Message from friend

Bit extreme, Beau ! Not a Milliband fan myself, but still..........

Totally support you phoenix. Well said.
Beau not sure having opposing views about politics is the same as condemning a whole race of people.

Re Facebook, it is real people who make any comments not some faceless entity named Facebook.

Well done Phoenix. I lost a distant cousin by refusing to share something similar and letting her know why. I had anyway stopped following her because I was embarrassed by things she posted and didn't want them appearing on my newsfeed. She unfriended me, oh well.

Well done phoenix!

Beau - not speak to someone because they have different political views! Crazy idea!

Well done in responding in such a clear and measured way. I have stopped following and all contact with a cousin because I disagree strongly with their views online. But haven't had the courage to openly counter them.
They are entitled to hold their views however I am not compelled to read them. And find it repellent to have these come up on my Facebook feed.

Good response Phoenix
As others have said some people forward posts from folk they like and seem to be unaware of the real messages that are being promoted. I have also challenged & reported superficially patriotic posts that actually come from extremist/ white supremacist groups. I would certainly let any 'friend' know that I disapproved of any racial / religious hate message.

If I knew how to sneak an 'applause' emoji on here I would! Phoenix I think the tone of your message is spot on and more likely to cause the sender to actually consider the issues than if you had returned a caustic response. I have a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, some of whom have very different views to me and I've found that a considered challenge can open up some conversations that sow the seeds of change.

I'd do the same, phoenix. There's a lot of c**p coming and going on FB and all too many people willing to share it without thinking. Well done to you.

Well said Phoenix. If things appear on my page I tend to hide the posts but messenger is a bit more personal and I use it for family mostly so would be very upset if someone sent me something like that.

Well said phoenix I agree with everything you said.

Far too much hatred in the world

Well done, phoenix. Fortunately I haven't had to do anything like this as I have just a few trusted family members and friends on Facebook and none of them are crazy. I have had to rest a couple who got a bit much with the perky, inspirational mottos and quirky videos.

Beau, I'm gobsmacked. Your friend would have had a job voting for Ed Miliband in the last election anyway - he was long gone by then.

Hello all, and thank you for the responses.

I did have a reply from her, namely:

"Not sure if you watched the whole video because it is not actually against religions persa bit against things that have happened in Britain that has not been dealt with because we would be accused of racism ie Rotherham, Oxford, Birmingham etc with grooming! All the terrorist attacks in various areas with catastrophic ends to innocent people and britian struggles to prpcecute. It is supporting leaving the EU.
That is it's main message.
I am not against religions at all and that is not what it is saying at all so bit confused with what you say.
I actually work in slough and work mainly with Muslims and Jamaicans so am certainly not racist.
It is stating "Great Britain"."

Well, that's as maybe, but my interpretation was different.

Anyway, she then went on to send a rather lovely video of her granddaughter taking her first steps.

I find it terrifying that people’s thinking is so muddled and illogical Phoenix. The convoluted racism she clearly displays shows exactly how easy it is for whole sections of society be manipulated by the likes of Trump and Hitler.

Hi Phoenix, several of my friends on fb messenger send me articles that, for want of a better description, are merely "chain messages". I totally ignore them regardless of the subject and content. The only fb messenger messages I respond to or comment on are those that I consider to be genuinely from the sender to me personally. The messages that are clearly being shared to create and cause ill feeling, offence etc are just ignored.

phoenix good for you. I've blocked a couple of folk on FB because of similar posts. Very annoying when something racially offensive pops up unsolicited and then you can't "unsee" the thing! I'm pretty strict on calling out bigoted nonsense, I always feel ignoring it makes me a bit complicit, daft as it may sound, so I too speak up (politely but firmly)

I suspect a lot of people in FB may forward offensive stuff without inspecting its source.

I will never forward such messages if asked to do so. Well done for taking a stand phoenix. I tend to ignore such posts but I do know some people who go through life not questioning much and seeing FB as a source of entertainment. I wish they would become more critical of hateful material. Not long ago I deleted most "acquaintances" as much of the nasty stuff came from them.