Posted on 07/10/2009 9:53:00 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
Yesterday, theHalfrican posted a link to the Free Republic Website where several of its regular members were bashing Malia Obama for wearing a peace symbol t-shirt. The thread had several derogotary, racist, and sexual remarks about Malia. It also included a picture of Michelle Obama speaking to Malia that was accompanied with a racist caption.
I wrote the media contact at Free Republic yesterday, kristinn@bellatlantic.net, questioning the nature of the posters and the site:
Hello. I am an independent writer developing a book about the grassroots conservative movement online, of which your site, Free Republic, is included as a primary online gathering place for conservatives.
Could you please tell me how the owner of the site feels about posts like this one:
http://www.freerepublic.com/...
...in which conservatives who post regularly at the site make several racist statements about the 11-year-old daughter of President Obama for wearing a t-shirt adorned with a peace symbol? Remarks included the following:
"We’re being represented by a family of ghetto trash." "Looks like a bunch of ghetto thugs. A stain on America."
"Looks like a typical street whore."
"What we now are sending the ghetto over to represent us. and if so who the hell is that flea bag who looks to be dragged from the trash dumpster."
"you could go down any ghetto right now and see exactly the same."
"could you imagine what world leaders must be thinking seeing this kind of street trash and that we paid for this kind of street ghetto trash to go over there"
"the world must be laughing like mad right now at that we have this kind of street trash in our white house."
"Wonder when she will have her first abortion."
"sad isn’t it that we now have ghetto street trash over there representing us in Europe."
"This disgusting display makes me more and more eager for the revolution.
"They make me sick.... The whole family... mammy, pappy, the free loadin’ mammy-in-law, the misguided chillin’, and especially ‘lil cuz... This is not the America I want representin’ my peeps."
In addition, the thread includes a picture of Michelle Obama speaking to her daughter with the caption, "To Entertain Her Daughter, Michelle Obama Likes to Make Monkey Sounds."
Before you dismiss this as only a minority of posters at the site, out of 100 posts on that thread I found only 1 that criticized such remarks. This is not the first time I have seen such an exhibition of blatant racism at Free Republic by members who regularly post there.
Here are my questions:
Does Free Republic condone this type of exercise in free speech?
Are these the type of participants Free Republic is happy to have posting at its site?
What is Free Republic's policy about posting racially offensive comments?
What is Free Republic's policy about making sexual insinuations about minors (particularly relevant in light of the David Letterman/Sarah Palin brouhaha)?
Does Free Republic believe its membership accurately represents the conservative movement?
Does the owner of Free Republic believe this kind of discourse is helpful to rebuilding the Republican Party and furthering its goals?
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your responses.
went back to the site today and saw that the offending thread has been pulled "pending review."
http://www.freerepublic.com/...
I do note that Free Republic has a disclaimer on the first page that claims it does not condone this type of post; however, I am not sure when the disclaimer was added. Does anyone know?
From the disclaimer:
Opinions expressed on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Free Republic or its operators.
Please enjoy our forum, but also please remember to use common courtesy when posting and refrain from posting personal attacks, profanity, vulgarity, threats, racial or religious bigotry, or any other materials offensive or otherwise inappropriate for a conservative family audience.
Free Republic is a site dedicated to the concerns of traditional grassroots conservative activists. We're here to discuss and advance our conservative causes in a more or less liberal-free environment. We're not here to debate liberals. We do not want our pages filled with their arrogant, obnoxious, repugnant bile. Liberals, usurpers, and other assorted malcontents are considered unwelcome trolls on FR and their accounts and or posts will be summarily dismissed at the convenience of the site administrators.
Free Republic does not advocate or condone racism, violence, rebellion, secession, or an overthrow of the government.
So, the site will readily delete posts from liberals just because they are liberals and therefore everything they say is automatically considered "arrogant, obnoxious, repugant bile."
But comments calling an 11-year-old black girl "ghetto trash" and a "whore" are pulled "pending review." What is to review? Your site either supports that kind of rhetoric or it does not. Which is it?
If the Free Republic's "conservative family audience" consists of people who say such things as they often do (like yesterday), how conservative are they? And how family-oriented are they? Where were all the posts from other Free Republic regulars or from the owner of the site decrying this kind of racism directed at a child for no apparent reason than the fact that a peace symbol t-shirt inflamed their hatred to disgusting depths, like a red handkerchief in front of a mad bull?
