Cancel culture is a problem even if its victim is in the wrong

Social media is often poisonous. The proof of that is the proliferation of offensive tweets, Facebook posts, or TikTok videos — as well as the push to cancel others for having the wrong opinion. The reactions to Queen Elizabeth II’s death serve as a perfect example of this phenomenon.

When the queen died on Sept. 8 at the age of 96, reactions were both heartwarming and hateful. Some went too far, including professor Uju Anya of Carnegie Mellon University. In a now-deleted tweet, Anya said, “I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating.” Thousands, including Jeff Bezos, quickly criticized her abject cruelty. Anya was proud of her statements and didn’t back down.