Facebook Fact-checks Easter Meme

Usually, censorship is considered to be a bad thing, stifling freedom of speech. The popular social media giant Facebook though has utilized a fact-checking system to impede access to media considered to be ill-informed, thus stifling the spread of bigotry fueled by blatant misinformation, to “curb the spread of false news.”^[1] This was first seen with social and political issues. I wondered if it would eventually include religious issues, and recently it has—to my exquisite delight.

In my previous blog entry “Easter Ishtar?”^[2] I expressed great caution and disdain over connecting those two words Easter and Ishtar together because they may sound similar. Every year during Springtime too I had to endure an incredibly obnoxious meme posted on Facebook that was loaded with historical errors and propaganda. It is this meme that has now felt the fury of Facebook fact-checking.

Its fact-checking system justifies blocking that meme by referring to this article: “Easter not derived from name of ancient Mesopotamian goddess.”^[3] Indeed, adding insult to injury for ones spreading that meme around is that it may not even be depicting Ishtar. Currently that goddess is called “The Queen of the Night,” but her specific name remains elusive.^[4]

Good riddance! (This also includes all other similar memes spreading the same deceptive propaganda of Easter=Ishtar.)

Footnotes:
^[1] What Are Fact Checkers On Facebook?
www.republicworld.com/technology-news/apps/what-are-fact-checkers-on-facebook.html

^[2] jimspace3000.blogspot.com/2018/03/easter-ishtar.html

^[3] factcheck.afp.com/easter-not-derived-name-ancient-mesopotamian-goddess

^[4] www.worldhistory.org/article/658/the-queen-of-the-night/