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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNewspaper Comment Sections Become Cordoned-Off Hate Crime Scenes
Last edited Sun Jul 6, 2014, 12:46 PM - Edit history (1)
By Roberto Cintli Rodriguez, Truthout | News Analysis
The unexpected new locations for hate crime scenes in the 21st century appear to be the comments sections of the nation's leading newspapers, where calls to violence have become routine and through which progressives have decided correcting the record is a waste of their time.
Hate crime scenes are dehumanizing places of revulsion. They shock the conscience and psyche of entire communities and leave searing memories. One normally associates hate crimes with cross burnings and lynchings or something equally heinous, however, the shocking and unexpected new locations for hate crime scenes in the 21st century appear to be the editorial pages of the nation's leading newspapers, (1) where calls to violence have also become routine. (2)
In Arizona, exposure to constant hate is a daily occurrence in the letters to the editor or comments section of media. Within these contexts, communities are subjected to vicious anti-Mexican and anti-immigrant hate disguised as discourse against "illegals," or "illegal aliens." This hate can be found in not just the daily newspapers, but also in most of the mainstream media and their websites and, of course, right-wing talk radio. Not a few intimate the use of extreme violence. Often, the letter-writers take their cues from editorial or column writers who themselves tend to be hostile toward anything Mexican, again, under the guise of combating illegal immigration. As a result, Arizona letter-writers respond with a vitriol that was not permitted in newspapers until very recently. The following are two letters that illustrate this point from the June 25, 2012, The Arizona Republic in response to an article regarding the US Supreme Court striking down three of the four anti-immigrant SB 1070 provisions. (3)
From Fastfreddy: "Would you rather see the citizens of Arizona use the 2nd amendment as a solution to the illegal problem or rather see the courts try to solve the problem."
This kind of discourse with allusions to violence has become so normalized that no one appears to give it a second thought. If this constant badgering and threats of violence involved the daily haranguing of other peoples, for example, Jews, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Anglo-Americans or any other identifiable group, it is assumed, per the newspaper's comment guidelines, that they would never make it into these pages.(4) But they inexplicably do and thus, the media, particularly letters to the editor sections, have become what I refer to as hate crime scenes.
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Response to n2doc (Original post)
randys1 This message was self-deleted by its author.
randys1
(16,286 posts)snooper2
(30,151 posts)bummer
randys1
(16,286 posts)and we cant get away from them, can we
they are everywhere
but either we accept they want to kill us, and they do, and we do something about it without violence, or.....
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)randys1
(16,286 posts)within months the whiny crybaby fucks would be on their knees begging the adults, liberals, to fix it
randys1
(16,286 posts)snooper2
(30,151 posts)randys1
(16,286 posts)hate of all those not like them, you have a super duper time bomb.
alsame
(7,784 posts)comment sections of almost all online sites are full of hate. Some are moderated but most are not. But generally they are cesspools.
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)should stand behind their real name with their hatred so all can see who they are.
JoeyT
(6,785 posts)Voices of reason don't send death threats. Assholes do. Voices of reason probably won't fire employees for disagreeing with them unless they really cross some pretty serious lines. Assholes would do it in a second.
Plenty of assholes are perfectly willing to make hateful comments with their facebook profile in full view. It not only doesn't bother them, they're proud of it.
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)alsame
(7,784 posts)moderated and that disgusting comments would be deleted. I know that's probably too much work for heavily trafficked sites, but I've sometimes been shocked to see racism, misogyny, etc on sites that have nothing at all to do with politics or news.
A few years ago I was reading a forum that is dedicated to a hobby that my niece was into at the time, it's primarily geared to kids and tweens but adults (I assume parents) post also. And in the middle of a discussion about the hobby, someone started ranting about our N word baby killing President. I guess some people just can't control themselves.
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)internet is just so full of really ignorant and stupid people, and those that seem to troll for hatred. I've just been stunned by the ignorant and hateful crap posted on many sites, often as in your case, having little bearing to the topic being discussed. On youtube, I'm always amazed at the idiotic comments often posted ... just so illiterate, horrific grammar and misspelling ... and that is just before one reads and tries to comprehend their inane comment(s).
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)and I left them and/or never post. Just a small comment and tons of hatred was piled on. It seems to be the new never ending sport in America, endless hatred ... and the stupidity is appalling.
I often wonder what has this country become and where is it headed. I fear it is rushing exponentially toward total Idiocracy ... especially with the endless assault on education.
When I was young advanced education was within grasp, now, it seems to be further and further away from so many people, and sadly the void left for education is replaced by raving lunatics and control freaks imposing their brand of education onto unsuspecting individuals, warping their minds.
hopemountain
(3,919 posts)are infested with anti alternative rants and attacks - even on an 8 year old boy.
the hard hearted and mean spirited are organized in their disorganization of crazy hate.
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)Feeling persecuted because someone called out some woo?
reddread
(6,896 posts)snooper2
(30,151 posts)When are they getting back together?
reddread
(6,896 posts)unless a greedy pharmaceutical company sells them to you?
Derision becomes you, Im sure.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)so we make her some warm dark tea, LOVES IT!
reddread
(6,896 posts)I wouldnt point anyone at a coffee habit.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)just like working on teaching her not to just read the reply title, but the content in the post as well-
But she is only four, she'll get it in two months
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)Herbs are full of all kinds of chemicals other than the ones that are effective.
So Pharmaceutical companies refine the stuff that works and eliminate the stuff that is not needed, or renders the remedy less effective or is actually more harmful than the remedy.
But go ahead with your irrational fear of big pharma and take some unregulated stuff that could contain anything. Big pharma is baaaaaad. But ingesting any ol' dried plant is just fine. Alrighty then!
