One more from the left: Free Republic Pulls Thread Bashing Malia Obama

DailyKOS ^ | Fri Jul 10, 2009 | by CatM

[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.

[Hepsabeth]

What exactly was the “statement” that Malia was trying to make with her hair? I’m afraid I’m not fluent when it comes to deciphering the meanings of children’s hairstyles.

[matt1234]

You should have written back:

"Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Matthew 7:5

[tet68]

Dear CatM.
You said and I quote,
“Here are my questions:

Does Free Republic condone this type of exercise in free speech?”

My question to you is, what part of free speech do YOU
NOT condone?

If so, IS it then “Free” speech???

I have no problem with the kids wearing “Peace” tee shirts,
it only shows the misguided education they have received.
Tet.

[I see my hands]

[TChris]

The personal attacks will not stop and I have to question your real motivation. MO is fair game. End of story.

Question MY motivation? OK, whatever.

YOUR motivation seems pretty clear, and it doesn't have much to do with political discussion.

[colorcountry]

Thanks. I love you too.

[Darnright]

>Do we REALLY have to insult Mrs. Obama’s appearance like a clique of nasty 14-year-old girls? Aren’t there enough POLITICAL problems at stake with this administration???

Please, for the credibility of this important and terrific site, STOP the personal insults already! <

Please realize the press keeps shoving Mrs O down our throats as the most beautiful, gorgeous, stylish clotheshorse to ever come out of the USA. I think a huge majority of the posts insulting her appearance are in retaliation for treating us unsheeple as blind AND stupid.

Some of the horror displayed by the women on this forum is in part a reaction of “she’d look so much better if she wouldn’t do this, or did this instead”.

[TChris]

Some of the horror displayed by the women on this forum is in part a reaction of “she’d look so much better if she wouldn’t do this, or did this instead”.

Some, true.

Others call her "Sasquatch".

I've been out of Jr. High for many years and I don't think it belongs on FR.

[Rocco DiPippo]

Dear Daily Kos,

Screw you.

[driftless2]

"ugly stereotype true?"

There appears to be a ten percent element on FR who are racist in my opinion. I've personally hit the abuse button for numerous racist posts and comments by these clods. These people should be kicked out and never allowed back on. Obviously they think this forum is for whites only. It's not, it's for all Americans who believe in the constitution.

[txroadkill]

I would suspect that after an investigation we would find that the racist comments are trolls posting to then write about the racist comments on the site.

I would also bet that it was done specifically to take away the heat from the HuffPost "Retard" story.

We all need to be vigilant and help the mods out in smoking out the trolls. We're at war and the enemy has infiltrated our lines.

[Sarajevo]

But the writer has a point. We should steer clear of Obama's children.

Like the left has refrained from bashing Sara Palin's children? C'mon Jim. They can do it and we can't?

AFAIK, they are a bunch of sorry-a$$ed whiners. The 1st Amendament is OK when they use it to advance their pathetic opinions, but everyone else needs to abide by their rules? No, sorry.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

As I stated previously, low the many days ago, there are many, many things to be critical of her father about, as well as her mother. Their politics; their lies; their statements. However, somehow discerning political intent...from an 11 year old’s hairstyle...is a bit over the top. Actually a lot over the top (when coupled with derogatory, inflammatory language also is being used). A particularly racially inflamatory term was used (by another FReeper) referencing the hair style. THAT quote, as a screen shot, makes for great fodder (as I stated previously) for the likes of O’Reilly in marginalizing conservatives (and FR).

[txroadkill]

But the children of all are forever off the target list in my book.

I would agree that the children should be off limits, however, when the child of the President of the United States, who is too young to buy her own clothes, is paraded in public at an international conference that is negotiating national defense and is wearing a political statement that is universally recognized as an anti-war, anti-military, and anti-defense, it is fair game because the president is making a statement to the world through his daughter.

[Nosterrex]

No, I am not saying that people are required to listen to what I or anyone else has to say. FR has the right to decide who and what are posted on its board. It is their media. My point is that the GOVERNMENT should not be in the business of outlawing speech because it is deemed offensive.

[trisham]

bump

[DJ MacWoW]

No, sorry.

I'm sitting here laughing. How well do you think it will work when you tell the sites owner that you won't obey his rule? LOLOL

[SuziQ]

And I'm sure the left really means no harm to Sarah Palin's children. Thank God for the love and basic human decency displayed by TRUE Democrats.

*snort*

There were plenty of us on that thread telling those folks making those nasty remarks to knock it off, and leave Sasha and Malia alone. I guess the Daily KOS people didn't bother to notice our comments.