Posted on 04/04/2005 8:07:34 PM PDT by Long Cut
Well, that time has come for me. I’m leaving FR. However, I do not consider this an “opus”, as I am NOT going to use it to rehash old slights or arguments, or to give my personal opinion of what “should be done around here”. As has been so often pointed out, this is Jim Robinson’s site, and he runs it as he sees fit. Rather, all I’m going to do here is give a general reason for my departure, and say a hearty-but-sad “GOODBYE!” to all the folks here who have enriched my life in the past four years.
I am a small-government, national-security and military supporting, pro-gun, economic conservative who also likes to enjoy the life I have to its fullest. I believe that the government does its best work when it restricts itself to the things it is supposed to do vis a vis the Constitution. That is, it should restrict itself at this time to shooting terrorists and delivering the mail, as well as doing its level best to ensure that the rights of one citizen are left untrampled by another. I hold that the government should stay as far as possible from any entanglements with religion, organized or not, save to ensure that ALL are treated fairly by the law. I also hold that the government should NOT be in the business of making laws regarding the personal, private behavior of its free citizens, so long as such behavior harms no other.
In these past months, it has become plain to me that this position is NOT that of a majority of FReepers, nor of the management itself. So, rather than “tilt at windmills”, I shall simply go my own way. I have no comments about this circumstance or its origins; it is simply the way I see things.
Also, I have grown as a person on FR. When I first joined, I’d be right in there flaming with the best of ‘em. As the years have past, I have come to realize the value of simple, civil discourse, for it is in that sort of discourse that a man may actually learn things, both about the topic at hand, and about himself and what being a true gentleman means.
As before, in the past months, the majority seems to prefer it to be otherwise. Again, no comments, just stating what I see.
Before I leave, however, I wish to do two things.
First and foremost, I wish to thank Mr. Robinson for providing this site…despite the necessity of leaving now, I have truly learned a great deal here, too much for words. I was able to “vent my spleen” on issues that mattered to me, talk about mutual interests with like-minded people, and get to know some absolutely terrific folks. Mr. Robinson, you did a good job. Sorry indeed am I that I must part ways. Nonetheless, as one old Sailor to another, “Fair Winds And Following Seas, Shipmate!”
Second, I wish to thank, and bid farewell to, some of the most outstanding people it has ever been my pleasure and honor to know.
- The folks over at the FReeper Canteen, shepherded by 68-69tonkingulfyachtclub. I was drawn to the Canteen almost on my first day here, as there exists there an outpouring of support and affection for this nation’s military (of which I am a part) the likes of which have seldom seen equal. From the first, they took me in as if I were one of their own families, and the regular posters there were with me with prayers and support, as well as joy and salutes, through many dark days indeed, and many bright ones.
I am an agnostic, religiously, but that did not matter to my Canteen Friends…they were there with prayers and, well, love when my wife and I lost our first baby. They shared in the joy we had when we finally had a healthy son. They prayed again, selflessly, for me when I went on deployment. Then, they welcomed me home again with open arms, and more prayers, as I came home to bury my dear mother. In doing this for someone they knew was not religious himself, and in doing it without any hesitation, they showed a non-believer the BEST side of Christianity one could possibly ask for. To the Canteen, including Ms. Behavin, Ms. Poohbear, La diva loca, trussel, Tonk, Spotsy, Bentfeather, KathyinAlaska, and all the rest too numerous to name, I say without any sense of irony at all, “BLESS YOU”.
- The many unbelievably intelligent scientists and science-lovers over on the Crevo and science threads, ably pinged by PatrickHenry. From you ladies and gentlemen of BOTH sides, I have expanded my scientific knowledge and thinking by an order of magnitude. Ichneumon, Vade, Junior, Radio Astronomer, Right wing Professor, Betty Boop, Alamo-Girl, and all the rest of the maniacs over there made it an edifying experience that could never have been acquired in a school.
