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!
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.
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.
“flame away!”
You’re lucky they don’t burn you at the stake. But you are right.
You will see that things aren't so bad at FR after all.
Bet you didn’t preview your posting before hitting post.
I agree.
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.
Agree!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You need to post that in ALL CAPS because WE CAN”T HEAR YOU!
(And lots of exclamation points too!!!!!!!!!!!)
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...
Like taking an extra second to fix the quotes and apostrophes after copying and pasting from Word.
>> Hey. I thought there wasn’t supposed to be any name calling.
There’s always SOME schmuck who doesn’t get the memo.
Donald can be our Teddy Roosevelt.
We even have a modern version of The Whigs now known as GOPe.
That low-life Laz.
He charged me $900.00. for the lifetime membership.
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