TYT University Hosts Talk About the Jessica Ahlquist Hatemail April 26, 2012

TYT University Hosts Talk About the Jessica Ahlquist Hatemail

By Hemant Mehta
April 26, 2012

Earlier today, Ana Kasparian and John Iadarola of TYT University talked about the hatemail sent to Jessica Ahlquist a few weeks ago:

It really is hard for me (and, I would hope, most of you) to understand what goes through the mind of someone who has that much hate inside of them. What compels them to write something like that? If it’s all just empty threats, what do they hope to accomplish? Do they just want to instill fear in their victim? Does it make them feel better about themselves? Something else?

Previous Post
National Day of Reason Approaches
Next Post
CFI Ready to Help Those Harmed by Homeopathy
Browse Our Archives
What Are Your Thoughts?leave a comment
  • Michael

    I suspect that they’re maybe doing it for effect but don’t understand what effect they’re having. They probably think their passion is actually impressing someone.

    When I was young I used to say things I didn’t mean in the hope of impressing someone. It didn’t work and then I grew up.

  • dangeroustalk

    I send John Iadarola my article on it about a week ago: http://exm.nr/JDDiau
    I’m glad they covered it. Both he and Ana are atheists.

  • lefty

    hearing her read the article made me laugh so hard. so, so hard.

    “what did her asshole sister do??”
    hahaha

  • Ndonnan

    True Michael,small minded people,shes a school girl so you would hope they are school age kids who will indeed one day grow up.Truthis it will have the opposite effect and make her feel more justified in her stance

  • It’s a hate crime, and like most hate crimes, the real goal is to intimidate.  

  • Onamission5

    You would hope they are school aged. Unfortunately, I have seen all too many supposed adults behave that way toward others– particularly toward females, particularly toward young females, and particularly toward young females who dared to disagree with them and/or show that they have moxy and will use it.

  • Onamission5

    It’s done to make oneself feel powerful, if in no one else’s eyes, than in one’s own.

    Threats of rape and violence much like actual rape and violence is usually about a power trip.

  • martymankins

    It certainly doesn’t make a very good PR case for Christianity when someone hates as much as those who make threats against someone who believes differently than they do (or in this case, the lack of belief)

  • Daniel Schealler

    What compels them to write something like that?

    It’s just a very slightly abstracted form of a very common primate behavior: You can’t throw actual shit at someone through the postal service.

  • Ida Know

    Just think, there is someone out there feeling all proud and tough knowing they wrote that, and there are other people out there who agree with that person.  *shudder*

  • Minor correction, she tweeted about it a couple of weeks ago, but it was actually sent to her some time before that.  She didn’t feel safe making it public right away.

  • Alchemist

     I bet that guy still has accidents on the carpet.

  • Michael

    Still I suspect that a lot of them are saying it for reasons other than that they believe it. Probably buying into the foxholes fallacy, they believe that if she’s scared enough she’ll start praying.

  • It’s a mistake to take these threats lightly.  All these letters should be given to law enforcement to be dusted for prints, etc.

  • You’re right, this really is about immaturity. A kind of immaturity that comes with a religion-provided permission slip.

  • What I love are all the so-called “‘good’ Christians” out there who will admit the threats were terrible and unacceptable … but who will not so much as lift a finger to stop any of their fellow Christians from doing any of this. They’re willing to distance themselves from the militants’ behaviors, but won’t correct them or do anything to make them less militant.

  • RealTasteZeroCalories

    What’s with this John guy?  No evidence it’s from a Christian?  C’mon, fella, wake up.  It’s a little late to feign ignorance on which religious group these people belong to.