- The HTT list. I thoroughly enjoyed the times we spent “raisin Hell”. Gabz, Formermilitarychick, exnavychick, and the rest shared many a laugh with this old Heathen.
- Archy, Squantos, Travis McGee, Glock Rocks, Joe Brower, criminall number 18f, and all of the guys and gals on the gun or “Bang List threads. I learned a ton of good gouge from you guys over the years. I’m gonna miss you, but with your advice I shan’t miss much else with a pistol!
- The Republican Party Reptiles. The Big B and company showed quite well that not ALL conservatives are stick in the muds. Many of us actually LIKE looking at pretty women in few clothes. B, I hope the party lasts a bit longer fer y’all.
- The WPPFF. Y’all know who you are, and why. All I can say is, we tried. And we tried long past what any normal person would have, to our credit.
- My individual Friends…DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet, Veronica, peach, the incomparable PukinDog, Wild Turkey, and about a hundred others I could take a couple of days naming. I’ll miss y’all sumpin’ turible.
Anyhoo, this has gotten longer than I ever thought it would. Anyone with me on their ping lists can go ahead and remove my name, if you wish. Those whose wish it is to gloat, say “good riddance”, and other such juvenile nonsense are welcome to begin, thus confirming my reasoning.
‘Bye, all. Godspeed.
Bye sweetie,
Stop by and visit from time to time :)
You'll be missed.
May you be blessed with a wonderful life! :o)
Get a load o' those keywords. :-)
Sorry to see you go.
Long Cut.... good morning. I do hope this morning you are overcome with an overpowering urge to come back.
Yes, an indication of what the maturity level has sunk to around here. Sad.
You were a voice of reason on those threads. You'll be missed.
LC, I too want you to stay. Sigh.
I believe this Opus is an admittance of failure on your part to achieve even 1/10000 of what JR has accomplished here. And its sticking in your craw that you have failed.
This is a huge forum where thousands of conservatives (that's the venue remember) can voice their views on hundreds of threads simultaneously while trying to maintain some decorum.
You could not even moderate your own one measly thread. That JR allowed the thread to continue after some of what I saw posted there is a testament to his fortitude and brilliance and shows a lack of class and gratitude on your part.
That you would post this Opus while a Freeperthon is in process makes you look all the more graceless IMO.
Especially in view of the subject matter, some of them gave me quite a chuckle.
I suppose it depends on how one chooses to look at it.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead. Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one, Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun, Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods; For nothing now can ever come to any good.
And please check back. You may reconsider.
Geeze, Dude!! I hate to see you go..
That's just one less to keep the zealots, extremists, and fanatics in line..
Some of us will miss your presence here..
I know that tone...I see the accusatory look in your eye. ;)
ROTFLOL!
YES!
I admit it.
You have me nailed.
LOL-LOL-LOL
Takes 2 to fight, as my Dad always said! :)
The intensity of the left to implement their twisted agenda on us will not end. Leftists will "mutate" but keep attacking, like a virus. Perhaps LC will find another group or forum which recognizes this and will also stand up to the left. I wish him luck. Our views are not always singular, (thankfully) but for the most part, our understanding is very clear of the peril to our nation still posed by the left. But you never know, many who have left may yet show at the battle of Minas Tirath.
Bye, you will be missed.
I hope you are right, I'd like Long Cut on our side...
And I hate to see him wading through all the muck on LP.
Religiousity was SO misconstrued, as were your beliefs and positions. It was a hard thread for me to read, Long Cut, and it disturbed me greatly in many ways. I posted the following to you in my post #210:
"Long Cut, I read the absolutely sickening, enraging article, then the whole thread that followed/is following. I agree with all of which you have observed and of which you've written, in your post, to which I am replying. I agree that the commentary of which you speak has been unfoldingly revealing. Goodness is in the heart. A good heart shows. My hand is out to you at any time of the day. I can see in your heart that your hand is also out to me. I thank you for that."
