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Greg Evans
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Sharing inspiring quotes on Twitter isn't exactly the coolest thing to do, but it's very easy to read something, think it's good and then share it without giving it too much thought.
That's probably what astronaut Scott Kelly did on Saturday when he shared a quote from Winston Churchill, which has gone on to spark controversy.
The American astronaut shared a quote from the controversial British prime minister as a comment on the current political situation in the US.
One of the greatest leaders of modern times, Sir Winston Churchill said, “in victory, magnanimity.” I guess those days are over.— Scott Kelly (@Scott Kelly) 1538928312
While he's got every right to make a statement of this kind, Kelly found himself being criticised for sharing a Churchill quote, with many people pointing out some of the more unsavoury parts of the wartime leader's character which, in retrospect, have damaged his credentials.
Kelly's followers began to inform Kelly about some of Churchill's more problematic views and achievements.
Also Sir Winston Churchill: "I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion". Make no mistake. T… https://t.co/mTjnA5zw27— Shiladitya Pandit (@Shiladitya Pandit) 1538989546
Others chose to defend Kelly and encouraged him to stand by the quote.
The fact that people are freaking out over his use of Churchill due to the fact that Churchill did some pretty unsa… https://t.co/XKVKbbx2Hu— Participation Trophy (@Participation Trophy) 1539041744
However, Kelly eventually changed his mind and posted a tweet apologising for quoting Churchill and vowed to educate himself more about the politician.
Did not mean to offend by quoting Churchill. My apologies. I will go and educate myself further on his atrocities,… https://t.co/cPAAvM0xX5— Scott Kelly (@Scott Kelly) 1538954545
This didn't do him any favours, as Churchill supporters felt that he went a bit too far when he labelled Churchill a 'racist', while others said that he definitely didn't need to apologise or bow to pressure.
@StationCDRKelly Please don’t apologize. Winston Churchill, like all of us, had serious human failings. But unlike… https://t.co/exjqAX5NXx— Christina Sommers (@Christina Sommers) 1538961329
If we've learnt anything from this: DON'T QUOTE CHURCHILL ON TWITTER.
HT BBC News
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