A History of Crowdfunding in the Wake of Violence

Will DuffieldIn the days following a vigilante shooting in Kenosha, WI, activists and supporters launched GoFundMe pages soliciting donations for the families of the dead, the medical expenses of the injured, and the costs of the shooter ’s legal defense. GoFundMe has sinceremoved the legal defense fundraiser for Kyle Rittenhouse. For those who see the shooting as a case of self-defense, GoFundMe isattempting to deny a young man legal assistance for partisan reasons. Others, proceeding from the belief that Rittenhouse is a mass shooter,looked askance at Facebook ’s initial failure to remove statements supporting him, likening #FreeKyle to genocide advocacy in Myanmar.It has become an all-too-familiarscript. Some confusing, symbolically charged event occurs and partisans assemble disparate sets of often correct —albeit incomplete–facts. They then interpret them according to their tribe’s values. It is not simply a matter of different camera angles (though there is plenty of jockeying for those) but of the partisan frameworks used to interpret what everyone sees. This produces incompatible narratives that frustrate nuanced deliberation, lasting grievances that can be drawn upon in future conflicts, and a no-win situation for social media platforms.Expectations of platform policy are inevitably informed by partisans ’ incompatible narratives; moderation on the basis of any one perspective will alienate users with conflicting views. Because most public commentary and ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs