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Posted on 06/11/2023 8:48:21 PM PDT by ransomnote
Michael Bagwell, a.k.a. 'Bagster' ~ RIP, Patriot
May 1959 to June 7, 2023During his stay in the hospital, he really enjoyed the posts by FReeQs and FReepers to him – he was very encouraged and was touched that so many were praying for him.
Blu and I had a nice long chat with him Tuesday night. He sounded good, was receiving the care he needed, and was arranging to transfer to a rehab facility. We, Free Republic, and the Q thread, lost our information warrior Wednesday night.
Click to skip to bottom of this sad post.
When I spoke with bagster at the start of his most recent hospitalization, he was boisterously joking about starting an FR “Dead Pool” with ill participants placing up bets on who dies first, and the ‘winner’ is the last one to die.
He said if he ‘croaked’ before I did, he wanted me to write a thread for him and he made me promise. I asked him to write it with me (he was still rowdy and eager for debate). He didn’t want to, but I pointed out that if he wrote it, it would be the coolest RIP ever and he could put the gifs and music links in it etc. Still no sale.
But without vivid, boisterous color of his contribution, it seems no thread would quite capture the man. He loved to debate so much that during some of our phone calls he’d just pick a topic and try to provoke me into debating or arguing it with him. He took this zest for the combat between warring world views to the information war consuming our country, and we are better for it.
He was a staunch supporter of President Trump and posted vigorously to warn the public about Covid 'plandemic', masking, lockdowns and masks, etc. His patriotism and loyalty drove him to defend FReepers, as well as the public at large, tirelessly. He enjoyed wearing his TRUMP hat and/or shirt to medical appointments to see if he would get a reaction from patients, staff. His pleasure in debate often made Freeping and advocacy enjoyable for him. When the information war heated up - he was already there, firing logic salvos, only pausing to patiently educate anyone willing to consider raw information.
Withouy Bagster, there would be no Q thread. He watched over the Q threads for 5+ years, actively defending it while supporting and encouraging us. He was in his element then- battling for the right to post about a controversial topic. He watched over us like a big brother, and was always ready to encourage and commend those he posted with. When I said he was like a brother to me, bitt replied, “He IS our brother.”
Bagster never hesitated to commend or agree with those who didn’t like him if they said something that was true - he just wanted the truth wherever it came from.
He also liked to encourage people, and often said that he would, if he could, have a phone call with everyone on FR , one at a time, including the trolls. He wanted to understand people, even if they hated him. He believed everyone had a story and he wanted to hear it. People fascinated him. Some on the Q thread had that phone call he said he wanted to have with each FReeper. For those who didn’t get the call yet, he was just taking his time getting around to the rest of you, but he wanted that one call, at least. He cared deeply for so many on FR.
I learned later that when I first started talking to him on the phone 5 years ago, he was on oxygen and had stents etc., and 30% - 40% heart function. I was shocked because even his normal speaking voice was gigantic and with his feistiness, he always seemed prepared to box someone. There was nothing not vital or engaged about the man.
Equal in importance to his role of ‘Q Thread Champion’ were the various ways he streamlined complex information for us. He listened to competing theories and distilled them into essential ideas that could be more easily analyzed.
To help the Q thread participants refine the tsunami of information being posted, bagster created an exclusive publication, The Oracle. He read every Q thread post, captured the best information and ideas and summarized it in concise editions of TheOracle, and he did it with style. The Oracle was published from 4/28/18 to 7/28/19 and is archived here. The Q thread version of this memorial thread is here: Q thread version
His creativity and intellect, his absolutely blunt sense of humor either endeared or offended. I am among those who found him endearing and admirable.
Bagster previously worked as a prison guard (investigator). Something that stood out as I got to know him is that he believed in people, and had a belief anyone could accept new information and change, no matter how they raged or presented themselves. His belief in people and his willingness to slow down and understand them, and to explain/debate them came partially from a tireless faith in them – that there was still a reasonable person inside (with a few exceptions) someone who hated what he said and ridiculed what he believed. I believe that as a prison guard, he must have amazed some of the prisoners with the degree to which he stood ready to encourage them and treat them with respect. He had these traits in abundance; I’ve never known anyone with greater, longstanding belief in giving people another chance.
