To wonder why casual or even overt racism is acceptable on MN?

[RedHareWithBlondeHair]

Just this - there's a thread in Site Stuff asking the same but I'd like to ask the wider MN audience why is this fine. Just in the recent past we've had a poster questioning an 'apparent' adam's apple on one of the greatest female athletes and another poster hellbent on telling us that Police violence on black men isn't a 'thing'. In these threads HQ HAS left the thread to stand and in their words " we felt that the discussion that followed was interesting and informative and educational for the OP." Why is that? If I started a thread about Taylor Swift being an attention seeking whore or a thread about ADHD children just needing a telling off I'd be deleted within the hour. Why the fuck do other MNetters think ethnic minorities are up for grabs? Why does HQ think the same? In the thread on Site Stuff there's only an apology. This sort of shit happens repeatedly. Why?

I'm not minimising any such thing. I just said if someone is making abusive comments about racial minorities then they should be banned.

I have to say, I am having the worst experiences of everything I say being grossly misconstrued and overreacted to on here, no matter how much I explain myself.

One post had the N word all over the show.... MNHQ left that up for hours. This latest one was horrible and blatant - MNHQ response was they left it up in the hopes of educating an ignorant poster

That should have been removed and they should have had their account disabled, immediately. Obviously.

CrazyD
Educational from the point of if a poster says something racist then other posters say that's not on, that's racist, it may I doubt cause them to rethink. The problem with this theory is that ime racism is a deeper negative stereotype they have taken to heart as fact and challenging it is not possible with some small minded people.

There are certain parts of society that are still fair game sadly, it's seen the media, it's normalised , so it becomes more widespread maybe....

But that's what this post is about - in a month there has been three such posts with MNHQ being incredibly slow to react - we are talking hours and multiple reporting! And their response has been piss poor!

I am sorry to be sharp - just feeling incredibly hurt

It's a chat room. If MN makes too many relevant and current topics undiscussible, there won't be much chat, will there?

Generally, other posters are very good at calling out nasty, goady posters. I think MN generally gets the balance right.

EllyMay

We are not saying ban discussions - if people genuinely want to know and learn I see no problem.

The issue is blatant racist posts.

Sigh.. clearly AIBU may not be the best place for a reasoned discussion.

I guess I haven't been on the threads you are talking about.

You're right: it is to do with the media. The way during the Brexit campaign the BBC kept vox popping racist arseholes on the street in the interest of 'impartiality' was a disgrace. One journo was talking to a guy in Middlesbrough with a swastika on his arm, as though he had a legitimate view that deserved to be heard. Overall, they were intimating that racism was a legitimate public position. It was so sickening being told that people had 'valid concerns' that the 'metropolitan elite' had to engage with. Right so we need to indulge bigots? Dangerous crap.

It really was very racist, as well as being very odd. Despite reporting the thread this morning for racism I was actually called a racist on the thread.
I spent the whole thread explaining how the poster was racist and I ended up apparently a racist. Very strange and very wrong to have let it stand for so long.

It is hard to accept, but if you ban posts and comments in any this thread you are actually promoting separatism. Peoples differences need to be discussed, if not here in a safe moderated environment then where?

Who would want the job of defending free speech verses censorship in a PC world that everything is offensive to someone?

WTF have Adam's apples got to do with racism?

peachpudding is a fine example of the problem

Yes I know "crazy " it's hurtful, mmhq should do something, more quickly. lve noticed a few threads pulled this week, My comments were deleted for some for ridiculous reason, but racial insults .... They stand ... In the name education. Sometimes I think it's just drama , mnhq wants the drama, the publicity and controversial discussion.

promoting separatism

By requesting not to be called racial slurs we are promoting separatism??

MN is a fucked up place sometimes

NP Duchess - I do agree with you. Like Elly I didn't see these posts. I think bigotry is on a spectrum from truly vile and abusive to objectionable but just about tolerable in the interest of debate. Obviously anyone using the N word or making any overtly racist insult should be banned. While perhaps, say, someone being ignorant about immigrants should stay and be challenged.

Kitkats it was another thread that was goady from the get go about Serena Williams

I am all for a reasoned and health debate, with intelligent arguments.

The posts we are referring to were neither reasoned nor intelligent. The aim was was to hurt and offend.

Please look at this deletion message;

*Thread deleted
Message from MNHQ: Hi all,

When this thread was reported earlier, we decided to leave it up as although the OP was offensive, we felt that the discussion that followed was interesting and informative and educational for the OP.*

MNHQ acknowledge the post was offensive....

The Adam's apple thread was deleted - MNHQ grovelled and said that the brief time it was left up was due to a newbie moderator. However, now it's removed, anyone who searches the relevant terms will find a google page full of probably racist conspiracy crap. While it was up, the number 3 hit was our thread full of well informed, robustly worded but mostly measured explanation and challenge. I know why everyone's saying you should just shut this shit down, but I do also see the point of preserving the really valuable stuff that's being said to counteract it. I'm torn.

I have never met anyone who moans about "PC" that doesn't have bigoted opinions

Crazy ... I stand by my earlier comment... they want the drama, the controversial. I've oft thought it.

I have to agree Willy

I have to say I don't support the idea of deleting threads. There was one month when around 4 threads I was on were pulled. Its very frustrating. Hide the thread can always be used. Sometimes the OP does need educating. Pulling the thread will not teach them anything. I say this as a person belonging to several minorities both ethnically and religiously, and physically, . And IMO derogatory remarks about peoples religion and religious beliefs on here far outweigh racist and disablist threads in sheer number as they happen across many thread subjects. But I either stay away or hide the thread. I do not expect it to be shut down for me.