@msbellows
"I'm asking..."

You're "refuting an argument different from the one actually under discussion, while not recognizing or acknowledging the distinction."

@msbellows
What you propose is not what happened. Therefore, not my argument. I'm not interested in "what ifs".

"A straw man fallacy (sometimes written as strawman) is the informal fallacy of refuting an argument different from the one actually under discussion, while not recognizing or acknowledging the distinction.[1]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

@msbellows
You're constructing a straw man to fight. I told you my position.

@msbellows
The point is he made the choice to sit in that audience. He knew he was ticking. He knew it was a possibility he would yell it and he chose to stay throughout. Even after he yelled it.

I judge his choice.

@msbellows
The point isn't what should have been done *to* him. If his intent was to not offend, then he, knowing better than anyone what he was likely to involuntarily yell, could have taken the precautions to *self-censor*.

Therefore, he chose himself over anyone else who might have to hear him. I can judge that choice.

@msbellows
1. He shouldn't have attended. If he won, he could have had a pre-recorded, edited speech. Then, he could have prevented any of this.

@taylorlorenz
It might be useful to reference the recent news on censorship on TikTok and BlueSky and Threads and Instagram.

I like my instance's rules, but if they ever change, I can keep my name and followers and just switch instances to one where I can continue as I have been. I don't have to worry about who owns the gated garden I'm allowed to interact in or how they feel about our demented dictator's whims from minute to minute.

It's more stable. It's also more international. I know what other people think around the world.

@contrasocial @randahl
Check out Texas' recent special election. The only way you get a 30 point swing is for Republicans to vote for the Democratic candidate.

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/30/texas-senate-district-9-runoff-rehmet-wambsganss-special-election/

@randahl
ICE doesn't have that many people.

Also, Minnesota had a special election with ICE oppressing them and scaring people from going out in public. They voted in spite of it.

https://www.the-downballot.com/p/minnesotans-just-showed-theyll-crawl