Tory MP Facricant, ‘punch’ comment crosses the line.

[Isitmebut]

What is wrong with this older and uglier Boris J ‘Mini-Me’, he appears to always think that he is funny, even playing to the unappreciative gallery when approached by Sky on his doorstep earlier.

“Michael Fabricant blasted for tweet saying he would 'punch Yasmin Alibhai-Brown in the throat'”

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/michael-fabricant-blasted-for-tweet-saying-he-would-punch-yasmin-alibhaibrown-in-the-throat-9551175.html

We already have 'a Boris', god help us, who has his faults but IMO does a good job, we don't need another mop top Conservative jester.

There's a thread on FWR about this atm and a poster made the point that when men make comments like this to women, they are reminding us that we're not safe from them. I think there's some truth in that, they're reminding us that public space is not women's space, we're only very grudgingly tolerated in it and we'd probably better STFU while we're there in case we upset the men and cause them to inflict violence on us.

Or a little man with a big chip-on-shoulder Napoleon complex, trying to ‘punch above his height', in which case fairly harmless as any woman could take him down in a fair fight.

LOL. It's not about his individual ability in a fight though - he realised what a shit-storm he'd caused and backed down pretty quickly, saying that he hadn't meant it - it's about reminding women to STFU in public. Men like him get far more irritated with women stating views they disagree with than with men doing so; every woman commentator on the internet gets far more threats of violence and harassment than men do; and that's something to do with the perception of women's right to speak out IMO.

There is also a thread in AIBU about killing a poster killing her DP.

lets try that in an way that posters will understand

There is also a thread in AIBU titled AIBU "To kill DP"

Nice Whatabouthemenzing BBJ but not relevant to #Fabricant

AskBasil ..... maybe men, knowing women are always right (lol), feel more emboldened to attack other women on the internet as they can be in complete control of the repercussions after 'venting' e.g. turn the computer off.

Back to Fabricant, I'm convinced it is more little man/willie syndrome, maybe even a case of Fabri-can't? Not that we want to know.

Its not surprising to see that you only find a man saying that he will hit a woman worth discussing.

IMO its offensive for either sex to say that they will hit another person irrespective of gender.

Derail alert

Not derailing at all, the discussion is about people saying that they will hit, kill, slap someone and it being passed off as a joke, or that they weren't serious.

This has been linked to a thread in FWR, I have pointed to a thread in AIBU. Both genders/sexes do this, Both genders/sexes are wrong to do this.

Nobody should be minimising violence. Nobody should be writing it off as "a joke". but neither should we be pretending that only the "menz" do this.

IItscommon on MN though boney someone will be along shortly to start bleating about how F on M violence isnt as serious because a woman is weaker than a man. Always happens

The op was absolutely nothing about only men threatening violence.

A thread in AIBU where a poster wanted 'to kill her DP' for his practical jokes is hardly in the same league as a high profile politician threatening to punch a journalist in the throat because he disagrees with her views.

The AIBU thread used a generic expression and it was clear from the OP that it was lighthearted, so much so that the OP became very defensive of her DP when some posters criticised him. This MP's tweet contained a specific threat to a named individual, in an age where online threats and abuse towards women, particularly women in the public eye who dare to have an opinion, is rife. Comparing these two situations is really scraping the barrel.

And actually I really think we should be holding this MP to a higher standard than an anonymous MN poster. Because if an MP with a high profile, with his own name and photo next to his twitter account, doesn't have any qualms about publicly making a violent threat to a woman, what hope is there that the anonymous trolls who abuse women online can ever be dealt with?

"The AIBU thread used a generic expression and it was clear from the OP that it was lighthearted"

So its ok because it was a joke? Isn't that the excuse that fabricant is trying to use?

"so much so that the OP became very defensive of her DP when some posters criticised him."

She backtracked just like the MP.

"This MP's tweet contained a specific threat to a named individual,"

The AIBU contain a specific threat to her DH.

"in an age where online threats and abuse towards women, particularly women in the public eye who dare to have an opinion, is rife."

I agree

"Comparing these two situations is really scraping the barrel."

It is comparing like for like, but you justify one whilst complaining about the other.

"And actually I really think we should be holding this MP to a higher standard than an anonymous MN poster."

Shouldn't we all be aiming for the higher standard?

"what hope is there that the anonymous trolls who abuse women online can ever be dealt with?"

Yes, all forms of abuse should be taken seriously.

Just tune him out. He'll wander off after a while.

Actually I've seen threads on AIBU where an OP has used language about punching or slapping someone, and they are usually taken to task on it, because it is specific and aggressive. The thread you have used isn't comparable. I would never justify a female making a specific threat of violence either, but I don't think it can be denied that online threats by men towards women are a particular problem and that not everything is equally done by both genders. That's why I find it strange that anyone's first reaction to that tweet wouldn't be disgust, but an immediate need to minimise it by trying (and failing) to find an equivalent example done by a woman.

X post AF. I think I will!

So AF's passive aggressive posting style shuts down another debate.

Well done.

Thanks

"but an immediate need to minimise it by trying (and failing) to find an equivalent example done by a woman."

I have already posted that violence shouldn't be minimised.

Yet you are the one who has said that a post entitled AIBU to kill my is just lighthearted and should be ignored as its a term that in common use.

Fabricant goes back to Twitter to say "If anyone believes I would seriously threaten someone with violence, I of course withdraw and apologise."

A smashing example of an "apology" that is so far from being sorry it is laughable.

he then gets his wife to take a picture of him at an anti-DV protest march

It seems he also thinks the general public, and particularly women, are stupid as well as convenient punch bags. The trouble is, some of them are.

Op you are not wrong.

Op and Boris has charm. Which of course makes him dangerous as it helps hide his very right wing agenda.

Yes, it has to be said these nincompoops who reveal their agenda publically and comprehensively are less dangerous than those who are cleverer and more underground