Joshua Huffman, right of center blogger, guest blogger at TBE, persistent online commenter, and generally respectable political ally or adversary is being silenced by various politicos and now RPV.
Huffman recounts how over the course of the past couple of years he has been blocked by politicians Delegate Dickie Bell and Marshall Pattie an Augusta County Supervisor.
The third Facebook block surprisingly came from RPV. Apparently Huffman commented about adherence to the Republican Party Creed and voiced dissent about the removal of Mark Berg from Party office. I’ll let Huffman take it from here:
However, on the evening of December 12, 2015 I discovered that the party had blocked me from commenting on anything else…
After I discovered the RPV block I was reminded of a moment at the end of the first season of Game of Thrones. In the episode a bard had performed a song that King Joffery found offensive. Acting as Joffery often did, the king presented the bard with a choice, for his insolence he would either lose his fingers or his tongue. In response, Tyrion Lannister offered this thought on censorship: “When you tear out a man’s tongue, you are not proving him a liar; you’re only telling the world that you fear what he might say.â€â€¦
Anyway, I want to thank the vast majority of elected officials and political parties who have not blocked me or anyone else simply as a result of posting something they didn’t like. In the long journey ahead there will be times when we agree and times when we disagree. However, I hope we can always remain civil and never sever the lines of communication without reasonable cause.
Huffman and his difficult and unreasonable commentary apparently need to be occasionally blocked.* I apparently am too congenial to be blocked, yet (that I know of).  Nonetheless, Huffman’s recent censorship sent me looking for some commentary I made during the same time frame on Facebook only to discover it had been flushed down the memory hole. At least the ends justify the means, as this is all for the good of the Party.*
*As it is not readily apparent from the written word, these statements are intended to be facetious.
23 comments
I’m not in the least surprised by all of this news. Bell used to be my delegate. And I am well familiar with Marshall Patty. Both pretend to be conservative but will not resist color of law government in their votes for redistribution of wealth, illegal federal mandates and unconstitutional funding, and the like.
Augusta County Supervisor Marshall Patty once told me that the Dillon Rule trumps the sworn oath to affirm and to uphold the Constitutions. This was in regard to pass-throughs by the state of constutionally illegal Federal spending and mandates. So much for higher law!
My wife had a comment scrubbed by Dickie Bell. Delegate apparently does not cotton to having the Socialist hem of his petticoat pointed out.
The RPV, Supervisor Patty, Delegate Bell, and establishment types in general, are all too happy to muzzle the voice of the people would it accommodate the choo-choo of their careerism. Their motto is Scrub A Dub Dub! And this particular business has been going on for a long, long, time.
Glad to see TBE striking back on this …
If I get more verifiable instances, I’ll bring them to light.
I believe this kind of stuff is pretty rampant.
Those who have some good knowledge of how things are supposed to work in the original American system, and have read up some on the history of the world and of Man beyond the pathetic offerings of popular culture inclusive of the public schools, such folks are especially open to being scrubbed. The pretend ‘conservative’ politicians have only one course of action open to them. Marginalize, push to the side anyone who knows the truth about something, and hope the rest don’t catch on.
Huffman has said some pretty tough things about the business as usual political hacks in the party … and their only choice was assassination by ostracism. They had to either push out Joshua Huffman, or be caused to be pushed, in order to eliminate criticism If the analogy is by way of sports, then this would be Alinsky by way of softball.
‘Assassination by ostracism?’ And you’d think I would be the one most tilting at windmills.
Nah! I would NEVER think that! By appearnces, you style yourself more like the flea bitten, half starved nag than the man who bears the pride of the lance.
And now clever chap, as quixotically as you can, does life imitate fiction or fiction life?
Social media exists to be sanitized from the get go. It is digital preening in our ‘look at me’ culture — of course things that don’t fit the narrative will be deemed ‘omitted’
Hmm. They have never banned me, and I have gone mixed it up with them pretty well. Sheesh. I even got Bear Brian to use the eff bomb once. But, I am throwing in the towel with that bunch. What can you say about an outfit that sees imaginary racists and bigots in their own party, while totally ignoring the real racists in the Democratic Party?? Lord, if General Patton were alive today he would say this about the cool kids at BD, “No poor bastard has ever won a war by shooting his buddy in his fox hole and then throwing roses at the enemy.”
I would like to add that I appreciate TheBullElephant not blocking those who voice dessent. I was blocked on Bearing Left, ever since I called them out for bashing Dave Brat as a liberal because they were getting paid by Cantor. I think they’ve blocked several people from commenting on their articles. They must have gotten sick of being called hypocrites with every blog they pen.
Yes, I was blocked there for several years.
And now you’re probably responsible for most of their traffic!
Why would that be? I very rarely comment there.
I don’t think anyone would go near BD if it wasn’t for the referrers and mentions in articles and comments in TBE.
I can’t decide if the BD design is more repulsive than the writing or vice versa.
Speaking of which, Spiker is still ranting about you blocking him for his abusive behavior. Personally, I find it humorous that he can’t seem to find any reason for his ban besides the tired old “I was right and they couldn’t handle it!” routine that he is going on about now.
But there are some who do require the stark fist of removal but I trust they are receiving the appropriate banhammer.
We have the up and down votes, and the inappropriate flags. The fact that I haven’t been blocked yet illustrates the openness of this blog.
I think it’s more fun with the wild wooly back and forths, the joy of seeing my name fill up every slot of recent comments. I depend upon my digital peers telling me where I err. Best of all, TBE allows me to enlighten those fuzzy thinkers about politics and politicians.
Standards for blocking are higher than just “being annoying.” Although your persistent commenting in certain areas could be viewed by some as trolling, I feel you ultimately add to the discussion. Thank you for your engagement.
Maybe I could get some kind of badge or award for annoying. The persistent commenting on certain areas is like holding a cross up to a vampire — but I’m shooting for a new high with my current crusade.
They are still threatening people with bans.
But as for being called out, TurboCohen is calling them out because Hall called the VA Right “electronic diarrhea.”
When you quote racy swashbuckling soap operas shaking fists at the gods of oppression and censorship, do remember this is Facebook and a comment troll not Tom Paine mimeographing ‘Common Sense.’
We comment and post as a guest of our hosts — we are perfectly welcome to start our own tub thumping electronically or otherwise.
TL;DR – Whiny non-Republican whiner got butthurt when RPV Facebook blocked him.
I expected you to support the above post since you are no fan of our current RPV chair. I surmise that you dislike Huffman even more.
Nothing can currently be done about the RPV Chair as long as he is flanked by the majority of the units and SCC as well as the craftiness of that damned Cardinal Findlay!
But Whitbeck is a Republican where Huffman is not!
True, Huffman is not a member of the Republican Party because they booted him out!
I like our deeming style rather than their booting style.
I like Huffman’s quote from the “Game of Thrones”, ““When you tear out a man’s tongue, you are not proving him a liar; you’re only telling the world that you fear what he might say.â€
Well said.