"Sincerely,
Miss Behave
Roman Catholic
sinner (And as I mentioned once before, I work on that.)"
I so appreciated your return post to me regarding the juxtapostion of religion and guns. And I further appreciated (and would like to thank you again today, LC,) for your link at post #230 to Dru Blair's magnificent military artwork. I couldn't wait to share it, as well as your homepage link to Don Feight, with my father and friends.
Long Cut, I meant from my heart what I wrote in my post #210 about you and your heart. I hope that EVERYBODY reads your post #162 on that thread. EVERYBODY. In fact, I'm just going to take the liberty of reposting your words right now, LC, in hopes that you don't mind. It read as follows:
"Response???"
"You know, Lindy, I really wanted to respond. I actually began to consider your statements, see just what, if anything, about them I disagreed with, and considered the responses possible. I was preparing to put my thoughts in as good an order as possible to post a decent and polite response. I wanted to not only offer counterpoints, but rebuttals where necessary. I noted some weaknesses in your hoped-for points, and wished to make them known, in the spirit of honest debate."
"Then, I read your further posts here. Particularly, the ones about Buddhists (and that is the correct spelling, BTW). I then went back and read your original posts in that context. I wound up slapping my head."
"You see, it was like being at a dinner party with aquaintances, and having the hostess say at some point, "You know, it's really too bad about those Jews...they're all going to Hell, you know...". You realize in your discomfort two things...one is that you should have seen it coming a mile off, and the other is that the only reasonable response is NOT to debate the issue, but to simply rise, take your spouse's hand, and depart."
"You have been posting things which lead to some ugly conclusions about you on my part...one such being that you have NEVER in your life met a Buddhist, and are completely ignorant of their faith. The other is that you are a complete bigot, albiet a religious, as opposed to racial, one. Actually, the two frequently go together so often I'm not sure about the second."
"I've known many decent, honest, and truly uplifting Christian people in my life. Some have offered me comfort and prayers in dark times when they KNEW I did not follow their faith. They did it just because they were good people, not to proseletize. At no time did they EVER feel the need to promote Christianity by trashing OTHER religions. They instead told of what was GOOD about their own. Apparently, your faith is not so strong."
"No matter. I'll not waste argument, words, or effort on one such as you. They'd be totally ignored regardless of the points made. You would consider yourself too "holy" to listen. Most like you do."
"No doubt, you'll now claim some sort of victory. Feel free to do so if it gives you more comfort in your little world. However, many people have read your words as I have. Now, some more have. We know you now, and how to regard your arguments. All I'll say is that you need to grow up, and quit reading the hate-filled crap you obviously do."
Long Cut, again, I beg you not to go. The site will suffer a tremendous loss if you do. PLEASE reconsider.
And I'm sure that when I offered you a "Good Morning, Long Cut," last week in the thick of things, it just (hopefully) got buried in your many pings as of late. Emotions on Terri's plight have run so very deep and wide, and I regret some of the manner in which I have written on the matter. I only hope that your non-response to me was not due to our great chasm on Terri and her death.
I would like to offer it again, LC, whatever happened regarding my one to you last week: Good morning, Long Cut, and good morning, Howlin.
And, Long Cut, I would like to add that my hand is out, opened wide, to you and your good heart and soul. My hand will always be there right in front of you, Long Cut. And I'll say it again as I did in my above words to you; about you: "Goodness is in the heart. A good heart shows." I have NO doubt that you are a great husband, father to Short Cut, and friend. Again, Long Cut, I beg you not to go.
Love and FReegards,
Your Kid Rock girl,
Miss Behave
Religiousity was SO misconstrued, as were your beliefs and positions. It was a hard thread for me to read, Long Cut, and it disturbed me greatly in many ways. I posted the following to you in my post #210:
"Long Cut, I read the absolutely sickening, enraging article, then the whole thread that followed/is following. I agree with all of which you have observed and of which you've written, in your post, to which I am replying. I agree that the commentary of which you speak has been unfoldingly revealing. Goodness is in the heart. A good heart shows. My hand is out to you at any time of the day. I can see in your heart that your hand is also out to me. I thank you for that."