I recall story he told me that made him chuckle as he relayed it.
He was at a movie theater with his teen-aged daughter and they were waiting for the movie to begin. They were seated in the sloped, wide bank of theater seating with very long stairways at either end, and the stairs were those little half-height stairs extending the full length of each side. The movie wasn’t starting because what he called a ‘little gang banger’ had walked 2/3 of the way up that long flight of mini stairs to confront someone in a row. The confrontation went on, the audience was restless and I think there was a confused (young) usher or two at the bottom of the stairs, unsure how to proceed.
Bagster got up and climbed the stairs to stand beside the ‘little banger’. He put his hands behind his back and as he was much taller at around 6’ or a bit more, he bowed his head and turned it to one side in an attitude of polite listening. The instigator showed no signs of stopping and was trying to escalate, after a few minutes, Bagster suddenly reached out, swept him into his arms and rolled him out of the row and to the stairway. To bagster’s surprise, the little ‘gang banger’ banked to one side when he reached the stairs, and then continued to roll down the length of the stairs ….he watched him roll and roll, all the way down the very long flight of itty-bitty stairs while the audience responded with wild appreciation because now the movie could start.
Bagster picked up the guy’s hat, and returned to his seat, giving the hat to his daughter, who was looking up at him with ‘Daddy’s a hero!’ shining in her eyes. She put the hat on, and kept it. Bagster laughed as he recalled it, because while he didn’t mean for the man to roll down that way, it probably appeared to the audience that he just picked the guy up and threw him down the stairs.
Those he loved most were his daughter, his son, his son’s wife, and his grandbaby. He had the good news that another grandbaby was on the way Last year when his health was poor, he worried he would never get to see grandbaby #1, so she was his prize. She and bagster celebrated their birthdays this May. Many of us on the Q thread loved him, and some of us got the opportunity to tell him directly, while others showed him with their prayers and posts of encouragement.
His health was poor to start with (diabetes/heart attack) and for many years it just didn’t show much in his participation until hospitalizations would occur. Over time, those hospital stays occurred closer and closer together.
When he knew his health was failing, he said one day, “You just go until you can’t go any more” (i.e., to debate, the thread, the forum, the protest, the fight). He had no intention of a period of retirement – he was going to support the Q movement, FReeQs ‘n FReepers, and most importantly, President Trump, until he died. And he did.
He was looking forward to coming back to FR to post on the Q thread and forum.
He has long had encouragement and support, and a worthy debate partner, from his sidekick, blu, who jokingly referred to herself as bagster’s ‘ping on the side’. Friends for quite some time, he really drew on her strength when the medical problems deepened.
He was friends with, and respected, Humblegunner and found him to be an interesting, analytical mind with solid patriotism to back it up. As Humble met Bagster’s standard for direct uncompromising speech, and was intelligent and insightful, he looked forward to, and enjoyed phone calls from him and referred to him as a true friend.
Bagster had a weakness for a well-turned phrase or heartfelt statement of patriotism, and was known to propose marriage to those on the Q thread of the female persuasion whose content caught his eye - and so he leaves behind many heart broken fiances, and soon-to-be fiances. He was, of course, the first to be captivated by the firey patriotism of beautiful author/patriot/commentator Candace Owens, and was the first to propose marriage to her.....
The next part is observation only and may be of interest only to Christians.
From the start of our friendship, Bagster said he was not Christian and liked to try to provoke me to debate him, fully believing he could show me where I was mistaken.
However, a few months ago he asked me if I’d ever listened Rev Jessie Peterson videos. Rev Peterson is essentially the ‘Howard Stern’ of Christianity and Bagster was floored to hear a steady stream of confrontational truth from a Christian. Peterson enrages women’s libbers, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ etc. When I tried to find a link for his videos just now, Youtube only gave me links to people Peterson had offended (Black leaders who stormed off his show, Young Turks, Women’s rights etc.) Here’s the link to his videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@jlptalk/videos
Peterson does not present angry tirades himself, but waits for the others to stop speaking to quietly refute them with the bluntest assessments I’ve ever heard. Bagster would roar with laughter to see the faces of the people Peterson refuted crumple in shock. They’d try to shame the pastor into retreat with calls to his Christian reputation, politeness and wokeness and Peterson gave no retreat, but doubled down, always. Bagster spent a lot of time listening to those videos; I wondered if they provided a tonic to the destructive news we study on FR.
