Anti-PC Effort #TheTriggering Explodes on Twitter

#TheTriggering, a hashtag meant to ridicule politically correct attitudes, exploded on Twitter and became a major trending topic in the United States.

Activist Lauren Southern came up with the idea a few months ago:

Can we start a day called "The Triggering" where everyone just posts "offensive" things on their social media in defense of free speech?

— Lauren Southern (@Lauren_Southern) September 19, 2015

#TheTriggering will take place on March 9th the day after international Women's day and the day before Osama Bin Laden's Birthday.

— Lauren Southern (@Lauren_Southern) September 19, 2015

And boy did people respond:

#SafeSpace warning. #TheTriggering pic.twitter.com/XXTVsHskbB

— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) March 9, 2016

If you are going to blame white ppl alive today for slavery you also have to thank them for ending it. #TheTriggering

— マイル (@martian_munk) March 9, 2016

#TheTriggering "ze" and "hir" isnt a gender https://t.co/OVipkUshT1

— Lauren Southern (@Lauren_Southern) March 9, 2016

It's not unreasonable to demand that immigrants adopt your laws and values. #TheTriggering

— DoublePlusUnFine (@Kansokusha10) March 9, 2016

Auto mechanics have a more rigorous intellectual discipline then gender or race studies majors. #TheTriggering

— Lee Stranahan (@stranahan) March 9, 2016

Islam is not a religion of peace. #TheTriggering

— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) March 9, 2016

You talk about 'Diversity' as if it's suppose to solve all problems. It doesn't #TheTriggering

— Ice Cap (@Cuodriko) March 9, 2016

"Mansplaining" isn't a thing. What you are describing is being pretentious and/or condescending which anybody is capable of.#TheTriggering

— Radagast the Brown (@ZombieNeith) March 9, 2016

#TheTriggering Some children will always be "left behind" because some children are in fact stupid.

— The Deuce (@ibbibby) March 9, 2016

I believe in free speech, freedom of expression and diversity of opinions (even yours). #TheTriggering

— Mark Kern (@Grummz) March 9, 2016

Mexicans need to stop running from their failures & fight to build a thriving country of their own#TheTriggering pic.twitter.com/WKTNn64wZR

— Jared Wyand (@JaredWyand) March 9, 2016

There's no "gender pay gap" — but there should be. https://t.co/UYaxmTAxT5#TheTriggering pic.twitter.com/rYm3mhH3qC

— Milo Yiannopoulos ✘ (@Nero) March 9, 2016

Blaming society for your problems in the United States is just an excuse for you to be a failure. #TheTriggering

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 9, 2016

#TheTriggering

People much better than you (and me) died to protect your right to free speech

F**k you for disrespecting them

— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) March 9, 2016

Barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen beats blue hair, cubicles and fast food every day of the week. #TheTriggering

— Alice Teller (@AliceTeller) March 9, 2016

I have ZERO "white guilt"

In 2016 shouting racist is a tactic used to gain an advantage#TheTriggering pic.twitter.com/Dj2KWVhzmd

— Jared Wyand (@JaredWyand) March 9, 2016

My anatomy does not preclude me from having an opinion about abortion. #TheTriggering

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) March 9, 2016

Parroting Islam is "the religion of peace" does not obscure the fact that it is mired in murder and mayhem #thetriggering

— David Vance (@DVATW) March 9, 2016

Oh, and of course there was a lot of snark/backlash over the trend:

If you are triggered by anything, avoid #TheTriggering at all costs.
Smug white men actively trying to trigger people. Disgusting

— Jed Ritchie (@Jediritchie) March 9, 2016

Very nice of Twitter to create a place for right-wingers to post all of their garbage opinions and not annoy everyone else => #TheTriggering

— read the piece (@SeanMcElwee) March 9, 2016

Like most hashtag movements started by 4chan and reddit, #TheTriggering is populated mostly by cis white people.

— ✨Kat Blaque✨ (@kat_blaque) March 9, 2016

I'm looking at the #TheTriggering hashtag, and reactionaries are simply appending the hashtag to the same, boring things they say everyday.

— Izzy Galvez (@iglvzx) March 9, 2016

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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