Fowler on MSNBC and the NY Times
Seems like whenever I predict that this is over someone else is publishing another article on it. This time it is MSNBC with the headline
Hatred for ‘Wife Swap’ husband still grows
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29308285/
They mentioned Renee's condemnation of Stephen's behavior:
..public condemnation by his own wife, who on her blog urged him to get professional help.
and even referred to the bacon on Renee's website:
The backlash against Fowler appears to have hit his wife as well. On Friday, her blog, on renee.personallifemedia.com, was defaced by a strip of bacon — an apparent reference to her boast on “Wife Swap” that her family only eats the finest organic, healthy food money can buy.
The same article appeared in the NY Times with the headline:
San Francisco Man Faces Fallout From 'Wife Swap'
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/20/us/AP-Hated-Husband.html?_r=1
aaaand the San Jose Mercury News:
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11751061
AP can be a wonderful thing ...
Hatred for ‘Wife Swap’ husband still grows
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29308285/
They mentioned Renee's condemnation of Stephen's behavior:
..public condemnation by his own wife, who on her blog urged him to get professional help.
and even referred to the bacon on Renee's website:
The backlash against Fowler appears to have hit his wife as well. On Friday, her blog, on renee.personallifemedia.com, was defaced by a strip of bacon — an apparent reference to her boast on “Wife Swap” that her family only eats the finest organic, healthy food money can buy.
The same article appeared in the NY Times with the headline:
San Francisco Man Faces Fallout From 'Wife Swap'
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/20/us/AP-Hated-Husband.html?_r=1
aaaand the San Jose Mercury News:
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11751061
AP can be a wonderful thing ...
I just learned about this a-hole today through our local paper.
http://www.sacbee.com/977/story/1641345.html
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Stephen Fowler, you deserve every bit of public backlash you can get. What was displayed (on national television) was degrading, pompous, belittling, judgmental verbal assault. People are obviously bothered by what happened, because there was no justice done at the end of that show. The last words he says the poor woman Gayla is, "Don't send your kids after me with a shot gun." "That's just a final insult"
OBVIOUSLY that's not right, to sit there calling a "guest" in your home under-educated and obese (to name a few) WHILE YOUR CHILDREN ARE SITTING THERE, leaning over them and laughing, encouraging them to laugh along.. it's disgusting. I'm sorry, but if millions of people viewed this and NO ONE was disturbed at all, what would that stay about the emotional consciousness of america?
His views were very blunt and aggressively stereotyped. Not exactly mindful or in good taste. There are a lot of things I don't agree with in typical american thinking. But to behave like such close-minded elitist, deeming yourself better than most of america (if not america as a whole), it's entirely revolting and offensive. Anyone with a inch of compassion in them would have felt horribly sympathetic towards Gayla, while she had to endure it.
Who cares about states, mid-west, north east, west coast, down south stereo-typical bull shit!? I don't!! I'm in Hawaii! We pawn everything! (kidding... kinda!) All that matters to me is humanity, respect, and equality towards another human being. All the things that Stephen Fowler neglected to recognize through out that entire show.
I say send him Somalia, to live a village surrounded by guerrilla rebels, poverty, rape, destruction, death, and hopelessness. Then ask him what really matters in life. Bank accounts and degrees? Or respect, understanding, and compassion.
Some "citizen of the world" dont you think?
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The mindset of Stephen Fowler is odious. That contemptuous attitude toward people he considers his inferiors is why our forefathers had to beat the crap out of his.
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I agree! although I think sending him somewhere like, oh say Darfur, where people like him who wear "tree hugger" t-shirts and act like they care about the world would be better! I would love to see him wanting back! I would laugh in his face... No lie, I'm not usually a hateful person but he really pushed the button when he made the comment about the military. That, I took to heart, because my husband proudly serves in the U.S. Army, just because he has no balls to stand for. what apperntly is his counrty, doesnt mean he has to disrespect the people who do!
I would also like to see him live in places like Michigan, where I live, and see him try to survive with the auto industry going down... There are so many things I would love to see happen to him, howeber I would never wish death upon anyone, but I cannot blame the people who are sending them. He has no respect for anyone, even himself that is why he is such a stupid, pomups, fucking dick!
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The guy apologized. Enough is enough.
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No he didn't. His wife posted a lame apology on her site and said it came from him, thinking we'd be stupid enough to fall for it. She's not sorry and neither is he.
