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Not so ‘Free Republic’: The Shot Heard Around the Net
The Conservative Voice ^ | Feb 11, 2005 | by William Gheen, President, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC

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.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: 1912election; aliens; alipac; amnesty; blc; callthewaaaambulance; crybaby; desperatedemocrats; dreamact; fr; freerepublic; howtogetbanned; illegals; immigration; immigrationplan; liars; lovejimfr; minuteman; minutemen; openborders; purge; respectjimshouse; tawbbos; whatahornetsnest; whiners; williamgheen
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To: RKBA Democrat

RKBA Democrat:

Yes, Mr. Robinson and his moderators may zot who they like for FreeRepublic.com is a business and private property. That being said, I tried to make it clear in my article that most Freepers do not approve of guest worker and do not approve of Mr. Robinson or his moderators taking people off the site without cause or explanation especially when the majority here agrees with those posters. This is information that Freepers would like to know because it's rare that you see someone actually zotted.

William


441 posted on 02/11/2005 1:01:40 PM PST by William Gheen
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To: Jim Robinson; All
Hmmm... That didn't take long.

I figure you do, but we should all be expecting dozens if not hundreds of libelous attacks on FR and FReeper in the months to come. And it's only going to get louder and more savage, be ready.

I for one am a staunch supporter of sealed borders and permanent deportation of anyone here illegally, regardless of how long they've managed to break our laws. This is one point where I will never support the president.

For anyone to say they were banned for simply expressing their opinion that the borders should be closed is disingenuous at best and a damned lie besides. It's not hard to get the boot here, you just have to be a troll scumbag and I'm sure the subject of your post certainly applies.

I'm behind you Jim, and as they say, Good On You Mate!
442 posted on 02/11/2005 1:01:43 PM PST by Dr.Zoidberg (Children classics updated for Islam, "If you're happy and you know it, go Kaboom!")
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To: William Gheen

Well good luck to you sir. I do wish you well.


443 posted on 02/11/2005 1:02:00 PM PST by RushCrush (If it takes a bloodbath, let's get it over with. No more appeasement. - Reagan)
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To: Jim Robinson
...free speech is an illusion on FR.com

Wow, I didn't know we had a right to free speech on FR.

444 posted on 02/11/2005 1:02:06 PM PST by Popman
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To: William Gheen

We're not going to rev up the hits on your site. You're not the first to try that here.


445 posted on 02/11/2005 1:02:54 PM PST by cake_crumb (Leftist Credo: "One Wing to Rule Them all and to the Dark Side Bind Them")
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To: atruelady

Sheesh! These people need their diapers changed!


446 posted on 02/11/2005 1:03:45 PM PST by StarCMC (It's God's job to forgive Bin Laden; it's our job to arrange the meeting.)
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To: cyborg
rense is an antisemitic version of artbell... and vdare is a motley crew of political malcontents and bigots of all stripes.

I'll take your word for it on Rense until I check it out myself. However, most stuff on VDARE is OK. Radical sometimes, but OK. I'm not a frequent user of VDARE, but I've seen very little there, the times I've been there, that should cause much concern.

447 posted on 02/11/2005 1:04:04 PM PST by Spiff (Don't believe everything you think.)
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To: William Gheen
I am not a FR troll. I have participated on FR for several years and my last account ALIPAC was banned and all threads were pulled

Actually, I believe your "Last" account was "Cantankerous" and you were sending out Freepmails today, soliciting people to your site.

448 posted on 02/11/2005 1:04:05 PM PST by Howlin (It's a great day to be an American -- and a Bush Republican!!!!)
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To: William Gheen

If all, most or even many dissentors were purged, I'de have been banned a long time ago.


449 posted on 02/11/2005 1:04:55 PM PST by cake_crumb (Leftist Credo: "One Wing to Rule Them all and to the Dark Side Bind Them")
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To: William Gheen
I also noted that the majority of FR users share your opinion on this matter.

Of course, they're the ones still here. :-)

You get a fair flavor of the kind of people who are banned from FR by checking out the Biker Bar on TOS. It's like walking into an insane asylum when lunch is two hours late.

450 posted on 02/11/2005 1:05:07 PM PST by Right Wing Professor (Evolve or die!)
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To: Diva Betsy Ross

Diva Betsy Ross:

Well apparently you can get banned for posting material from a host of authors and other websites that are NOT stormfront. Now such list of authors or websites are listed in the FR rules. I posted a piece by Frosty Woolridge that ran on News with Views. When I sent an email politely asking why the thread was pulled so I could avoid the mistake in the future.

Bam I was zotted. I put the details up here.
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-244.html

William


451 posted on 02/11/2005 1:05:14 PM PST by William Gheen
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To: William Gheen
More like 68%.

