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

[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.

[ThePythonicCow]

So polite I suspect she read it and put it in the trash. LOL!

If that's what it took to bring in Ohio, then I think I'll send ohioWfan a trash can for the next election, just in case she needs to trash some more election materials <grin>.

[k2blader]

I think "open borders" means no constraints whatsoever on immigration, legal and illegal, altho' for an open borders purist there would be no reason to use the words "legal" or "illegal".

Being pro-amnesty is deluding oneself into believing the constraints on *illegal* immigration can be relaxed "temporarily" with little or no negative consequences.

[Once-Ler]

How is advocating a wall on the southern border "make conservatives look bad?"

How would a barrier around the land of the free and the home of the brave make conservatives look bad? eh...I dunno?

[Nice50BMG]

As one who was banned once for a comment about Rap Music, I have been a sucessful poster for abour a year now. I have sounded off on immigration issues and retain my posting priviledges.

I even had a run in with Jim a week ago when I (in a sadly humiliating situation) posted whet I believed to be comments from Bill Clinton's Daily Diary.

Jim didn't even yank the post... he just moved it to another forum and was graceful in accepting my appology.

I am a fan of the accomplishments of this site and proud of Jim for maintaining high standards about the posts, the posters and their agendas.

(P.S. When is a militia the only viable answer to the invasion?)

[Poohbah]

Poohbah, you simply CANNOT support your "over the beach" contention.

Wrong. You just wish I couldn't.

You must live in the middle of Kansas if you think this a viable route for over 1,000,000 invaders a year.

That's about 20 relatively small cargo ships' worth across one year.

Yeah, it's viable. BTW, I probably have urinated more saltwater than you've ever sailed over, sonny-boy.

Using your hypothetical arguments, I suppose if we close the borders they can hitch a ride on the Concorde, right?

No, but you go right on wishing that I was making those arguments.

It would be a mere trickle, like those making it up here from Cuba.

Cuba actively keeps people from leaving, Mexico does not.

But I'm sure you knew that already.

[patriciaruth]

I know you are fixated on building a fence, but what do you think about Luis Gonzalez' idea that the way to stop ants from coming in is not to seal all the tiny holes in your foundation, but to seal up the sugar.

For myself, I also have to spray as I can't figure out how to put out cat food and not have them come for that, too. And sometimes they come just for the water.

My mother-in-law thinks it's stupid to rinse everything before putting it in the dishwasher, but she's probably never seen the ant colony that ate the dishwasher in her area.

We tried sealing up the sugar with prop 187 here, and got blown away by the liberal courts, and then eaten alive by the MSM at reelection time. And we tried employer sanctions but that has either not been enforced or been done in by jury nullification according to one poster.

How about shipping free birth control pills to Mexico?

[Cold Heat]

There are definitely pro-amnesty FReepers.

I would debate that. Most feel that the Bush plan is not amnesty.

Amnesty of the 86 variety, is to pardon all sins and grant green cards (eventual citizenship) to all.

The bush plan has no such requirements and not even a suggestion of it. green cards would be applied for in the normal way.

The plan is more akin to a return to the Braciero(spell ck) program for migrant workers and a application from Mexico solves the forgiveness business, and I have suggested a optional 2500.00 fine is one did not use false docs and admits the crime, pays the fine and serves a probation.

[k2blader]

The poll has an option: "I SUPPORT open borders and illegal immigration."

Did you vote for that option or a different one?

[TheOtherOne]

Are you dense? I had said like three of four times now, that I could not support illegal immigration. So yes, I voted in the majority on that poll.

[Cold Heat]

Too much nuance.:0

[TheOtherOne]

The world is not black and white, it is full of nuance. To think all conservatives are cut from the exact same cloth is silly.

[Leatherneck_MT]

Vigilantism by definition is doing what is necessary to protect yourself, your family and your property. It's a Vigilance committee and it's as old as Human History.

The government won't do it, so who should?

[Cold Heat]

Strange that they didn't ask me to join.

I figure he took one day and copied the names off posts.

[moehoward]

There are definitely pro-amnesty FReepers.

I would debate that. Most feel that the Bush plan is not amnesty.

Now there's a poll for Freepers to take. If it's been done I'd love to see the results.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I agree. This is your website, you've set the ground rules, and everyone that sets up a user account is bound by the rules of the website, much like the TOS of an internet service provider. Break their rules, they have no choice but to terminate the online account.

[k2blader]

When I use the word "amnesty" I'm referring to the inherent meaning of the word:

---

3 entries found for amnesty.

am·nes·ty    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (mn-st)
n. pl. am·nes·ties

A general pardon granted by a government, especially for political offenses.

tr.v. am·nes·tied, am·nes·ty·ing, am·nes·ties

To grant a general pardon to.

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[Latin amnstia, from Greek amnsti. See amnesia.]

[Download or Buy Now]

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Main Entry: am·nes·ty
Pronunciation: 'am-n&s-tE
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ties
: an act of clemency by an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted esp. to a group of individuals <illegal-alien farm workers seeking amnesty &#8212;National Law Journal>

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

amnesty

n 1: a period during which offenders are exempt from punishment 2: a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense [syn: pardon] 3: the formal act of liberating someone [syn: pardon, free pardon] v : grant a pardon to (a group of people)

Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University

---

Bush's proposal is an amnesty proposal. It matches the above. It also allows illegals to apply for citizenship.

See also: "pardon".

[k2blader]

Just wanted to be clear as your posts were the opposite of clear. *LOL*

[k2blader]

Ha! That would be interesting... :-)

[BigSkyFreeper]

From what I've seen most of the insults are coming from the pro-illegal members.

My time spent on here has seen the "close the borders and put the military on the borders" crowd who have a tendency to launch insults toward everyone who doesn't agree with them.

[TheOtherOne]

I'm glad we are clear. I was really just letting you know (in answer to your question below), not for this particular poll, but on others, that I have 'passed' and I explained why....neither choice fits my opinion completely.

I don't know how some people can "pass" or be "undecided" on such an important issue.