Neither one of them has issued a real apology. Not to Gayla Long for the way she was abused, and not to the rest of us for insulting us, our country, and our military. They haven't learned a thing. As long as they continute to hold America in contempt, America will continue to let them know we won't tolerate it.
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The article has been picked up in the UK.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/4743304/US-Wife-Swap-Briton-becomes-hate-figure-after-calling-woman-redneck.html
I truly hope people will knock it off with the British-bashing. You know that we did not appreciate Fowler's comments toward America, let's not make the same mistake insulting the British.
Secondly, as outraged as I was about Fowler's attitude and behavior, I do believe it is time to let it go. He made an apology on his wife's blog, and the Telegraph article states he did write a letter of apology to Gayla Long. I think it is time to give it a rest.
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Dude, he has NOT apologized. His wife wrote that up as damage control for her business, not because either one of them is sorry. They think they're better than everyone else, and they spit on American and our military.
We plain and simply won't have it.
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Are you intercepting his mail? How do you know he didn't write a letter to Gayla Long? The Telegraph article says he did. It would be foolhardy for him to say he did, if she could then come out and say he didn't. According to the article, the blog apology may be all we can get, because he is not allowed to comment to the media (due to contract). Maybe the producers will make a sequel for him where he will have another crack at it.
Don't get me wrong, I am not in any way trying to defend his behavior and what he said about the military. I have a good friend whose son is in the military in Afghanistan - who doesn't sleep well at night, worrying like moms do - and for her to have to hear something like he said - was really just awful. But, I don't like the idea of hounding and harrassing somebody to this extent. We've made a points, and it just seems to go on to cruelty to keep this up.
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I respect your opinon, but I disagree.
IF he (not his wife) did write something to Gayla, I would question his motives. The Fowlers can't just throw some spackle on it with a half-baked apology and expect people to buy it.
If the Fowlers want all of this to stop, they really need to look at themselves and ask why it's going on. They need to realize that they're bringing this upon themselves with their self-righteous abusive snobbery. Maybe if they really did learn a lesson in humility and allowed their actions to reflect that, people would lighten up on them.
If they want us to change our attitudes, they need to change theirs. Simple as that.
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I agree. If somebody has just seen the video, then of course, it provokes an angry reaction, but to keep hounding the man for weeks on end is a little over the top. i think he has more than gotten the message about what people think of his behavior. What does continued beratement say about ours?
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most people like myself hear about it (I did today), come here and read a bit and then move on. Most people do not talk about it for weeks and from what I can tell this blog does not have a core readership who comes here every day. There are a lot of "this is enough" posts but each writer felt compelled to come here in the first place and is guilty of the continuing of the fowler saga.
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I saw the episode when it first aired and really outraged. I didn't hear about this site until I saw the headline on Yahoo and was surprised/glad in a way to have a place to vent. So, I totally understand if you have just seen it to come here and vent. There are some though hanging on to keep venting, and I don't think that is healthy. Not to mention that the internet is one giant echo chamber. I do believe he has gotten the message, and I think it would be a horrible experience to be on the receiving end. Maybe I am just hoping we could show a little compassion and hope he has learned. It doesn't feel right to keep roasting the guy.
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Continuing to let him know how we feel about his actions says that we will not allow him to piss on our country. If he ever gets a clue and truly repents, we might lighten up on him. But as long as he continues to think he's beeter than everybody else and abuses his poor children to prove it, he's going to have to hear all about it.
If he can't deal with that, there's the door.
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Well, here's another interesting place to leave a note or two!
http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2009/02/wife_swap.php
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No its really not, he disrespected our country. The way I see it I consider him a domestic terrorist.
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So, there are bad apples everywhere. The guy is the exception rather than the rule. The people of the bay area were kind and generous to me when I lived up there last year. Don't make sweeping generalizations over one creep.
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Sally, Although a few posters might generalize about San Francisco, the name of the website is not "San Franciscans suck." He moved to the city, it didn't give birth to him. Not that we blame London or the British, since he is everything they despise.
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Richly deserved.
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I read Stephen Fowler's apology. It seems that he learned more from the show than he ever dreamed. This was a hard, but valuable life lesson for him. I think we should forgive him and let him move on. He knows what he did. He is paying for it. Let's be mature and forgive and move on. Keeping this going is just immature. You are no better than he is. Your voices were heard. You voiced your arguments against his behavior. You had your say. He learned his lesson. To continue to harass him is not what a mature, self-actualized person would do.
