Posted on Sep 14, 2022
Boosted by QAnon and mainstream conservatives, satanic panic spreads online and through local...
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On June 1, David Leavitt, the prosecuting attorney for Utah County, stood behind a lectern in his windowless Provo office before a gaggle of reporters. Wearing a gray suit and an exasperated look, he wanted to make something categorically clear: Neither he nor his wife were guilty of murdering or cannibalizing young children.
It was, by all accounts, a strange declaration from the progressive Republican prosecutor, a Mormon and younger brother of a former Utah governor, Mike Leavitt, who had earned a name for himself by prosecuting a well-known polygamist in 2001. But David Leavitt was up for re-election, Utah County voters would start casting ballots the next week, and the allegations, ridiculous as they may have sounded, had started to spread online and throughout the community.
It was, by all accounts, a strange declaration from the progressive Republican prosecutor, a Mormon and younger brother of a former Utah governor, Mike Leavitt, who had earned a name for himself by prosecuting a well-known polygamist in 2001. But David Leavitt was up for re-election, Utah County voters would start casting ballots the next week, and the allegations, ridiculous as they may have sounded, had started to spread online and throughout the community.
Boosted by QAnon and mainstream conservatives, satanic panic spreads online and through local...
Posted from nbcnews.com
Conservative
Conspiracy Theories
Internet
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
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1980s sadly experienced similar panic with role playing games
https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/dungeons-and-dragons-5e/feature/dnd-satanic-panic
https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/dungeons-and-dragons-5e/feature/dnd-satanic-panic
How Dungeons & Dragons became a part of the 1980s Satanic Panic
Find out how Dungeons & Dragons and the Satanic Panic of the 1980s connected in this deep-dive into their histories.
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SFC (Join to see)
I remember this madness back in the 80s, demonic sex cults and such. Made me want to be a Satanist, sounded like they were having all the fun
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
LTC Eugene Chu I remember that Game being Popular when I was stationed in Hawaii 77-79.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."By the time Day thought to make his Facebook profile private, it had already been swarmed with Garcia’s supporters. People commented under photos of his children that he was a pedophile, posting his home address and writing that they were “coming for him.” Some described the things that would happen to him in prison. Others sent him violent videos like one with kittens being put through sausage grinders. They wrote that his grandchildren should be kept far away from him.
Day has hired a lawyer and is exploring legal remedies.
“It was just chilling,” he said. “I was afraid the first couple of days, and now I’m just angry.”
Phillips, the University of Oregon assistant professor, said the internet’s power is particularly worrisome in light of what appears to be a renewed satanic panic.
“The internet has basically jumped over the need for other intervention,” she said. “You can have an accusation that goes viral, be seen by millions of people by the end of that day. That was never possible before.”
“You can almost foresee what is coming next,” Phillips said. “It’s what we’ve seen before, but all of the bulwarks are gone.”...
..."By the time Day thought to make his Facebook profile private, it had already been swarmed with Garcia’s supporters. People commented under photos of his children that he was a pedophile, posting his home address and writing that they were “coming for him.” Some described the things that would happen to him in prison. Others sent him violent videos like one with kittens being put through sausage grinders. They wrote that his grandchildren should be kept far away from him.
Day has hired a lawyer and is exploring legal remedies.
“It was just chilling,” he said. “I was afraid the first couple of days, and now I’m just angry.”
Phillips, the University of Oregon assistant professor, said the internet’s power is particularly worrisome in light of what appears to be a renewed satanic panic.
“The internet has basically jumped over the need for other intervention,” she said. “You can have an accusation that goes viral, be seen by millions of people by the end of that day. That was never possible before.”
“You can almost foresee what is coming next,” Phillips said. “It’s what we’ve seen before, but all of the bulwarks are gone.”...
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