Crocodile Tears: Danielle Smith’s Cry of Censorship After Facebook Suspends Her Account

Danielle Smith is a habitual offender and has perfected the art of asking for forgiveness

Late Wednesday afternoon, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith took to Twitter to complain about her Facebook account being suspended, claiming that her freedom of speech was in danger. However, the notion that her free speech is in danger is merely another line of hyperbolic clickbait served up to the right-wing media that hangs on her every word. It is important to dissect this situation and shed light on the offensive rhetoric that has become a staple of Smith’s political career. The media’s complicity in amplifying these politicians’ garbage and fake outrage only perpetuates the problem.

“Big tech and government censorship is becoming a danger to free speech around the world. My Facebook account has been banned from posting content for a “few days”. As the Premier of a province of 4.6 million Albertans- if they can prevent me from communicating with you, imagine what they can do to any one of us. Regardless of our political leanings, we must all stand against censorship.” Tweeted Danielle Smith

To clarify for the Premier, under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, “Article 10” is the “Freedom of Expression,” not Freedom of Speech. The term Freedom of Speech is found in the US Constitution’s first amendment.

One crucial aspect often absent from these attempts to drum up public sympathy is the content that led to Smith’s Facebook account suspension. Considering the platform’s leniency towards controversial content asserts that she posted something so highly offensive that it violated their terms of service. It is disingenuous for Smith to demand sympathy without acknowledging her actions that led to the suspension.

To remind readers of the type of insensitive garbage that flows all too easily from Danielle Smith’s mouth, let’s take an embarrassing trip down memory lane of just a few of the most offensive things she has said:

• Danielle Smith compared vaccinated Albertans to Nazi Hitler sympathizers. It speaks volumes about Smith’s character to have the fortitude to compare vaccinated Albertans to arguably one of the most ruthless dictatorships and regimes in history.

• Danielle Smith compared Alberta’s relationship with the federal government to the history of colonialization of Canada’s Indigenous peoples under the Indian Act. To think Albertans have had it worse than centuries of destruction to the Indigenous culture, languages, and traditions and that destroyed families are a f**cking disgrace.

• Danielle Smith equated unvaccinated people as “the most discriminated against group” in her lifetime. Just in case Danielle Smith forgot, she was born in 1971, and in her 52 years of existence, discrimination and racism did not magically disappear. Smith chose to be ignorant of the discrimination marginalized groups face daily and juxtaposed her definition of discrimination faced by the rich and elite, referred to as first-world problems. 

• Danielle Smith claimed to be of mixed heritage of Cherokee decent but could not provide proof. The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) worked with genealogists to trace Smith’s lineage back to the mid-1800s and found no evidence of Indigenous ancestry. 

• Danielle Smith commented on the discovery of mass graves of Indigenous peoples forced to attend residential and day schools. “Not a single mass grave was discovered in Canada last year. The several sites of unmarked graves that captures international headlines were either already-known cemeteries, or they remain sites of speculation even now, unverified as genuine grave sites.” 

• Danielle Smith Said, “new controlled clinical study conducted by doctors in France shows that hydroxychloroquine cures 100% of coronavirus patients within six days of treatment. #chloroquine. Smith made the same false unproven claims of former US President Donald Trump at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. #Dangerous

• Danielle Smith claims, “moderate cigarette consumption can reduce traditional risks of disease by 75%.”

• Danielle Smith asserts cancer patients can control the disease up to the fourth stage. “that’s completely within your control,” she’s said.

Danielle Smith is a habitual offender! The media knows this, and most are failing Canadians; it’s a shit show. Their often dismissive and cavalier attitude towards Smith’s comments undermines their important role in holding politicians accountable and ensuring transparency in governance.

The notion that Danielle Smith can be silenced from spreading misinformation or offending anyone is laughable. Her history of incendiary comments demonstrates her disregard for the consequences of her words and the pain they cause, knowing that she will always beg for forgiveness. Albertans better get used to the next four years of Smith and her calculated approach to politics, where she believes it is easier to seek forgiveness after intentionally offending than to engage in thoughtful and responsible discourse. When you are a habitual offender, it becomes not a matter of if but when she will say something she knows is offensive.

Smith needs to understand we are in Canada, not the United States. She has issues with drawn border boundaries; just ask the people of British Columbia. She does not comprehend how privileged she is if she believes that her divisive rhetoric masquerading as freedom of expression is at risk. Smith needs to understand the responsibilities that come with freedom of expression and that it is not a license to spread hate and bigotry.

If she truly wants to be like the repugnant Florida Governor she idolizes, The Daily Scrum News will gladly pay for a one-way ticket to the Sunshine State. Smith, time and time again, demonstrates her lack of decorum and her willingness to govern in a divisive and harmful manner to the people of Alberta.

Right-wing politicians like Smith often misinterpret the concept of freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is not an absolute right to offend anyone and everyone. As the top bureaucrat in the province, it is deeply concerning that Smith fails to understand this crucial distinction. Her words of division hurt, and to assume that she is oblivious to the impact of her statements is to underestimate her intelligence.

Smith’s suspension from Facebook, a platform known for allowing controversial content, indicates that her offence was severe enough to warrant such action. It is worth noting that Facebook has been criticized for its tolerance of hate speech and misinformation, especially during the Trump era. The platform has served as and will continue to be a cesspool of divisive rhetoric and falsehoods, making it an ideal breeding ground for right-wing politicians and extremists.

However, Smith’s reliance solely on Facebook to spread her divisive rhetoric is not hindered. With Twitter under the control of Elon Musk, right-wing echo chambers have a more fine-tuned direct platform to amplify their hateful speech and spread misinformation. This demonstrates that Smith’s claim that her freedom of expression is in danger is baseless, as she continues to have a platform to express her views.

Right-wing politicians like Danielle Smith often use fake outrage to divert attention from their offensive and irresponsible behaviour. The media’s complicity in amplifying their garbage and echo chamber politics further perpetuates hate speech and misinformation. Freedom of expression should not be a shield to protect politicians from accountability. It is imperative to recognize the hypocrisy and insincerity of these claims and hold politicians responsible for their actions and words.