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Precisely.
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Apology not accepted. I hope he's shunned, and at the end, run out of Dodge.
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Its hard to take an apology serious when it starts off by stating how surprised the person was from the reaction. Its like he's only apologizing because people complained. He STILL doesn't get it.
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I agree but I just read a British post and they don't want him back either. I saw the original program too and was completely offended and angered both as a Missourian and as an American not only by him but his American born wife as well. I know its not very Christian but I hope he keeps paying for his arrogance and hatefulness for a long time. By the way, my Brit BFF who also lives in Missouri was totally humilated by him.
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If he HAD learned a single thing, he probably wouldn't still be getting such a hard time. He never apologized and continues to believe that this country and the people in it are beneath him.
If he wants people to move on, but he needs to realize that he was wrong, apologize, and mean it. If he can't do that, he deserves what he gets.
Ball's in his court.
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I forgive him but he needs to move anywhere but the USA. He is a citizen of the world so this shouldn't be a problem. He curses the men and women of our military who ironically give him the freedom to curse them. We have the right to return fire metaphorically speaking. The pen is mightier than the sword. I don't believe he wrote that apology or that he in any way regrets anything except the trouble he has brought on himself. I am so sick of the whiners who feel sorry for him. Poor Fowler, boo hoo.
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Why am I not surprised by Stephen Fowler's behavior? Because he belongs to the typical San Francisco "moneyed" elitist colony that's why! People like him truly believe that they have a right to wipe their feet on others - then they claim to be surprised as to why there is such a backlash?!! He and his wife have shown the entire country that elitism is alive and well in San Francisco. He has EARNED all the hate mail, death threats and negative blogs against him.
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Nope. There are elitists everywhere and kind, normal people everywhere. You're wrong. Completely wrong.
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For a person with such a high IQ, I'm surprised Stephen would say such horrible things on national TV.
I don't see how he has learned any lessons, writing an apology on his wife's blog isn't a real attempt in my opinion. He needs to apologize to the other wife, her family and the entire midwest (whom he has offended with his remarks). I suggest he hire a publicist to help him make it right, I'd be willing to bet they'd have more ideas..... like donating money to the midwest schools or some charitable gesture.
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Nothing less than a face-to-face heartfelt apology will do. To the mid-western wife, her husband, children, and the residents of the State she lives in.
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I completely agree. All of his degrading comments were stated on national television. . .not written on a blog. . .hidden in a letter. He needs to man up and publicly apologize, so we can look in his eyes during the process.
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Send that AssHOLE back to his Fuck en Country to England, as of today their Economy is SUCKs just like Him and His so fuck en smart WITCH BITCH wife together.
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I apologize to any British readers for the comment above. It does not reflect the view of most Americans. People are upset with Mr. Fowler's behavior. Let's not take it out on the British - and why the crude language?!
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Dwight,
Two wrongs don't make a right. you can't condemn someone for doing the same thing that you just did. your comment makes you no better than him
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Sorry - of course you are sorry Stephen. The apology is for the humiliation you are now getting and deserve. You can't apologize for being a disgusting human being. It is just who you are.....
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First I heard about this website, thought it was absurd.
Then I clicked the YouTube links.
That is all.
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What a douchebag
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If you have spent any time at all with a Brit, you will understand that he is representative of his culture. Many of them think it's still the 19th Century.
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I am a Brit and I can assure you that I have never met anyone as odious as this man in my entire life. (I am over 60 years old.)
I can't believe that his defence was to say that the producers wanted him to behave in this way. Surely a normal man with an IQ which shoots off the scale could see what would happen when the programme was aired.
I think he is a very damaged man and needs psychiatric help.
PS. As I am British, I have used British spelling. I'm not sure what the American version might be.
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What a ridiculous comment. If YOU had spent any time with a Brit at all YOU would relaize that almost none of us are like him. That is all.
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Words cannot even explain how I felt about Stephen Fowler's behavior. There have been many idiot men this year, but he by far has been the worst. If he is that "well-schooled" he should be smart enough to know you just don't act like that!
I would hazard a guess that he is even worse in real life as most put on their best behavior in public!
His wife, well at least she pretended to be better, but she is pretty close behind him. The kids will go on to perpetuate the same behavior as their parents. Sometimes you think the world will never change for the good when you see people like the.
