Thursday, March 24, 2011

How to handle a troll @ KGLP's FaceBook

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So, as admin. for the facebook page, I post a lot of news stories, including this one:
Our local troll got into it and I wonder: is everything I post just an opportunity for him to get attention, raise a stink and treat people like crap?
  
So, as admin. for the facebook page, I post a lot of news stories, including this one:
Our local troll got into it and I wonder: is everything I post just an opportunity for him to get attention, raise a stink and treat people like crap? 
 
I replied:
KGLP 91.7 fm Radio Please document your assertions with facts. Rumors by white people about people of color can be construed as racist. There is a lot of precedent. Surely, you can understand how any perceived attempts at race baiting might be unwelcome.

So, he called me "fishy." I'm wondering if he's paranoid. He has also called me a liar and is implying the station has a "far left wing Marxist-Leninist agenda." I took off my admin hat and said, 


Rogi Equality Riverstone One might perceive genocide and slavery on this continent as "the most disgusting forms of racism." One wonders who, in their right mind, could possibly perceive otherwise. Painting millions of people with such an hysterical and misrepresentation brush causes one to suspect a neurotic terror of people of color and so-called "race traitors." In other words, this troll post looks very cracker, from here.

That's when he called me "fishy," for speaking of his race. So, I replied as KGLP:

KGLP 91.7 fm Radio
What is "fishy" is that we live in a world where it is in the best interests of powerful institutions to attempt to erase the fact that we do not live in a society where all people are treated equally. This "post-racism" notion pretends the... playing field is equal and that anybody who declares otherwise is simply a whiner, a malcontent or an opportunist.

Opportunism exists; that is fact. That it is endemic to the civil rights work still required on this planet, that every member of very group you mention, struggling for true equality in society, is guilty of "the most disgusting form of racism" is a generalization and is unfair, unjustified, and unwarranted. It is also very offensive to people of color whose not-too-distant ancestors lived under slavery, Jim Crowe, boarding schools, "Indian" wars and the like; those are arguably "the most disgusting forms of racism." Pretending not to know that does not change history or its consequences on subsequent generations, nor does it disappear the reality of real racism, right now, in Gallup, New Mexico and the USA.

When a white person (who still, statistically, in this so-called "post-racism" world) makes broad, sweeping accusations such as yours, it is fair to suspect racism.

One might suggest you "like" the groups with whom you have these disagreements and take your arguments there. We imagine they would be more willing and able to address your concerns than can a humble, rural, community radio station's FaceBook page.

We are trying to run a radio station for the entire community and we want its members to be respected, welcome and comfortable.

Inflammatory accusations, calling people liars, accusing them of motives not their own, putting words into people's mouths that they did not say, attributing false motives to people one does not even know, posting sweeping generalizations and overtly trolling posts do not lend themselves to civil conversation, community building, honest examination of issues or education.

You have a strong history on this FaceBook page, which is less than a month old, of all of the above, but no proven history of participation in, support of nor contribution to KGLP. Your opinions of KGLP, or anything else, for that matter, are taken into consideration in this light, alone. When and if that were to change, your input might have more value to our efforts.

We want the community to be involved in KGLP. Everyone who wishes to contribute something constructive to the station is more than welcome, no matter their world view, so long as we all agree to approach each other with civility. It is unfair for one individual to demand so much attention from such a small and precious resource without contributing into it, as well.

This is a FaceBook page for a radio station. We try to provide news, announcements, resources, information and skills sharing. Nobody is paid to administer this page; it is done out of genuine concern for community. We have no time for destructive, divisive, resentful, derogatory behaviors, comments or attacks.






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