PA Lawmaker Shuts Down Facebook 'Troll'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Be careful what you're posting online, especially if you're "trolling" this Pennsylvania lawmaker, who was the target of slurs.
It just might result in a phone call with your grandmother.
Like many Americans, Pennsylvania House Representative Brian Sims' morning routine consists of checking Facebook and responding to posts.
"It jumped out at me for obvious reasons, in that it used two awful pointed slurs, but it also lacked all context, there wasn't any reference to any bills I've supported or issues that I support or don't support," Sims said.
Sims checked the poster's Facebook page and found a phone number
"I don't know if I thought he was going to answer. I sure didn't think his grandmother was going to answer, but sure enough at 6:15 in the morning she did. She was very nervous and very uncomfortable, but I also wasn't trying to make it worse for her," he said.
Eventually, Sims did speak to the poster and admits the conversation wasn't productive, but he does have a message for online trolls.
"America is a moral ethical place that has values and they know it, and they're scared of us," Sims said, "So to them I would say that we are the moral majority, those of us that treat each other with respect, that understand dignity, and I want them to know that while they may feel empowered by the rhetoric of this White House, it's false empowerment, and the rest of us are empowered by what we know about our values and America's values."
