Keyboard warriors are  'often racist, homophobic' - Leitrim councillor speaks out

Leitrim councillor Enda McGloin has spoken out about the online abuse that public representatives receive regularly from faceless people on the internet and has stressed that he feels that more should be done to monitor abusive comments. 

Speaking to the Leitrim Observer, he said: "There is always that small concern that if you say something publicly, that you leave yourself exposed. I was on a debate on OceanFM about this topic recently and when local news agencies and on air, we were talking about a story about Heather Humphries and two comments appeared under the story that were very abusive."

Cllr McGloin said that Meta (formerly the Facebook company) had a role to play when it comes to ensuring comments on these kinds are monitored and deleted if necessary. "If you peel back the layers of the profiles of those making these comments, you often find they are racist, homophobic etc. I'm not on the woke left and would consider myself a centrist. For example, I can see why immigration can be a contentious issue because some people do come to Ireland to take advantage of our very generous social protection system. However, in the main, most are here for the right reasons. If you are in hospital, you will find that a large percentage of those who help you are people who have come into this country seeking work and we need them to survive. You can argue that when people left Ireland and went to the States or the UK years ago; the first thing you did was get a job and bettered society and brought assistance into that country."

READ MORE: Second drug-driving conviction and two-year ban for Leitrim employee

He was speaking after Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy called for action to combat threats and online abuse of politicians at the first meeting of the Dáil after the summer. 

She stated:  "In recent times we have witnessed an alarming rise in the serious threats and online abuse directed at a significant number of members of the Houses of the Oireachtas, of all parties and none, a phenomenon that can no longer be ignored."

She requested a meeting with all party and group leaders, with a view to formulating an appropriate consensus response to deal with the issue.

Cllr McGloin said that if he posts on social media, "very few people say anything negative. I don't get into criticising my opposition or anything like that; It may be about funding for Drumshanbo or something. I may have one or two abusive comments and I would block them and deal with that. What's happening is, if the Leitrim Observer, Sligo Champion or Shannonside radio or OceanFM put up an article relating to a story that they are going to publish or air, generally speaking, individuals with a very strong political agenda will comment and will use the most vile language. The majority are faceless people; it used to happen years ago on radio where people would make comments anonymously."

READ MORE: 'We keep doing it because Palestinians in Gaza are going through so much worse' - Leitrim novelist

Cllr McGloin said that the quotes about Ms Humphries were "horrendous; she is a woman I know well and doesn't have a bad bone in her body. She was a minister in government who made a lot of decisions; some were popular and some weren't. When making decisions about taxpayers' money, you aren't going to get it right no matter what you do but someone has to make these decisions. However, nobody is entitled to be called the type of names she was called and there are numerous other politicians from Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil and all the parties."

He said that the responsibility lies with news outlets who he feels need to moderate and block individuals who are making abusive comments. "Otherwise, you can then have a situation where everyone is afraid to say their true feelings on something because they need to conform to what is deemed to be politically correct. It restricts debate and we need debate in any country. In the US, one of the most popular TV shows has now been suspended due to a comment made about Charlie Kirk. There has to be free speech in this country but when you have people using abusive language, news outlets and Meta, collectively should do whatever is possible to challenge those individuals."

He added: "I have to say that people that I represent in my electoral area; many don't agree with me or mightn't vote for me but they are respectful and my colleagues in Leitrim County Council work very hard and work collectively and park whatever differences outside and work the county."

He concluded: "However keyboard warriors are  bigoted, nasty people who are allowed to express the most inappropriate material and I really feel something more should be done to deal with them."

READ MORE: Leitrim Council engineer says he received threat before €9,700 bollard damage occurred

Also this week, Minister of State Neale Richmond called on his colleagues to "tone down the venom" in political debates.

He condemned a series of serious threats against Tánaiste Simon Harris before stating to BreakingNews.ie that: "There is no point in politicians condemning this abuse and these attacks if we ourselves continue to use very abusive language that I would argue is below us. That is something I am really focused on in the coming weeks and months, how can we as politicians lead in terms of changing the tone of the debate?"

Sligo/Leitrim Frank Feighan is the Fine Gael spokesperson on Disability also voiced his opinion to the Leitrim Observer. 

"I think there has been a discourse in politics and certainly on social media; to me it doesn't reflect the real decent genuine vast vast majority of people on the ground and I think it's trying to get the balance right but anyone who is abusive or who oversteps the mark - it simply should not be accepted but unfortunately people can be anonymous on social media. The vast majority of people are decent and have views that they aren't afraid to articulate them but do so in a measured and direct fashion and with respect."

Regarding threats made against Tánaiste Simon Harris he said that public representatives have "begun taking security precautions and the Gardaí have advised us in certain ways but that still should never deter us from being messengers for the people but there are precautions you take now, you wouldn't have four or five years ago."

Regarding Minister Richmond's relating to inappropriate language in the Dáil, he said: "I think in the Dáil the vast majority have their views and articulate with respect and dignity but there are a handful that may not but it's not as bad as it is on social media."