- “Superman” actor Dean Cain made an offhand comment about what he would do if someone blindsided him with an egg attack, and the Twitter mob came for him.
It all began with the now-viral video of Australian Senator Fraser Anning that circulated on Saturday. Anning was attacked by a teen — who broke an egg over his head from behind — and he turned and slapped the boy.
Someone has just slapped an egg on the back of Australian Senator Fraser Anning’s head, who immediately turned around and punched him in the face. @politicsabc @abcnews pic.twitter.com/HkDZe2rn0X
— Henry Belot (@Henry_Belot) March 16, 2019
While many cheered the boy on, citing Anning’s “Islamophobic” views and anti-immigration stance, Cain responded to the video by saying simply, “I would have knocked that kid cold.”
I would have knocked that kid cold.
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) March 17, 2019
He was immediately attacked for “defending a Nazi” and for advocating violence against a child — but Cain was quick to explain that neither of those accusations were based in reality. (RELATED: Dean Cain Fires Back At Critics Who Try To Smear Him As A ‘Homophobic Bigot’)
You do that to anyone, be prepared to accept the consequences. No joke.
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) March 17, 2019
You do that to anyone, be prepared to accept the consequences. No joke.
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) March 17, 2019
No. He would have allowed the #freespeech but disagreed with it.
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) March 17, 2019
So it’s ok to attack people with whom you disagree?
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) March 17, 2019
Cain spoke with The Daily Caller on Sunday, adding a more extensive explanation.
“You cannot attack someone for their political views, no matter how abhorrent,” he said. “Not with an egg, not with fists, not with guns. That’s wrong. In the U.S. we have the First Amendment which protects all speech, including unpopular speech, as long as it doesn’t call for violence. While I totally disagree with what I’ve seen of the Senator’s positions, is it illegal for him to hold them? Should he be physically attacked because of them?”
Cain also agreed that it was strange that while people have focused their criticism on Anning — for his political views and for hitting the boy who egged him — no one is criticizing those who appear content to perpetuate the idea that a violent attack of any kind is a reasonable response to disagreeable words or ideas.