I am being very generous in speaking nicely now, but I really would like to bash the hell out of him. But then why act like him and give him one more person to hate! I do believe in Karma and boy-oh-boy, his future will be a doozy!
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Yeah its hard to feel love for a country that still refers to us as "the colonies."
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I'm sorry, but when has a Brit refered to the US as "The Colonies." I, for one, have never used that phrase and have never heard it.
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Congrats, Average American! Your website is famous for making Stephen Fowler infamous.
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I think it's really important to point out that this guy is getting so much attention because his views are more common than many who share them would like to admit. On one level, much of what he said was relatively accurate. She was shockingly ignorant. But feeling the way he does about her and not saying anything is not all that much better than saying it. In some sense he had guts to say what he did. He voiced the contempt many have for those with less education. But that certainly is no kind of socially developed mentality. He showed no educational compassion for her at all revealing himself to be fairly immature. It seems all that culture and education didn't prevent him from being an ass.
I think he deserves all the negative attention he's getting as he chose to voice his views so explicitly. But let's also not ignore the fact that many share his views but say nothing. Being a closet bigot is still being a bigot. And he is now a symbol for that bigotry.
Maybe his kids will learn better.
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Now you know why australians cannot stand pommie bastards like fowler the pompous little germ ,hope he and his moron wife come out to australia I would love to give him a good old australian "handshake" by the neck !
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I think it's obvious he has a deep disdain for all americans, the educated classes and the fast food munchers. I have spent time and roomed with Europeans while in NYC. He is VERY typical of the Europeans that come here, especially the British. Wish I could say otherwise. It would be nice if they would stop coming here, since they're so disgusted with America and Americans, although I did find the Germans weren't as snooty.
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Can I say that, by condemnng the Europeans, you are no better than he. Perhaps that is the reason you have attracted such awful Europeans.
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I just finished watching the episode on youtube and it was really painful to watch this man degrade his guest, again and again. Some people, in order to feel good about themselves have to feel that they are better than other people. I feel sorry for his children. He and his wife are both very childish and immature and think that other people are an extension of themselves. What he and other's like him have failed to learn is that all people have the same strong sense of "I" as he does. The failure to recognize another being as human, has been the downfall of humanity since the beginning of time. It appears with all of his education, that he has failed to grow beyond the infantile stage of "Me, Me, Mine"! My one year old granddaughter has progressed farther in this area than Mr. Fowler!
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I guarantee my IQ is higher than his, and, you can still be a 4th grader and know that you shouldnt embarass yourself and your entire family on national TV.
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I'm British and found this man's behaviour toe-curlingly embarrassing. He fulfilled just about every negative stereotype that Americans have about us: he was supercilious, casually rude and very hurtful. That said, can most Americans hand on heart, say that all his remarks about the mid-West were inaccurate? Not, of course, that that is an excuse for his being so discourteous to the woman from Missouri, who bore herself with quite some dignity.
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left on mrs. fowlers own blog indicated above:
I too have never watched “Wife Swap” before the episodes featuring your family. I can only assume that the reason one would submit one’s self to such an invasion of one’s privacy would be for publicity, obviously working very well for both the show and your own family. Afterall, most of America had never heard about your family or the show, as indicated by the many blogs above, and on other websites, prior to this “reality show”. So, did it really turn out as bad as you thought it might, or did it turn out as good as you thoght it might?
Regarding your husband, all I can say about him is that he is one the most pompous, arrogant assholes I have ever seen.
I spent the last 38 years living in Singapore, Indonesia, UAE, and London, and have not seen behavior, dramatized,or not, in any of these places, and can only speculate the physical harm that would have probably been done to me if I would have treated a native in the jungles of Kalimantan, a Bedoin in the deserts of Arabia, or a Ted in the tube station at St. John’s Woods, with half the disrespect your husband showed to poor defenseless hillbilly…. I would have surely been beaten or worst.
Your husband is a bully and a scoundrel. It is time you reevaluate your relationship with such a person and move on to someone more deserving of you and your children. What a terrible role model he was/is.
Comment by robotis — February 21, 2009 @ 8:17 am
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Isn't it high time for all such snaggletoothed teasucking morons to go back to their benighted little crap island? Didn't we fight a war to get rid of these effete kiddy fiddlers?
