Although Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina had the responsibility of delivering the Republican Party’s response to President Joe Biden’s address to Congress, his speech was met with vitriolic racism on Twitter.
Sen. Scott not only gave an impassioned speech in defense of free market capitalism and economic opportunity, but also countered the Left’s false narrative that the United States is systemically racist. His speech offered a clear rebuttal to both poor state governance in blue states and Biden’s left-wing policy proposals.
Yet after his speech, one of Twitter’s top trending topics was “Uncle Tim.” It is a clear reference to the derogatory phrase, “Uncle Tom,” which the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines as a phrase used “when a Black person who is overeager to win the approval of whites (as by obsequious behavior or uncritical acceptance of white values and goals).” Twitter allowed the liberal-driven offensive and racist trend to remain on its social media platform for at least twelve hours before it was taken down at 10 a.m. on the following day.
The fact that Twitter has censored and taken down conservative figures’ posts much more quickly than that reinforced conservative views that the social media platform treats liberals more favorably.
During his speech, Scott lambasted Biden for delivering “empty platitudes” while “pulling us further and further apart,” a stark contrast to Biden’s campaign promises to unite the country. The senator pointed out that lawmakers “should be expanding opportunities and options for all families” instead of focusing on Big Government programs and spending.
Regarding racial rhetoric, Scott affirmed, “Hear me clearly: America is not a racist country. It’s backwards to fight discrimination with different types of discrimination.” He added, “And it’s wrong to try to use our painful past to dishonestly shut down debates in the present.” Scott provided some information about his own family history and voiced his support for the American Dream by saying that “we get to live in the greatest country on Earth…. the country where my grandfather, in his 94 years, saw his family go from cotton to Congress in one lifetime.”
Big Tech has been criticized for years by conservatives for going out of their way to silence and censor conservative thoughts and opinions on their online social media platforms. The racist “Uncle Tim” trend on Twitter reinforced the unlevel playing field that conservatives face in social media.
