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.
Spot on!
I think the original content of thread was valid..a lot of the comments were just wrong. I think we should police ourselves. I saw those comments and cringed..next time, I will ask they be removed. PS: CAN’T WAIT FOR SEPT!!
Having been around FR for quite some time now, I am quite confident that there are enough idiotic FReepers here to make us look bad without some “Obama trolls” (nice usage of paranoia).
The thing is, we've been pushed into this corner and it is no accident, they want divisive war in this country.
The libs keep pushing this race crap, they just won't leave it alone and electing this guy has set us back many years. Something is going to have to give and I hope it's not us. I think we've been backside in the air for far too long.
Like Rambo said, they drew first blood......
Some of those critisisms.
"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"
I hope this is not the path Free Republic wishes to proceed.
The left wants to silence FR.
The path will be whatever Jim Rob says it is.
The thread will remain pulled. We do not wish to go that route. The leftists own the garbage heaps and they can keep them.
Your moniker must fit for the reality you see is definitely through the gentle, meek, and naive doe eyes.
With the exception of the whore remark, the rest is spot on, that's a fact.
I didn’t read that thread. But I was on another one where some thought tit for tat should be our response. I don’t. I’m glad that you posted this. It gives clarity to FRs stand.
We at FR have to be above the fray, not go down to the KOS or DU’s levels.
One question-
Why is ok to call people “trailer trash” and it isn’t ok to call people “ghetto trash”?
I recall the thread and in fact posted on the thread.
The question was if Malia was “making a statement” by wearing several items with the Peace or Nuclear Disarmament symbol on them was staged to be political?
Sorry, but if they are going to abuse their kids by turning them into political statements, then there are consequences to that choice. Child or not.
Second, I don’t recall reading some of the posts highlighted and while there is a tone of rancor to them;
they pale in comparison to what the left dishes out daily.
From post 145
“One of Beck’s guest hosts this past week made a very resounding point...there is a war raging in the country and conservatives are acting too conservative to win it.” http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2289058/posts?page=145#145
Well, you have a point. The leftists seem to believe the Golden Rule means do unto others... and if that’s not enough to gratify, do it some more.
I heard some smug leftist woman just a couple minutes ago on Fox News making that exact same argument as to why they feel justified in attacking Sarah Palin’s chidren.
I especially appreciate the way the left stays away from Bristol Palin. Yup. Leading by example over there.
Of course not. But should their being black leave them open to racial slurs and stereotypes?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.