I Am Reinstating My Previously Witheld Monthly Payment To FR

vanity | 08-26-02 | mercy

[mercy]

Giving priority to what is most important, I have decided to swallow my pride. I had a dustup with a moderator. I lost. Though I think the moderators need a tuneup they ain't so bad really. I depend on them to keep this site from becomming a free for all whacko hate site. I used to push the abuse button quite frequently on my fave undesirables ... anti-semite, haters. I notice they're a bit thin around here lately.

It is most important that Free Republic live and thrive. It is less important that I get things my way around here. Though I do not agree completely with the proposition that it is Jim's site and he can do with it what he damn will pleases ... It's as much our site, collectively, as it is his now. Perhaps Jim does ride herd a bit too hard on this creation he gave birth to. Fact is I don't know. I simply don't have enough information.

But it is a given that FR is the best there is at what it does. If it's only my morning paper and a place to exercise my verbal skills ... it's worth supporting. Now is the time for all level headed thinking FReepers to come to the aid of our wounded friend ... Free Republic.

[Texasforever]

I again wonder if it is time for FreeRepublic to be two divisions - the 3rd party/Libertarians and the GOP supporters. Both could work in their own way for their goals and hopefully both will then fight the democrats and win elections for more conservative running of this government.

Of course I can only speak for myself but I don't have a problem with the different factions or even the flame wars. I do have a problem with people that are in no way shape or form shrinking violets and then complain that they are being un-fairly "moderated". There are a lot of charges but scant evidence of that being the case. The real fact is that no one is going to change anyone's mind about politics on this or any other forum.

This seems to be the pattern on FR

A Bush supporter posts an article that is clearly pro-Bush. It is quickly descended on by those that hate his guts and then the fur lies.

An Anti-Bush member posts an article that is clearly anti-Bush and is noticed by the pro-Bush members and the fur lies.

A libertarian supporter posts a press release announcing the latest attempt to defeat republicans and the anti-GOP and the pro-GOP members swarm the thread and it is blood, hair and eye-balls all over the floor

Then the single issue members post their threads on immigration, abortion, and evolution, Israel etc. and it makes all the others look tame.

So the fact is that there IS no such thing as a "conservative" consensus at all. There are just those with oxen to gore and those with a gored ox and the condition of the ox at the end of the day defines who was "un-fairly moderated". IMHO

[kcpopps]

Thank you both for your responses.

I know that no President could jump in and make the dramatic changes I'd like to see, as fast as I'd like to see them be made. He'd be unpopular with Congress and the voters, and run out on a rail (or worse). The President doesn't even have the power to do that much alone, without Congress supporting him.

I know all that. Yet W has done a some things that really are opposite of what I'd expect him to do, being a conservative, and that Congress didn't force him into.

It's awfully hard to have faith. It seems to me there is too much comprimising with the democrats. It seems that the R's give up a little more ground each year, rather than gaining any back. Eventually, there is a point of no return - if we have not already reached it.

If we don't "hold feet to the fire", then politicians seem inclined to slide always leftward.

I should have been in bed hours ago! I'll check back later. Goodnight.

[Cultural Jihad]

... Full Throttle II? ;) We'll catch you later on down the pike.

[FatherTorque]

Ah well, John's gotta get that ignore button working sometime soon. ;) Nite.

[FatherTorque]

Full Throttle II?

Yup, it's in the works, finally!

Oh, and whoever you are, send back the real CJ, I'm starting to get the creeps. ;)

[Roscoe]

Why does it surprise you that the bulk of posters are in the GOP? The membership pretty much reflects the general population within the conservative spectrum.

Excellent point!

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

LOL

If you don't laugh, you'd likely cry.

[MJY1288]

Well Jim, I can understand if you feel the neccessity to apologize to Registered if you feel you over reacted, That is your right and I respect it. I can only speak for myself, But I feel you were justified in suspending him and if you felt the need to apologize for doing so, You didn't do much for those of us who respect your rules by doing so in a public way.

No hard feelings but I felt it neccessary to express my feelings on this subject because I witnessed the abuse registered leveled at Howlin on more than one occasion and I felt he was way overboard and his suspension was justified.

Cheers,

MJY

[ClancyJ]

Victimhood from this day forward SHOULD mean that ALL are treated the same. When a poster violates the privacy of another - he/she should be reprimanded - but it does not need to be public destruction of a person's reputation that goes on to become a feud.

All of this could be handled better if we all took personal responsibility for how we treat other posters. Maybe each of us should speak up when we see a discourse getting out of line and serve as the reminder that maybe it is time to cool it or go to the "smoky room".

