Posted on 02/11/2005 10:55:36 AM PST by Jim Robinson
The shot heard around the Internet has been fired on FreeRepublic.com The owner Jim Robinson and his moderators have launched a sniper style purge against members that disagree with the President’s ‘guest worker’ amnesty or support more control of illegal immigration. Free Republic is an amazing tool for those looking for a good debate and news from around the country.
The problem for the administration of the site is that their creation is allowing the participants to learn that the Bush immigration record and plans are shockingly out of line with the views of most conservatives. The management’s answer to this conflict between the majority of conservatives and the influence of the White House on their Web site has become electronic executions and censorship.
Members and readers of Free Republic would be surprised to know that many members of their community have fallen silent on the discussions about illegal immigration lately because free speech is an illusion on FR.com. They are silent because they have been banned from the Web site without warning, cause, or explanation in most cases. For weeks the moderators have been suspending and banning new members that chimed in quickly on the immigration debates.
Now this trend has broadened as the first groups of long-term users were suspended or banned this past week. Although Robinson and his staff removed many members of the Free Republic community in the first few days of the purge, those that religiously support President Bush’s immigration plan, open borders and approve of public benefits for illegal aliens remain on the forum. Those that were banned were the members that wanted more done to control illegal immigration and a strict observance to the President’s Oath of Office.
Out of a 170,000 posters on FR and you pick their posts??
Hmmmmm ... geee .. we aren't trying to silence them are we?
Have you seen the comments on their little forum?
Well if you dislike FR so much .. why are you here?
Jim,
I've been around here 7 years. Though I don't agree with you on everything because I'm an Objectivist, I have tried to be agreeably disagreeable. And you've always been quite fair with me. This is your board. I'm your guest. Thanks for having me.
The Westerner
It's really too bad some of the ones that post here don't have the nerve to say to Jim some of the things they say over there, isn't it?
We're probably thinking of the same individual, whom I ignore when it's not my turn to give some other FReeper a break. Yes, that IS the point of trollish behavior. They're the disruptive kids in the class. The ones too emotionally stunted to express themselves in normal human terms.
More MSM misinformation/disinformation.
thangdadrang or however he spelled it got banned for posting a thread about blacks being niggers, joehadenuf probably went over the deep end and who knows why budweiser was banned.
Yep. Incoming.........LOL.
>>The fact he is using tactics his own users would find unethical to censor articles and silence opposition with banishments and intimidation is of great concern to all of us as Americans. New members of Free Republic and those that are not aware of Robinson’s covert attempts to stifle debate should be warned."<<
Ummm - Okay knuckle-draggers, whatever! This is a website and discussion area - not an actual nation, nor an arm of the US government. So then - consider that under the Constitution, you are not necessarily guaranteed the complete freedom to write stupid and unfounded things on F.R., nor to attack others with impunity.
This hardly seems to me to smack of "stifling debate". I am vehemently opposed to any form of immigration into the USA which under current laws would fit the definition of "illegal". Just like with "gun control" - so called - we do not need more laws added to the books, what we really need are reforms to the bureaucracy which allows or even incentivizes cheating, and limits rigorous enforcement of those current laws. Hardly a revolutionary viewpoint. Yeah, I disagree with how it APPEARS that George W Bush has approached these issues - SO FAR.
But I recognise Bush as being somewhat of an "incrementalist" in terms of his 'strategory', and I voted for him with even more confidence the second time. I know a man of principle when I see/hear one. That is "W", despite outsiders' efforts to create cracks in the GOP, or undermine our resolve and our trust in one another.
I would not want to be an active part of a newsgroup type community where there was not some form of moderation. The better angels of our natures do not always prevail with their temperate wisdom. Some among us arguably have no such angels, and are often no more than one imbalanced chemical ion, or faulty tinfoil hat away from a near-psychotic break.
Why should others have to suffer slings and arrows for lack of reasonable courtesies being enforced?
My $.02 worth.
A.A.C.
Indeed and makes them suspect as is Green.
Easy!
Like FreeRepublic, NPR is member supported. Unfortunately, it's also government funded.
Since it's government funded, one would expect that NPR would be free of bias.
Now we all know that NPR is in no way free of bias. So in that sense, it IS like FR!
You itchin' for a fight, er what? Dang!
Good lord!
I'm with you 100%.
Well, this explains the unsolicited mail from Cantankerous (which was purged without a peek). Immigration is an issue which quickly devolves into racism in the posts. Thank you for striking preemptively.
You got that right! Californians (and others, too, probably) are always whining about their government being bankrupt, but this is one of the reasons it IS bankrupt, paying for stuff for people who don't give back in taxes to help support the system! And, by this, I am only talking about illegal immigrants!
Do ya mean it's 'stategery?'
Uh, isn't freedom pretty much the underpinning of the American "Culture"? I live in Miami, all of my neighbors are of Central Americans or Cubans, and when they say "My country, I know what they mean in context ...
2. At what point do we finally stop the inflow? Sure, they all want to free but can we supply the billions that want to get here the freedom they want?
We don't "Supply" freedom, we are free. It's not a commodity.
3. Is it about freedom or is it about economic opportunity? If it is about economic opportunity then they should be willing to work in their home country to gain that economic freedom. Why is it the United States' responsibility to provide economic freedom to these millions?
Freedom and Economic Opportunity pretty much go hand in hand. Can you name me a Country with economic opportunity that is not free?
I don't know about your 4th point, seems like we're trying harder now than ever before. The question is, do we get further trying to nab illegals, or nailing down the people who hire them. I think the latter and suspect you agree.
What's wrong with seeing your home country as "first"? I want America to thrive and survive before any other country on earth. Don't you?
Sorry, you misunderstood; I was referring to the ... I suppose they were a Movement in pre-WWII America. Run a google on the "America Firsters" and you'll see what I meant.
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