Foolishness becomes you, I'm sure.
carolinayellowdog
(3,247 posts)Anyone with that many question marks is just itching to humiliate someone over something
Oilwellian
(12,647 posts)it can be used to overthrow our government. I don't think our founding fathers had it in mind to create an amendment that would allow that. That's what the ballot box is for. If they were to study history, they would realize the Whiskey Rebellion was a perfect example of how the 2nd Amendment was used to squash seditious attempts to overthrow our government. Oh, the irony of it all.
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)..... that you may own a flintlock if you join a militia to help repel the British when they come back to try and reclaim their colonies..... which they did in 1812.
unrepentant progress
(611 posts)See Carl Bogus' 1998 The Hidden History of the Second Amendment. You can grab the PDF here: http://goo.gl/K6MHuZ (link to my Evernote save)
Abstract:
GeorgeGist
(25,322 posts)unrepentant progress
(611 posts)AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)How does this discredit what I wrote? There's a strong reason to believe what I wrote too.
Anyway..... both just support the notion that the 2nd Amendment does not mean any dumbfuck can own a gun and use it because he doesn't like who was elected.
SunSeeker
(51,658 posts)Unfortunately, thanks to our crumbling educational system, most Americans don't know when they're being lied to. Which is why the Right doesn't want to spend any money on education. See how that works?
abelenkpe
(9,933 posts)They are not moderated and articles about things as innocent as recipes will have hateful bigoted crap attached. Newspapers shouldn't have comment sections if they are unable or unwilling to effectively moderate them.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)reddread
(6,896 posts)which, as many posts above explain, offers a significant risk to voices of reason from the dangers promised by
less civic minded knuckledragging racists.
Hard to believe DU is a refuge from that ill conceived (or mendacious) policy.
Of course, there was a violence advocate the other day whose offensive post
was voted "Leave it" by two jurors.
that was interesting.
JohnnyRingo
(18,640 posts)Mr John Q Public is less likely than droopynutz562 to issue an intimidating or threatening public statement. It's too easy for a troll to hide behind an internet pseudonym.
At least that's what JohnnyRingo thinks, and if you don't like it I'll kick your ass. hahaha
conservaphobe
(1,284 posts)I don't think there should be a law, but a bunch of these media companies should get together and eradicate comment anonymity.
reddread
(6,896 posts)the ugly just predominates now. overt threats and intimidation are not the sole consideration.
shanti
(21,675 posts)It's my local paper. The comment area for articles was very nasty and tilted winger. About 6 months ago, they changed their format from open, anonymous comments to Facebook and real person logins. Now, there are very very rarely ANY comments to stories. I find that a good thing, personally, as the comments used to raise my BP.
It's hate speech, plain and simple. It's like calling fire in a crowded theater. It's incitement to violence. This is a teaching moment... I had no idea these kinds of editorials were permitted anywhere in the US print media. I swear, this country is sitting on dry twigs ready to ignite into Rwanda-like violence. And when it starts, the blame should be laid at the feet of all those editors who allowed the hate speech.
tritsofme
(17,396 posts)yelling fire. I'm a bit scared to ask what print media ought not be "permitted" to publish.
Free speech is hard, but it should be met in the public square, not censored by government.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)... on DU if violence is spoken of? I mean, in no un-certain terms, like they are allowing down in the southwest?
tritsofme
(17,396 posts)DU management certainly has the right to police their site as they see fit.
A far cry from you having the government look over the shoulders of newspaper editors to decide what is "permitted" to be published.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)... plain old civility.
So when someone publicly and in writing threatens the life of anyone, say your next door neighbor or the President of the United States, then that's OK, since we have Freedom of Speech?
tritsofme
(17,396 posts)While nasty "hate speech", generally is.
... I thought that's what they were doing down there in the southwest. Inciting violence. Hate Speech is what the Republicans in Congress do and we have to put up with it.
Adios, amigo. Hasta luego.
tritsofme
(17,396 posts)The law has a very strict standard, which is generally that: "Only speech that poses an imminent danger of unlawful action, where the speaker has the intention to incite such action and there is the likelihood that this will be the consequence of his or her speech, may be restricted and punished by law"
Proving that speech poses an imminent danger of unlawful action and that the intent of the speaker is to incite, is rightfully a very high burden.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)... I learned much from our discussion.
alp227
(32,047 posts)Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)Have they ever figured out who spread the word that it's OK for the children to come to America? Tell them they'd be welcomed with open arms and taken care of?
I can't believe it is the coyotes or whatever they call the thieves that bus them to the border. The last groups have been flooding in with the same message. Biden went down to clear up the lies that are being told, but nothing has changed.
It just seems to be too convenient what with the election(s) coming up, adding to Obama's humiliation and the GOP trying to repair its image.
Did someone or a group of people...say, Koch-supported groups...drop a few hints or place ads to spread the word? Shoot, I wouldn't put it past Cheney.
I must be getting suspicious in my old age. I wonder why?
n2doc
(47,953 posts)Now, maybe some of the RW thugs are pushing the meme, I wouldn't put it past the CIA to do something like this. But I think there is a definite driving force other than propaganda working here.
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)I agree about the CIA. I wonder if they actually work for us or against us. Scary thought.
mainer
(12,023 posts)That would cut down on the hate speech, pronto.
TheMightyFavog
(13,770 posts)There's a notorious right wing troll on a Wisconsin Public Radio news discussion show's Facebook page who goes by the handle "Citizens United Against Hammer and Baseball Bat Violence.
Baitball Blogger
(46,756 posts)There have been hate crime comments in my local paper ever since the term "welfare queen" became fashionable.
redqueen
(115,103 posts)Baitball Blogger
(46,756 posts)pest and pestilence was preferable to government regulation. In other words, free market should never be restrained, no matter what the toll is on the masses.
Frightening.