I am highly pissed off

[scottcsmith]

I touched on the subject of this post previously, but having given some thought to it, wanted to re-post with comments, because I am really pissed off at just how callous and mean-spirited a group of people can be. Of course I'm referring to the Free Republic. I know, I shouldn't go over there, but I had this stupid idea to see if I could participate in a real exchange of ideas. You know, because we liberals are supposed to be so closed-minded. People like to troll at the Free Republic, but I wanted to actually engage in conversation. Bad idea.

I just don't have enough words to describe the thread I'm posting below. This is not a liberal vs. conservative debate, but really a question of morals and ethics. Qualities we supposedly do not have here at DU.

The thread is a series of photographs with captions. There are a lot of photographs. The captions are vile.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1103618/posts

How can any group of people think it's funny to ridicule the suffering of others? I don't get it. And it fucking pisses me off that we here at DU are so often presented by the Right as being anti-America or any other label they want to give us. I haven't posted at DU long, but I've never read a post where someone made fun of the suffering of others. Maybe it's happened, but I've never seen it.

All of the captions are disgusting, but what really gets me is the treatment of the military families in the photographs. Snide, smart-ass condescension. And it's unknown if these families -- who look to be really grieving -- have lost loved ones in Iraq. The photographs are from the weekend protests, marking the one-year anniversary of the military action in Iraq. The pricks at Free Republic find this amusing. Mind you, these are people who are "pro-God" and "pro-family" and supporters of the military. I think they're despicable people; I don't care how what politics they follow.

[bluestateguy]

1. Hopefully

a Democratic Administration will order IRS audits of prominent Freepers.

[non sociopath skin]

2. Scared white guys

Being an individual is a threat.

Thinking is a threat.

Change is a threat.

These creatures go for the throat when they're cornered.

Don't let them get to you. If they won't do discourse, then the only alternative is to fight and win.

The Skin

[Mobius]

3. Yep , pretty offensive

I stopped about half way through. Ive made pic threads before, that post took A LONG ASS time to make. I don't care. She wants me to care, ergo, I don't. Karma will make these people face their own evil. The Bushites/Nazis.....etc... are really desperate after the new book and 60 minutes interview. I watch news for 3 straight hours on TV today which I almost never do and it was all Bush bashing!
It was so great, it felt like Christmas!:bounce: The heat is getting WAY TURNED UP on the GOP, and they are gonna crack! I will savor every moment as a bottle of the finest wine.

[FireHeart]

8. I couldn't even get halfway.

Turned my stomach. THESE are the people who declare themselves pious, holy Christians who want to return the nation to the control of their god? I felt sick.

[LibertyorDeath]

4. Truly sickening

The last pic their favorite of the week tells you all you ever need to know about freep mentality.

Degenerate souless fuckers.

[Zinfandel]

5. Get use to it. It's going to Get a lot uglier, these lying racist, greedy

fucking fascist are truly stupid ignorant sheep! This is not just an observation, this an absolute fact of life...no tolerance assholes, except when they fuck up and they ALWAYS do.

[AlienGirl]

6. Let's not forget this one

Found at FR's baby brother, where everyone thought it was hilarious. :puke:

Tucker

[regnaD kciN]

9. "FR's baby brother"...

...what, exactly, is that?

[AlienGirl]

10. It is

conservativeunderground.com. They love us there; I am hoping for the day i am mentioned by name in one of their threads. Then I'll know I've hit the big-time!

Tucker

[KissMyAsscroft]

7. And there you have it folks...

Compassionate Conservatism.

[Dogmudgeon]

11. A study in Freeper-think

A (very) few of them actually were funny -- it got me wondering about how different themes affected their senses of humor.

The funny ones were non-political and non-issue. One picture showed a man dressed up as a soldier, with white powder all over him, in a contorted pose. "Oil Can! Oil Can!" was the caption. I'm sure the protester was sincere, but it was a funny, absurd quip.

The ones that could conceivably have been used by either camp, or the ones with more abstract interpretations, were usually not offensive. I guess a lot of it is in-group humor, but most of it was lost on me. However, there wasn't much objectionable stuff right there. Some of the Rachel Corrie quips were like this. Some were disgusting, but many just floated away into the space that is FreeperThink.

Political and issue-oriented photos (especially the ones about gay people) started at "vile" and went downhill from there. The Freepers not only hate gays, they seem to have a very serious fixation on the way gay sex is practiced. It's nice to know that my esteemed Senator, Sick Rantorum, is not the only one who meditates deeply on the implications of "man-on-dog sex".

I know political invective gets rough sometimes, even here on DU, but the vile stuff over there had a certain quality to it that leaves a bad taste in the mouth of your mind. I haven't seen anything like that from lefties, but maybe I just haven't been trying hard enough.

Yeah, that's it.

--bkl

[scottcsmith]

12. Here's what really gets me

That whole thread -- the concept, the captions, everything -- is condoned by the Free Republic moderators. And as I read through the captions, I had to wonder, how does this fit in with the "mission statement" that's posted to the Free Republic main page? Jim Robinson, Free Republic's founder, apparently thinks it's okay to target military families for fucking stupid captions all because the families are liberals, or if not liberals, because they are marching in protest to mark the one-year anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom. How low do you have to go to make fun of the family members of troops in Iraq?

[Donkeyboy75]

13. So let me get this "support the troops...Repub style" thing down

Cut veterans' benefits...check
Make wounded soldiers pay for their own meals...check
Mock the families of soldiers for voicing their anti-war opinions
(something our soldiers are supposed to be fighting for)...check
Be a big ol'pussy who was afraid to fight yourself, but then send
our men and women off to fight for personal financial
gain...check

Am I forgetting anything? (I'm sure I am).

[skippysmom]

14. I stay our of Freeperland

It makes life so much more bearable. I have to see enough freepers without going there.

[grannylib]

15. I could not look at all of it; it's shamelessly sick and hateful.

Oh, yes, support the troops, value families, love America...
by ridiculing them???
Sad, sorry lot...
Golly, though, it sure will be fun to check in with them on Wednesday, November 3 2004, won't it???

[Skittles]

16. scott, for your sanity and health stay away from those freaks

they are simply devoid of human compassion. Their goose-stepping to King George - after all the damage he has done and the havoc continues to wreak on America and the world - should be your first clue.

[Donkeyboy75]

17. Hee hee hee

I mixed it up in there (post 40)...these idiots can't even respond to my post. Much like OxyRush and the White House admin, they have "talking points" and cannot respond to legitimate points being made.