Taken from multiple sources

[conuly]

So, over at Conservative Free Republic they have a forum. Lots of places have forums.

And over there, occasionally they have people making and commenting with objectionable matter. Lots of forums have that problem.

And hey, there it's racist and people are attacking the President's young daughters, which is abhorrent. Okay... it happens... but hey, their policy forbids racist content! (And anything which advocates for rebellion and secession as well.) So you'd think that they'd deal with that fast before it made them look bad... right?

Well... no, don't make me laugh. They waited a day, and then only removed it because a guy doing research made a complaint. And... then they put it back up, only removing it for good once liberal blogs got a hold of this.

Link one
Link two
Link three.

Now, everybody is commenting on the vicious comments left about the President's kids, which is as it should be. Attacking anybody's young children (and 11 is still young) with slurs and misogyny (as well as racism and some basic classism, they've hit the trifecta there) is wrong, that goes without saying.

But what gets me is the comment about Obama's Mother-in-Law, that she's "free-loadin'". I've heard that before, but without the overt racist subtext, and it makes no sense to me, firstly because she is, as I'm told, there to help keep things normal for her grandkids, and second because she's seventy-one! Seventy-one! What sort of family values allow you to insult people for taking care of their parents? If she were sitting around doing nothing, isn't she entitled? Surely, after 71 years, she gets to rest and be with her family? (Well, I suppose those are the same family values that tell you it's okay to insult defenseless 11 year old girls who haven't even done anything.)

Some choice comments:

We grab a worthless social worker off the street because he speaks well with a teleprompter and toss him into a job with 230 years of history and class. Anyone else see the problem with this? All the presidents before this idiot knew the enormity and responsibility of the office.

Yeah, I see a problem with this. I see a problem with an educational system that apparently allowed you to forget all about Andy Jackson, that's my problem! (Not to mention George W. Bush, but that's a bit of a low blow, this guy no doubt voted for him.)

"Poor kids. I hope they're not 'punished with a baby'".

Ironic in light of the children of certain conservatives recently. (I have nothing but sympathy for Palin's daughter, who is in a difficult spot that was only made worse by being in the public eye.)

Comments

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

Shoot, I wish my mom would come "freeload" off of us. What we would save in daycare alone would more than make up for needing a bigger place and the extra groceries.

[conuly]

Funnily enough, I don't quite think that "needing a bigger house" would be your problem if you were elected, either :P

If you've got that big a house, why *not* let your aged mother in law stay with you? How long does she, realistically, have left anyway?

[leora.livejournal.com]

I haven't checked, but probably longer than his term in office. I think the current average age for lifespan is around 75ish, but that's ~at birth~. The older you are, the longer your expected lifespan is, since you didn't die from childhood diseaes or young adult stupidity/accidents, or childbirth, or war. Also, women live longer than men, on average. I'd give her good odds (knowing no details about her medical status, which would actually make a huge difference, if she has any diseases that gives lower odds (duh) and if she's in good health that gives her great odds) on living into her 90s. Family history would also affect her life expectancy though.

On a side note, it's very hard to guess life expectancy for an individual, but my best assessment given the limited data I have and assuming no medical advances means that I personally have probably finished half of my life. I'm hoping to change that, but that's assuming I can't significantly improve the disability issues. If I can, it'll add decades to my expected lifespan.

Statistics work better though when you're playing with large numbers than individual cases. Individual cases are so vulnerable to random chance.

[leora.livejournal.com]

By the way, I fully agree with you that it's great to let children have time with their grandparents and that at 71, there's nothing wrong with retiring (which she doesn't seem to be doing if she's actively helping to care for children). My family was trying to get my father to retire at about that age (he since has, but I forget how old he was when he did retire). And that certainly helping to care for one's parents is a good thing. I generally feel that people should, but I feel like one should do a good enough job of raising your kids that they will want to help you out when you are older if they are able to. The Obamas are clearly able to, and Michelle Obama's mother clearly did a good enough job that they are happy to have her around. That's what I consider to be a success.

I don't feel people should be guilted into caring for parents. I know too many people who are deliberately distanced from one or more of their parents and they usually have good reasons for it. But it's unfortunate, and I prefer when things go well.

[conuly]

I don't feel people should be guilted into caring for parents. I know too many people who are deliberately distanced from one or more of their parents and they usually have good reasons for it. But it's unfortunate, and I prefer when things go well.

I agree. but if you're taking care of your parents, how dare anybody criticize! That's what's appalling to me.

[queenlyzard.livejournal.com]

*is nauseous now*