this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2024
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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio —The woman behind an early Facebook post spreading a harmful and baseless claim about Haitian immigrants eating local pets that helped thrust a small Ohio city into the national spotlight says she had no firsthand knowledge of any such incident and is now filled with regret and fear as a result of the ensuing fallout.

“It just exploded into something I didn’t mean to happen,” Erika Lee, a Springfield resident, told NBC News on Friday.

Lee recently posted on Facebook about a neighbor’s cat that went missing, adding that the neighbor told Lee she thought the cat was the victim of an attack by her Haitian neighbors.

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[–] norimee@lemmy.world 173 points 1 month ago (2 children)

"I just wanted to be hateful and racist in private with my 500 Facebook friends. I didn't want others to know that"

Its the same as with this woman who sparkt the riots in the UK recently, by spreading false information she had from a russian bot.

Actions have consequences. Even Facebook posts.

[–] Crazyslinkz@lemmy.world 32 points 1 month ago

Literally had this talk with my son. "You are responsible for your own actions"

[–] BestBouclettes@jlai.lu 96 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Oh no, my actions online have real life consequences... Who would have thought?

[–] Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works 38 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah, I agree she is at fault for spreading harmful and fucking racist misinformation online. At the same time though it must be wild to have a president candidate pick it up and run with it. It's a shame it took this kind of experience to make her see the potential harm of her actions.

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)

"At the same time though it must be wild to have a president candidate pick it up and run with it."

Which is why I worry we may see more of this. Attention-seeking hateful people realizing they can get the ultimate retweets.

[–] Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You're right and I really wish you weren't.

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 5 points 1 month ago
[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago

I wonder if anyone listens to me....

okay. lets give this a try.

Trump is an insurrectionist, a rapist, a traitor. He's sold national secrets. He cheats at golf, and cheats on his wife. He's a pedophile. He's a mass murderer (according to christian doctrine,). He's a liar, an oathbreaker.

there's only one solution

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

I wonder if people who suffered damage from her words could drag her in court for that.

[–] vala@lemmy.world 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I wonder what she "meant to happen" then?

[–] Brickhead92@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

All she wanted was a simple lynching of some "undesirables" by other people and no repercussions for herself.

Is that too much to ask?

/s

[–] matengor@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 month ago (2 children)

To be honest, although it was dumb, it was also unfortunate. There is no way we will get a hold on viral fake news because there will always be that one unlucky or stupid bastard posting something silly.

Don't eat the pets, people!

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

the guy that started the couch memes:

[–] Gerudo@lemm.ee 9 points 1 month ago

At least couches don't have families.

Or DO THEY!?

[–] ravhall@discuss.online 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] superkret 9 points 1 month ago (2 children)

And you can even feed them a vegan diet.

[–] ccunning@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don’t think cows’ digestive systems can handle vegans 🫢

[–] noseatbelt@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago

What is even the point of having four stomachs then?

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

Don't you start.

[–] Spitzspot@lemmings.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Jersey cows are adorable and make great pets.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Apart. I'm guessing, from the massive poos.

[–] ravhall@discuss.online 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Well, everything poos,

and massive is relative.

You should see my poos!

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah, but I assume your poos go in a toilet and not on the ground.

[–] ravhall@discuss.online 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You’ve never truly pooped until you pop a squat in your back yard.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'll take your word for it. I clean up enough dog poo out there as it is. And it's much smaller than cow poo. Generally not as soft too.

[–] ravhall@discuss.online 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Cow poo is good fertilizer though. You’d have a beautiful garden.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You're really not convincing me to have a pet cow here...

[–] ravhall@discuss.online 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I wouldn’t recommend fertilizing your garden with your own poo!!

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Having no garden, I'm not fertilizing it with anything's poo.

[–] ravhall@discuss.online 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think you would love a garden.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think I have a black thumb.

[–] ravhall@discuss.online 2 points 1 month ago

… where are you putting your thumb?

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 20 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Either she's an idiot who doesn't understand why it's important to think before you speak, or she's a racist who is trying to weasel out of a shitstorm of her own making.

[–] Brickhead92@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

Well it's not fair that she should have to suffer consequences for her own actions.

/s