Guardian Author Calls for Banning Online Comments; Gets Called Out by Colleagues

Jessica Valenti has decided that the average person doesn’t have anything good enough to say on news articles or politics. For that reason, she is calling for a ban on online comments.

In an article titled, “Not all comments are created equal: the case for ending online comments,” Valenti has called out people for being racist, sexist, and homophobic online.
“Now if [sic] feels as if comments uphold power structures instead of subverting them,” she claims. “Sexism, racism and homophobia are the norm; threats and harassment are common. (That’s not even counting social media.)”

“It’s true, I could just stop reading comments,” she writes. “But I shouldn’t have to.” Instead, because comments occasionally hurt Ms. Valenti’s feelings, they should be banned outright.

Valenti concludes, “the nastiness on our doorstep has piled too high for too long, and I just want to get out of the house.”

Hearteningly, Valenti was called out by other Guardian staff members in her own article:

And: