An Epik Statement on Racism and Injustice

[Rob Monster]

Archived copy here: https://www.epik.com/equality

 

[Joe N]

Race has been the subtext of this discussion. Why would I lead with that and diminish the shock value?

I find knee-jerk reactions before facts are gathered rather interesting. You were actually very diplomatic in your response in spite of not having that pertinent information.

I have lived in the US for the last 25 years. One of my greatest regrets I have was attending a historically black college. 95% of the discrimination I have faced in this country came from African Americans. I was ridiculed in class on several occasions because of my accent. This was always my response: "Your mockery of the way I speak glorifies the very process that led to your becoming American." Most of these kids had IQs too far below room temperature to grasp the insult.

Listen to the lyrics in RAP music. Pay attention to how the verbiage demeans their women. Also pay attention to all the products that are being promoted in them. Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, etc. These dumb kids get brainwashed by this garbage. They then go out and rob each other for these brand name goods at gunpoint often resulting in the death of their victims.

On a monthly basis, blacks in the US kill far more blacks (over 4k) than the KKK has since it's formation. If you start a chess game by taking out all your black pawns, how does that increase your chances of winning?! Until we put well executed radical reform programs in place to demonstrate that our lives really matter, we just need to shut up. We do more harm to ourselves than the police ever does to us.

Take a look at this video:

This is one of the many black owned businesses that were vandalized under the guise of protesting against police brutality. Will someone explain to me how one can rationalize this stupidity? How does this illustrate our value for our lives? How does this alleviate our economic disadvantage?

You cannot mandate that other people treat you better than you're willing to treat yourself. That is just downright ridiculous.

I haven't done enough research on the topic to discuss it properly.

Maybe the things you suggest are part of the problem. However, I think that the way you're making your points is also part of the problem.

Anytime you're willing to cast blame on an entire group of people, you demean the wide variety of individuals in that group. You also give an easy out to all the other people outside that group who have a part to play in making things better.

These issues are caused by individuals, the choices we make alone and in groups, the policies and systems we create... We're all responsible.

 

[Seyikp]

My stance on the racially-charged state of affairs in the US is a rather controversial one. I maintain that the tenets of the Black Lives Matter movement are absolutely pointless at best and preposterous at worst. I have never met a group of people pervaded with as much self-hatred as blacks. If your life matters, show the world that it does instead of telling them. For starters, stop killing each other over worthless crap. I am writing an extensive article supported with data that will most likely garner a substantial number of enemies in the Black community. What I have to say, while offensive, is the truth that MUST be said. If the spirit moves me, I'll go further and make a documentary.

If you profess to be a black man and you write all these, ( don't let me to call it trash) you must be having a screwed perspection of Africa affairs. Before you continue with your article, go and read wide on how the West looted, and are still looting African resources till date.

The evil structures that they have set in motion in various African countries that the worst of us will always rule over the best, so that they can always pave ways for them whenever they come to steal African resources to better their own lives in the West.

Whenever they see rising stars such as; Nkurumah, Awolowo, Nelson Mandela etc, that will challenge their hegemony they will quickly orchestrate their evil machinations called coup to topple any government that will do the will of the people.
Since the time they have set their feets on African soil, till now, Africa have not know peace. We have never for ones been allowed to govern ourselves. It as always been black faces with white powers in all our governments.
It is only God that can deliver Africans.

 

[Wesley S]

i assure everyone, my domains are not a race. They are super bytes at the most. tyvm.

 

[Wesley S]

this seems easy for a registrar, since all you get is money or hold domains. Not sure why race is even a question, should be not rich enough to be at your registrar not what color. hmmmmm

 

[BrandAptly.com]

I haven't done enough research on the topic to discuss it properly.

Maybe the things you suggest are part of the problem. However, I think that the way you're making your points is also part of the problem.

Anytime you're willing to cast blame on an entire group of people, you demean the wide variety of individuals in that group. You also give an easy out to all the other people outside that group who have a part to play in making things better.

