Thursday, April 12, 2012

Facebook fails (not mine, Mark Zuckerberg's)


I know what you're thinking, but no, no Facebooking while severely intoxicated again (I've mah-tured, I have, and I also seriously miss South African wines and their prices and have a hard time adjusting to the fact that of all places CostCo should be the best place for quality alcohol. I mean, it's where I go to get diapers in bulk, not my pinot blanc). Not even a little bit. I've been seriously RESPONSIBLE, believe it or not, and all gung-ho motherly, and then even a little Easterly, although you're all aware (the ones who still read this dribble, that is, and Mother) of my holiday track-record and how I really do detest a holiday. So no.

I've behaved.

Facebook is the one seriously failing.

Or as I posted on my actual Facebook:

Mark Zuckerberg, you are a giant asshole.

There are pages on Facebook that seem to be created with one sole purpose in mind, to insult and to aggravate. Some of these pages equate Down syndrome with the worst of insults. Now, this is nothing new. There always have been and there always will be jerks who hide behind anonymity (or at least the distance created by the global aspect of the internetz) and for some reason feel the need to do this. Just do a search for Down syndrome on Twitter, or on Facebook, and you'll see the rampant lack of education some folks seem to take pride in, or at least don't mind parading around in their virtual existence.

There's one page in specific on Facebook. Using Down syndrome as an insult and pictures of children with Down syndrome in a way that equals hate speech against a group with a disability.

If you are now searching Facebook for this specific page, please do me a favor and report it. Thanks.

People who know better have reported it. And we know, since Facebook did notoriously take down those pictures of breastfeeding women, that they're all gung-ho (like I'm about being all cookie smelling and not drunk) about regulating what gets put on their service.

So you'd think they would have flown at the chance of yanking down hate speech. Right?

Well, they haven't. And apparently won't.

The person who owns this despicable page says it's 'social humor'. And by not taking the page down, Facebook agrees.

Mark Zuckerberg is helping to spread hate speech against people with Down syndrome. By actively sending out mails to people reporting the page saying that the page can stay up. Saying that Facebook sees nothing wrong with it, and thus saying that people with Down syndrome should never be listened to, that they have no value and that their diagnosis, which equals a part (but certainly not all or even most) of who they are in this world, is something that can be used to insult, to aggravate, and to hurt.

Just how fucked up is that? Just how fucked up is Facebook?

Babies feeding is offensive, but using someone's diagnosis as something to insult is not?

Totally fucking makes sense, Mark. Like I said in that mail I sent you, the one that you didn't reply to or act upon, "Please don't be an asshole."


If I had a picture of an actual asshole I would have posted that, but, alas, I'm a mother now. 
Totes.


1 comment:

Katy said...

Dood. Not to sound like a creeper, but I think you and I would be rad friends if we ever met in person. Just saying. I know that sounds super weird. but I'm serious. I just randomly found your blog and wanted to say that I finally found someone who matches my snarkiness/humor/and wit. and I think that probably deserves some award. all egos aside. Because I suck at everything else. Anyway. I think I'll follow your blog a while. thanks for a good read. you should check out my post on "meat is murder" on my blog if you don't believe me. and of course, i'm thinking, god if someone posted this on my blog i'd think i'd change my name. happy blogging!