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Not so ‘Free Republic’: The Shot Heard Around the Net
The Conservative Voice ^ | Feb 11, 2005 | by William Gheen, President, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC

Posted on 02/11/2005 10:55:36 AM PST by Jim Robinson

The shot heard around the Internet has been fired on FreeRepublic.com The owner Jim Robinson and his moderators have launched a sniper style purge against members that disagree with the President’s ‘guest worker’ amnesty or support more control of illegal immigration. Free Republic is an amazing tool for those looking for a good debate and news from around the country.

The problem for the administration of the site is that their creation is allowing the participants to learn that the Bush immigration record and plans are shockingly out of line with the views of most conservatives. The management’s answer to this conflict between the majority of conservatives and the influence of the White House on their Web site has become electronic executions and censorship.

Members and readers of Free Republic would be surprised to know that many members of their community have fallen silent on the discussions about illegal immigration lately because free speech is an illusion on FR.com. They are silent because they have been banned from the Web site without warning, cause, or explanation in most cases. For weeks the moderators have been suspending and banning new members that chimed in quickly on the immigration debates.

Now this trend has broadened as the first groups of long-term users were suspended or banned this past week. Although Robinson and his staff removed many members of the Free Republic community in the first few days of the purge, those that religiously support President Bush’s immigration plan, open borders and approve of public benefits for illegal aliens remain on the forum. Those that were banned were the members that wanted more done to control illegal immigration and a strict observance to the President’s Oath of Office.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: 1912election; aliens; alipac; amnesty; blc; callthewaaaambulance; crybaby; desperatedemocrats; dreamact; fr; freerepublic; howtogetbanned; illegals; immigration; immigrationplan; liars; lovejimfr; minuteman; minutemen; openborders; purge; respectjimshouse; tawbbos; whatahornetsnest; whiners; williamgheen
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To: Willie Green

Ya know--I didn't even think to look at the "add ups." 'Just excited it was proving a point to another poster from another thread a while back whose name I saw on this thread.


1,081 posted on 02/11/2005 4:59:30 PM PST by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like what you say))
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To: Willie Green

There was an error in the code that was intermittently crashing the browsers during the first couple hundred votes. John fixed the crashing problem and restarted the poll, but as a result of the error looks like the percentages are out of whack. I'll ask John to see if he can locate and correct the problem.


1,082 posted on 02/11/2005 4:59:37 PM PST by Jim Robinson
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To: mhking

HEY! Leave my Batcave alone! ;-)


1,083 posted on 02/11/2005 4:59:42 PM PST by Fledermaus (I Googled "Democrat+Sane" and got no hits.)
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To: Missouri

I've been called a RINO more times than I can count. It's generally because I support Bush (I'm a loyalist=Bushbot) or because I don't hate gays.


1,084 posted on 02/11/2005 4:59:51 PM PST by patriciaruth (They are all Mike Spanns)
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To: Coop

LOL!


1,085 posted on 02/11/2005 4:59:53 PM PST by Howlin (It's a great day to be an American -- and a Bush Republican!!!!)
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To: asgardshill
"private Freepmail getting reprinted in the Washington Post."

???

1,086 posted on 02/11/2005 4:59:54 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
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To: patriciaruth

I am with you,but I can only be polite and reasonable for so long and I don't like insults,whether they are against me or someone else.Lets face it if you are pushed to long you stoop to their level and I don't like to stoop to that level,so I remove myself from it.


1,087 posted on 02/11/2005 5:00:08 PM PST by Mrs.Nooseman
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To: Jim Robinson

Jim,

Thanks, so much, for providing this site. Even though I only speak for me, I suspect that many more who've yet to post on this thread feel the same.

There have been too many times in my life where I either forgot, been "too busy," or was unable, for whatever reason, to properly express appreciation for some of the truly great things that have been part of my life. I don't want this to be one of those moments.

I've spent a lot of time on this site, and I've learned a great deal from many of the postings on this site.

I believe that some of the brightest minds in this nation gather here, informally, and often. FR...America's great "water cooler" for exchange of news, ideas, and points of view, is a precious resource to me. And, I want to offer you my sincere appreciation.

Thank you!

ATB


1,088 posted on 02/11/2005 5:00:38 PM PST by RavenATB
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To: Howlin

STARGATE is on!

All other things come second.

Now you know why asgardshill and I are friends.

BYE!


1,089 posted on 02/11/2005 5:00:41 PM PST by patriciaruth (They are all Mike Spanns)
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To: Howlin

LOL.......ya think? I bet your mama is a sweetheart and FAR prettier than me, to boot.


1,090 posted on 02/11/2005 5:00:50 PM PST by RightOnline
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To: ohioWfan; Eaker; Flyer; Squantos
One does not move in and out of that kind of insanity, and remain outside an institution.

Har!

1,091 posted on 02/11/2005 5:01:11 PM PST by humblegunner (And who knows what else?)
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To: Missouri
Howlin pulled the race card and some of us objected

Good lord, is that a macro?

This is the THIRD site I have seen you post that exact rant on.

Only one problem with your little story: I was OUT OF TOWN when Joe got the axe.

Find somebody else to blame.

1,092 posted on 02/11/2005 5:01:20 PM PST by Howlin (It's a great day to be an American -- and a Bush Republican!!!!)
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To: Howlin
Uh oh. I see you're moving down the thread.....
1,093 posted on 02/11/2005 5:01:24 PM PST by b4its2late (I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.)
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To: Alia

"Posters need to get away from the board." I agree. As a newbie and someone who doesn't have alot of time to post, I try to be civil. I think that some people are so emotional about a subject they lose self-control. I know I can be that way about abortion for example. When you know you can't convince them it's time to take a break.
I'm first generation American, my parents came here to escape Communism. They were so proud of being Americans, my father wouldn't let us speak anything but English. He was against any government assistance and often worked two jobs. But they would be shocked at all the illegal immigration today. They never questioned the fact that they had to prove themselves and earn their citizenship. I imagine that many people like me, whose families earned the right to be citizens, oppose illegal immigration and the rights these people are given, not earned.


1,094 posted on 02/11/2005 5:01:25 PM PST by unbalanced but fair
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To: RavenATB

By the way, I'm also completely against the current "open borders" situation/policy...or whatever you want to call it.


1,095 posted on 02/11/2005 5:01:48 PM PST by RavenATB
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To: cyborg

See 1092, please.


1,096 posted on 02/11/2005 5:01:53 PM PST by Howlin (It's a great day to be an American -- and a Bush Republican!!!!)
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To: RavenATB

DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


1,097 posted on 02/11/2005 5:01:58 PM PST by 82Marine89 (U.S. Marines- Part of the Navy....The men's department.)
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To: Jim Robinson

OK, thanks Jim!


1,098 posted on 02/11/2005 5:02:05 PM PST by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: Howlin

Woops. 4 one hundreths of a second too slow I was......


1,099 posted on 02/11/2005 5:02:07 PM PST by b4its2late (I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.)
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To: Howlin

I remember the guy, and agreed with his banning (and I don't agree with most bannings as you know; I'm just let a thousand flowers bloom kind of guy :) ). I will leave it at that since I am not absolutely sure of the exact facts at this juncture.


1,100 posted on 02/11/2005 5:02:16 PM PST by Torie
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