Why is bigotry acceptable on Freerepublic?

[IranianDemocrat]

I mean, are all the people who post there white males? Because it seems like they go after every single racial/religious group that's not white christian, and they get away with it. They are saying things like "Ramadan! More like RamaBOMB the Islamos!"

I used to get angry at people who generalized all conservatives as bigots, but now I'm not so sure anymore...

[ShaneGR]

1. Could I get a translation please?

I'm not sure your post makes a lot sense.

[soothsayer]

2. the poster is wondering why freepers of color don't protest when other

freeps say "kill all the muslims" and stuff like that


wonders is everyone there a white male christian, cuz you'd think that freepers other nationalities/religions would pipe up and reeducate the dummies.

wonders is it ok to stereotype right wingers as racist

I think

[Clete]

3. There are freepers of color???

I don't think so.

[Melsky]

7. Maybe chickenhawk yellow ones?

:shrug:

[Kamika]

26. I dont think so

I know my "yellow" (as you put it so nicely) republican parents wouldnt grace that site if their daily income depended on it.

[Beaker]

30. Oh yes there are.

would you believe aa black, lesbian freeper?
I've seen it.

[_NorCal_D_]

41. Here is the freeper gallery.

http://saturn.he.net/~danger/freepnet/album/index.php?0


There are some non-white freepers, but not many.

[ShaneGR]

20. When the thread started, it said DU, not Freerepublic

[7th_Sephiroth]

25. i have done research on the owner

of freak repugnant and he is a con man-seriously, and atleast one freaker is an asian woman i saw protesting on the news so thier not ALL crusty old white guys who snub Furi Kuri

[Maple]

4. Because yes indeed

most Freepers are white christian males of the 'right wing' persuasion.

Most of em also have little education, and are elderly too.

You've seen their rallies. Beer bellies and bad spelling.

All 12 of them.

[_Jumper_]

5. That is apparently what the far-right believes

Those comments are not only accepted they are unchallenged.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. Actually, I am sure there are a few self loathing minorities that post

as well.

It's the same way I feel when I see blatantly sexist posts on DU too.

[Clete]

9. Yes, the blatantly sexists posts on DU are an eyebrow

raiser and many do not seem to object to them either.

[pnb]

40. Why self-loathing?

You know, it is pretty disgusting to hear people show their belief that minorities only have one issue in their lives...that being their race. Has it ever occurred to you that minorities actually pay attention to other issues as well and that their 'freeperism' could actually be caused by issues other than race?

[Clete]

8. I posted before that white people especially the men have no

problem displaying their racism, sexism and religious bias in very institutional and open ways. I know of no other races in this country that openly attack family planning clinics, who run around dressed in sheets with pointy hoods, or who don't mind parading down the main streets of towns in brown shirts and swastikas. Why should the morans that post on the Free Republic feel any differently?

[_Jumper_]

10. Those people are considered disgraces by most Americans

They aren't considered "part of the family" like bigots at FR.

Bigotry is not endemic to white males.

[Oracle]

13. Unforunately their not.

Racism is alive and thriving. The dirty little secret...

And from the right-wing republicans, to the religious right, to the most mainstream suburbanites...have gotten the OK from Limbaugh and the rest of the media that it's allright to hate.

It's sickening...because it makes no sense, how can people hate because the color of skin? I still (and never will) get it.

Where's the intelligence?

[_Jumper_]

18. I disagree

I don't believe that a majority of Americans are bigots. 1/4-1/3 are but I don't think a majority is.

[economic justice]

17. far left - far right

I don't think the right at FR are actually a good representation of conservatives. True, they are the activist right. The hoods and brownshirts are even further to the right than FR. To say that that all conservatives are like the KKK and Nazi Party is like saying that the Socialist Workers Party is representative of left thinking people. I consider myself pretty left, but I would be angry to be lumped in with the SWP and I knew them well from college.

In my opinion, to rant against white males is about as silly as ranting against black females. I work with a black girl who is 32 and is always telling me that most of her friends hate white people and that's the exact word she uses. She is against all kinds of racism and says that black females are as racist as any white man she's ever met. Clete's heart is probably in the right place but to stereotype white males will win as many votes as running around stereotyping blacks with Willie Horton ads.

[Clete]

22. Yes, but does your black friend march in the street

with posters saying how she hates whites? Does she wear clothing within a group that associates her with a hate group? Does she feel comfortable doing this. Would she be able to do this without fear of retaliation? That is the difference.

[spooky3]

32. good point

[pnb]

38. What difference?

Do the majority of freepers where clothing associated with a hate group either? There may be some nuts there but I highly doubt it. And the retaliation would only be a factor is people acted racist in the "wrong" areas. The KKK always seems to march in white areas...let them march in Harlem and see if there is any retaliation.