Free Republic Opinion Poll: After hearing President Bush's speech, do you approve of his immigration reform plan?

Composite Opinion
No 68.0% 2,322
Yes 21.0% 718
Undecided 11.0% 376
100.0% 3,416
Member Opinion
No 67.9% 2,302
Yes 21.1% 715
Undecided 11.0% 374
100.0% 3,391
Non-Member Opinion
No 80.0% 20
Yes 12.0% 3
Undecided 8.0% 2
100.0% 25

452 posted on 02/11/2005 1:05:20 PM PST by Reagan Man ("Don't let the bastards grind you down." General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell)
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To: StarCMC; cake_crumb

Yes indeedee...I have to also agree with cake_crumb. People whine to get others to hit their site.

No way. I am loyal to FR!!!


453 posted on 02/11/2005 1:05:31 PM PST by atruelady
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To: Jim Robinson

two points...

1) Censorship is when the gov't won't let you say what you wish. Private ownership allows you to tolerate, or NOT tolerate, anything JimRob wants. Someday oughta get these lamebrains a copy of the Constitution.

2) REAL conservatives don't WHINE.

nuff said.


454 posted on 02/11/2005 1:05:37 PM PST by Keith (NOW, MORE THAN EVER....IT'S ABOUT THE JUDGES!)
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To: cake_crumb; William Gheen

"We're not going to rev up the hits on your site. You're not the first to try that here."

Bingo. The first post about bannings was nothing but an ad for Gheen's site. I clicked Abuse immediately, and it was gone before almost anyone saw it.

Pimping web sites is not the function of posts on FR, as far as I understand the rules.


455 posted on 02/11/2005 1:05:39 PM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: William Gheen
I don't know what your handle was and what you did to get zapped, but i can surmise from experience.

there are a few of us, actually way more than a few, who were and are supporting Bush on his Worker visa proposal and more so a total revamp of immigration policy.

None of us, including the most vocal like Dane or Bayou support open borders, but that does not mean squat to you or folk like you who descend like vultures on us if we dare to indicate support.

As a result, I have shunned the immigration threads as a total waste of time and a dangerous place to express a opinion.

But that was not good enough. immigration disrupter's began showing up on any thread with Bush's name on it or any other policy discussion having nothing whatsoever to do with immigration.

And it continued on until tempers were laid bare.

So a few get their posting privileges popped for supporting disruptive ideas and dangerous actions as well as assaults on personal integrity and you complain that you have no clue what rule or rules you violated to deserve such treatment.

That about sum it up?

456 posted on 02/11/2005 1:05:45 PM PST by Cold Heat (What are fears but voices awry?Whispering harm where harm is not and deluding the unwary. Wordsworth)
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To: Jim Robinson

I am for a big wall and an expanded, authorized border guard (read: US Military or National Guard). But I am also for expanded temporary worker permits to meet our economic needs. I also oppose amnesty. Return the illegals and let them get back into line (a line that should be expedited for everyone - subject to stringent security, crime and disease checking).

But there are, from my viewpoint at least, some far out comments on other topics posted here on occasion so I think the expectation is that this is a free speech zone (although certainly the owner should be able to guard against a group hijacking his site). The policy on prohibited postings should be posted so people know the rules up front.

If I cannot post my views, please ban me. (You don't have to warn me, I'll keep checking.)



457 posted on 02/11/2005 1:05:54 PM PST by S.O.L.
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To: Jim Robinson
I looked at the site and one guy replied he got banned for,
I failing to capatilize the "P" in President.
and
because he took issue with a poster who said that women in combat deserved to be rapped if they were captures.......
By who? P Diddy?

To funny! what a loser!
458 posted on 02/11/2005 1:06:07 PM PST by TheForceOfOne (Social Security – I thought pyramid schemes were illegal!)
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Free Republic participants have documented censorship of material from or mention of groups like VDARE.com

Mr. Gheen, for the record, I was not only an active participant on the thread where Vdare was banned, I personally recommended to JimRob that he do so. Vdare often mixes legitimate discussion of immigration issues with putrid, racist bigotry. And I have absolutely no desire to be associated with that trash.

Naturally, I can't speak to all the other anecdotal incidents that you raise, but don't EVER utilize Vdare as an example of unfair treatment. IMHO, that alone is sufficient to destroy any credibility that you may have.

"Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong."

~ Theodore Roosevelt, 1916


459 posted on 02/11/2005 1:06:23 PM PST by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: Jim Robinson

Just checking - guess it takes some time to be banned.


460 posted on 02/11/2005 1:06:29 PM PST by S.O.L.
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