March, you might not recognize those names. But those are just a few of many. Most have gone underground. Many either deleted their Twitter accounts or Michelle worked to get them suspended. Others simply resigned themselves to the new Michelle Shocked and blocked her madness, unwilling to witness the wasted talent and potential.

The ones who stuck around have been bullied, insulted, threatened, and maligned by Michelle and her sycophants. Michelle's M.O. is to hit and run -- Launch a verbal assault on someone, but then cowardly delete her own words before Twitter can suspend her for them. Jaimito followed his mistress's cue and deleted most of his threats, doing so despite hiding behind a locked account. Perrin Blackman (aka @FreestateKansas) lost her Twitter account after she made repeated threats to me and others.

Not pictured in the above group shot are Michelle's three other allies, Ed the Homophobe, Quad the Coward, and Jeff the Wannabe Rapist. Had they been there, their Cheshire grins would have been equally abhorrent to me.

Bullies shouldn't smile. They shouldn't have any opportunity to gloat or boast or brag. They ought to live every day in misery, empty and alone, until they choose to renounce their hatreds and prejudices.

 

Michelle Shocked deactivated her Twitter account yesterday, and a weary Internet rejoiced. 

Sadly, she reactivated it today. And she won't change. She will continue to lie and attack. She will continue to play the victim.

She fought to suspend a critic from Twitter, despite him being probably the only remaining music critic who would welcome her comeback. As usual, she overestimated herself. She lost the battle, lied and bitched about it, and went away to lick her wounds.

 

 

But for those who she hurt already and those whom she might hurt in the future, we all need to remain vigilant. We all need to work to ensure fewer victories for these smiling thugs. We need to prevent hatred from gaining access to a stage or a microphone. At the risk of injecting a cliché, Edmund Burke once opined, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." If you are silent, you are complicit. Michelle Shocked is proud of her new persona. She regrets nothing. Until that changes, until the bully slinks away feeling the shame she deserves, I ask everyone to keep going.