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Open letter to Free Republic
Self | February 4, 2016 | Self

Posted on 02/04/2016 8:06:14 AM PST by HonorInPa

I’ll start off by saying, according to my profile, I’ve been a member of FR since September 2000, long enough to see the site evolve. I think the last three months have been a low point for FR with new lows being set every day.

FR used to be a place for interesting, sometimes contentious, but always considerate debate about issues important to the Conservative movement. Yes, during election cycles there was some push and shove concerning favorite candidates, but mostly involving their true conservative credentials.

Lately it is has become a reflection of the overall decline in civility in America. Gone are the reasoned arguments, peppered with humor, that were meant to persuade. Now many of the posts are nasty, ad hominem attacks – if you can’t use reason as a tool attack the person.

We’ve become, much like society, repeaters of the vulgar; he who speaks loudest or brashest must have the right opinion. We now live in a world where fame can start with leaked sex tapes, conspicuous consumption, and bad behavior (e.g. any Kardashian, Housewives of pick a city, etc.). No longer is much of the discussion here reflective of conservative principles – respect for the individual, reasoned consideration of all sides of an argument, and – dare I suggest – some level of morality.

Today, instead of working through solutions to the big problems facing America, our potential leaders toss out 140 character tweets meant to inflame their supporters or ridicule rivals. You can look at my post history and figure out who I’m supporting in this cycle (just as you can for previous elections) but I’m pointing my finger at all candidates. Put down the smartphones and talk to me like the intelligent adult I am. I know few of today’s issues are 100% black or white but I want to hear how you arrived at your solutions, your thought process, your ideals, your foundation. We’ve had enough of leaders who speak in platitudes or take a poll to decide what to have for lunch.

As a group we’re supposed to better than this. Over the years we’ve made fun of the idiocy over at DU but sadly of late, idiocy has found a new home here. We can raise the quality of the debate at this site. We can use this as a forum to demand that our candidates do the same. I will try my best to not get sucked into the morass and join in any undisciplined discussion.

I ask that each of us – myself included – take an extra second before pressing “post” to think about what we’ve typed. Does it insult needlessly? Does it raise the level of the debate? Is it a good reflection of our Conservative principles? Does it add fuel to the perceptions of others that the Right is made up of heartless, mean luddites?

Rather than sinking to the lowest common denominator, let’s all try to lead by example. Ok, flame away!


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: addingkeywordsisfun; concernedpuppyalert; imjusthereforthebeer
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To: kiryandil

True, but also I think a number of the more vicious are Democrat operatives doing their thing while everyone else pays the price or gets egged into following along. But who is who when so many do not have even a personal page - just some screen name.


81 posted on 02/04/2016 8:30:55 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: central_va

You are sooooo right about Limbaugh being a party hack. Turned him off in disgust this week.

Freepers. Please discuss vigorously how Rubio, Cruz and Gope trade and immigration positions will kill the middle class completely and those positions are NOT true conservatism.


82 posted on 02/04/2016 8:31:15 AM PST by amihow (l)
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To: HonorInPa

“flame away!”

You’re lucky they don’t burn you at the stake. But you are right.


83 posted on 02/04/2016 8:31:26 AM PST by McGruff (We're not in Iowa anymore Heidi.)
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To: Nervous Tick; HonorInPa
If you want to get back to seeing FR the way it used to be...go hang out in the YouTube comments section for a week then come back here.

You will see that things aren't so bad at FR after all.

84 posted on 02/04/2016 8:31:51 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Why do we give our hearts to the past? And why must we grow up so fast?)
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To: HonorInPa

Bet you didn’t preview your posting before hitting post.


85 posted on 02/04/2016 8:31:57 AM PST by deport
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To: HonorInPa

I agree.


86 posted on 02/04/2016 8:32:09 AM PST by OLDCU
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To: HonorInPa

This election has become very emotional and therefore it is difficult to stay objective even for conservatives. As a general rule I make my points and then rarely respond to follow up posts unless I omitted significant references or wasn’t clear on initial post. I assume the reader can read both my point and the counter point and come to their own conclusion without the need for me to enter into a flame war.

When encountering such a give and take on a thread by others I normally skip over the banter and look for other comments. Most of this will pass once the nominee is certain and then we will be left with those 100% purists who refuse to vote for any candidate that doesn’t agree with them 110% of the time. In other words, back to normal.


87 posted on 02/04/2016 8:32:21 AM PST by Raycpa
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To: West Texas Chuck
Here is the form to use for filing complaints:


88 posted on 02/04/2016 8:33:19 AM PST by West Texas Chuck (OBAMA: Fundamentally Twerking America)
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To: HonorInPa

Agree!


89 posted on 02/04/2016 8:33:20 AM PST by Cen-Tejas (it's the debt bomb stupid)
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To: HonorInPa

I found my way to FREE REPUBLIC following a “white water” link on the Drudge Report and have been every since.

