Is Free Republic a Hate Groupp? - Democratic Underground

Ian David

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Sun Mar-06-05 08:13 AM
Original message

Poll question: Is Free Republic a Hate Groupp?

What is a Hate Group?

Broadly defined, a hate group is any organization whose ideology or agenda is based on intolerance or hatred of particular races, ethnicities, religions or sexual preferences. Most hate groups in the United States are comprised of white supremacists who promote racism and anti-Semitism as well as hatred of gays, but there are also, for instance, African-American and Latino groups that espouse racism, anti-Semitism or other forms of intolerance.-- Anti-Defamation League

http://www.adl.org/learn/Ext_US/CT/default.asp

What is a Hate Site?

Of late there has been an increase of groups and individuals who seek out others to home in on as objects of ridicule and debasement. They describe themselves as "victims" of those they wish to persecute -- trying to justify themselves and their irrational actions in the eyes of the people who will see their pages and/or websites.

By establishing themselves as "the victim", they feel they are justified in "punishing" those they feel are transgressing whatever "sacred cause" they are "protecting". These presences on the net are troubling and thought provoking, arising as they do for no discernible reason or purpose that makes any sense at all to a reasoning mind.

They can address many things ~ a few topics are:

1. Race/racial purity
2. Religious/spiritual beliefs
3. Ethnicity
4. Sexuality
5. Gender
6. Politics
7. Social Status

You will recognize you are on a hate site when you see:

A strident attack on an individual or group of people claiming them to be transgressors or besmirchers of some cause or other that escapes most reader's understanding. If you go to the site they provide links to, most people will scratch their heads in befuddlement wondering what they are talking about - as the actual content bears little or no evidence of what the hate site's author is claiming.

Statements pulled out of context and slanted to make the reader think claims are made that usually are not. Slanted articles are seldom true - the news media indulges in this behavior on a daily basis. If there is anything one can learn from watching the 6 o'clock news, it's that anyone can say anything about anybody. However, saying so does not make it true. I learned long ago to take most things with a grain of salt - and to give others the benefit of a doubt. So should you.

Photographs of real people with snide and mean-spirited remarks accompanying them. These are other's mothers, sisters, fathers, sons, Grandparents -- How would you feel if it was a member of your family? Would you then have any problem recognizing the concoction for what it is -- a HATE SITE? Whenever you run across one of these insane parodies--put one of your loved ones in the place of those on the page and think how you would feel about it.

No amount of changing content is enough to assuage their "wounded" feelings. If people remove items, reword their comments, do anything to bring their pages into line with what the attackers claim are infringements, they are shameless con-artists. Even after leaving a group, removing all their pages and links to an organization, the hate page addressing them stays up, intact and unchanged. Why is this? Could it be that the expressed goal is a lot of bunk -- that their real purpose is only to rend, wound and destroy others? The record of these evil people's actions -- on the net, in full sight of all -- speaks for itself.

On some of these sites instructions are given as to methods to stay anonymous and in the shadows to protect those who wish to assault others with impunity. If what they are stating -- and doing -- to others is such a high and holy cause, why are they afraid to come out into the open to do it? They may, as part of their accusations, deride people for taking a web persona name that goes with the theme of their websites. For example, "bluelady" or "HarleyWings", etc. -- most webmasters do this -- just as CBers use a "handle" to identify themselves. Most of the bonafide websites I have seen include email links and copyright notices that clearly identify their owners and make it possible for others to contact them with comments and questions. This is usually not true of hate sites. They will, however, supply links and email addresses to those who wish to harass and insult the victims of their campaign, often even giving instructions on how to do it. They are cowards and liars -- and as such know that darkness and a lack of visibility are allies in their twisted work.

Hate sites tell their readers what to think, feel, protect -- they are all about control and establishing a net of followers who will espouse their "cause" and way of thinking. They cannot just present a link and leave it up to their readers to make up their own minds -- they want them to agree at all costs.

This thinking is like the difference between a shepherd and a drover: There's a huge difference between a shepherd and a cowboy, although at first glance you might not think so. A shepherd allows his sheep to move at their own pace, choosing their own forage and water; a drover herds his charges -- he whips, drives, intimidates -- whatever is necessary to make them go where he wants them to. They eat and drink what the drover decides is "good for them." At the end of the drive they are branded so he may claim ownership. Even if they leave later to join another herd, the brand -- burned into their being -- is always there to remind them of the cowboy and of the time they were under his control.

People who cannot build, tear down. If they have nothing to offer but anger, racism, sexism, religious persecution and the like, they will try to mask this with a high and holy cause. Whether it's a true one or not should be up to the eyes of the beholder.

Look at every site you come upon with an open mind and heart. You don't need someone else to decide what is good, true, and worthwhile. That's what God gave you your senses for -- use them.

Don't let ANYONE tell you what to think.

- Kathleen Hanna (copyright © 5/13/02)

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