I Got My First Death Threat.....

You just KNOW the universe loves you when you start chatting to your radio guest to interview her for next week............and she happens to be a libel and defamation lawyer and expert!

So I immediately started asking her about Harry and Megan! Because well you would wouldn't you??

Speaking as someone who is solidly focused on politics as my future and yet also a mother and a woman of colour who worries about the lives our women politicians lead, this is a really HUGE subject for me!

Almost every single woman politician has been trolled - Dianne Abbott doesn't bother reporting death threats any more as they come too thick and fast. Yvette Coopers daughter has talked about how she felt to have a panic button installed in her home! It has become acceptable as the cost of a woman making a difference in politics that you will be trolled.

However it appears you don't even need to be in politics to be harangued and harassed until its impossible not be hurt. You just need to be a woman making an impact - as is Megan. And like her or not, she is not someone who has the right of reply publicly. So the only thing she could do is walk away. And then that becomes the basis of another form of attack and vitriol.

Then add in another element - that of being a woman of colour - the attacks become extremely personal and more honed. But because they are covert and carefully phrased with deniability, they are somehow 'not racist' or even hurtful. But women like me watch that playing out and think again and again..........should we get involved; should we stick out necks above the parapet? What is the real cost to us, our families, our children? Is it fair to make others we love pay that price?

I went on Sky news the day of the first Peoples Vote march last year and the absolute vitriol I got as a result on not only twitter but on every social platform I was on was utterly terrifying. I was SO taken aback. I didn't stop what I was doing, I just stopped reading twitter for a while.

But I would be lying if I didn't say it did make me quiet for a while. It did. Before I came back. I do know though that the path I have chosen is perilous. And that its fraught with danger. Soon after that - I received my first death threat. I laughed at first, then worried through sleepless nights. And continued on my journey. And I hope and pray for the courage to continue to make an impact. To be of service.

So when I had this expert lawyer on today, as my guest, I asked her what you could one do about these attacks - is racism libelous or defamatory? And who do you sue?

And we can't just blame social media for all this, not when you throw incredibly powerful commentators like Piers Morgan into the mix. His hatred and attacks on Megan are continuous and brutal. Then the press must take responsibility for their actions.

We're airing this tomorrow.........................

Here is the link to the show https://www.ukhealthradio.com/blog/program/living-raw-radio/

Thank you for reading, any comments or questions please post below. If you like it please click the ‘like’ thumbs up icon below and I’d appreciate it if you'd share my article with a friend. To be notified when I publish a new article, just click ‘Follow’ at the top.

Please do also connect on Twitter, Facebook and look me up on Instagram and check out the amazing Nosh Group of companies on www.noshdetox.com.

#womeninpolitics #womeninmedia #trolling #meganandharry #racism #womeninthelimelight #geetasidhurobb #noshdetox #livingrawradio