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he needs to come off his high horse, he is no better than
anyone else. its too bad that his children needs to be
around all this negativity. he's supposed to be educated, SO WHAT! he has NO common sense.
remember what goes around comes around, SIMPLE
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I do agree with almost all you said. But, please do not step to his level and call her a "hillbilly". There are many, many people in the USA that have never had the opportunity to go on and find any higher schooling. They can NOT be faulted for this! Diane Sawyers from Good Morning America piece she did last Friday night shows that. Some are able to move on, but for the most part they will be born and die in the same areas they live. Do not fault them for being "forgotten" in this country. We do seem to give the immigrants (legal & non) more help than the USA citizens receive. Just so you know, I live In the Chicago area and my heritage is Swiss, not from the south. Stephen Fowler probably took advantage of all the benefits afforded to immigrants moving to the USA when he came over the "big pond". I also forgot that on the show previous his wife said she was not proud to an American. Well, then move move England with her idiot husband! I am sure they will find that not everyone is "upper-crust" as they like to think of themselves!
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The responses from this guy are really what the world thinks of when they hear the word british. This guy is a self centered, un-worldly fool. Congratulations on being a specimen for all the world to see.
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Don't blame the Brits for it. This guy is just an ass.
I've got many British friends that are the kindest, most generous people you'll ever know. Fowler is NOT typical of the nation. He's a jerk all on his own.
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Fowler is most guilty of behaving badly. However, his views are shared by most of us on the "elitist coasts". Frankly it is shocking how narrow-minded most Americans are. A view shared by most Europeans as well. So it isn't just elitists on our 2 coasts.
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What is "shocking" is that the elitists and the foreigners absurdly think that they are better than real Americans. Real America is well aware of San Francisco "values". That is why we laugh at Fowlers like you. A liberal elitist got elected President and the stock market dropped 5000 points. Not great for the country.
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Yeah, he was an asshole. So what? I think you guys are missing the big picture, and that is America is going to have serious problems in the future because we have 40 million stupid white trash like the Longs who are ruining this country. They love to whine and cry about 20 million illegal aliens, but the truth is, they are exactly the same if not worse. At least all the Mexicans I see are working their asses off. Every time I see some dumb white trash he's just drinking and getting fatter.
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Well, Obviously you are mexican, and if not I would guess you are an Illegal Alien, Well listen here dude, I'm an Arab, born in this country, I have a rich family, but I do not have the luxuries of a job because of the state I live in, This counrty is going to hell, but it is not because of the"white trash" as you call us. You need to take a look around dude, think?
What if that was a black woman he said that too?!!?!? The fucking news would be all over him like flies on shit! But no, this is an overweight woman, who lives in the mid-west and her kids play paintball, she lets her kids be kids.. while that asshole lets his kids drink wine! If you are in America, LEAVE! you dont belong here either go back to mexico and live in poverty
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They do not belong here! She said ".. I just had the misfortune of being born on American soil.." BITCH! You should be proud to live in some place like this! Like I said in another blog, if you dont like it here, GO AWAY! I think Darfur would welcome you with open arms.... good luck facing the AK-47's in your face!
And as for spitting on our country and our militay like Jack said, I beleive you are all getting everything you deserve, these people are protecting you, you may not have to agree with our war, but hey! Britan is in the war too! fighting with us! take a look in the damn mirror! I'm not bashing Britian, please dont take it that way, My husband serves in the U.S. Army, and you have no right looking down on him when all you do is sit in a fucking chair all day!
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How about you stop emulating his behaviour? Oh that's right, you're all complete pricks.
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I was stunned when S.F. referred to lower class people joining the military. Perhaps he never studied WWII to learn that these low-class ignoramuses saved England from German invasion; though with his elitist views, maybe he would have been happy with the Nazi Party in power.
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DEPORT HIM, GET HIM OUT.
His family will be better off without him and he can learn to appreciate the freedoms that our soliders have provided this country for over 200 years and counting.
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there is a web site on facebook called 100,000 strong to deport Stephen Fowler; you can even order a t-shirt or mug that expresses the same sentiment.
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I thought that I was the only way who could not understand his motives. To have that opinion about someone is one thing, but the manner in which he continued to voice it was unbelievable. Most of us judge people is various way and have flaws regarding stereotypes, racism, etc. This guy is over the top, and deserves all the backlash coming to him.
The wife who took it in stride is a saint.
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