They say an idle mind is the devil’s playground, but couple that with racism and social media and you have the hashtag #GoHomeDeRay, aimed at activist DeRay McKesson.
On Sunday, McKesson attended Sunday service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., just days after Dylann Roof killed nine people during Bible study at the church. Shortly after a photo of McKesson sitting next to Rick Santorum went viral, #GoHomeDeRay was created.
https://twitter.com/trymainelee/status/612605392510566401
The users of the hashtag, who appear to be primarily white conservatives, alleged that McKesson was a race-baiter and compared him to Al Sharpton. Others stated that he was in Charleston to cause division among black and white people (as if Roof hadn’t already single-handedly done that himself). The hashtag glaringly showed how dense and racist a lot of people were who used it, but there were also those who were in support of McKesson’s presence in Charleston.
https://twitter.com/comermd/status/612932352277254144https://twitter.com/joethepatriotic/status/612298246061359104https://twitter.com/kaylabentley/status/612929364116664320https://twitter.com/Shgamha/status/612035495112142848https://twitter.com/LeftSentThis/status/612809525230354432https://twitter.com/WillMcAvoyACN/status/612788930836992000https://twitter.com/MilftasticJJC/status/612642787545235456https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/612703886000807936https://twitter.com/TrancewithMe/status/612509920135528450
In an interview shortly after the church service, CNN’s Brian Stelter asked McKesson what he thought about the hashtag.
“I wouldn’t be here if those nine people had not been killed. Racism is alive and well in places like South Carolina, and in towns across America. So I’m here in solidarity like many other people who’ve come to express their sympathy for the victims, and to figure out how we fight systems of oppression that continue to kill people,” McKesson replied.
Once again, people on social media have proved that some people don't deserve access to electricity and the Internet just so that their hate can be put on display.