“Perhaps he’s guilty of not pleasing everyone, and given the unique brand that is Milo, he’s not likely to start anytime soon.”
Conservative political commentator and New York Times bestselling author Milo Yiannopoulos has been banned from a platform designed for users to promote events and sell tickets. According to his Facebook, Yiannopoulos received an e-mail from Eventbrite stating that he would no longer be allowed to utilize their services. No explanation was given.
Yiannopoulos has been promoting his bestselling book Dangerous, which has been largely successful despite controversy surrounding the outspoken author. He was promoting an upcoming book signing in Orlando when he was unceremoniously thrown off the platform.
“If Eventbrite thinks that this will silence me, they’re as boneheaded as Antifa.”
Milo released the following statement regarding Eventbrite:
“I am a New York Times bestselling author. Eventbrite agreed at first to provide ticketing for a book signing and then, without any explanation, cancelled the event and banned me from using their website’s services entirely. Silicon Valley is silencing any conservative, libertarian, or right-winger based on their own bias and discrimination even if no wrongdoing has occurred. If Eventbrite thinks that this will silence me, they’re as boneheaded as Antifa. Eventbrite’s censorship of my book signing and its apparent total ban on me from its platform is part of what I call ‘the great shuttering.’ Libertarians and conservatives are seeing their access to all kinds of online products and services revoked with no reasons offered by Orwellian-sounding ‘trust and safety’ teams—which is code for the far-left activists who run the tech industry’s customer service departments. It isn’t just the neo-Nazis: Silicon Valley is using Charlottesville as a pretext to hurt even moderate conservatives like me and to prevent us from doing business. Next it could be you.”
The knee-jerk reaction that we are currently seeing in America has got to stop. Where does the line get drawn in terms of free speech? Milo Yiannopoulos does not strike me as a white supremacist, Nazi, racist, or any variation of bigot. In fact, he’s pretty vocal about the fact that he supports “affirmative action in the bedroom,” highlighting his relationship with a black man.
If social media platforms and web services continue their attacks on conservative users, they will continue to demonstrate the exact thing Milo Yiannopoulos has been saying all this time. America is supposed to be the land of free speech. I’m not 100% in tune with everything Milo says. However, he has shown naysayers he will overcome obstacles that are thrown his way, so I don’t understand why Eventbrite thinks they’re doing themselves any favors by banning Milo; that’s just bad business.
If Americans feel that strongly about Milo Yiannopoulos, don’t attend his events or pay him any mind. Or better yet, show up and challenge him. Exchange ideas, start a dialogue, listen to one another, or simply stand there in protest. We’ve just seen some real madness on the streets in Charlottesville. Milo Yiannopoulos was neither present nor did he sanction the actions taken by white supremacists. Perhaps he’s guilty of not pleasing everyone, and given the unique brand that is Milo, he’s not likely to start anytime soon.
