You may recall that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos proposed new rules which would change how college campuses deal with sexual assault allegations. In order to make the changes, the proposed rules have to undergo a 60-day public comment period. The comments are left on a public website for all to see. Politico reports that the proposed rule change has become a magnet for angry progressives who are leaving nasty personal comments aimed at the Secretary herself:
DeVos, one of President Donald Trump’s few remaining original Cabinet members, has not become embroiled in any administration scandals during her two years running the Education Department, but she remains enemy No. 1 for many public school teachers and activists. The comments reflect not only the divisiveness and emotion surrounding assault investigations but how anything DeVos touches can spark hostility.
“F— you Betsy,” reads one comment.
“DeVos is a traitor to women everywhere,” another wrote. One chimed in with: “Ms DeVos: for the good of ALL women: PLEASE RESIGN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”…
Many commenters are taking the opportunity to rage at the Trump administration more broadly.
“I am so very angry at this administrations hypocrisy!” one individual wrote. “So far, ‘the draining of the swamp’ has only been done to make room for more of the bottom feeders that are acceptable to ‘person #1’ and his cabinet appointees.”
“Betsy Devos seems intent on supporting Trumps ideas of womens [sic] place in society: we are to be harassed, molested, and abused, all without reasonable protections from the law,” wrote another.
This is the kind of thing that would lead journalists to make generalizations about the kind of people who would make such ugly attacks a woman Education Secretary. At least that would be the case if only the attacks were coming from the right. But in this case, the attacks don’t fit the narrative so this is the first (and probably only time) you’re hearing of it. You can actually browse through the comments yourself. Here are a few I found [I’ve starred out some of the four-letter words]:
- “I hate to be rude, Secretary DeVos, but stop being such a rich bitch and realize the need is real.”
- “this is a repulsive, bigoted example of how diseased deVos’s mind is. Do NOT pass this. Stop the bitch!”
- “GET RID OF GREEDY BETSY the BITCH and her cruel and vile agenda against students NOW !!!”
- “This is some demonic s**t, even for the already low standards of the Devos/Prince crime family. F**k this billionaire/no teaching credentials/grifter.”
- “Secretary DeVos, you are disgrace to your post and this rule is another in a long line of rules where your only interest is advancing the cause of your rich friends.”
- “May the Lord Jesus crush you into puree in Hell.”
- “You are a rich dumb white person who has no real understanding of right from wrong – just like Trump, our dick head leader.”
- “I’ll make this short and sweet! Betsy Devos is a Santanic witch! she will destroy as she wishes…She’s a shocked and hateful – spiteful person who wants all love, beauty and innocence to die as her own has been dead for most of her life!”
- “Betsy Devos is an ignorant, evil twat.”
- “I’m writing to share my disgust at what that appalling and miserable excuse of a heartless ass, DeVos is wanting to do to enable sexual predators.”
- “Take your legitimatizing rape and stuff it where the sun don’t shine. Resign you scabrous Dominionist idiot.”
- “If this bill passes, the women of this country need to RIOT. And the men need to be handing them the molotov cocktails.”
There are some of the highlights but there’s lots more like this. For what it’s worth there also seem to be some well-written comments from those who agree with the changes and from those who disagree. It’s not all 4-letter words by any stretch but it’s clearly spilling over into that for quite a few people.