Racist nonsense from WP members?

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Look,

I know you mods are busy and whatnot. But when did it become acceptable for members to make outright racist comments? I'm not referring to the article cited itself but the comments in response to it made by WP members.

Linkage, specifically the second post
I come to WP as I consider this a safe haven for others like myself with AS. I am also a college educated black woman who's in graduate school. I don't come here to read posts from members remarking how "dumb" black women like me are or those who remark about how "no wonder why they act that way". I find that behavior as alienating as the bullying I have been subject to throughout my life.

I understand the concept of freedom of speech but when I see members disparaging black women as a whole, they disparage me as well. And that is absolutely unacceptable.

Wait, according to your fetching green badge under your name, aren't you a mod too?

I have seen the most unbelievably racist posts on this board over the years. It is one of the reasons that i dont go to PPR, because sometimes I end up encountering such posts.

And by the way I would rather look like Beyonce than Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift looks nothing like me, in shape or in colouring.

Black or white means nothing to me you're still a human being. Racists are savages I haven't got time for them.

Racists are human beings, too.

The few active moderators can't read everything and have limited tools. If you see something that violates the TOS, then speak up and, if you have the authority, censor the members involved.

Cite the violations directly and, if needed, explain how they violate the TOS.

Pretty much no one wants to see this place be racist but, as I learned when I was a moderator, there can be a fine line between allowing someone with poor communication and social skills to express feelings resulting from actual negative personal experiences and allowing racism. Getting it right requires a very large time investment, and I didn't have that to give, regardless of how much I would have liked to. Yeah, just one of the dozens of ways I got to feel inadequate as a moderator every. single. day.

(not being aware of the specific current issue, this is a general post, and some points may not apply)

Last edited by DW_a_mom on 01 Jun 2011, 2:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yes ... and even the OP "should have known", eh?!

Note: Posted by an old white guy some people here think is a silly fool ... and I understand them even if/when "they" might happen to misunderstand and/or to mis-judge either/any of the remainder of us here.

I believe he's just received warning.

Ambiguously worded, but given his history, it's not rocket science to understand what he means.

Actually, I'm not a mod. I was one years ago but that badge was never removed when I quit, for some reason.

I understand one should consider nuance when judging posts but the comments I saw were quite obviously not due to an error in social skills. These were statements of outright bias against black women with broad stroked assertions about their perceived intelligence and actions.

Believe me, I know to label a waddling, quacking, swimming, and flying bird as a duck, so to speak.

Despite the "subtlety" of the members racist comments he has not been allowed to get away with them. He has made far too many comments like that and those who know his posts know perfectly well he is being deliberately insulting rather than having "communication problems". Consequently I have sent him a warning. If he makes any more remarks like that he will be banned from WP.

I'm locking this thread now.