Thread: UPDATE: Vox Suspends Editor Who Called For More Riots

UPDATE: Vox Suspends Editor Who Called For More Riots


By:James Barrett

While San Jose officials were still reeling from the lawless chaos created Thursday by a mob of Trump protesters — whose riotous actions even mainstream media outlets were unable to excuse — Emmett Rensin, editor for the leftist outlet Vox, offered some advice to his followers: "If Trump comes to your town, start a riot."

"Prediction: 90% of the punditry will shake their head at this Affront to Democracy," tweeted Rensin just after midnight. "Advice: If Trump comes to your town, start a riot," he wrote.

Rensin's rationale: If Trump is Hitler, law and order are out the window. And even if he isn't, well, being a law abiding citizen is overrated. Or something.

"Listen, if Trump is Hitler then you've got no business condemning rioters. If he isn't, you've got no business pretending normal is better," Rensin tweeted, adding, "Let's be clear: It's never a shame to storm the barricades set up around a fascist."
​
Rensin's call to arms was too radical for even Vox. Friday, Vox editor-in-chief Ezra Klein announced that Rensin has been suspended for "directly encouraging dangerous, illegal activity":

On Thursday night, Emmett Rensin, the deputy editor of Vox’s first person section, sent a series of tweets that, among other things, urged people to riot if Donald Trump comes to their town.

We at Vox do not take institutional positions on most questions, and we encourage our writers to debate and disagree. But direct
encouragement of riots crosses a line between expressing a contrary opinion and directly encouraging dangerous, illegal activity. We welcome a variety of viewpoints, but we do not condone writing that could put others in danger.

In this case, Emmett’s tweets violated Vox’s standards and Emmett has been suspended as a consequence.

Rensin's attempts to normalize violence by blaming the object of the rioters' ire ties in well with the shameless statement made by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo (a Hillary Clinton supporter) following Thursday's shameful display: "At some point Donald Trump needs to take responsibility for the irresponsible behavior of his campaign," the mayor told the Associated Press.

After his initial posts, Rensin spent a lot of energy rationalizing his call for violence, at one point suggesting he only meant "property destruction" and trying to elevate the mindless assaults on innocent citizens by Leftist rioters by comparing them with the American Revolution:


Tweets by ‎@emmettrensin

• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  The point, as always, isn't "Is violence OK?" It's the folks who want first and foremost to delegitimize the fear and rage of the oppressed.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  You see it all through American history. John Brown, The Battle of Blair Mountain, the 20th Century Anti-War Movement, ACT UP.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  You saw it in Baltimore, in Cleveland: "Well, I understand why they're upset, but these people in the streets are a threat to democracy."
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  It's always the same. You saw the same thing with Ferguson: "The most important thing here is that this civil disobedience is unacceptable."
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  If Trump *isn't* a fascist or an existential threat to democracy, fine. But then let's stop saying that he is.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  It remains unclear to me what people believe the appropriate response to fascism is. Say "fascist, fascist, fascist", people will freak.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  This is what they really think, folks. https://twitter.com/NoahRDideriksen/status/738753919006867460 …
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin Retweeted
  ryan cooper ✔ @ryanlcooper
  
  area nation eagerly awaiting where the twitter consensus comes down on Today's Issue
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  Again: You cannot tell people over and over that somebody is an existential threat to them and then be appalled when they act like it.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  It's remarkable how many people deeply concerned about people protesting Trump would also like me to know they personally plan to murder me.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  This isn't wrong. https://twitter.com/ArmyStrang/status/738717659282452480 …
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin Retweeted
  HR-Compliant Freddie @freddiedeboer
  
  The "Fascists! But no violence!" thing is indicative of a deeper, general incoherence within contemporary liberalism.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  This (small) thread is correct. https://twitter.com/freddiedeboer/status/738736753301950464 …
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  If you too believe he's a fascist, then ask yourself what it means to concern troll poor, Latino folks who take that belief seriously.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  And listen: I do tend to agree Trump is atypically threatening. That's why I'm not going to condemn rioters.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  "What, we can't repeat every day that a man is a unique threat to the fabric of society without some people taking us up on that?"
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  You spent a year saying Trump was a fascist, and particularly an anti-Hispanic bigot. Hispanics take that seriously, and you're Shocked.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  This is the same thing. Instinct is to concern troll people protesting as an affront to democracy and the rule of law. It's a bad instinct.
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
  
  Remember when you spent a week saying "Now, killing Brown wasn't good, but these protests are out of hand", then had to pretend you didn't?
  03 Jun
• Emmett Rensin Retweeted
  Connor Wroe Southard @ConnorSouthard
  
  @charlescwcooke @emmettrensin @davidfrum I love to get weak in the knees about the American Revolution and then condemn all direct action
  
  
  
  Tweets by ‎@emmettrensin
  
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    The point, as always, isn't "Is violence OK?" It's the folks who want first and foremost to delegitimize the fear and rage of the oppressed.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    You see it all through American history. John Brown, The Battle of Blair Mountain, the 20th Century Anti-War Movement, ACT UP.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    You saw it in Baltimore, in Cleveland: "Well, I understand why they're upset, but these people in the streets are a threat to democracy."
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    It's always the same. You saw the same thing with Ferguson: "The most important thing here is that this civil disobedience is unacceptable."
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    If Trump *isn't* a fascist or an existential threat to democracy, fine. But then let's stop saying that he is.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    It remains unclear to me what people believe the appropriate response to fascism is. Say "fascist, fascist, fascist", people will freak.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    This is what they really think, folks. https://twitter.com/NoahRDideriksen/status/738753919006867460 …
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin Retweeted
    ryan cooper ✔ @ryanlcooper
    
    area nation eagerly awaiting where the twitter consensus comes down on Today's Issue
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    Again: You cannot tell people over and over that somebody is an existential threat to them and then be appalled when they act like it.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    It's remarkable how many people deeply concerned about people protesting Trump would also like me to know they personally plan to murder me.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    This isn't wrong. https://twitter.com/ArmyStrang/status/738717659282452480 …
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin Retweeted
    HR-Compliant Freddie @freddiedeboer
    
    The "Fascists! But no violence!" thing is indicative of a deeper, general incoherence within contemporary liberalism.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    This (small) thread is correct. https://twitter.com/freddiedeboer/status/738736753301950464 …
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    If you too believe he's a fascist, then ask yourself what it means to concern troll poor, Latino folks who take that belief seriously.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    And listen: I do tend to agree Trump is atypically threatening. That's why I'm not going to condemn rioters.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    "What, we can't repeat every day that a man is a unique threat to the fabric of society without some people taking us up on that?"
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    You spent a year saying Trump was a fascist, and particularly an anti-Hispanic bigot. Hispanics take that seriously, and you're Shocked.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    This is the same thing. Instinct is to concern troll people protesting as an affront to democracy and the rule of law. It's a bad instinct.
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin ✔ @emmettrensin
    
    Remember when you spent a week saying "Now, killing Brown wasn't good, but these protests are out of hand", then had to pretend you didn't?
    03 Jun
  • Emmett Rensin Retweeted
    Connor Wroe Southard @ConnorSouthard
    
    @charlescwcooke @emmettrensin @davidfrum I love to get weak in the knees about the American Revolution and then condemn all direct action
    
    Image above (via AP): Protesters against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump kick and jump on a car leaving a Trump campaign rally on Thursday, June 2, 2016, in San Jose, Calif.
    
    http://www.dailywire.com/news/6277/v...-james-barrett
    
    
  
  

who the hell is the Mayor of this city or town they all should be in jail what no cop 's or are they haveing coffee
it sad get a life