There is a degree of the soap opera in reading these flaming wars - we get addicted. But, we are hurting people and hurting ourselves as others see us being ill-tempered, mean-spirited, petty and vindictive to our fellow posters.
Grudges are formed, sides drawn and all members of a group join in. It becomes exciting and fun to band together - but what does it gain in the long run?

What is the purpose of ongoing battles thread after thread, page after page using bandwidth to cause division and feed resentments? Could it be a form of attention getting? Maybe we would all be better served by ignoring the disruptors and those feeding resentments. Handle the problem and go on.

When and where is the healing and the building of rapport among posters if we don't. We should take a lesson from Jim and Badjoe.

[MJY1288]

I agree with you..... And it all starts by following the rules and for the rules to be applied equally

[Cultural Jihad]

An excellent analysis. And you didn't even mention the foolish O.S. wars between Microsoft and Apple, or between Internet Explorer and Netscape, or between Canon printers and HP printers. :/

There is a big problem with the structure. We are supposed to be working together against the socialist Democrats in power, but a small but vocal group is calling me and others socialist brownshirts because we want to ban pornography, or because we want to encourage personal responsibility in others, and advance conservative family values in our society. How are we supposed to be working for a common goal? I want to fight socialists and lawlessness outside, not anarchists and cop-haters inside.

[nopardons]

I don't know how old you are, nor how long you have REALLY been all that attentive to current events / politics ; however, " our " side has made progress. It's slow and yes, we do have to give up sometimes. So did X42 ... we got the balanced buget thing through ( though that didn't really do much good at all ) and, on the third try, welfare reform. The latter being a HUGE thing. Yet, the Dems didn't " leave ", becuase of that. That's the whole point ! We don't live in a fairy tale world, where some good fairy waves her magic wand and all is right with the world.

Do I agree with President Bush 100 % of the time ? Not bloodly likely ! I'm lucky if it's 65 % of the time . I've been called all sorts of names, here, none of them flattering, by political naifs, who neither know nor understand history and polictical reality ... the " I WANT WHAT I WANT WHEN I WANT IT " ( NOW ) crowd. The point is, those who call / consider themselves to be Conservatives, but work against the cause , are far worse than your run of the mill Dem voter. WHY ? because we know what THEY are and sometimes, yes, sometimes we can and do win some of them over. With the CINOs, we aren't so lucky. They are the " enemy within ", and that leads to disasters.

Yes, voting for a GOPer, with liberal leanings is a problem. Yes, I too want more real Conservatives elected. However, even with Rinos, when WE have majorities in both Houses and the presidency, great strides CAN be taken. Instead of winging, we all need to work together.

[Jim Robinson]

Well, my point is a permanent ban would be overkill. And that's basically where we are now. That is not what I intended. I apologized to Registered that I gave him that impression. Who knows? Perhaps someone with better negotiating skills may have been able to solve this thing without losing anyone. I don't know. Well, One thing is for sure. I can't please everyone, but I sure don't have any problem making them all mad.

[Texasforever]

An excellent analysis. And you didn't even mention the foolish O.S. wars between Microsoft and Apple, or between Internet Explorer and Netscape, or between Canon printers and HP printers. :

LOL. When people can take something that trivial so seriously then is it any wonder that politics and religion are barely controlled nuclear reactions? I really have to snicker at those that claim to be "free thinkers" when the fact is that human nature is based on herd instinct, that is the only thing that allows the human race to exist in the first place.

[Mo1]

Jim I do respect you and I respect all the hard work you do for Free Republic .. I have no idea how you do and God Bless you for it ..

I am sure there is more to the story then most of us are aware of .. however, IMO Registered got what he deserved .. he pushed the envelope to far, broke the rules and got a time out for it .. If I had done that I would expect the same treatment ..

You did not ban him, he can at anytime come back .. but that is up to him .. no one can force him to

Now with that said .. I am glad that you and Badjoe came to an agreement .. and I hope for continued luck here at FR in the future

[Roscoe]

And have you noticed how angry and intolerant the "free thinkers" get when someone doesn't share their viewpoint?

[Jim Robinson]

Hah! Well, that's something to think about.

You know, it's a shame that Al Gore wasn't allowed to take the White house. I mean, then we'd all still be friends and we'd still be on the same team. We could meet every morning in front of the WH and demand Gore get out of Bush's house. Things would be just like the glory days of FR. Oh, for the good ol days. Things were so much better then. Even the long walks to school through the snow were not all that bad. Hahahahahah.

[Texasforever]

My old daddy used to say "someday this will be the good old days". He was a real pessimist my old daddy.

[Roscoe]

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