Yahoo Finance Kirstie Alley comes under fire for comparing Donald Trump's Twitter ban to slavery
Kirstie Alley has provoked anger by comparing Donald Trump’s ban from Twitter to slavery.
The Cheers star used her own Twitter account to speak out in support of the president after he was removed from the social media platform, but her controversial views shocked many.
Writing about Twitter’s decision to permanently remove Trump’s account, her now-deleted tweet read: “ALL people should be concerned is the KEY here.
“It’s true, the average person will no longer have a platform to speak their views. This is called SLAVERY. This censorship proves BIG TECH now holds the keys to the chains.”
Her choice of words prompted a backlash from many, including pastor Bishop Talbert Swan, who replied: “No, Kirstie Alley, SLAVERY was when Africans and their descendants were OWNED, stripped of freedom, extracted of their labor, treated like animals, raped, lynched, murdered, brutalised, and dehumanised.
“It’s not being restricted from inciting violence via social media.”
Replying to the tweet which has since been removed, actor Patricia Arquette said: “No. This is a shocking minimisation of the sheer vicious brutality of real slavery.
No, Kirstie Alley,
SLAVERY was when Africans and their descendants were OWNED, stripped of freedom, extracted of their labor, treated like animals, raped, lynched, murdered, brutalized, and dehumanized.
It’s not being restricted from inciting violence via social media. pic.twitter.com/EpTBT0YCN6— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) January 9, 2021
“Children were sold away out of their parents’ arms. People were worked and beaten to death. Shackled. Women were raped. Couples were separated and sold.
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“Shame on you. I’m back to muting and blocking you. You are incredibly spoiled if you think it’s equitable in any way.”
Alley refused to back down on labelling it slavery, tweeting: “There is more than one definition of the word slavery... there is the well known one but the one I refer to a lot is ‘restricted freedom’... such as the type of slavery in Venezuela.”
There is more than one definition of the word slavery .. there is the well known one but the one I refer to a lot is “restricted freedom”... such as the type of slavery in Venezuela.
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) January 10, 2021
She also posted a link to an article about the Black Lives Matter protests, commenting: “Remember this? Remember all the fires, killing, terrorising, destruction and yes, at FEDERAL buildings? It was HIDEOUS & ILLEGAL. Remember how these criminals got FUNDED & bailed out?
“NO ONE WAS OUSTED FROM PLATFORMS including politicos who ENDORSED the VIOLENCE. Remember?”
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However, Alley’s post sparked many replies pointing out that the protests were very different from the violence committed by Trump supporters at the Capitol.
Alley did clarify that she was not in support of the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Wednesday, tweeting: “Breaching the CAPITOL was a treasonous criminal terrifying act and those people should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Breaching the CAPITOL was a treasonous criminal terrifying act and those people should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I do not condone VIOLENCE, TREASON, CRIMINAL ACTS OR DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY.
This should suffice as my stance on Jan. 6th— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) January 9, 2021
“I do not condone VIOLENCE, TREASON, CRIMINAL ACTS OR DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY. This should suffice as my stance on Jan. 6th.”
She added: “No violence no violence no violence PLEASE no violence.”
Watch: Twitter bans Donald Trump permanently
