Facebook Censors 9/11 Photo
- Rai Rojas
- Sep 10, 2019
- 2 min read
At 9:03 AM on September 11, 2001, United Flight 175, piloted by Muslim extremists slams into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
A few days ago, in anticipation of the commemoration of 9/11, I posted a picture on my Facebook page depicting that moment. A historically accurate photo of a historic event published in Newspapers, internet feeds, and countless social media outlets. Within 45 minutes of posting the picture, my Facebook account was disabled. (As well as the my Instagram Account)
After 11 years on Facebook, with nearly 4,000 connections and without ever having received a warning – someone at Facebook decided THAT picture did not meet their community standards. I’ve submitted FIVE appeals and am yet to hear back from them. It feels quite Kafkaesque. There is no proportionality to how Facebook determines standards our how they mete out punishment.
For years I’ve seen pictures on the platform that shocked me and were permitted to remain on the platform.
A photo of a woman dressed as the Virgin Mary, aborting the Christ Child in front of a Catholic Church meets Facebook’s Community Standards. A washed-up celebrity holding the severed head of the American President meets Facebook’s Community Standards. Countless Facebook pages enticing violence on Christians, Conservatives, and Republicans all meet Facebook’s Community Standards.
But a photo from 9/11 does not. Why?
None of the reasons listed as to why accounts are disabled apply to this photograph. Not one.
Could it be that Facebook prefers Americans to think of 9/11 as just a day “when some people did something,” and not recall the actual who and why?
The who: 19 radicalized Muslims who slit the throats of American Pilots, American flight-attendants. They weaponized the airplanes they highjacked and used them as bombs to fly them into buildings and kill nearly 3,000 Americans.
The why: They hate America and Americans – it’s that simple. They hate our freedoms, our civility, and our vision of justice.
Now, an American company is shutting down those of us who wish to keep the truth of that day alive.
I was born into Communism, and my family risked life and limb to make it to American shores. Freedom of expression was at the core of my parents’ reasons for bringing us over. Now I see the truth censored, deleted, eradicated because it’s uncomfortable to some.
I realize Facebook is a corporation and not the Federal Government. But be not mistaken - the politicians who will most benefit from the vast majority of Facebook’s political donations and influence peddling will be those who share their world view. Those who have a disdain for the truth.
Stay frosty. I'll see you on Twitter, and Parler.