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.
I agree with you.......no to the amnesty plan and no to bots....now can we also stop calling every Repub that has a difference of opinion a "RINO" or "traitor"???????
I think yours is an excellent question.
I live in a rural area where the sheriff's response time is about thirty minutes. There will probably never be a crime in my neighborhood that is stopped by local law enforcement. It will instead be stopped by me and my neighbors.
I oppose Bush's current immigration policy. I tell everyone I know, including members on this forum. I believe it is wrong headed, political, and will invite more illegals to come in...which means more very undesriable criminal and terrorist types will come in with them.
I believe we should seal the majority of the border with fences and give the INS agents the authority to strictly enforce it and do their jobs...with the military's help if necessary. This would be true all along the southern border except for specific entry points where anyone who wants to conduct legal trade, or absolutely legal immigration into this country is free to do so...so long as it is legal and by the rules we set (our elected reps).
There...see? I am still here.
After we took down Dan Rather and the lastest Jeff Gannon psuedo-controversy, it appears that the MSM is on full scall assualt mode on this website. Any post by a one week newbie will reflect on all of us. You are entirely right about being careful about this issue!
I suspect that many of the posters coming on here are really DU'ers using the immigration issue to spew racist rhetoric to make us look bad.
Free Republic is becoming a force to be reckoned with. I support any actions you take to make it so.
I salute you, Sir!
Those are just the ones I was posting about. There was a really annoying one on the LIVE thread for the President's SOTU speech. He just about rendered the thread unreadable, what with having to scroll past his dozens of borders/Bush bashing posts. You begin to wonder if that's the point of this trollish behavior.
Not me.
The Bikerbar pervs are having an orgy over this.
Since 1998:) and I was quite unaware my voice was without resonance..., without clarity. It took one whose only partisan glance gleaned what me and others took for granted to be tarnished by the Left!
Thanks for posting this, Jim.
I'm with you: as much as I disagree with the President about immigration, I even more disagree with those you have determined to banish from this site. We don't need those mongrels around, turning this excellent site into a haven for the lunatic fringe, and marginalizing our effectiveness.
Keep up the good work.
/
you are right......free speech doesn't apply here but we should have some degree of tolerance of others views as long as they are not hateful or trolling for a ZOTTING..
Hey Buddy, we don't appreciate the anti-Free Republic propaganda your dishin' out here. I wouldn't want to be in your bunny slippers when the moderators and viking kitties get through with you... /sarchasm off
I vaguely remember reading some kind of a warning posted here about "Stormfront." That's the last thing we need.
The immigration issue is one of the most simple of all issues to solve. I have written to every single congress critter as well the POTUS with my ideas and have not heard ONE SINGLE word back.
It is a political issue they are using to garnish votes. Plain and simple.
There's a reason why I view politics as a 3-dimensional globe and not a 1-dimensional line; guys like William Gheen :-)
Bump!
Hehe, you must be one of the Pajamahudeen! That was quick!
Bump!!!
Apparently Mr. Gheen is upset about losing his access to FR to try to get people to his web site.
There is no substitute for self control and basic civility. Not even moderators.
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