Unfriend or unfollow?

[ohflipit]

Someone I know through an acquaintance sent me a friend request on Facebook. We are not friends but I do see them at a mutual weekly sports event so I accepted. Now my Facebook feed is filled with their far right racist memes! I could just unfollow and keep the peace but am tempted to unfriend to make a point. He will ask why. But ... he's one of those guys who is so stupid there's no arguing with him, he just doesn't understand! So, quietly unfollow or unfriend and tell him why when asked?

Just unfriend.

Unfriend. Who cares what he thinks? You owe him nothing and you certainly don't owe him an explanation.

Unfollow

It's not enough not to be racist yourself, we all need to be actively anti-racist. So I would unfriend him and tell him why.

As you said, there's no arguing with stupid. Maybe block him and if he asks about it lie and say you've come off FB altogether because you felt like it.

Unfriend. He won't necessarily know but if he does, so what. You aren't obliged to have anyone as a 'friend' that you don't want to.

I would tell him why if asked but otherwise keep quiet as you aren't going to change his mind and, if he is posting crap, it's quite possible he would love the argument if you challenged him.

He will ask why. But ... he's one of those guys who is so stupid there's no arguing with him, he just doesn't understand!

There's no need to argue with him.

Just tell him you don't agree with his views and leave it at that.

On the other hand, he really might not notice or care.

I friend!

Unfriend! Def!

It's not enough not to be racist yourself, we all need to be actively anti-racist. So I would unfriend him and tell him why.

This, we need to stand up to racists and homophobes etc, they see silence and uncomfortable half laughs as compliance

Unfriend. And tell him.

Unfollowing is just to shut people up when you're tired of hearing about their kids/amazing OHs/new kitchen/theories on epidemiology. Or when you can't cope with another of their twee, usually misspelt, memes.

Put comments on all his posts asking him difficult questions about where his evidence is and why he views certain people as less human. He will unfriend you PDQ but will also have been challenged.

Report his post on FB.

@Poppinjay

Put comments on all his posts asking him difficult questions about where his evidence is and why he views certain people as less human. He will unfriend you PDQ but will also have been challenged.

That's what I did and she blocked me. Result

I would message him to tell him you’ve seen his racist rhetoric, then unfollow, and avoid at the sports thing as well, and tell your friend, and tell anyone else really. Might be worth seeing if your friend agrees with any of it.

If nobody speaks up, this just gets more acceptable in people’s heads. I do speak up where I see it and have messaged people on FB if they’ve shared fascist memes. Once it was by mistake - she hadn’t realised and it was quite subtle. (Another way it gets normalised)

Unfriend and block maybe - then he can't ask.

I've had to unfriend a few people over this. Not only did their posts fill me will daily rage but I was worried that any of my black or Muslim friends would see them via my page and question why I was OK with having those kinds of friends.

I'd rather face the awkward situation of being questioned about unfriending than appear outwardly complicit with such fuckery.

@Poppinjay

Put comments on all his posts asking him difficult questions about where his evidence is and why he views certain people as less human. He will unfriend you PDQ but will also have been challenged.

I like this idea but his posts are all public and I really don't want every friend I have see me having a bun fights with him! Good idea though. I might wait for a really obviously racist one, comment then unfriend.

Tell him via Facebook that you are going to unfriend him because of his racist shit then just do it.

I’d comment on a couple of the posts , just to counter them, then probably unfriend.

@Itsabeautifuldayheyhey

Tell him via Facebook that you are going to unfriend him because of his racist shit then just do it.

Good plan. Better than at the next sporting event. I don't mind telling him to his face but I suspect he's not alone in the group with those beliefs and I can't take them all on! I'm not going to mention the sport but it's dominated by white old middle class men!

I like this idea but his posts are all public and I really don't want every friend I have see me having a bun fights with him!
Don't have bun fights with him. Just put a comment on the next one that you are unfriending him because you are sick of getting his racist rubbish. Some of his other pretend Facebook friends may even feel the same. You should stand up and be counted.

@Adoptthisdogornot has it spot on.

It's not enough not to be racist yourself

I would comment on the racist posts explaining exactly why they're unacceptable.

Then unfriend.

@Itsabeautifuldayheyhey

I like this idea but his posts are all public and I really don't want every friend I have see me having a bun fights with him! Don't have bun fights with him. Just put a comment on the next one that you are unfriending him because you are sick of getting his racist rubbish. Some of his other pretend Facebook friends may even feel the same. You should stand up and be counted.

I'm liking this one! Knew posting on MN was the thing to do!

@ohflipit

"I like this idea but his posts are all public and I really don't want every friend I have see me having a bun fights with him! Good idea though. I might wait for a really obviously racist one, comment then unfriend."

If you were my friend I'd be over the moon to see you standing up against a racist.