I have to agree with the poster, things have really gotten nasty on this site over the past few months. At first I thought it was trolls who just signed up, but after looking at profiles I see many of the more nasty comments come from long time Freepers.

This is not an opus, if I do leave I will just leave, but the fact that I am even thinking of closing out my account bothers me. For now I think I will watch and see how this develops.


90 posted on 02/04/2016 8:33:53 AM PST by CIB-173RDABN (I think it would be ironic if Hillary was arrested the day after she secures the nomination.)
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To: Tax-chick; HonorInPa; Lazamataz
How did you get the garble-characters in your own post?

To avoid that, you have to become a life member. That's what Laz told me. I paid him $600.00 for a lifetime membership and it works fine for me now.

91 posted on 02/04/2016 8:34:05 AM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: hillarys cankles

Yes, the gloves needed to come off in 2012 and they did not.

The result, we got four more years of Obama.

With 351 days to go, there is no telling what damage he can still do.

Anyone who knows American history knows that American election campaigns are not for the faint of heart, especially in the early years of the Republic.

What concerns me the most is not the fighting, but whether God has decided to remove His hand of mercy from our land.

I cannot blame Him if He does.


92 posted on 02/04/2016 8:34:17 AM PST by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: grania
I'm wondering if FR life would be better if anyone working for a campaign had to divulge that information with their postings.

Ha ha, indeed! And I agree that the alacrity with which the candidates themselves are attacking each other is of no help at all. Democrats must be having a jolly good time watching it unfold the way it is.

93 posted on 02/04/2016 8:34:34 AM PST by To Hell With Poverty (All freedom must be transported in bottles of 3 oz or less. - Freeper relictele)
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To: PROCON

Life is not Mickey Mouse. This is poltics and not Disney Land.

If we were 8 year old children in elementary school, then I would agree with your point.

This is serious business. If you can’t handle it, then I suggest a new hobby.


94 posted on 02/04/2016 8:34:47 AM PST by Enlightened1
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To: HonorInPa

You need to post that in ALL CAPS because WE CAN”T HEAR YOU!

(And lots of exclamation points too!!!!!!!!!!!)


95 posted on 02/04/2016 8:34:58 AM PST by shibumi (Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way)
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To: Nervous Tick; HonorInPa; Cincinatus' Wife; libbylu
The Cruzers need to police their own people, and the Trumpsters need to police their own people.

I didn't start in until I'd gotten a bellyful of The Usual Cruzer Suspects, day after day after day after day after...

Yesterday, Cincinatus' Wife gets called on posting an article from LONG AGO.

The response? Cincinatus' Wife wrote:

Different source - hard to read with all those random @*# marks all over it.

I add more to this thread to drive home the point. [my emphasis]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3392632/posts?page=14#14

Yeah, Cincinatus' Wife - we "got the point" the first 5000 TIMES you "drove it home".

And, of course, today - dearest libbylu chimes in, AGAIN:

Donald Trump bashes rivals, voters at Iowa rally
CBS News ^ | 11/13/1 | Rebecca Shabad

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3392737/posts

No-Freaking-vember 13 - 3 months ago.

Her "justification"?:

This is a threefer - includes DT's comments on the infamous stabbing incident and DT calling Iowans idiots.

THE ONLY ONES WHO CARE ARE DERANGED PEOPLE, libbylu.

There are Trumpster "Usual Suspects", of course. Feel free to post back some particularly annoying examples.

Just main article posts - that's where the problem REALLY lies.

I carpet-bombed libbylu's thread because, well - she's REALLY annoying, even more so after her failed Opus...

96 posted on 02/04/2016 8:35:25 AM PST by kiryandil ("When Muslims in the White House are outlawed, only Barack Obama will be an outlaw")
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To: HonorInPa
take an extra second before pressing

Like taking an extra second to fix the quotes and apostrophes after copying and pasting from Word.

97 posted on 02/04/2016 8:36:52 AM PST by corlorde
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To: rktman

>> Hey. I thought there wasn’t supposed to be any name calling.

There’s always SOME schmuck who doesn’t get the memo.


98 posted on 02/04/2016 8:37:11 AM PST by Nervous Tick (There is no "allah" but satan, and mohammed was his demon-possessed tool.)
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To: central_va

Donald can be our Teddy Roosevelt.
We even have a modern version of The Whigs now known as GOPe.


99 posted on 02/04/2016 8:37:33 AM PST by lee martell
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To: Larry Lucido

That low-life Laz.

He charged me $900.00. for the lifetime membership.


100 posted on 02/04/2016 8:37:55 AM PST by Responsibility2nd (Is Ted Cruz a US Citizen? Yeah? Then Shut Up and Vote for Him.)
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