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 Presidents 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 managements 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 Bushs 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 Presidents Oath of Office.
You've got SUCH a talent for getting on the wingnuts' nerves.
...Was there a poll I missed? I love it when people create their own statistics...
Actually there was. I saw it the other day. The two largest precentages were against illegal immigration, and for sealing up the borders.
Isn't that opposite of what this article is saying, or is it just me? :-)
Right Wing Professor:
Never said all dissent was purged, just many. I also noted that the majority of FR users share your opinion on this matter.
William
Yep. Caught by Sloth and admitted my error. I skpped right over the "they're" and read it as "you're."
In my (rather lame) defense, I have had 3 corneal transplants, still have to wear painful contact lenses and reading glasses to read at all (and they obviously ain't cutting it right now) and am considered legally blind. However, that should simply make me read posts, word by word, MANY TIMES before I fly off the handle.
Sorry about that.
Returning to the garden to continue my worm diet...
The family is the key, I think. The Jamaicans have their family back in Jamaica, so they want to go back. Plus, they want to live in Jamaica and the money they make here goes a long way. A lot of illegals here do go back and forth because they have family in Mexico and want to be there. If workers can come in, without their families, and go back after a time, it could be a lot more effective than what is going on now.
Roger that...
Go away troll.
StarCMC:
I am not a FR troll. I have participated on FR for several years and my last account ALIPAC was banned and all threads were pulled and I did not violate any written rule posted on FR.
William Gheen
Wonder if the kitties will let you stay this time?
What a load of Bravo Sierra.
I've been posting FR since before the election. I'm an open and notorious Democrat who also happens to disagree with open borders. And yet I'm still here, posting away.
I guess it's possible that the mod's just haven't noticed me, but I seriously doubt it. I post too much and I'm sure the "Democrat" in my user name is something of a red flag.
We all post at Jim Rob's sufferance. If he wants to zot you because he wakes up in a bad mood, that's his right. So far, I have no complaints about the treatment. I run into some jerks, but the administration of the site has been fair to me.
Seriously.... I never heard a peep from Jim about it. And I am no one. I would question what you have been told. GOP insiders. They do not just get thrown to the curb.
What say you Jim?
That's it...I've been warned. I'm not posting here anymore due to the 'stifling tactics' of the evil JRo ;-)
No, no! Being closed minded means you're set in your ways, which means you're getting old...it's all relative, remember. Stubborness helps. I REFUSE to get old until I say I'm old enough to be old...which won't happen for a while yet, even on those days when I wake up feeling like a run-down 99.
Your post deserved to be yanked. I saw it. I looked at your site. You wrote an article, put it on your own website and touted it as NEWS. What a joke. Go back to your little disgruntled friends. They're missing you.
I support your assessment of JackelopeBreeder. I can't for the world figure out why he was banned and I've asked him about it and he doesn't know either.
JB is a good Republican. He's the Vice President of the South East Arizona Republican Club. He's just got a more intimate view of the border problem, given his geographic location, than just about anyone else on this forum. He's seen firsthand what is going on and people here would do well to listen to him. How many people here have stood yards from the border, in the brush, using night vision equipment to watch hundreds of border intruders stream by in the darkness? He's done this time and time again. He knows the problem firsthand like no other FReeper can claim to know it. We're not getting the full story from the MSM, the current Administration is outright mishandling and lying about the problem, and only a few in Congress have come down here to see it for themselves and who are working to actually do something about it.
This is not a localized problem, although the effects here in Cochise County are more obvious than other places. Wages are being depressed, jobs are being stolen, national security is being threatened, hospital emergency room sare being over run, cities are being crowded, crime rates are going up, overtaxed schools are being filled with non-citizens, and we're all footing the bill and facing the consequences of inaction.
Sure, there are some racists and whackos who gravitate to the border security cause just as there are who glom onto other causes. On a case-by-case basis, that stuff can and should be dealt with. 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. Meanwhile, as the DHS UAV saw when it observed 900,000 border intruders crossing in a 3-month period, we're being overrun.
Ping.
Worms are good. Worms are great. I eat'm by the pound,
baked or broiled, fried or fricassied.
You can often find me with my mouth upon the ground
sucking gently 'til they're up between my teeth!
I'm with you Jim. I was responsible for this issue on a major campaign for high office, two years ago. I am, and my candidate was totally opposed to illegal immigration, and yes, were opposed to some of the President's policies. However, it is absolutely disgusting the level of vile racism and hysterical xenophobia that has injected itself into the immigration debate.
There is simply no place for that garbage in discussions between thinking conservatives. We already have too many good points in our favor to win the argument to rely on that intellectually shallow mental refuse..
With all due respect JimRob, and there is considerable of such, I do disagree with you on the minuteman project - the ones who are officially operating under the Minuteman project do not do this armed, and do not attempt to apprehend said aliens. They simply report their presence to the appropriate authorities. Even so, the lack of any overt effort on the part of this administration to effect a solid border control policy(i.e. fence repair, border agents) is reprehensible and one can see why the populace is driven to such measures. For truth, what are the appropriate authorities other than our citizens who have been trained by other citizens to effect a duty.
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