I first visited Free Republic following a link to an article on the usenet newsgroup alt.current-events.clinton.whitewater. I felt right at at home immediately, but didn't register until "March for Justice" organizers asked for replies from those wont to attend.

Besides helping keep informed, there's been several things that never would have happened if not for Freeping:

* I brought my parents with me to March for Justice, and they enjoyed the speakers and meeting kindred spirits from across the land, as did I. Imagine our delight when opening the next day's Wahington Post, there was a picture of the crowd, with my silver-haired mom listening intently, oblivious to the hilarious "Chicken Man" costumed fellow next to her. Mom even saved the protest sign she made there on the mall: "America, I could not love thee half so much, loved I not honor more".

* I took my two young sons to the "March for Truth" on the steps of the Capitol.

* I went down to the White House one day and used the opportunity to urge Wolf Blitzer to "TELL THE TRUTH FOR A CHANGE, WOLFIE". The grin this elicited from his cameraman let me know that Mr. Blitzer heard me.

Politically, I'm a libertarian at heart. My favorite presidential moments have been when Reagan said "Government is not the solution -- it's the problem" and when Clinton said "The era of big government is over."