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
Thank you for the clarification
*waving back*
BTW - As I look down my garlic nose I must confess them Jews are keeping me from posting what I really want to say.
ping
Sorry, but the mods should have been on that thread like flies on dung, deleting the inappropriate and made it very clear that behavior emulating the carp on DU and other lefty sites would not be tolerated here.
It is always a mistake to give cover and ammo to the enemy and insufficient moderation did exactly that.
I’m quite tired of the posts attacking the first lady on looks and bad fashion sense. We should be focus on her substance not her style (or lack thereof).
Poorly played on our part.
Give me a break! The thread was reported via abuse report and was pulled. Those who can’t live with that are certainly welcome to find another forum to post on.
As I just told another complainant, we don’t agree with or condone this kind of stuff, but I’m not going to my grave apologizing for it either. Each poster on FR is responsible for his own posts. I don’t apologize for anyones mistakes, missteps, misbehaviours or misdemeanors other than my own.
We will remove vulgar, offensive or inappropriate posts when called to our attention, but we do not enjoy being placed in the role of thought police.
Yes, there are pinheads, misfits, malcontents and trolls on FR. They’re always present on any internet forum or in any political organization. They may get away with some of their vulgar postings for awhile, but eventually they out their true colors and get the zot.
Meanwhile, we’ll struggle along as before, unafraid and unapologetically!
Balls to the wall for Liberty!!
Since when has FR been a blog? Why didn’t anyone tell me?
Ok, I am following you now on twitter... LOL.
http://media.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDEwMjQ0NGVmOTkwZWVhY2Y4Y2FhZTE5MGIxY2ZhYTA=
Monday, July 13, 2009
Guy Who "Broke" Free Republic Story Advocated Planting Racist Comments on Conservative Sites [Stephen Spruiell]
I've written before about left-wingers planting material on sites like Free Republic, and it looks like it's happened again. Question: Why is it that you never hear stories of conservatives starting fake Daily Kos diaries in order to "expose," say, anti-semitism on the left? Answer: No one in the press would care.
Marked to quote jimrob
President Obama is African American and a liberal that was elected by the American People to lead our great Country and the conservatives need to get over it. Sadly, You don't have to go very far in the real world to run across a racist. One on one a lot of people are not to shy to use the N word or to express how they really feel towards African Americans. This sentiment is really starting to come out here at the free Republic.
Nobody wants to talk about it but I really question all the underlying conservative outrage. What's really driving it?
I'm an independent but with what I hear from conservatives in the virtual world and out in the real world is very concerning. It's driving me and others I know more and more to the left.
This is my first time visiting the New Republic and my first post. I'll probably get blasted out of the water but so be it. That seems to be the new way.
So tell us then how the RNC came to elect an African American as its chairman.
It ain't about race, you nitwit. It's about the radical left-wing agenda Obama is pushing.
New Republic? Is that the site that Jim Thompson fellow runs?
Both parents were black, btw.
What happened to "Dissent is Patriotic"?
Or does that just work for the liberals and yourself?
Since this is your first post, I'd ask the question of you. What do you think conservativism stands for?
Jack Thompson, in the New Republic, with the candlestick.
A new liberal board game - CLUEless.
Racism isn't tolerated here and is the antithesis of everything that Conservatives stand for.
If you want real racism, go visit the Daily KOS where they use race as a tool, they don't want to see people as individuals, they want to categorize them all and take advantage, exploit, or manipulate people based on race.
LOL
Oh, and I guess you don’t see the double standard of the continuing trashing of the Palin children day in and day out and no outrage over that.
It's the liberal mantra - free speech for me and not for thee.
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