that's a (very) real possibly...
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"shoot your friends / blame your enemies"....
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.
Just wait until they start to go clubbing,,,
and I dont mean clubbing cats either.
that's a (very) real possibly...<
"shoot your friends / blame your enemies"....
“It’s a shame the Obamas have to be attacked based on race, I hate all leftists equally, I don’t care what their ethnic background is and it doesn’t matter. He’s a leftist, that’s all we really need to focus on.”
The Obama’s are attacked 99.9999% of the time for being Marxist thugs, not their skin color.
You have a “born on” date of 2000. I think you’ve been around here long enough to answer your own snide question with the untrue premise.
Mr. R., I got called a thread nanny earlier in the week for calling out another FReeper making ugly comments about Malia’s hair style. I let it go...meaning I didn’t ping a mod (I don’t think any of us like doing that). But do you prefer (as the mods can’t be on every thread) pings to them when things get ‘ugly?’
I hate when BOR gets his jollies with a screen cap of something ‘outrageous’ posted here. And like others I think there are ‘Trojan FReepers’ who come out, make outlandish posts just to make the site look bad.
Free speech means only that government cannot make the promotion of a particular viewpoint illegal.
Free Republic is under no such obligation to give a forum to racist sentiment under the rubric of free speech.
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.
Being ‘morally sanctioned’ by ‘progressives’ really makes me angry.
(How do we really know the posters were ‘conservatives’?)
‘None of the liberal even caught why Letterman was offensive... That said - I don’t think we should go after children either. Who wants to be as tacky and dreadful as the liberals?’
Oh, I agree with you 10,000%. I did read the whole article about Malia, and the whole t-shirt thing is much ado about nothing. I was commenting more on the selective outrage of the left. Their sudden concern for the children of politicians is rather touching. Hope it lasts.
*******************
What?
I would agree were it nor for the fact that the clothing was a political/cultural message. Obama was using his children as a billboard, conveying the intent of his trip with Peace Signs. He was using them as “human shields.” It was shameful, but he put his own children in the middle by having them/allowing them/whatever to wear Peace Signs to a meeting in Russia on arms control.
Tough, but they have no one but their parents to blame for this.
I didn’t mean to be snide and I suppose the question was rhetorical.
All I can say is, “Do unto others....”
I won’t police free speech, you’re free to say whatever you wish. I just think we’re better than that. At least I hope we are.
I agree we shouldn’t bring the kids into it. That said, the Obamas are shamelessly using their children as advertisements for clothing lines etc.
I didn’t mind the shorts the girl had on, I did take offense at the peacenik shirt and the meaning behind it. Her dad is CIC and in charge of the wars where men and women are dying.
The MSM had no problem focusing on the daughter, almost inviting comment.
I have never seen a POTUS exploit their kids the way Obama does.
Isn’t your post exactly what the point of this thread is about. Not even necessary!
I started the thread in question. And I'm no troll. I saw very few comments directed at Malia. The crux of the matter was that parents control what their 11 year old kids wear, especially on state visits.
ok. It did come across that way.
FReegards...
I wonder if this person has contacted David Letterman,being so concerned about children.oh wait its ok to attack the children on the rep, conservative side that are targets for attacks..what a hypocrite he is
The ‘progressives’ are lecturing Conservatives about Christian values.
Well, at least we have a ‘code’. They’re flying through life by the seat of their pants. They have only ‘moral equivolence’ to guide them. If it feels good, do it! is their mantra!
The left & the RATS have the monopoly on free speech?
My statement is not condoning anyone's behavior one way or another. - I'm stating MY OWN opinion.
If this would have been a fair anaysis of the Free Republic site - then in fairness - all the sites & disgusting comments about the Palin children should have been included.
Is ghetto trash worse than trailer trash??? Is mocking a special needs child in unspeakable ways any better than the quoted comments?
Until an even playing field is observed by this "outraged: critic - I'm not going to pass judgement or lose any sleep over this.
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