FACEBOOK, SOUTHERN BELLES, AND KATIE KING: CENSORSHIP?

I could not make this stuff up if I tried folks really. Yesterday a site was set up on Facebook called Anti Katie King..the Honorable? the group was set up by a Southern Belles and Shea fan in Maryland who decided Katie was wrong.

No big surprise there really.

The real surprise is that Facebook deleted the page stating it was a TOS violation. The interesting thing is that in less than 24 hours they had already amassed over 300 members to the group. Facebook apparently received a "report" that this was harming an individual, in this case Katie King, and it should be removed. Of course the Maryland source who started the group did not even get notified of it.

She found out when trying to access it for updates.

Two guesses who sent an abuse report. It really is comical because there was no abuse. There were no threats involved, ALL informational links on the site were public domain including tv news reports during her election last year, Courier Journal reports, and bloggers like myself, Rick Redding and Jake Payne at thevillevoice and pageone respectively.

Hell google Katie King and see what comes up. This lady did a simple google and then followed the research. She has no dog in the Louisville fight but was simply a fan of Shea.

The site was the typical back and forth between fans and supporters that Facebook is known for in every other category. In this case the site was set up for angry fans and Shea supporters of Southern Belles.

Nothing unusual in this group at all when compared to any other group. So who got to Facebook.

Are they scared of a lawsuit perhaps or some other bully tactic used?

I do not have that answer but I sure do have suspicions.

The fact that Facebook now censors those who use their freedom of speech against a publicly elected official is what is alarming. You can go to Facebook and literally find thousands of people with pics of them smoking blunts or doing other illegal acts and Facebook does nothing about them.

Yet bringing a publicly elected official under scrutiny when the group used OPEN MEDIA sources for links well that is scary to say the least. King does not have that kind of power although he wants everyone to think so.

And that is how the bullies in this world win.

Since when did public elected officials based on open public records NOT be allowed to be scrutinized? Where do we live?

This is America. Americans have the right to speak against public officials. In fact, most of us demand scrutiny though admittedly we have had the wool pulled over our eyes for years here locally. Something that many are wakng up and getting involved in. Abramson is scrutinized today more than ever thanks to the internet and others finally asking the questions.

Our President is scrutinized every day and yes that indeed does include negative comments.

Even on Facebook.

Apparently whatever threats Facebook had, I assume they were threatened in some way with lawsuits or something, has shown us they do not have the guts or integrity to defend what is a common practice on their site when faced with adversity.

If Facebook wants to use censorship then own up to it and let's see how many people continue using their site while so many other options are available that allow freedom of speech regarding elected officials.

MySpace anyone? Yahoo? Both are free as well to the user.

If this is the best Facebook can do then they need to be left behind. There are serious abuses on the Internet concerning crimes against children, suicides, drugs. These are serious things to look at and hold people accountable to. Not public elected officials being hammered based on public info.

I hope the source in Maryland decides to pursue legal action against Facebook in this regard. Hell I may do it myself.

How could Facebook win when anyone can go to their site and find precedents for far worse behavior than holding a public official accountable for their actions.

Pssst Daddy Jim? Please keep it up.

This stuff just keeps getting funnier and funnier.