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Original poster

MN - too lenient on hate speech at present

106 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 29/06/2016 08:15

Yesterday Amnesty International launched an urgent research campaign into the rise in hate speech Yesterday the UN High Comissioner urged Britain to urgently stop hate crimes

People need to call it out when they see hate speech on mn. There has been plenty recently. It can take courage when so many supporters then pile on though, but you don't need to get into an argument. A simple statement rejecting what they say, without quoting them, is enough. Just simply not saying anything then waiting several hours for mn to delete it adds power to their voice. People always need to report things to mn.

I am concerned that mn are not dealing with things quickly enough at the moment. They must be swamped with reports. I think that an option to report for hate speech should be an explicit available reason and those reports should be red flagged as urgent. The more hate speech that is seen, the more that it tacitly gives others the go ahead to say the same.

I've seen examples of a post being deleted, but the poster not being banned - despite them having said something that is so irrefutably xenophobic, that nobody could interpret it otherwise - and this concerns me. All that teaches them to do is to learn to moderate their language, so that they can get their messages across more subtly. This allows an insiduous tolerance of hate speech to creep across the boards.

It is important to allow freedom of discussion. It is wrong to allow xenophobia, racism and hate to proliferate. It's a difficult one to reconcile, but the balance needs to shift.

MN you could also help by cooperating with amnesty international in recording and reporting incidents to them.

OP posts:
WellErrr · 29/06/2016 08:31

It is incredibly rare that I see actual hate speech on mumsnet, and when I do it is swiftly dealt with. Very swiftly.

I see plenty of instances where people are offended; but this doesn't mean that what was said was offensive.

I like mumsnet because it is not overly censored. I think they get it right on the whole and they're quick to apologise on the rare occasion that they don't.

meditrina · 29/06/2016 08:31

I would be really happy to see ageism zapped.

And the faster the better.

There really has been an awful lot over the last few days, and it's nasty.

But doesn't seem to feature in the Opening Post, even though it is a protected characteristic.

All or none, please.

And containing the hate - including the ageist hate - would be the course of action I'd prefer.

No need to make a song and dance about it - talk guidelines already allow for this - just do it.

user1465823522 · 29/06/2016 08:29

MN you could also help by cooperating with amnesty international in recording and reporting incidents to them.

For reasons I won't get into here I have very little respect for Amnesty International and I think reporting posts to them is just overkill

user1465823522 · 29/06/2016 08:28

There is a big difference between hate speech and freedom of expression and so each and every post reported will need to be looked into and a judgement made on that.

OurBlanche · 29/06/2016 08:25

People need to call it out when they see hate speech on mn. There has been plenty recently. I know what you mean, But ther are people who are still so nagry nd scred tha they don't see what they post in that way. They think they are showing righteous indignation, are setting straight the thinking of the seriosuly deluded.

It is important to allow freedom of discussion. It is wrong to allow xenophobia, racism and hate to proliferate. It's a difficult one to reconcile, but the balance needs to shift Absolutely. Also include the invidious class and age focussed posts, which can be staggeringly nasty.

MN you could also help by cooperating with amnesty international in recording and reporting incidents to them. Overkill, maybe? I appreciate what you are saying, but there is also freedom of speech to defend. Few posters here sink to the depths of The Sun. If they do they are told they are wrong and reported, deleted. Some are trolling, others are precisely as they sound, bigots, foul mouthed and nasty. They usually remember to put their more socially acceptable face back on, or NC, as they would in Real Life.

As some psters add to such posts, maybe leaving such vileness and the posts decrying it will have an equa or greater impact.

Oh, and maybe the rest of MN will join us Scousers in never even looking at The Sun again... and publicly declaring it, loudly and often!

Maybe MN could officially state as much!!??

Flacidunicorn · 29/06/2016 08:21

So you're saying you want freedom of speech as long as it agrees with your opinions?

I have not read a single post on here that I would call "racist"
I have read plenty of discussions of differing opinions. Now I may not agree with everyone but I also know that they are entitled to say what they believe.
It's a fundamental right of every person that they can say what they believe and it be discussed. Shutting down the discussion and banning any view points you don't share is first step toward Newspeak and totalitarianism.