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.
It seems, some people don't understand what "Freedom" means. You have our respect...thanks, Jim.
The immigration issue is certainly complex. As my mother always tells me, it's easy to make things difficult, but very difficult to make things easy. The issue of immigration (legal and illegal) needs to be made simple. In order for this to happen, statistics need to be thrown out the window completely. America needs a common sense border/immigration policy.
To me, that means there have to be a few guiding principles.
1) Those who follow the legal channels in order to gain entry into this country are more than welcome to partake in the American experience.
2) If while visiting, those people want to become a citizen, and follow the legal channels in order to do so are welcome to stay while the process works itself out.
3) Those who enter the country illegally, and are discovered to have entered and remained in the country illegally, will be deported.
Simple enough, yes? I think so.
So what's next? Border enforcement.
It should be painfully obvious to all those paying attention that we have a major problem with enforcing EXISTING border policies. We have problems tracking people who enter the country legally and overstay their legal welcome, and we have an overabundance of people entering the country illegally to begin with.
Any efforts with regard to curbing illegal immigration should start there. A guest worker program will not likely stop those who wish to TAKE UP RESIDENCE in this country illegally from doing so. Let's face it. Life is still better here in the US than it is in Mexico. I don't know many who would dispute that. The reasons people illegally immigrate to the US are more numerous than simply wanting a job. Therefore, a guest-worker program is probably not a viable long-term solution.
How are we going to keep terrorists from entering this country through our pourous borders? That's all that matters. A Mexican crossing in order to work for less than minimum wage isn't a huge security threat, except for the fact that if he can do it, anyone wishing to do us harm can do it, too.
We need more border agents. We need better technology to secure our borders. We need the money appropriated to do it. We need a government not afriad to do it. And we need it done a decade ago. Every single American should be on the phone to their Senators and their representative in the House telling them if they don't act on making America's borders more secure, they will make it their personnal mission to make sure they don't return to any position of responsibility regarding our safety. Obviously they are not up to the task.
America prides itself on its open border policy. But having open borders does not mean they cannot be secure at the same time.
If we can all agree on some of those fundamental principles and actions, then we can have a meaningful conversation about securing America. Who gives a damn who Mr. Robinson kicks off the site or for what reasons? I don't. It's his damn house and if he doesn't want me here, then hell if I want to be here.
It's sort of like immigration. Those who enter the Free Republic legally and abide by the rules are welcome to stay as long as they want. Those who violate the rules will be Zotted. There is no guest-poster policy. There is ample FReep Patrol, courtesy of the mods and other members with sharp eyes who keep out the "illegals."
Why should the real Republic be any different?
In other words: Give up.
Pigs do fly. heheh . .
Holy cow, how could we ever possibly come up with the technology or funds to build a long fence?
I figured you were. But it was a really good repy that I wrote, huh? All the Best, BJN
That would work!
My favorite tagline!! It's back!! : )
I lack the interest to actually engage.
Just....I dunno...DAMN!!!
The last thing we need is to give any substance to the charge of racism, a charge that liberals more or less automatically apply to conservatives without any concern for the truth. That's especially true of the issue of illegal immigration, because the Democrats are determined to make this a racial issue.
It's not a matter of race. It's a matter of ILLEGALITY. And since 9/11 especially, it's a matter of SECURITY.
Every sovereign country in the world has a right to protect its borders and to choose to whom it will extend the privilege of citizenship. In fact sovereignty is defined, in large part, by this right.
We need to control our borders, regretably, not only against illegal immigrants but agains the Democrat party, which finds illegals very useful for stuffing the ballot boxes on their own behalf.
I have been staying out of this argument, because of some experiences that I had earlier on with some of the very same folks who recently lost their posting privileges, so I think this might be a good day to put my big toe back in the water.
We are all, not supportive of illegal immigration, and have a great interest in security, but most supporters of the Bush initiative, as I call it, have a broader understanding of the nature of the problem.
Our current immigration laws do not reflect the needs for young migrant labor.
Current legal limits are far below the requests by a variety of crucial industries and services.
This is the driving force that brings them in.
Putting a finger in the leak will never work. The methods of entry will continue to adjust. Like when the best method of entry was to overstay a legal visa. And subsequently disappear into the underground economy that has been created for one purpose only. To get around the legal impediments.
To address this we need to address the needs by allowing legal workers to fill those positions currently held by illegals, so that we do not further damage a delicate economy that we rely on.
We need to address the underground that supports them.
We also need to address the amnesty issue, and we need to address security.
With a little help and understanding of the problem, we can do all of this and we can get started any time.
No sense letting Bush carry all the water.
It looks like your covert plan is working.
It doesn't help to have people on this very thread throwing out unwarranted accusations of racism at Freepers who don't agree with the amnesty program. We are seeing one of the Left's most despicable debating tactics used in abundance against those among us that want secure borders.
"But there are a few loudmouths who tar as racist, xenophobe, etc. everyone even the least bit concerned about illegal immigration. And they're given free reign to do it and I think we can now see some of the effects of their rancorous slander in the recent purge and website prohibitions.
I too have been involved in numerous threads dealing with the Illegal issue and have posted directly to/from Jackelope. I have also observed the outrageous behavior of a number of Posters of the type you allude to and I had direct, unpleasant interactions with them as well.
IMO they are simply agitators who wish to shout, insult and otherwise bully their point across and, in the process, make a chaos out of what would otherwise be intelligent, reasoned debate of the matter. A real turn off and I would suggest that, if banning was an appropriate sanction for anyone in this matter, it is they who should have been banned from the start - but they weren't and I find that extremely disappointing.
bump
I see you are starting to post the excuses of why you can't back up your personal attacks.
You don't have to post four years worth of links, all you have to do is post one link where I've come out in support of illegal immigration...that's all.
Now, get on with it...if I have four years worth of posts supporting illegal immigration scattered throughout this forum in the four and a half years that I've been a member, you should be able to find ONE...right?
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