Boyd: Rep. Jim Lucas and Facebook, a cautionary tale of how not to use social media
Call me naïve, but there was a time when I believed maturity came with age and with certain positions came a sense of decorum and standards of behavior.
Well, I’ve learned this is not the case: Maturity and age aren’t synonymous, and just because you’re in an esteemed position doesn’t mean you act accordingly.
That brings me to Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, who I’m convinced is stuck in adolescence. How else can you explain his continual sophomoric behavior?
Lucas has a long list of controversial posts, which I’ll get to later, but his latest gaffe had him backtracking on Facebook, trying to explain why he made such a post. Lucas used a quote possibly erroneously attributed to Joseph Goebbels — a Nazi. But not just any Nazi. Goebbels was the minister of propaganda. He and his wife poisoned their children and killed themselves. Lucas said he used the quote as a teachable moment to illustrate how easy it is for evil to fester and grow. I can think of at least a handful of people to quote who were better options to illustrate this point than Goebbels. Maybe Lucas thought people would be more willing to heed the warning about evil from an actual perpetrator of evil. His lesson seems to have missed the mark, though, since he had to provide further explanation on what was supposed to be gleaned from the post.
I need to ask, when did we get so comfortable speaking favorably about Nazis in even the slightest way? I’m a Gen Xer, and I was taught that anything pertaining to the Nazis is evil — pure evil — there was nothing positive. Plenty of lessons on what not to do. Now, it seems we decry fascism while idolizing the fascists.
In addition to deleting the post and then posting explanations, Lucas also made the trek to Terre Haute to visit CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center. He even took time for a photo op.
I’m hopeful this was actually a teachable moment for Lucas, who seems to have trouble learning you can’t post everything on social media. Maybe he just didn’t get the memo that parents and teachers have been telling youth since the early aughts that what you post could have undesirable consequences.
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In 2016, he posted a meme of a woman in a car trunk that posed the question of whether your wife or dog loves you more. In 2017, he shared a Facebook post that seemed to make light of violence toward women. After criticism from the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Lucas deleted the posts and apologized. In 2019, he posted a photo of a gallows with two rope nooses with an article about a Black man who pleaded guilty to rape. In response, Lucas said that photo was in regular rotation for criminals no matter the race.
In 2020, to protest the federal bailouts, he shared a photo of Black children dancing along with the words “We gon’ get free money!” included. After criticism, he later made another post. This time he used an image of himself and kept the same wording. Did Lucas share a meme about large corporations and industries receiving money from the federal bailout? He chose one of Black children. What better image since Black people are the face of government handouts?
In 2021, when Black legislators shared their experiences with racism, Lucas decided he didn’t have to listen and walked out. Who does that? That’s real respectful, mature and befitting of an Indiana lawmaker. House Speaker Todd Huston is often quiet as a church mouse when it comes to Lucas. Since he’s not saying much publicly, I certainly hope Huston talks to Lucas about this childish behavior behind the scenes.
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More and more I understand why young people left Facebook when the “adults” started using the platform. It’s embarrassing to see people who should know better act like an Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell character — you know, fully grown but woefully immature. Maybe this is Lucas' shtick to keep his name circulating. I don't know, but I would think there are better ways to have people talk about you than to create controversy on Facebook or any other social media platform.
Hoosiers deserve better.
Contact IndyStar Public Engagement Editor Oseye Boyd at oboyd@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @oseyetboyd.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Rep. Jim Lucas shows how not to use Facebook, again