These issues are caused by individuals, the choices we make alone and in groups, the policies and systems we create... We're all responsible.

I live in a predominantly white neighborhood in Old Town Alexandria Virginia. You sound just like my white friends. They have been very apologetic and borderline obsequious since the recent turn of events. I have to constantly remind them that we were once business partners. I AM an integral part of the problem. I am not an isolated case. It is a widespread cultural phenomena. I AM a part of that group that I am blaming. It is always far too convenient for us to blame someone else for our home-grown problems.

I am a Fanti, a tribe of elitists who pride themselves in being fluent in the 'Queen's English' and frown upon anyone who cannot construct grammatically impeccable sentences. 75% of us have English full-names. Please explain to me how this illustrates national or cultural pride?

You are on the outside looking in. You have to live as a black person who has been exposed to various facets of the black culture to appreciate where I'm coming from. It is not the responsibility of the people outside the group to value us more than we value ourselves.

If you profess to be a black man and you write all these, ( don't let me to call it trash) you must be having a screwed perspection of Africa affairs. Before you continue with your article, go and read wide on how the West looted, and are still looting African resources till date.

The evil structures that they have set in motion in various African countries that the worst of us will always rule over the best, so that they can always pave ways for them whenever they come to steal African resources to better their own lives in the West.

Whenever they see rising stars such as; Nkurumah, Awolowo, Nelson Mandela etc, that will challenge their hegemony they will quickly orchestrate their evil machinations called coup to topple any government that will do the will of the people.
Since the time they have set their feets on African soil, till now, Africa have not know peace. We have never for ones been allowed to govern ourselves. It as always been black faces with white powers in all our governments.
It is only God that can deliver Africans.

Here goes the blame game and finger-pointing again. Please explain, logistically, how one goes about looting a country's gold from the mines along with all the other natural resources WITHOUT the approval of the local leaders? Please explain to me exactly how you think these corrupt leaders who collaborate and sell the country's resources came into power? Who do you think governed us before the colonial masters showed up 500 years ago? Who do you think gave them permission to govern us when they showed up? How do you think these coups are staged? If I arm you with a gun to kill your brother, would you actually do it if you value him more than the money you have been offered?

Every time any African political leader comes into power, the first thing they do is line their pockets with the country's money. They come in broke and leave multimillionaires. John Mahama served as the president of Ghana from 2012 to 2017. His net worth was $900M by the time he was leaving office. He came in with nothing. The salary of the Ghana president is $76K a year. Please explain that math to me. What do you think he sold to make that money? Who do you think he sold it to?

Look, it is a generational systemic problem that has pervaded our culture for a over 500 years. Until we own up to the major role we continue to play in the issues facing us, no amount of excuses made for us as a group or reparations will avail us.

One day my wife had the audacity to say that all blacks have been brainwashed. My response was "Who gave them permission to brainwash us? Where were we when it was being done? What did we do about it while it was being done?"

I call a spade a spade. I was raised never to make excuses. We, as a group of people, effed up several years ago and continue to dig ourselves deeper into a hole. We are like crabs in a barrel pulling each other down. Until that mentality changes, we will not realize any significant advancement as a group.

By the way, God cannot protect us against ourselves.

 

[dna]

s Epik still going to not only host, but court the far right wing extremists, which often include racism as shown over and over again?

Even racists have the right to free speech. But racists are not really the target as bmugford
shows us. He also wants to silence "far right extremists." I suspect that bmugford would be
quick to define almost any Republican as a far right extremist. A Registrar is just a register
for domain names and should not interfere with any legal speech in the domain names
in its registry.

 

[bmugford]

Even racists have the right to free speech. But racists are not really the target as bmugford
shows us. He also wants to silence "far right extremists." I suspect that bmugford would be
quick to define almost any Republican as a far right extremist. A Registrar is just a register
for domain names and should not interfere with any legal speech in the domain names
in its registry.

You can suspect what you want. I believe in free speech.

I am however against people accepting disgusting, racist behavior under the guise of "free speech".