Conservatives continually reinforce the fact that the only families they care about are conservative ones; the only troops they support are ones that do not vote democratic; the only children whose lives they value are the children of conservatives or unborn. How many of those aborted fetuses they claim to hold so dear would they trash had they been born and grown into a pre-teen who wore a t-shirt with a peace symbol or supported a liberal president? Or was gay?
The truth is that conservatives do not know the meaning of Jesus' words despite how much they love to use them when it suits their inner hatred of all those who are different. Worse, they lack basic human decency, as they demonstrate time and again.
I have tried to explain that we have trolls that are trying to incite and set us up. FR is a threat to the left. Some freepers tell me that I’m paranoid. I’m not. I’m right. Watch for noobs trying to incite trash. Then call a Mod on them.
......Do their personalities have anything in common?.....
Looks and both are pretty strong in their views
Well they didn’t forget, they just didn’t consider that fact helpful to their agenda.
Correct. And once upon a time, the Dukes of Hazzard could drive around in a big red gas guzzler with a Confederate Battle Flag on the roof named the General Lee and nobody thought they were racists. We no longer live in that time and have to deal with the time we do live in. The stereotype that conservatives are racist is harmful to the cause. If you haven't noticed, liberals use racism as a trump card just like they use religion as a trump card in abortion debates. We don't help ourselves dealing them a hand full of trump cards they can use to win every argument.
I just said that to a n00b who posted a thread about whether the Pacers were too white.
Geesh
Doesn't this answer the question many of us have asked?
How long was he/she/it a member?
If only a few days, 90% of this thread is sanctimonious BS.
Why do some people really enjoy apologizing for every accusation thrown against them?
Ever heard the expression Thou protesteth too much...?
Over a year. It must have been a sleeper.
I concur. I can’t help but wonder, on the occasions Bill O’Reilly has ‘called’ out a FReeper post, if it all wasn’t just a nice, tidy little set up.
Beware the Trojan Llort...they are here.
Saw someone sign on yesterday and post a “fishing” thread about the Black Panther voter intimidation.
I posted a big warning flag and hit abuse.
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From that statement it is not clear what you intend. Defense is great. Offensive offense we can do without.
Our side did very well against Letterman. We need to be outraged but not offensive"
Why is my statement about the mister nice guy crap is getting to be over the top is not being read as the way it was stated?
It's a truthful statement. Our side - including, during President Bush's Presidency has been to sit back & be the nice guys. I see that got us a big pay off!!!!
I am not understanding what you mean by what do I intend to do about it??
I thought I made it clear that I will not be silent any longer while we get pummeled with lies & pretended outrage. I'm wondering what you find so wrong about that?
What exactly did I say that you found "Offensive offense" that you can do without?
re: “Give me a break. Imagine if Willow Palin was wearing a NRA or Pro Life t shirt? The left would go nuts.”
************
Totally agree — and no one would be pulling any threads over there on the LEFTIST sites, either, citing lack of decorum and leaving the kids alone. Puhleez.
FR has given the whiney left its way while Olberman, Letterman and all the rest of the MSM blather on in nasty comments against conservatives AND their kids. This makes me sick.
I guess we all need to hit that abuse button. I have been here almost ten years, and I don’t think I have hit ‘abuse’ more than twice. And I post alot!
I wanted to the other night...and now feel guilty that I didn’t. References were made to Malia’s hair; I was told I was a ‘board bully’ (or thread nanny or something like that). Again...I don’t want to ‘nanny’ but maybe it is needed with the bumper crop of trolls.
*rolls eyes*
If you understand that the left is looking for (and will fabricate) an excuse to use state force to punish and eliminate ideological opposition,
you can’t deny that they’d look for and fabricate an excuse to shut down conservative speech.
“I defend the right of anyone to post anything they want. - we start down this road of banning offensive speech, where will it end”
Are you advocating that one engaging in “free speech” has a right for that speech to be heard beyond their ability to deliver it, if that is your position then you are infringing on the rights of others, whither it is a bulletin board at the local laundry mat or this forum, to control what they have created.
Your right to free speech does not require me/or anyone else to give you a platform to deliver it.
LOL!!! We need to be watchful. When in doubt, I ask a Mod to check them out. Better to be safe than sorry.
Thank you. And spot on!
Correct, Peter...we are all guests here in Mr. Robinson’s cyber sandbox. “Free speech” is at the benevolence of our host...
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