Some of you may be aware that former KVIA sports anchor Paul Cicala created a firestorm over one of his Twitter posts this past weekend. Cicala left El Paso on August 15, 2013. Currently, Paul Cicala is the sports anchor for Tucson’s KVOA. As some of you may know, on Thursday, June 2, 2016, Paul Cicala started a firestorm on social media over a comment he made on his Twitter account that blamed a Donald Trump supporter for provoking an attack against her.
Eggs were thrown at a woman wearing a Donald Trump shirt during a Trump rally Thursday night in San Jose, California. Cicala tweeted to NBC news correspondent, Jacob Rascon, that Rascon had failed to report that the Trump supporter had taunted protestors before she got pelted with eggs.
As a result, social media erupted against Paul Cicala and his post on Twitter.
The following day, KVOA and Paul Cicala issued an apology for the tweet. Cicala, also deleted his Twitter account.
Cicala could have chosen his words better but it is important to remember that Twitter isn’t a medium where one can articulate a complete thought because of the limits on text imposed by Twitter. Almost 20 minutes later, Cicala attempted to clarify his statement but by then it was too late because social media is instant.
However, I understand where Paul Cicala was coming from and why online users erupted in indignation.
First and foremost, violence against anyone is never acceptable. The woman wearing the Donald Trump shirt has the exact same right to voice her support of him, as I have to opine that Donald Trump is not fit to be president. Those throwing eggs at the woman had no right to do so and need to be prosecuted for their actions.
With that said, it is important to note two things. The first is that Donald Trump incites anger with his political rhetoric. Although, I have been taken to task several times, I still believe and will continue to believe that Donald Trump called me, and my brethren murderers and rapists. But, I have not resorted to violence as a response to his hate speech. Instead, I use words and my talents to remind everyone how unfit for the presidential office he is.
The second thing to note is Cicala was effectively silenced by angry posters who threatened his career. If you look at Paul Cicala’s post, he made a point to call out a reporter for not reporting a contributing factor to what transpired. However wrong it is that the egg throwers did what they did, it is also important to know the context of what transpired. That does not excuse the criminal behavior of the egg throwers, but it puts everything into context.
For example, it is very different if an individual suddenly attacks another because they have a different skin color. Most of us abhor this action. But what happens, if instead of reading that the attacker is racist and suddenly attacked, you instead read that the victim called him a racist before being attacked. The attacker is still wrong, but it puts their actions in the context of responding to a situation instead of just attacking a person on the street because of their skin color.
The attacker is still wrong and needs to be prosecuted, but their actions are mitigated by the context of the situation.
Likewise, it is important to know whether the victim of the egg attack taunted the attackers. There is a big difference between a sudden attack just to attack and an attack as a result of actions. It is the news media’s responsibility to report all of the facts so that we can each make our own minds up about what transpired.
I do not know Paul Cicala, but taking his tweet, it seems to me that he was challenging the reporter to put the actions in context.
Unfortunately, the anger that Donald Trump generates is so severe that the level of emotion is so high that reactions are becoming serious to all concerned. We may never know what Paul Cicala intended with his tweet, his corporate bosses have gotten involved and we will never know his true intentions, one way or another.
Those who are angered at Paul Cicala for his tweet, and those who are angered by the egg throwers should also note that Donald Trump has also angered many of us through his words.
Martin. Again! You are the type individual Trump continues to say should be here. Those who came here and followed the law and CONTINUE to obey the law. Those who come LEGALLY. Regarding the protestors. They went prepared to harm Trump supporters. Why take eggs to a rally? They maliciously punched, kicked, tore people’s clothing, chased them with intent to harm them, burned the U.S
flag, followed people into parking garages and damaged cars. Now that’s an organization used crowd. And this poor woman is in the wrong because she responded in kind? She didn’t have the right to smile tauntingly? Funny we see what we want based on our biases.
Those mexiforians do not understand that, if they are not here legally, this is not their country. None of us, including them I presume since they are here and not there, want the USA to be in any way like Mexico – lawless, violent, oppressive and chaotic. Unrestricted immigration pretty much guarantees it will be.
Don’t worry about Trump. He is already self-destructing. Soon you will have Hillary in the White House and Bill back on Air Fuck One with his under-age entourage.
Excellent point. The crowd “intended” to engage in violence regardless of the speech. Obviously someone is organizing and directing the ant-Trump gangs.
That needs to be investigated. It appears to be a carryover from the “in your face” tactics perpetrated by the Obama campaign. This type of discourse is one of the reasons there is hatred in El Paso politics.
Resorting to physical attacks is indicative that the Trump campaign is effective, attempting to silence him and his supporters. They have no response except to resort to violence. Isn’t it telling that Bernie gangs disrupt Hillary’s gatherings ? Bernie is feeling the heat. He has lost his bid and is now elbowing his way into the Dem arena to have a part in fashioning it into a communist party. Remember he admitted he is a communist.
Martin is correct in stating disagreement in politics should never lead to violence.
Agree to Disagree
There needs to be an investigation, which will never happen, in that there is now evidence there are paid protesters helping cause the violence that are being paid for by interest in the Democratic party. And “The Hill” is helping to promote the violence when she doesn’t stand up loudly and clearly say such violence is wrong and call out her supporters who are involved. “The Hill’s” tacit silence and not calling out these protesters is seen as her approval of the violence. The extremist side of Democratic party are showing they are the real fascist to be worried about and “THE Hill” is their leader.
Martin, you are on the wrong side of this issue. Folks rioted outside a Trump rally with the political agenda of intimidating Trump supporters. If I had been at that rally and walked out and watched people being attacked I probably would have made equally offensive remarks. There is zero justification for egging that woman no matter what she said–she had a right to attend a rally and leave unacosted. It isn’t fair is fair–it is a group of thugs deciding that if they don’t like a candidate violence against supporters is okay. I think Obama is the most incompetent president ever elected, but I respect the system that put him there. He did a better job of inspiring his base than the GOP did (twice). I didn’t like the end result but I would see no justification for disrupting gatherings of his supporters. This senseless violence will ultimately get Trump elected because there are a lot of folks out there that are tired of the rule of law being ignored and the donor class being rewarded at the expense of the middle class. Hillary is just more of the same. And finally, Trump didn’t insult you–his remarks were very clearly directed at the government of Mexico. I’ve been to cocktail parties (at my former Mexican employer) where wealthy Mexicans praised Fox’s efforts to encourage the hard to employ to migrate and send back remittances. The bank owners liked that a lot. Mexico (the government) has a very clear agenda that is not in the US’ best interest.
Mexico is the cancer on our doorstep. I blame no one for wanting to leave it. What upsets me is when they want to re-create it here.