To Christians reading this, I believe that God was still in pursuit of Bagster, whom He loved and died for. I have no way of knowing what Bagster’s final decision was, but I have a strong and steady hope that he turned to faith in his last moments as so many on the Q thread were praying for him, and because of the constant flow of spiritual warmth and social confrontational truth from Rev Peterson. We’d talked about God, Heaven etc. before and I said that I wanted Bagster to accept Christ as his savior for obvious reasons, but also because I’d recently heard the opinion that those who influence our lives on earth are our friends in Heaven. I said, “C’mon, I want to be friends for eternity!” He thought that was funny. Just before he went to the hospital this last time, he joked, despite breathing difficulties, “You’re going to make a Jesus freak out of me yet.”
I hold out hope, a steady uplifting comforting hope, that he and I will resume debating all manner of topics in Heaven one day. RIP, Brother.
RIP He was funny.
RIP....we’ve lost so many good ones over the years. A perusal of the Memorial Wall is like an FR Hall of Fame.
RIP Bagster. I will miss your posts
Bagster was sharp and funny guy. I miss him.
RIP you character.
A witty and good-hearted man. I hadn’t realized he was ill and am sorry to hear of his passing.
I think the origin, impact and ultimate promises of Q were the only things I ever disagreed with him on. I enjoyed occasional banter with him and respected how he maintained both good will and his beliefs throughout.
“I learned later that when I first started talking to him on the phone 5 years ago, he was on oxygen and had stents etc., and 30% - 40% heart function.”
RIP Bro.
Loved your defusing the trolls with humor.
Bagster, rest in peace.
He will be severely missed. No one crushed trolls better than Bagster.
So sorry to hear this. God bless bagster.
On that Wednesday, that you went away,
It started like…. any other day.
The news appeared …. and time stood still,
We lost our Bags!!!??? It was God’s will.
.
We felt the void, our hearts were crushed,
We stand here now in remembered trust….
Of the Man we’ve known and in our loss,
We remember the brother, father, and Boss.
.
Rebel, freeqster, and good friend,
That each of us ….can attend.
We share our moments of a life lived whole,
Of memories he carved upon our soul.
.
So each of us can share his laughter,
In a moment in time that stands hereafter.
Your friends are here, who loved you so.
We stand with your family to easy the blow.
.
Of a loss so great that time stood still,
Their freeqs now. And always will…
Be …..part of us, because of you.
The Rebel who stood…..to tell his truth.
.
Michael ….you made your point with style.
We laughed our butts off and stayed a while.
To watch you joust, like a rodeo clown.
Always in there, but never down.
.
We look around and see ……your Legacy,
Of a life well lived with decency.
We came for entertainment , but are missing you,
And the way you turned a phrase or two.
.
And when it is time, I hope that we’ll see,
Bagster at the Gate, with a greeting for thee….
“Hey Freeq, you made it! We’re all waiting here.
Let’s take a walk and go have a beer.”
my heart is heavy. my popcorn soggy...
bagster now knows all the answers, but i can’t hear his response.
Oh no. Goodbye to a respected FReeper. Thank you for posting the sad news in such a beautiful tribute. RIP, Bagster…you will be missed.
Oh my God, I don’t even know what to say, other than to call on MY GOD. Bagster was such a funny, engaging soul that I just loved it when he participated in a thread. Never a dull moment when he was there.
I’m shocked by this news. I like pretty much every freeper I’ve come across but I can honestly say, this one truly stood out to me. I’m so sorry he’s gone.
and, seriously, great eulogy in honoring our friend.
Darn.
RIP.
Enjoyed his style of Gung Fu.
I cannot say I share your opinion of him, Ransomnote, but I am humbled and in admiration of you and your Christlike efforts to witness the Gospel to him. I sincerely join in your hope to see him again.
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