Posted on 07/11/2009 12:01:08 PM PDT by buccaneer81
Conservative Free Republic blog in free speech flap after racial slurs directed at Obama children
By Chris Parry, Vancouver SunJuly 11, 2009 11:01 AM
This photo of U.S. President Barrack Obama's daughter Malia, wearing a peace-symbol t-shirt touched off a storm of epithet-laced comments on the conservative 'Free Republic' blog
"A typical street whore." "A bunch of ghetto thugs." "Ghetto street trash." "Wonder when she will get her first abortion."
These are a small selection of some of the racially-charged comments posted to the conservative 'Free Republic' blog Thursday, aimed at U.S. President Barack Obama's 11-year-old daughter Malia after she was photographed wearing a t-shirt with a peace sign on the front.
The thread was accompanied by a photo of Michelle Obama speaking to Malia that featured the caption, "To entertain her daughter, Michelle Obama loves to make monkey sounds."
Though this may sound like the sort of thing one might read on an Aryan Nation or white power website, they actually appeared on what is commonly considered one of the prime online locations for U.S. Conservative grassroots political discussion and organizing - and for a short time, the comments seemed to have the okay of site administrators.
Moderators of the blog left the comments - and commenters - in place until a complaint was lodged by a writer doing research on the conservative movement, almost a full day later.
"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?" wrote one commenter.
"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," wrote another.
Such was the onslaught of derision on the site that the person who originally complained about the slurs, a Kristin N., claims only one comment in the first hundred posted actually criticized the remarks as inappropriate.
A note on the front of the blog reads, "Free Republic does not advocate or condone racism, violence, rebellion, secession, or an overthrow of the government," but one comment on the thread read, "This disgusting display makes me more and more eager for the revolution," while another read, "I never actually wnated [sic] to be a pistol before but..."
After attention from other blogs, the thread was suppressed and placed under review, but before long it was returned to the site intact, and attracted a new series of racial slurs when the original complaint email was posted publicly to the site, with the sender's email address intact.
"The writer has a point," wrote site owner Jim Thompson sarcastically. "We should steer clear of Obama's children. They can't help it if their old man is an American-hating Marxist pig."
"I agree Jim," wrote commenter, by the nickname NoobRep. "The kids didn't pick their commie pinko pansy of a father. Nor did they choose to be put into the spotlight. But Obama/Soetoro is fair game and so is his witch of a wife."
"Poor kids. I hope they're not 'punished with a baby'," wrote another. "Hopefully they won't deal cocaine like the Kenyan."
"DIRTBAGS! All of them. Our [White House] is now a joke to the rest of the world. We have no respect and this is not going to turn out well, mark my words. We will be hit, and much worse than last time. We are now seen as weak and vulnerable. Ghetto and Chicago thugs have taken over."
Only after significant negative attention from a host of left wing political blogs did the maintainers of the Free Republic site place the thread under review for a second time, before finally pulling it.
In the wake of the controversy, some Free Republic posters complained about the vitriol.
One poster by the name of "fullchroma" wrote, "To Jim Thompson: The recent uptick here in racist vitriol, aimed at Barrack, Michelle and their children has made me wonder if I belong. My objection to Obama has nothing to do with skin tone. Is the ugly stereotype of Conservative racism true?"
Another, going by the name of TChris, wrote, "Free Republic is a political discussion forum. It SHOULD be beneath us as a group to stoop to such juvenile tactics as I see increasing here lately. Do we REALLY have to insult Mrs. Obama's appearance like a clique of nasty 14-year-old girls?"
But such opinions were not shared by all. Said Roses of Sharon, "Poor libs .... Too late, the battle has been joined." © Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
You clearly did not read all of what I posted either. Did I, or did I not acknowledge 'kooks'?
In fact in that particular thread, the comments were directly aimed at the children.
There was nothing generic about it at all.
Oh I get it. You joined in 2006 and your panties are in a twist because you think I was talking about you. Get some thicker skin. If you aren’t a kook or troll then don’t worry.
That is my issue. I happen to think his kids are cute, though I shake my head that Malia only turned 11 a couple of weeks ago, she looks much more mature; the girl is going to be a basketball player for sure... I have real issues over that outfit and the cousin that was along on the trip.
Send a letter to the editor and ask... should be interesting to see if they respond.
The first people who managed to pen some pigs....do you think they got a bit muddy?
klueless kraut zoo keepers.
___________
Clueless? I doubt it.
The first people? Not to burst your bubble, but this is hardly a new phenomenon.
‘They’ve apparently never considered two things; the opinions and feelings of FReepers who, like myself are black and/or they don’t realize or care what negative impact such comments can have on the reputation of this site. FR is full of wonderful people. Unfortunately, the riff-raff come here too.’
My son (Guard) is going to Iraq for a tour of duty this December. Two years ago I recommended this forum to him. He often commented on something found here. He is a conservative. After the election he told me that he was so offended by the racist comments found here that he stopped visiting.
I will, in the future, try to again persuade him to return. However, this present climate has to change. And, for that to happen I will need help from fellow Freepers
THAT was part of the American Delegation to the G8 meeting?
I’ve seen better dressed teenagers at the mall!
Man, I despise these pukes.
Results 1 - 10 of about 3,830,000 for palin whore.
Results 1 - 10 of about 84,500 for “michelle obama” whore.
Great catch! Not that two wrongs make a right but you've got a great point there!
Ping.
I was on that thread. Almost all were about Michelle. There was only one child mentioned. That being Malia. The thread was about what Malia was wearing which made a political statement. The guy with her was disturbing in light of the fact Malia is eleven or twelve years old.
Perhaps any thread with the kids in it should be filtered out. I am just as ashamed at how easily some folks around here have no problem dissing white people of all stripes, but heaven forbid we criticize the POTUS and family.
Look at the hate, real hate the Bush family put up with for years, with dignity, I might add.
If Obama and the Kos kids can’t take the heat they can get out of the kitchen and quit displaying themselves for the media whores to use as attention getters.
A big difference lies between the sheer hate that the left cranks out at Palin. They have the MSM spouting that hate on national TV for all to see and hear.
Big difference between that and a website that mostly conservatives view.
One of the posters was a lib troll and was zotted today.
Don’t change the subject. TT
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