I have no swan song but I do have my reasons.
I do not take threats well, and I have been threatened with extinction here at FR for the final time. At some point you have to realize that the windmills are tilting back at you, and I am weary of the rude moderation that goes on here these days.
Many of you have seen my comments, while they lasted, on some of the more extreme threads that have popped up here of late demonizing Mormons for no other reason than being Mormon. I realize there are distinct differences over matters of religion but I have never in my many years here at Free Republic seen so much hatred directed at American Citizens by other American Citizens as I have in these hateful anti-Mormon threads. Thankfully the worst of them were deleted, but the daily Mormon hate-mongering goes on unabated, in fact it is encouraged, supported, and protected here at Free Republic.
These threads started out as comments in the religious sections of Free Republic only, but of late they have been posted everywhere. Members are warned up front that any disagreement on these threads is considered (and treated) like disruption. I’ve resorted to commenting via keywords, and a brief examination of the keywords I have assigned to this thread will show what I am talking about. That activity too has now been declared verboten.
In my view, keywords are an excellent tool in a place like this and if the Management doesn’t like keywording the I suggest they disable it completely, but then again this ain’t my website, so do what you want.
What sickens me about all of this is the fact that my Son in Law has been in Iraq, being shot at every day for the past year, and the guy who has his back over there is his best Friend, fellow American Citizen, the Best Man at the wedding when Phil married my Daughter...a young American Mormon Soldier who I would be proud to have in my home, any time.
I am not a Mormon and my strong faith in Christ is not shaken in the least by the presence around me of thousands of my neighbors who also happen to be Mormon. My wife and I are not Mormon but some of my Wife’s family can trace their roots back to Brigham Young, and that too does not shake out strong Faith in Christ.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing about those who moderate this website.
It sickens me that I served my Country Honorably for 20 years, and swore that I would never allow what was allowed to happen to the Jews to happen again on my watch, only to be forced to witness some of the most hateful things that are frequently said about Mormons on this website. People who are talking about “the Mormon Question” are more welcome here than people like me who understand the real roots of a disgusting phrase like that and refuse to shut the hell up about it.
Frankly I’m tired of putting so much emotional energy into this place anyway. I swore I would never go out like this, but after being threatened with extinction by the Big Cheese himself today (via PM) I figured I might as well get my say in before everyone wonders why I got zotted after going on 14 years of Membership here at Free Republic.
So go ahead Jim and do your duty, or whatever else trips your trigger. You only get to do this once, so please enjoy it when you hit the “Smite” button. Believe me it won’t be any skin off my butt, I will not lose any sleep over it, and I will never be back.
Thank You all, but I’m the one who came up with the “Butt Hurt Report Form” in the first place, so I need no further advice.
Cheers, and adieu.
