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Setting the Facebook record straight once and for all

Dear readers,

Over the past two weeks a group of individuals representing the local political group Take Back Wareham has publicly accused me of creating a Facebook page in order to view pictures of underage children. This sickening accusation has absolutely no basis in fact and must be addressed immediately.

A little more than two weeks ago I created a Facebook page under the user name Wareham Observer, assuming people may know that name better than my own. The intention of the page was to create a community forum accessible to anyone with a Facebook account. The page has become exactly what I hoped it would be – a place where people could share thoughts, photos and stories while also promoting events, local business and charities. There is absolutely no objectionable content on the page. I invite everyone to view the page by following this link:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000711579213#!/profile.php?id=100000711579213

Almost immediately after the page was created, individuals from Take Back Wareham tried to force Facebook to remove it. They claimed the page should have been set up differently – as a business page instead of a personal one - but I chose the format used by the Wareham JROTC, the Wareham Color Guard, the Wareham Middle School PTA, and the Wareham Junior Basketball Association because the Facebook page is not about the Wareham Observer. It’s a forum that I created to promote the community, not the Observer. The page does not contain advertising or subscription offers. I don’t even list a phone number for Observer Media. Please visit the page to confirm that.
Will Take Back Wareham now go after the Wareham JROTC, the Wareham Color Guard, the Wareham Middle School PTA, and the Wareham Junior Basketball Association?

After Facebook received numerous complaints from Take Back Wareham members I decided to change my Facebook user name to Robert Slager. I did that to ensure there was no way anyone could claim the page was somehow misrepresenting its intention. I assumed that would be the end of this nonsense, but I was mistaken.

After Take Back Wareham failed in its attempt to have the page removed its members began to publicly accuse me of being a “pervert” for allowing “underage” children access to the page. Furthermore they claimed I intentionally set the page up as a “personal” account rather than as a “business” account in order to gain greater access to private photographs of children.

This is where I draw the line. These are absolutely shameful allegations. For the record, Facebook has declined to remove the page, ruling that the page in no way violates its terms of service. I have not received a single phone call, e-mail or letter from anyone complaining about the page. The only complaints have come from members of Take Back Wareham, many too cowardly to use their real names.

Facebook has more than 130 million personal pages. Every single person who has a personal account can view anything made public on another member’s page. According to Take Back Wareham’s logic that means more than 130 million people set up personal accounts because they are “perverts” seeking photos and information about children. Most of the members of Take Back Wareham have personal pages. Are they "perverts" as well?

Anyone who has a Facebook account knows that the program makes “friend” suggestions. In the first few days I took advantage of this feature, sending out invitations to members of the Wareham High School football team, which I have been covering for years. Then I quickly received hundreds of requests to join from people throughout Wareham. Many Facebook members do not list their ages in their profiles and often use non-identifying photos (such as celebrities) on their pages, but knowing that Facebook does not allow anyone under 13 to have an account I accepted every single request to join.

This is nothing more than a politically-motivated attack against me and the Observer. The reason is clear. Take Back Wareham, now also operating under the name VoteApril6, has made a concerted effort to get their political message into the school system. In 16 days nearly 700 people have joined my Facebook page. In eight months the Take Back Wareham Facebook page still has fewer than 300 members. It is obvious that these people somehow view my Facebook page as a threat to their political ambition and they are trying to get it removed or to discredit it by any means necessary.

My Facebook page doesn’t debate local politics. It’s a forum in which people can promote the community. If the Take Back Wareham people really cared about the community the way they claim they would support such an effort. But they have made it clear time and time again that they will try to silence all voices other than their own.

I know I am outspoken on local issues. Any criticism directed at me for that is not only welcomed but encouraged. But these baseless claims that I am some sort of “pervert” and "sexual predator" for creating a Facebook page are not only an attack on me but an attack on my family. My wife is a Brownie troop leader. My daughters are nine years old. To try to label me a “pervert” for purely political reasons is the most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed. I have never done anything to harm a child, nor would I. I have never been arrested for anything in my entire life.

I call on the good people of Wareham to say "enough is enough" to those people within Take Back Wareham who are responsible for this shameless personal attack. There are some lines that must never be crossed.

- Robert Slager