People have a right to criticize racism just as much as people have a right to spout it. I know which side I would rather be on.

If you are going to embrace racist people, then don't be surprised when people use their free speech when it comes to business, and refuse to do business with you.

I am still waiting on Epik's list of actions they plan to take...

Brad

 

[lambo.com]

You can suspect what you want. I believe in free speech.

I am however against people accepting disgusting, racist behavior under the guise of "free speech".

People have a right to criticize racism just as much as people have a right to spout it. I know which side I would rather be on.

If you are going to embrace racist people, then don't be surprised when people use their free speech when it comes to business, and refuse to do business with you.

I am still waiting on Epik's list of actions they plan to take...

Brad

Emote how you like but hbd is a thing.

 

[Joe N]

I live in a predominantly white neighborhood in Old Town Alexandria Virginia. You sound just like my white friends. They have been very apologetic and borderline obsequious since the recent turn of events. I have to constantly remind them that we were once business partners. I AM an integral part of the problem. I am not an isolated case. It is a widespread cultural phenomena. I AM a part of that group that I am blaming. It is always far too convenient for us to blame someone else for our home-grown problems.

I am a Fanti, a tribe of elitists who pride themselves in being fluent in the 'Queen's English' and frown upon anyone who cannot construct grammatically impeccable sentences. 75% of us have English full-names. Please explain to me how this illustrates national or cultural pride?

You are on the outside looking in. You have to live as a black person who has been exposed to various facets of the black culture to appreciate where I'm coming from. It is not the responsibility of the people outside the group to value us more than we value ourselves.

Don't tell me who I sound like or what I think. You don't know me anymore than I know you. And I'm not claiming to be able to appreciate what it's like to be you.

All I'm saying is that when you try to heap a problem like racism on the shoulders of a single group of people, you do a disservice to all people, and to the magnitude of the problem.

 

[Samer]

You can suspect what you want. I believe in free speech.

I am however against people accepting disgusting, racist behavior under the guise of "free speech".

People have a right to criticize racism just as much as people have a right to spout it. I know which side I would rather be on.

If you are going to embrace racist people, then don't be surprised when people use their free speech when it comes to business, and refuse to do business with you.

I am still waiting on Epik's list of actions they plan to take...

Brad

Heaven forbid we see you take this tough stance on Godaddy’s statement, Brad.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1268075141281591297

Who’s letting their actions do more talking?
The one spent 2 seconds, 2 sentence also late June announce and wit all resources disposal, No GD action, fight social injustice; spent half billion stock buybacks, with money left over to buy Uni, Neustar. GD could have more action;

Stop pick on epik; more action than Godaddy

Samer

 

[karmaco]

What action Samer? They are all flowery prose and pretty speech with action that at times looks bad to most outsiders. I don’t want a lecture, a prophet, religious convictions or politics pouring out of my registrar or as part of my business.

Epik seems hell bent (excuse the pun) on combining religious conviction and political stances and controversies into their business. Something most of us are wise enough not to combine.

Just be a good reliable registrar with transparency is all anybody wants. Stop being part of repeated controversies while at the same time preaching love. We don’t need a preacher we need a registrar who is not constantly in the middle of some controversy or another.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

The reality is that services like Whatsapp, Twitter, Faceache, snap, insta host exactly the same bad stuff as everyone else. It's just that the media and the giant corps decide to highlight the bad stuff when it comes to rival services like gab, infowars etc. by banning them from their own app stores/services when the mob comes knocking. Generally the things that they accuse these services of will take 2 seconds to find on their own services as well.

Unfortunately it isn't possible to police everyone's speech on the Internet, it's a nice aspiration but it's impossible. Holding every service to such a high standard stifles innovation. The small guys don't have the resources that the big guys do and those that do have the resources, no matter what they do it seems to fail to satisfy everyone, the speech sanitisation bar gets lifted higher and higher every day.