In other words, you are comparing apples and oranges so you have shown no difference. Racism is racism, regardless of the perpetrators and ALL sides are guilty of it.

[quaker bill]

11. Does this question cry out to be asked?

It is not that all conservatives are not bigots, it's that nearly all bigots are conservatives.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

21. OK QB, this is about the third time today that one of your brilliant posts

has caught my eye :thumbsup:

[Zorra]

23. lol -- Yep. That 'splains it. n/t

[spooky3]

31. I largely agree, but we've seen more instances of

sexism (bigotry) than would be present if the "nearly" were big enough. Similarly many of us have encountered many instances of sexism from friends and colleagues who profess to be Dems, liberals, greens, progressives, etc. I can't speak for racism or other isms but I would bet the same is true there also.

[EV1Ltimm]

12. i've seen their photo galleries and they all have guns.

i say we submit to our new wonder bread overlords and never question their wonder bread ways.

[neuvocat]

14. Depends on the kind of prejudice

or the perceptions thereof: if you are seen as being anti-white-male then you're out. If on the other hand you anti-everything-else then you're part of the club.

[leftofthedial]

15. they are not "conservatives."

they are fascist neocons.

they don't have a conservative bone in their body.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

16. Why do you bother going there?

I went there once, to get kicked out just for sport. It was fun for about 15 minutes. But these are people shot-through with hatred. Why do you bother even going there? It will never accomplish anything positive for you.

[tinanator]

28. the question is

why do you come here?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

34. No, that's not really the question

Thanks for asking, but you won't have the satisfaction of me answering you. If you really care about why I come here, spend some time with the search function.

[Adjoran]

19. What's the problem?

I've been on the internet and posting on various boards since 1994. I learned very early when I found a new board that I could judge it pretty well just by reading a few threads, and know where the general mindset was coming from.

I'm glad the Freepers don't hide what they think. If they kept it all secret, I'd be worried instead of laughing at them. That was the first board (besides Yahoo1 maybe) I ever tried, it was in the news back then so I checked it out. Took about 10 minutes, and I've never been back except for clicking a link here from time to time.

Remember, I-D: if they held to our standards, they wouldn't be Freepers!

[Iverson]

24. it's an organising principle for them

The hyper-nationalism that is endemic to fascism requires that the outsider be demonized. Compared to German fascism where the Aryan race was the superior class, American fascism is framed by national boundaries. Think of that bigotry as an express lane on a symbolic freeway of fascism.

If they abandoned bigotry, then they'd have to find some more sophisticated way to demonize "the other." The only alternative within their abilities would be to use religion as the exclusionary model, and some already do.

I hope this helps.

[Kamika]

27. I know there are (were?) some latinos posting there

I know that I could never tolerate the bshit that goes on there if id been a freeper

[Fescue4u]

29. Proably the same reason we have Affirmative Action.

Cause it makes people feel good.

[Monte Carlo]

33. Because they call that ''Moral clarity'' over there.

It's a new face on a very old tradition - religious hatred.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

35. Because they HATE black people

They are still pissed about desegregation. Seriously.

[Blue_Chill]

36. Why do bears shit in the woods?

Because that's just how it works buddy.

[msmcghee]

37. Racism is one way a group can acquire (more) power.

It makes no difference what color (or race) they are.

In almost every multi-racial culture throughout history, the racial groups at or near the top will use race to marginalize large groups of potential competitors.

Every race has been guilty of racism. It's not just for whites. Every race is likely to discriminate given the chance - as it is natural to want to have more power and control. Power and control have many benefits and it's natural to seek them. And it feels good to think you are a member of a "better" more deserving group. As Danny DeVito once said " It's good to be King" (or was that Mel Brooks?).

If America's dominant race was yellow, black or red - I'm sure they would be just as likely to discriminate against whites or any other racial group seeking power and equality. And yellow, black or red liberals would be just as likely to deplore the actions of their bigotted friends - as they should.

My point is that cultural racism and bigotry are one of those natural human tendencies that are anti-social and destructive. It is similar to a little kid's natural desire to steal another kid's toys in the sandbox. It's society's job to educate and enlighten each generation about rules that make life more fair and better for everyone. Anti-social behaviour, whether racism, theft, rape, whatever, won't go away on it's own. Society must actively fight against it.

Racists must be labeled as parriahs. If we don't do that then the racists will label those who are not racists - as in whimpy PC liberals - as has been quite the fashion since the start of our current neo-con revolution.

Note: If you are white and want to experience real racial discrimination in action - go to Hawaii and visit a few "local" bars, away from the tourist areas, alone. I think white males, who could go through their whole life never experiencing racial discrimination, should get to enjoy that enlightening experience at least once. I hope you return with all your teeth.

[pnb]

39. Excellent post

And it was Mel Brooks!!!