About the Moderators' recent efforts on the Illegal Alien threads: keep an open mind

January 7th, 2003 | Sabertooth

[Maigrey]

There are those of us who know you are trying to plug a dam with a straw, and the difficulty with it.

Keep up the hard work!

[Neets]

Ah Saber my friend.

This post alone, cleared up quite a few misconceptions I had of you.

Thank you.

I appreciate your honesty in all matters, be it here, or on other forums.

[John Jorsett]

Interesting how conspiracy theories seem to bubble up on these occassions. I think it must be hardwired into the human brain, since I see the same phenomenon in Democrat forums. Or do they just WANT us to think that? Hmmmm ...

[yarddog]

Sounds like a fair offer however without knowing what was said it is kind of hard to know which ones to request.

BTW I recall a story on TV a few years ago showing dozens of rotting corpses on the South Africa-Mozambique border. It was not the SA's doing the killing but the Mozambique authorities trying to keep their citizens from entering that horrible country which the entire world condemned.

Funny thing is no one seemed to object to the Mozambique commies murdering people on the border.

[Lando Lincoln]

I support totally the efforts to maintain civil discourse on these threads. While not a frequent poster on the immigration threads, I am often astonished at how quickly they can disintegrate - and old slights referenced. These are serious issues and engaged people are likely to have passionate opinions. But, discourse need not be overly offensive or uncivil. When it is, real exchange of thoughts and ideas is lost. Hall monitors are sometimes required in the best institutions. Kudos to you, Sabertooth, for your efforts.

Lando

[dirtboy]

Well stated, Sabertooth. I would add one additional suggestion - that there be a confederacy of the willing - those on both sides of the debate who wish to have an open, honest debate with only the occasional elbow thrown - and have those people police posters on THEIR side of the debate and tell them that items such as hyperbole, racism, race-baiting, calls for violence, flame-baiting and DNC talking points are not welcome additions to the debate. I've found that, on thorny subjects, folks need to keep their own dugout clean and in order for threads to stay out of the Backroom.

[Rebelbase]

Thanks for the laugh!

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

As one of the oldest, crustiest, bomb throwers around, I want to say I am with you.

There is much dissagreement, but I'd hate to see the best news forum on the net fractured by the inability to control our emotions.

I will do my best in the time remaining to me here to be as polite as possible to those #@$&**! "!@$@#%&!" who disagree with me.

[theFIRMbss]

> I do think that there are posters of diverse opinions who need to reconsider their ways, and take this effort to heart

Well, the real issue
may be that many people
simply went to schools

where reasoned exchange
was never taught. These people
are in a bind -- they

want to play, but don't
even have to "tools" to learn
to play by the rules.

[putupon]

posts referring to the President as “Jorge Arbusto,” which stopped being funny years ago,

Guily as charged, but I've never been smiling when I called the POTUS "Jorge".

Giving amnesty to the illegals is no laughing matter.

[browardchad]

Good post, Saber. I've always enjoyed reading your arguments, as well as the opposing point of view, when the conversation remains civil and on topic.

[RightWingMama]

I'm as interested in this issue as most people here are, but I won't wade into the fires of H#ll to discern the information.

Me either. My daughter-in-law is Hispanic and although she and her parents are "legal" there are lots of relatives that we question. They are all very nice hard working people...hence my confusion. I enjoy reading intelligent debate, but I don't even lurk anymore on these threads. Hopefully, things will change.

[Cold Heat]

I’ve got strong opinions and subjectivities here

of that, there is no doubt! LOL!

I have no objections to what has happened. I believe the extra attention will make both sides of this argument more succinct and factual, and at the same time less emotional.

I also understand that there is no way to eliminate emotion for arguments.

Thus-far, I find the extra attention by the mods as helpful.

"you now may return to your regularly scheduled programming"

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Rebelbase]

I applaud the tolerance you have shown toward mine and other's posts that are critical of President Bush's recent legislative actions and proposals.

Not to long ago if someone called the President's actions "socialist" that poster would have been banned. It shows growth in this forum that we recognize there is a problem within the republican party as it relates to conservative ideals and the failure of those ideals to be implemented by the current administration.

Again, Thank-You.

[Maigrey]

I don't think any of us are laughing, but using degrading names for people, even if they could be construed as correct, detract from the argument you are trying to make.

Please, continue. I look forward to reading more of your viewpoint.

[PhiKapMom]

Thank you for posting these comments -- very well stated.

As an example, one day I got told to get off the immigration threads because I was a Bush supporter. At the time I was agreeing with some Arizona people about their borders needing to be secured -- had nothing to do with Bush. Freeper saw my screen name and came after me without bothering to read what I had to say.

Sincerely hope that people listen to what you have to say and stop and think before they post. I have seen enough flame wars to last a lifetime as I am sure a lot of other people have. All we do in flame wars is give ammunition to the enemies of conservatives. IMO think the escalation of rhetoric and nastiness in flame wars are fueled by those very enemies of conservatives posing as Bush supporters and/or arch conservatives when they are neither. Most likely some people fueling the flame wars are from the librals pretending to be conservatives.

During the month of December, I spent a lot of time reading on FR and very little posting. It has been bothering me for sometime that some statements I see from "supposed" conservatives are right off the democRAT sites. That makes no sense to me at all and I wanted to stand back and observe for awhile. There are always disagreements but some of them have gone way over the top and fueled by the same type rhetoric that I would see on DU or RATs.com.

Thanks again for your post and this thread!

[Maigrey]

Fair enough.

I also understand your viewpoint, where you are torn on the issue, since you have family involved.

Alas, there is no simple issue here, where someone won't be p!ssed off with the action or result. I'm going to stick with my DRINO skin today, and hope that is enough to deal with the flames of this issue.

[joesnuffy]

When I was in RVN the VC used to not only hide among the women and children...they were the women and children...

Illegal alien invaders can easily be or hide terrorists...the country is awash with sleeper agents from every hostile govt in the world...we have no idea how many or where they are...

So why haven't we shut down the borders and stationed troops or mined the borders...if we are truly a nation at war with international and internal terrorists...we aren't certainly aren't acting like it...

This nation is turning into a Camp of the Saints" nightmare...

Of course when the world is one race one culture of one mind under one leader then there will finally be peace...that's the New World Odor's plan anyway...flooding the west with the third world is the one of the last steps on this journey accross the bridge to the future

IMO

Abre Los Ojos

[BushCountry]

Sounds like a fair offer

Actually, it sounds like an amazing offer. Overall, I think the Admin mods do an amazing job (they never pulled one of my posts and I been plenty combative)! To be honest, I don't think he/she should not have to explain themselves. The people complaining have been lowering the discourse and in general need to listen to the other side and present their arguments better (both sides).

I can also see why they need to tread lightly, FreeRepublic does not need a racist label. I just hope they know what they are getting themselves into by responding.