Posted on 04/01/2005 4:26:00 PM PST by Poohbah
First, this is NOT an April Fool's joke.
I am leaving Free Republic.
Over the past two years, civility and thoughtful discourse has vanished from this site, replaced with demands for ideological conformity that are straight out of Stalinist Russia or China's Great Cultural Revolution, and unrelenting uncivility if said conformance is not forthcoming. This trend began with the California recall election, where certain posters were allowed to flame the living beejezus out of those who didn't wholeheartedly support Tom McClintock, or thought that he wasn't running a campaign capable of winning. It extended into the Keyes campaign last year, where any critique of Keyes' campaign strategy was shrilly flamed, despite the obviously flawed execution of his campaign.
(Aside: one person who flamed me during the Keyes mess later said that he hadn't intended to start a fight with his remarks that accused me of homosexuality, pedophilia, and other evils; I was instantly reminded of the time I had to bail one of my Marines out of the local lockup. "Honest, Sarge," this Marine told me, "I didn't mean to start a fight when I called that Army Ranger a faggot." My response was not [and still isn't] suitable for public consumption.)
Since then, the Terri Schiavo case has pushed FR over the edge. We had posts calling for people to ensure that "accidents" to befall Schiavo and Judge Greer. We had posts praying that Iran would soon develop nuclear weapons, so that they could destroy the United States. And until the FBI started making arrests, those posts were allowed to stay up, completely abnegating Free Republic's standards.
We had people on both sides of the issue point out that the Schindlers were associating with some people of extremely low character, and that our uncritical embrace of these parties would not rebound to our favor. Rather reasonable attitudes to take, actually; but the loudest of the loud were in no mood to think.
My personal favorite was the following exchange:
The issue is not legality, but public opinion. Which will not be helped in this case if the pro-Terry side becomes associated in the media with Christian Identity, white supremicists, neo-nazis, racists and/or anti-semites.
Diva Betsy Ross made a valiant attempt to...ahem...whitewash Christian Identity, but it didn't work.
To top things off, we had people embracing as some sort of conservative icon, to the extent of posting a fundraising link.
I always thought that conservatism valued thinking over feeling, careful contemplation of facts over wild-eyed repetition of every damn rumor to come down the pipe, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. For a while, Free Republic met those criteria in spades.
Those days are long gone, and I have serious doubt as to whether or not they're coming back.
I know that many of the usual suspects will cheer this on, as their longtime nemesis is leaving them the field.
Be careful what you wish for; you are in the process of getting it. You may succeed in driving the folks who disagree with you from the site; but you will end up being just another collection of shrill voices in Bedlam. When everything is an over-the-top scream, no one will be heard.
Farewell.
What helps me to rationalize is the firm belief that being a free and open forum, we are fully infiltrated. Remember me? I'm the jerk that transcribed countless quotes fromm The Devil's Advocate as an active lesson to demonstrate the destruction from within.
In my opinion, at least half, maybe more, of the shrill voices, ranting and pulling their hair, acting so negatively un-Christian, are friggin' no good demoncraps, laughin' their azzez off at the division they are able to cause via our own stereotypes. In their faux-righteousness the call on the faithful for indigent wrath. Many of the faithful are good sheep, yet sheep, nevertheless, and the follow the dubious call. Maybe I should re-run my TDA effort.
Hey Marine, buck it up and don't leave a fellow alone on the line. Semper Fi
You are one of the plants. Intolerantly encouraging division at every opportunity.
"(some compared her to the Messiah crucified)"
That's what non-religious hubby has been saying.
I can't wait for your OPUS. If need be, we could take up a collection for a farewell bucket of whatever it is that RINO's eat.
Thanks for the reminder!
Of course I will. Sometimes I'm fairly brutal in my responses, but I direct my ire at the poster and what they have said. I'd prefer to read reasonable discourse, but I go off when I read irrational blather. Hyperbole and dogma can only oppose reality through emotion. Emotion is a pisser! Don't you know HEP? Hierosolyma est perdita Emotion! Same crap which would have us lynch someone or otherwise supersede the law. Yes, I do speak with brutality.
Yes, yes - what goes around comes around. Methinks there is more to this than an Opus.
please delete
non religious husband has more discernment than many self professing xtians on here. Please tell him I said so.
Is being a christian identity sympathizer, a white supremicist, a neo-nazi, a racist or an anti-semite illegal activities in themselves?
The issue is not legality, but public opinion. Which will not be helped in this case if the pro-Terry side becomes associated in the media with Christian Identity, white supremicists, neo-nazis, racists and/or anti-semites. 212 posted on 03/17/2005 11:05:13 AM PST by malakhi [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 211 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]
I'm sorry to see you leave and share the same sentiments. I remember when I was a newby to the internet and chat rooms through AOL. There were some fine Christian chats room that soon became a favorite watering hole for Wiccans and atheists.
Alas, that was the death of the Christian chats. I fear that is what is happening here at FR. So many newbys of questionable philosophy undermining a private forum where the intellectual and conservative members of our society have been able to gather freely.
I'll be sorry to see you go because I think you and some others are only the crack in the wall. While I'd certainly like to be the one whose finger is in the dam, I don't have that much time. I most likely will follow. Such a shame, and somewhere in the background I hear the gleeful laughter of the DUers, mucnhing on the demise of their greatest enemy.
Farewell and let me know should you find another conservative paradise where once again we can agree to disagree, publish thoughtful and responsible posts, and respect one anothers viewpoint.
I guess you missed the reference, but the opusing poster had just the day before told me to "go f*ck yourself". Pretty ironic that he should then turn around and whine and wail about a lack of civility driving him away.
I speak brutally too, many times, but I don't pollute the forum with worthless profanity.
No reason required, I guess. Your recommendation is reason enough.
Michael Rivero?
I'm not sure why I'm even wasting my time on your idiotic rant. I can show you "screaming," if you'd really like to see it.
And concerning the howling crowd of hysteria, your poster friend you're so enthusiastically (yet rather weakly) attempting to defend specifically applied that tag to my taking an opposite view of her and her uptight "we're right!" pals. Sorry if I'm not being a cooperative extremist nutjob for you and your oh-so-reasonable groupie pals.
No, guess again.
This is the MOTHER OF ALL OPUSES!
did i spell that right?
Poohbah, Hope you enjoy your break and come back soon.
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