LifeSiteNews.com – October 21, 2010
Facebook Teams Up with Gay Activist Orgs to Stop ‘Hateful’ Comments
By Peter J. Smith
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The social networking site Facebook has teamed up with a who’s who list of homosexual advocacy groups to set up a Network of Support for homosexuals, part of an effort to remove “hateful” speech and bullying from the social network site. But pro-family groups are expressing serious concern about the arrangement, as some of the homosexualist organizations call not only for the removal of legitimately hateful or violent speech, but also censorship of statements that are merely critical of homosexuality.
Facebook announced recently that it was launching a Network of Support after a Facebook page set up to discourage anti-homosexual bullying and to commemorate the recent deaths of six homosexuals by suicide, received vulgar and obscene comments. The Network of Support encourages users to report “hateful” comments to Facebook, which will then be deleted by the site, and gives instructions on how to prevent such comments from happening in the first place, such as blocking profiles, reporting harassment, sticking up for others, thinking twice about posts, or directing individuals to FB’s Network of Support.
The social network site announced that it is teaming up with MTV’s A Thin Line campaign; the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD); the Human Rights Campaign (HRC); the Trevor Project; the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN); and Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in establishing this Network of Support for troubled homosexual youth. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins blasted the partnership, expressing concern that groups like GLAAD may actually try to use their influence to push Facebook to adopt a much wider definition of hate speech.
Is there anyone you don’t hate?
My first reaction to articles like this is anger. I want to lash out with harsh words but this time I feel that need tempered, heavily, by my empathy. I actually find myself feeling sorry for you. What a sad world view you have.
As for the article, this is to be a support group. I would expect any support group to delete offending comments because they are a support group. How can you provide support for a group by exposing them to hate for them? What sort of monster would go to a support group to pick on the participants? What sort of parents and upbringing would such a person have? It leaves me bewildered and wondering. I’m very glad and confident that my children would never treat fellow human beings with such disdain and hatred.
I support open debate and I don’t mind if it gets heated but one has to keep a grasp on their humanity to understand where the limits are.
Jim, are you trying to say you support censorship and book burning (as in FaceBOOK burning)?
“So we deleted all his comments from our website, instead of allowing him to use ChristianGovernance as a forum for his bigoted and childish comments.”
So its pretty clear that ChristianGovernance supports censorship.
We won’t even go there until humanists, atheists and other non-Christians vigorously and unequivocally repudiate the censorship agenda of the hate crime movement and the “anti-discrimination” ideology.
You already”went there.” You censored comments you didn’t want.
Facebook is voluntarily censoring comments they don’t want. This has nothing to do with the law. “Equality before the law” – right. You did it, so you don’t get any preferential treatment to complain about facebook.
[Administrator deleted article to which this refers] AHermit, why do you have to lie? Once again, all we did was post an article. The only thing we said that conveyed anything about our view was the title. But because you can’t find anything against us, you lie about us by accusing us of something we never said: “Why do you think Facebook, a PRIVATELY OWNED COMPANY should be expected to facilitate your speech if they disagree with what you have to say?”
If you want to attempt intelligent discussion, good for you. If you’re going to blatantly lie about us in order to goad and harass us, then for the same argument you present here, we’re going to take down all your posts as well and you can trot off somewhere else.
[Administrator deleted article to which this refers] Maybe we’ll see you around, AHermit. We’ve just finished deleting your comments to our site. We’ve attempted to give you a reasonable forum for responsible commentary, but your recent comments are degenerating, and we have no obligation to give you a forum for dishonest attacks.