Life isn't like that - it contains bad stuff. Companies can't shield you from bad things all the time in real life or online and unless it's illegal in my mind they shouldn't bother.

In truth is that the big guys like holding themselves to higher and higher levels of speech control and they want regulation, it will prevent new services entering the market because they'll have to meet such regulations first thus preventing their loss of dominance.

I am still waiting on Epik's list of actions they plan to take...

I'm not holding my breath that any of the companies that decided to jump on this particular bandwagon to do anything. In most cases just kids managing their social media feeds espousing meaningless platitudes to appease today's particular mob.

The aspiration is great, the reality is nothing achieved other than alienating a section of the population.

 

[Woke Monkey]

No one can take the moral high ground here.

We ALL have inherited biases.

Those aware of this don’t criticise, they help those who are honest and willing to facilitate change.

 

[lambo.com]

No one can take the moral high ground here.

We ALL have inherited biases.

Those aware of this don’t criticise, they help those who are honest and willing to facilitate change.

HBD. Human Biodiversity

 

[lambo.com]

HBD. Human Biodiversity

If any of you have walked through the Ivory Tower..

You may

 

[Grilled]

See Matthew 7:1-5 for context.

See Matthew 7:15 (remove your dash) for added context.

Or you can learn it the hard way. Your call.

That same sentiment applies to yourself and the company you appear to lead. Specifically speaking to Matthew 7:15, with regards to epiks marketing practice's.

Anybody can say I love you. But not everybody means it, or has the same intent. So please pardon me for calling a spade, a spade. I'm sick of harmful people and companies preaching love when that is not their true intent. (Either that, or we have different definitions of love. Such as love for others. Maybe, to epik, love means to love of one's one self serving purposes and greed?) #marketingwithoutethics #epik

 

[Bertrell]

I think that the way you're making your points is also part of the problem.

Summed it up for me.

 

[Michael M]

I believe most the comments in this thread are way off target and completely ignore the statement that Epik released.

The issue of rather you believe in someone's personal politics or agree with how they view the world does not give anyone a right to think they have moral superiority to call out and brow beat people into submission and acceptance of their views.

If you want to avoid a company because you don't have the same view, do so. But if a company releases a statement against racism and discrimination in any civil world that is not a point that you ask them to bow and kiss your boots. It should be accepted for what it is, even if your politics affect your views of people.

The truth is, and you guys will admit it if you are honest - is there is nothing Epik could do that would actually make you like them. You would only feel personally victorious in your battle to beat them into submission or nonexistence - once again all over politics.

In full disclosure: I don't even have any names with Epik, or any stake in their success or failure, but I do not like to see people or companies bullied based off political differences IN EITHER DIRECTION. That is not professional or civil.

 

[dirk]

The truth is, and you guys will admit it if you are honest - is there is nothing Epik could do that would actually make you like them

I disagree. I actually like them but they get suckered into controversy after controversy which makes them neglect their core business.

I disagree with them on some things, agree with them on others. However, I do feel they are wasting way too much words and time where actions (or non actions) would suffice.

They should stop feeding their trolls and haters and hire a decent PR guy. If you want to mix business with religion and politics you better make sure you find common ground and try to unite people.

So some people at Epik made some (arguably) racists comments. It's highly unlikely their empty words (in reverence to their press release) will change anyone's mind. Time wasted. Trolls fed. More bad press.

It's really just that simple.

 

[Michael M]

They should stop feeding their trolls and haters and hire a decent PR guy. If you want to mix business with religion and politics you better make sure you find common ground and try to unite people.

So some people at Epik made some (arguably) racists comments. It's highly unlikely their empty words (in reverence to their press release) will change anyone's mind. Time wasted. Trolls fed. More bad press.

It's really just that simple.

I see your point, and don't disagree that a shorter sweeter statement would have probably been the best direction to go with this one. But, I still think that would have been enough food (or maybe lack of enough) for the people who replied regardless.

But being a domain forum, I can always have hope maybe we can lower the tone a little and stay on topic in the future. Talks on politics never end up going well here.