In 2018, the world was introduced to Kaitlin Bennett - a conservative "activist" who came to prominence after posing with an AR-10 in her college graduation photos.

For a little context: Bennet attended Kent State University in Ohio, a school that saw 4 of its students massacred in a shooting in 1970. Kent State is a school that has seen first-hand the horror of gun violence; several of my friends who attend the university told me about how they're required to write an essay on the Kent State Massacre before they even step foot on campus for their first semester. Bennett's actions were clearly insensitive, inappropriate, and purposefully inflammatory.

And, of course, the Internet blew up.

Kaitlin Bennett clung to that attention for as long as she could. And, frustratingly, we let her. She was able to leverage her (very negative) Internet infamy into merchandise, a Youtube channel with 400k subscribers, and a job with Infowars. But, like everything else in the transient world of the Internet, Bennett blessedly faded into obscurity. For months, I was blessed with an absence of Kaitlin Bennett on my timeline.

But she's back. And it's our fault.

Last month, clips from a video Bennett posted on her 'Liberty Hangout' Youtube channel started to circulate. The video, entitled "College Students Have No Morals," is objectively great; it's just a compilation of Bennett asking college students questions about non-issues like "should we put tampons and pads in the men's room?" and then acting shocked when they are pretty much unconcerned. The clip that got the most widespread attention featured two students convincingly explaining the concept of institutionalized racism, owning Bennett in the process. Why she even included it in her video is beyond me.

These videos are indisputably fun; Bennett is a public figure who is fair game to criticize, and her arguments are so easily dismantled that it's clear even in ten-second clips that she's in over her head.

This is why it's so hard for me to say that we have to start ignoring Kaitlin Bennett.

Bennett is who she is because she's a combative person, yes, but she's only reached this level of influence because she's been able to profit off of the negative attention she's been given online. She's essentially monetizing her own controversiality (her Instagram bio even reads "monetize the haters"). I get that Kaitlin Bennett memes are fun; I really, really get it. But the choice is between giving an extremely toxic person the attention she so clearly desires or depriving her of the audience that she needs to stay relevant. Ignoring her is a sacrifice we all need to make.

Spreading around Bennett's self-owning video is entertaining, yes, but it also gives her views and ad revenue. It helps her sell merchandise pushing the same positions she's been so widely criticized for. It's the publicity that made a fringe site like Infowars think she was a perfect person to push their conspiracy theory-riddled viewpoints.

The damage done by giving Kaitlin Bennett attention far outweighs the entertainment value of watching her get owned by college students. Because, although it's obvious to most people that she is ridiculous, there are people who agree with what she is saying. And by amplifying her message, even through criticism, you are helping spread it.

Obviously, I'm not innocent of this myself. I've liked tweets talking about Bennett. I've watched YouTubers react to her content. I'm writing this article.

But I've realized that the most effective thing I can do to silence people like Kaitlin Bennett isn't to criticize her. She's clearly not responsive to actual arguments or willing to amend her views in any way. No, the best thing I can do is to stop giving her the engagement she needs to maintain her twisted business model.

So, the next time I see a funny gun girl video make the rounds, I won't be watching it. And neither should you.