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Trolls do exist. They don’t live under bridges, like many of us with Scandinavian roots were led to believe as kids. Instead, they live in the comment section of The Daily Chronicle’s Facebook page, where folklore meets reality.
As a Lewis County resident, I want to raise a concern that goes beyond politics and gets to the heart of our community: the toxic culture of online trolling, especially on The Chronicle’s social media.
Recently, The Chronicle posted photos and coverage of the Twin City Pride event at George Washington Park. While the event itself was a joyful celebration of inclusion, the Facebook comment section quickly turned into a platform for cruelty, hate, and misinformation.
Scrolling through the comments, I saw too many examples of people twisting religion or pushing false claims about “grooming” to attack LGBTQ+ neighbors. One commenter sneered that the Pride flag is “a perverted version” of the biblical rainbow. Another warned that “celebrating LGBTQ for a whole month” was worse than the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Others accused the event of “sexualizing children” — a dangerous and baseless narrative that’s been used far too often to smear LGBTQ+ people.
Some commenters hid their hostility behind claims of “protecting children,” while others threw out blunt biblical condemnations or just mocked the whole event. A few even dragged in off-topic comments, like one who bizarrely linked Pride to flooding deaths elsewhere, hinting at divine punishment. But here’s the thing — while the hateful voices were loud, many community members tried to push back. They offered support, corrected misinformation, or just called for some basic civility.
The real problem? Without moderation, the loudest and cruelest voices win. And the people who might want to share a positive or thoughtful word end up silenced or chased away.
This isn’t healthy debate. It’s harassment. It’s trolling. And it’s happening right out in the open, on a community newspaper’s platform.
What’s even more troubling is The Chronicle’s hands-off approach. As the owner of the page, The Chronicle has a responsibility to moderate its online space. Without clear boundaries, hate gets a megaphone. A comment section without moderation doesn’t promote “free speech.” It breeds hostility, division and misinformation. It gives harassment a home — and in doing so, it fails the community it’s supposed to serve.
I urge The Chronicle to take this seriously. Set some ground rules for civil conversation. Remove or hide hate speech, personal attacks and slurs. Make it clear that while different opinions are welcome, harassment isn’t.
Our local paper has the power to shape the tone of public conversation in Lewis County. It’s time to lead with integrity, compassion, and accountability — and make sure our public spaces, online and offline, reflect the respect and dignity we all deserve.
Matt Evans
Centralia
