With a Little Help from My Friends

I could use some help.

I have not been canceled by Facebook, per se, but since writing about abortion following President Biden’s Executive Order to fund abortions both domestic and foreign, the visibility of my Facebook (FB) pages has been throttled/restricted significantly by FB.

I haven’t gotten a letter or a notice. FB does as suits it.

I’m able to post to my author and personal pages, but in late January my viewership numbers dropped by 75-90%. In addition, my ability to advance my FB posts has been diminished, in most cases, taken away.

I’ve begun hearing from people: “Are you still writing?” “I haven’t seen anything from you in a while.” “I don’t see your articles anymore.” “I didn’t get that.” “Where have you been?” “The last thing I received from you was three weeks ago.”

Over the course of my professional life, I’ve worked in a number of places where censorship and an inability to publish were commonplace, but I never dreamed I would experience this firsthand. Even seeing it and experiencing it, my default is, “No. This can’t be happening.”

But, it is.

My first inclination was to assume responsibility for the dramatic fall off in readership. (Nobody wants to read about babies being dismembered, I thought). But the statistics don’t suggest this drop is my fault.

First, January was not the first time I’ve written about abortion. My earlier articles on this subject received increased readership and response, not diminished. Second, readership doesn’t fall like dropping off of a cliff. Disillusioned readers drift away. Further, readership and shares don’t drop by 75-90% with one article back in January.

I don’t know how to fix this. Facebook is not exactly a noble-minded organization. Last week, they canceled the entire country of Australia. Of course, that was over money, not babies, and since money talks, FB reports substantive negotiations occurred.

However, I do have a work around to put before you—and this is where a little help from my friends comes into play.

I will write. I will endeavor to make my articles, and the application of our faith, as relevant to today’s issues as I possibly can. What good is knowledge of your true identity, the indwelling Spirt, and victory over the flesh if it does not endow you with courage, persistence, and focus for today?!

So, I will do my best to write well. I will make every word count. I will endeavor to represent our heavenly Father well.

An American Indian friend said the other day, “Your writing is strong medicine, Gillham.”

I will continue to write strong medicine. I will mix up my styles. I will be a moving target. Writing is what I’m called to do. I will not do so flatfooted. After all, “The pen is mightier than the sword” (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1839).

But since I’ve been shut down, I need your help getting my articles into circulation. You can do this in several ways.

One, you can forward the email I send to you to a group of your contacts along with your endorsement. I’m not asking you to write an introductory editorial. Let my article speak for itself. But, you do need to let your friends know your email forward is legit and coming from you.

Two, you can encourage your friends to subscribe to my blog articles. Forward this link to them: www.PrestonGillham.com/follow. This way, they will automatically receive my articles in their Inbox. While email does not afford the interaction of FB, at least they will receive my articles, whereas now they don’t.

Three, if you have a personal or professional Facebook, you can post/share my articles on your Facebook. Again, no need to offer an editorial, just a brief endorsement, e.g. “I found this article helpful.” Then, copy/paste the link to my article from my webpage into the “What’s on your mind?” space at your FB. Usually, FB will provide the intro image and teaser automatically when you click “Share.”

All of this assumes that you understand, I’m not asking you to share an article you think misses the mark or one with which you disagree. Since I’m largely shut down, any help making my voice heard is appreciated.

I realize there is risk associating yourself with me. Forwarding my articles via email and/or sharing them on your Facebook is an endorsement of me and what I’ve written. Since I’m now deemed a reproach and labeled a liability to civil society, Facebook could assume the same of you and throttle you just like they are governing me and the distribution of my posts. Caveat emptor.

And, just so you know, my email delivery service that deposits my articles into your Inbox is called MailChimp. They also have seen fit to manage my ability to communicate. They are a) delaying my posts to you and b) not delivering my articles to all of my subscribers.

I knew about the delayed delivery. I did not know about them not delivering to my entire list. Until…

They made a mistake in their algorithm. In their zeal to manage me, they chose my wife as a subscriber to exclude. Surely your sins shall find you out. “Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned,” advised William Congreve.

I have options other than MailChimp. I will exercise those this week or next. You will not notice any change—unless you have not been receiving my weekly articles. Then you will notice regular article delivery.

Can you believe this is occurring? In America? I’m just dumbfounded. But happening it is. Crazy! Thank you in advance for helping me and partnering with me. Without you, I would be truly silenced.

By now, you know that I will not flood anyone’s Inbox nor pester them for contributions to Lifetime Ministries. Still, if you are uneasy, disregard my request.

Assuming you are good to go, here are the rules of engagement:

You don’t need to ask my permission for any of what I’m asking. Just go for it. If you know someone at the New York Times, submit an article to them from me. Christianity Today? Go for it. CNN, your pastor, Hannity, Politico, Huff Post? Rock ‘n roll, friend.  

Simply, pass along the link to the article’s location at my website, PrestonGillham.com. (The articles are under the “Blog” tab at the top of the page.) Please don’t edit anything. If you copy and paste, include my name and a link to the article at my webpage.

Don’t feel that you need to protect me, make excuses for me, explain, etc. If someone has a problem and comes to you, direct them to me.

Simply: If an article speaks to you, then I ask you to help distribute it.

Finally, I don’t anticipate Facebook coming to their senses. So, I’m asking you to join me in this endeavor for the foreseeable future.

Last, I feel like one of those lepers in the Bible who was required by law to call out “Unclean! Unclean!” when they went anywhere. If your association with me causes you heartache or blowback, I apologize. If this occurs, and I can do anything to assist you, let me know.

Coming up: There is an article assembling itself in the recesses of my soul that leverages the poem by Martin Niemoller into our current practice as a society. Pastor Niemoller regretted not speaking up as Hitler rose to power. Eventually he did speak out—and spent eight years in a concentration camp.

I am determined to speak—lovingly but with compulsion—and I thank you in advance for your partnership. Here’s Reverend Niemoller:

They came for the Communists, and I

didn’t object – For I wasn’t

a Communist;

They came for the Socialists, and I

didn’t object – For I wasn’t a Socialist;

They came for the labor leaders, and I

didn’t object – For I wasn’t a labor leader;

They came for the Jews, and I didn’t

object – For I wasn’t a Jew;

Then they came for me –

And there was no one left to object.

By, Martin Niemoller, German Protestant Pastor, 1892-1984