1.Without warning, I fell today and hurt my arm. Dizzy, no one was around to help me get back up. It happened because I wrote things about Trump that a supporter didn’t like, so 13 months ago, he tried to kill me. Knowing I have epilepsy, knowing strobes can set off seizures...
2.…he tweeted one at me. It contained the words “You deserve a seizure for your posts.” It was sent by John Rivello, who identified himself with the online code for anti-Semites of three brackets, calling himself (((Ari Goldstein))) with the twitter handle @jew_goldstein. The...
3. attack was successful, and caused a major seizure. Rivello told his pals “I hope this sends him into a seizure," and “let's see if he dies." Lots of sociopaths online thought it was hilarious, and bombarded me with strobes. Conservative media called me a liar. Fox News...
4. ..went after me again and again, even when they were notified that their falsehoods inspired more strobe attacks and death threats against my family. For the past 13 months, I have dealt with the consequences. My neurologist called the seizure “the straw that broke the...
5... camel’s back.” After a year of decent control in 2016, the seizures escalated. I recently started my third medication change since the attack. A side effect is falling. The others left me sedated, moody and did little to make things better…
6. I can’t approach my goddaughter, can’t give her a hug, because my sudden, unpredictable movements could kill her. If this doesn’t stop, and I am fortunate enough to have grandchildren, someone will have to explain why their grandfather won’t hug them…
7..I wish Id been beaten up as my punishment for writing about Trump. At least now, 13 months later, I would have recovered. I have no idea if I will ever get better. Rivello has been indicted for his crime. And Trump supporters rage at me that a man who harmed me so terribly...
8. ..could be held accountable for what he did. They tell me it was my fault he tried to kill me, because as someone with epilepsy, I should never use the internet. The reality is this: Sociopaths who intentionally try to cause seizures in people with epilepsy should go to jail..
9... It has been tried on many people other than me – for fun, for politics. Our sociopathic society must be cured. I don’t pity myself. I have a far better life than most. But I weep for our country, where people find inflicting long-term damage on people with disabilities to...
10. ...be funny. We have become an America I no longer recognize. So when I fell today, I thought of the hatred, the constant declarations that the press is America’s enemies, the propaganda that fuels our contempt. This must stop. Otherwise, we stand for nothing.
11...and so, I tell this story not to seek sympathy, but to inspire anger at the decay of our society. Look at what we have become. Look at what is inspired with the relentless attacks by people of authority on the media. We were once better than this. I pray we can be again.
