Posted on 05/27/2011 10:36:25 AM PDT by Dr. Zzyzx
Freeper Friends,
I was saddened by JimRob's imperious pronouncement yesterday, and the ensuing comments & zots. Here's why. One of this site's primary pillars is the Bill of Rights which calls for Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Right to a trial by jury. We believe in those things. We believe in them to the point of being willing to sacrifice our lives for them. And yet on this site, when a JimRob cuts people off for what they say or believe Freepers cheer him like Baghdad Bob would cheer Saddam Hussein! That's not America folks!
"He owns the site!" you say. Tell that to Steven Jobs who got dumped a few years ago from the company he started because he created an IPO to get financial support from others. Once JimRob started taking YOUR money, it became YOUR site. YOU provide the content, YOU provide the financing. Without YOU, Jim would be a lonely guy staring at a monitor in his den.
How can we say we want freedoms out one side of our mouths, and stand by and cheer as Jim zots dissenters in a way that would make medieval Europe's most dictatorial tyrants proud?
John Stuart Mill had the right approach--let all the ideas fight it out in the arena. If they're foolish ideas, they will eventually be seen as such. We don't have anything to fear from hearing someone else's point of view.
Now. In case you're wondering:
My membership date is actually one and a half years earlier than the November 1999 date shown. (Had to re-enlist because of computer and email trouble)
I was raised in Arizona but live in Utah. I fly the Arizona flag on my profile because I'm proud of their stance on immigration.
Ive told anyone that will listen that I think Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are shifty weasels.
I served on the city council and as the mayor of my community.
I played a part in the grassroots effort to throw Bob Bennett out of office, and hope soon to do the same to Orrin Hatch.
I waged a pitched battle in the newspapers and amongst my fellow teachers against the president, officers, and organization of the Utah Education Association, an arm of the NEA.
I became disenchanted with the Republican party after some of the things George Bush (though I admire his courage and determination) did that I felt were harmful to the financial well-being of America.
In other words, I'm not a newbie troll. I just have a genuine concern with how members are treated here, and you should too.
To save you the electrons of posting replies, I'll post them for you:
Jim owns the site, he can do what he wants.
ZOT!
Put on your asbestos suit.
Put on your tin foil hat.
Viking Kitties!
Don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya!
A cheese-eating moose bit my sister.
And the louder progressives and lefties squeal, the more right our selection will be.
But what about the Viking Kitties at the security posts? They eat pizza delivery guys.
Maybe if you get the kitties all full of that chopped liver, we might stand a chance at getting that pizza...
(Now you have another place on your homepage map.
I have your first two pictures in my presentation software at church!)
The Sisterhood of the Moose Biting Sisters versus the The Sister Biting Moose clan, who will win?
No, I have no idea why this came to mind.
You are channeling a Navajo!
Did you see that DannyH made yet another return?
I have no recollection of him.
(I also have no idea what I had for breakfast yesterday!)
DannyH kept shrieking that we owed him respect.
He sicceeded in getting his own thread pulled due to multi-retreading.
And I’m showing with my typos that I’ve been awake all night.
Great.
Welcome back.
Well damn. I got let out of lockup a little early! Thanks Jimrob, sorry I went too far. I was actually trying to make a point to the old-timer freeper that Free Republic ISN’T a free-for-all-you-can-do-whatever-you-want. In the process of demonstrating the point, I got whacked. Sorry! Just trying to make a point to original poster!
Lazamataz! I am sooooo happy to see you back again. I missed you so much.
Thanks for the ping, big guy!
Hey, Joe. :-)
I wuz framed, I tell ya!
Yeah, me too.
Shortest. Timeout. Ever?
And I have the proof!
++++++++++
+ Lazamataz +
++++++++++
Glad to see you back.
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