Are you a Free Republic Newbie? Then shut your pie hole!

[The Bat Ladys Husband]

First of all, let me say that I have been a lurker on FR since 2000. My wife (The Bat Lady) has been registered and a poster since the same time. I generally use FR as a news source and in years past as an info source for FR organized protests/demonstrations. I don’t generally comment on articles because I mostly agree and don’t need to preach to the choir. However one article fired me up and I finally register in August 2013.

That being said, I recently commented on an article regarding Steve Stockman running against John Cornyn. Knowing a lot about Texas politics I said Stockman was not a viable candidate. OMG! You would have thought I said I pissed on Reagan’s grave. I was called a troll, a Cornyn plant, a GOP-e (if my friends had heard that they would be laughing their asses off.) With all the name-calling I had to look to see if I was on FR or DU. Conservatives pride themselves on the quality of their debate versus liberal knee-jerk name-calling. I guess some here on FR can’t raise themselves above that level.

Sticks and Stones! But more disturbing to me is the rise what I like to call the FR-e. Those are the posters that think that because they have been on FR for a long time that they are some kind of royalty and that newcomer’ comments and insights have no validity if they do not parrot their particular perception. I was called a noob “prattling"

(prat·tle talk idly or childishly: to talk in a silly, idle, or childish way silly, idle, or childish talk)

Just because someone has recently discovered FR or recently joined after lurking they prattle? Oops, my bad, I guess they don’t prattle if they agree with the pompous long-term freeper. Maybe we could cut back on the fundraisers if we encouraged new members rather than drive them off or turned them off with vitriolic discourse and vicious name-calling

(vit·ri·ol·ic adjective - filled with the intention or desire to do evil.)

If you haven’t looked at the Home page (click Free republic at the top left of the browse page) I invite you to look again: Jim Robinson states: “Believing that the best defense is a strong offense, we (myself and those whom I'm trying to attract to FR) support...”

Jim is trying to attract people to FR. How does denigrating a new reader attract them to FR? Being a victim of a verbal knock-out game by a supercilious FR-e certainly does not encourage a "newbie" to participate or even hang around

(su·per·cil·i·ous adjective 1. behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.)

Certainly all long time members don’t fit this category but those who do know who you are (or maybe you don’t) and so do we.

[matginzac]

LOL....I feel so welcomed!
(But I really don’t care when people joined...it’s what they post that gets my attention....and most FReepers are the bomb! Like you, FRiend...)

[Jane Long]

Nice disclaimer. Am I IBTZ?

[yellowdoghunter]

He did, I knew he would not have said that if he knew I was a lady. I agree with him a lot also, so no hard feelings.

Thanks....

[Fledermaus]

I love those that claim others are “not electable.” Many said the same about Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, etc.

[fr_freak]

Right after I posted that I realized you probably thought I was a male. My handle is from an old political joke. I know you would not have used that language if you had known I was a lady.

Yes, this can be a problem. I think most guys here are like me - if the screenname doesn't indicate that the poster is a woman (worse yet, some names seem explicitly male but are used by women) then I fall into the assumption that the poster is male and I treat them that way, especially if that poster just insulted/chided/sneered at me. I speak differently to women than men in those situations, but when I get them confused... I actually had the unpleasant experience once where, after having gotten into a heated discussion with another Freeper, I checked that Freeper's homepage and damn near choked when I realized I had just told a 70-something year old woman to stfu. D'oh!

[Blackirish]

There was a good reason not to oppose Ted Cruz’s shutdown of the government. It was idiotic.

[tomkat]

             

[topspinr]

In Navy lingo, it’s known as “A Plank Owner”

[trisham]

[yellowdoghunter]

It has happened before to me, which is why I posted a pic on my homepage. Maybe I should put something in my tagline? But putting, “I am a lady”, sounds stupid....LOL!! (Maybe “female poster?) I wish we could change handles, but I understand the reasoning of why we can’t.

[x]

Do you seriously think any sitting Senator heading the National Republican Senatorial Committee is going to oppose his colleagues in the party primaries?

They don't do that. You wouldn't get the job if you did. And if you did, you'd complicate your job immensely by inviting all kinds of reprisals.

[stylin19a]

not yet.

[McGruff]

Ted Cruz’s shutdown of the government. It was idiotic.

You sure you're on the right website?

[jobim]

I agree with your post, and I'm a 15 year FReeper. Far too many posts are guilty of one of the following: 1)ad hominem 2)vitriol 3)simple name-calling 4)strong opinion without taking the full measure of the article, or argument, or whatever is under discussion

I guess like the world at large. I suggest not getting too caught up in any particular exchange, and any particular poster. There are so many great Americans on here, so many fantastically witty observers of the passing scene, so many compassionate, God-fearing, family-loving, moral folk, that, as in the world at large, they are worthy of your attention, and not the others.

[catfish1957]

I am a 13 yr. Freeper, and made similar comments about Stockman, and was also similarly told to keep to keep my mouth shut about the guy.

I am one of his consitutents, and a supporter of his at the house level. I have known the guy since 1988, when we discussed a Dole challenge to GHWB. I think the guy is a good conservative, but is not a serious challenge to the RINO Cornyn. He just doesn't have it at various critical competentcies that will ring with voters. The Cruz challenge to Dewhurst is an apples and oranges scenario as far as I am concerned.

It is not our fault that a viable candidate didn't emerge, and I hope my fellow Freepers choose their battles wisely. Don't get me wrong, I will vote for him, but it is a lost cause.

[Ouchthatonehurt]

What a soliloquy that would be - to recite in one sitting, everything you had ever posted on FR.

I include this post only to add it to my own.

[greeneyes]

Well, I have had some very spirited conversations, but I have never referred to anyone’s sign up date.

Some people just can't seem to disagree without being disagreeable and calling names and saying other stuff that is not really relevant to the discussion. I guess it makes them feel better to be rude.

I try not to sink to that level, but must admit that sometimes I respond in kind. Rarely do I start such catcalling. The fact is that sometimes you just need to take the heat or get out of the kitchen. Or at least switch to another thread.

[shibumi]

"Who can forget pissant?"

N00bies who were talking when they should have listened.

[catfish1957]

Cruz’ shut down was anything but idiotic. It only galvanized the truth that Obama care was a pending disaster. Are you ure you are a conservative?

[shibumi]

I don’t think this one is Kitty Chow. Yet.

More like a cat toy on a string getting batted around.