From the Arab Spring to Ferguson to the Movement for Black Lives, Twitter has served as an invaluable resource to those fighting oppression and injustice. By nature, Twitter embodies the right and rhetoric of freedom of speech, allowing a space for many types of expression and opinion. The utility of the platform to disseminate information and coordinate resistance cannot be understated. Yet for every tweet calling for freedom and equality, there is one calling for violence and hatred to match it. When users begin to send out messages that encourage harm or threaten the safety of others, Twitter has an obligation to step in and remove those users. To do any less is to tacitly condone aggressive and inflammatory rhetoric.

Having lost his seat as a congressional representative, Joe Walsh has turned to radio, TV, and social media to continue railing against progressive politics. His statements are often immature outbursts, repeating false conservative narratives or misconstruing factual statements. However, his statements calling for war against President Obama in the wake of the Dallas police shootings are not harmless. Black communities are already under threat and the longer that Twitter allows people like Joe Walsh to incite anger, the more danger we face.

Twitter should permanently ban Joe Walsh from using their platform, and do the same to anyone who espouses violent, hateful rhetoric against any group. There is no excuse for allowing racists and bigots to spread messages of hate. We ask that you make these changes to your policy on harassment and abuse, and hold accountable those who violate them. As an organization, Twitter has demonstrated an awareness and a commitment to standing on the side of justice and equality. But those commitments must be matched by action, and by having the courage to prevent those would use the platform to spread hate from doing so.