"Sincerely,
Miss Behave
Roman Catholic
sinner (And as I mentioned once before, I work on that.)"
I so appreciated your return post to me regarding the juxtapostion of religion and guns. And I further appreciated (and would like to thank you again today, LC,) for your link at post #230 to Dru Blair's magnificent military artwork. I couldn't wait to share it, as well as your homepage link to Don Feight, with my father and friends.
Long Cut, I meant from my heart what I wrote in my post #210 about you and your heart. I hope that EVERYBODY reads your post #162 on that thread. EVERYBODY. In fact, I'm just going to take the liberty of reposting your words right now, LC, in hopes that you don't mind. It read as follows:
"Response???"
"You know, Lindy, I really wanted to respond. I actually began to consider your statements, see just what, if anything, about them I disagreed with, and considered the responses possible. I was preparing to put my thoughts in as good an order as possible to post a decent and polite response. I wanted to not only offer counterpoints, but rebuttals where necessary. I noted some weaknesses in your hoped-for points, and wished to make them known, in the spirit of honest debate."
"Then, I read your further posts here. Particularly, the ones about Buddhists (and that is the correct spelling, BTW). I then went back and read your original posts in that context. I wound up slapping my head."
"You see, it was like being at a dinner party with aquaintances, and having the hostess say at some point, "You know, it's really too bad about those Jews...they're all going to Hell, you know...". You realize in your discomfort two things...one is that you should have seen it coming a mile off, and the other is that the only reasonable response is NOT to debate the issue, but to simply rise, take your spouse's hand, and depart."
"You have been posting things which lead to some ugly conclusions about you on my part...one such being that you have NEVER in your life met a Buddhist, and are completely ignorant of their faith. The other is that you are a complete bigot, albiet a religious, as opposed to racial, one. Actually, the two frequently go together so often I'm not sure about the second."
"I've known many decent, honest, and truly uplifting Christian people in my life. Some have offered me comfort and prayers in dark times when they KNEW I did not follow their faith. They did it just because they were good people, not to proseletize. At no time did they EVER feel the need to promote Christianity by trashing OTHER religions. They instead told of what was GOOD about their own. Apparently, your faith is not so strong."
"No matter. I'll not waste argument, words, or effort on one such as you. They'd be totally ignored regardless of the points made. You would consider yourself too "holy" to listen. Most like you do."
"No doubt, you'll now claim some sort of victory. Feel free to do so if it gives you more comfort in your little world. However, many people have read your words as I have. Now, some more have. We know you now, and how to regard your arguments. All I'll say is that you need to grow up, and quit reading the hate-filled crap you obviously do."
Long Cut, again, I beg you not to go. The site will suffer a tremendous loss if you do. PLEASE reconsider.
And I'm sure that when I offered you a "Good Morning, Long Cut," last week in the thick of things, it just (hopefully) got buried in your many pings as of late. Emotions on Terri's plight have run so very deep and wide, and I regret some of the manner in which I have written on the matter. I only hope that your non-response to me was not due to our great chasm on Terri and her death.
I would like to offer it again, LC, whatever happened regarding my one to you last week: Good morning, Long Cut, and good morning, Howlin.
And, Long Cut, I would like to add that my hand is out, opened wide, to you and your good heart and soul. My hand will always be there right in front of you, Long Cut. And I'll say it again as I did in my above words to you; about you: "Goodness is in the heart. A good heart shows." I have NO doubt that you are a great husband, father to Short Cut, and friend. Again, Long Cut, I beg you not to go.
Love and FReegards,
Your Kid Rock girl,
Miss Behave
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