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 Presidents 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 managements 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 Bushs 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 Presidents Oath of Office.
The original post is on 1783 and it quotes wardaddy saying he is against and DEMOGRAPHIC (not cultural) change. My reply is that to stop demographic change, you must have race based quotas on immigration and/or birth rates. I will repeat that forcing demographic stability is requiring race based quotas and I believe that to be racism.
Please read post 1783.
(In unison)
You are zay Philistine! You are not worthy to gaze upon ZAY GATES!
:0)
-good times, G.J.P.(Jr.)
I have been very vocal on the illegal immigration threads. I disagree with the President's position on this. I have never been banned... or sent to timeout (*didn't even know there was a time out.) I have taken personal timeouts... because the "discussions" were turning into "unproductive" ya-ya/blah-blah squabbles.
Personally, I think this is a topic that needs honest, reasonable debate. According to DeLay, the President himself has said he was open to that.
Opus?
Never.....and no LP whining either.
ever.
First off, This flare up was started by Nathan Tabor. Mr. Tabor was banned during his primary campaign in the 5th district of North Carolina. He posted for awhile and was banned, rebanned, etc. I missed the primary reason he was gone, but I know some posters here knew him personally, and not in a positive sense. Mr. Tabor's got his site. He wants hits to it. FR's part of the competition. Mr. Tabor also has an ax to grind over several of FR's posters' non support for him during the campaign(most supported Vernon Robinson). Why he chose to post on FR during most of his campaign instead of knocking on doors I don't understand, that may be a big reason why he finishing deep in the pack during his primary.
I've long said that everyone's got an agenda, that's certainly the case here. Mr. Tabor and Mr. Gheene have their own sites and message boards. FR's been in the news lately through the whole Martin O'Malley affair. During the last 3 years here, the four issues I've seen the most heat against Bush have been the Patriot Act, BICRA(McCain/Feingold), the AWB(dead for now), and our borders. The border issue has been the most in the news. There's the hot iron, and those two struck it for all it's worth.
This relates to the internal/office politics post from the O'Malley related thread.
The one really bad development I've seen here is the cliquishness(and all the office/internal politics that goes with it). If there is one downfall and killer I've seen in all types of organizations over the years, it is because of the 'cliques'. I've seen it at almost every organization I've been involved with. I've seen signs of it here, especially in this thread. It's like high school all over again. Jocks/skaters/preppies/nerds/wannabe gangstas etc. With the cliquishness and groupthink that goes along with it, the people are becoming the issue, not the policy issues.
Great observations Dan ~ good job!
FR will survive all the personalities ~ I've seen 'em come and I've seen 'em go. ;);)
Learn American history FooFighter, there was no illegal immigration (except if you were Chinese) to the US until after 1921 because there were no limitations on immigrants before then...in other words, until after the vast majority of Italians got here.
Aw come on...on more than a few posts you've stuck your chest out with pride over your ancestor's ability to organize crime gangs.
I can bet you that there are more citizens in the US who have never read the Constitution, than there are those who have.
you're still angry over mom and dad's tribulations and you want us to pay for it.
Wow we have been blessed with our own FR Dr. Joyce Wardaddy.
Whew sign off for 30 minutes and the long knives come out.
Talk about psychological theorems.
What are these competing websites?
He said a total of three sentences after getting prior permission.
BTW he was not the first to do this.
Mucho correcto(no doubt I will be attacked for using Spanish, bad Spanish nonetheless). :^)
why not just own up to it Dane? You resent what you percieve as "gringo culture"?
I have never made any pretense why I fight my fight. I'm part of that gringo culture you're not so crazy about....in fact I am part of the most reliable segment of that gringo culture when it comes to voting conservatives into office.....the White Southern Male. I make no apologies for that.
I'm sorry you got picked on....but it happens to nearly everyone at some point.
IMO, she's not worth replying too.
She and the others have proven their hypocrisy and dishonesty many times over on this thread.
Agree, but I'd also have to add one other thing. We all lost our major enemy. Bill Clinton was a good uniter.
BTW he was not the first to do this
HTB, to Mr. Mojo, it doesn't matter that Sen. Martinez is anti-abortion or pro-tax cuts. Sen. Martinez committed the ultimate sin to his side, he spoke three sentences in Spanish defending Alberto Gonzales against Chappaquidick Ted's attacks.
IMO, with Sen. Martinez's saying three sentences in Spanish, Mr. Mojo beleives that Sen. Martinez is a bigger devil than Ted Kennedy.
Don't insult Daschle like that. Sheesh.
Definitely correct, and definitely a problem.
Und ja, Winston Churchill war eine dummkopf, auch(/sarkasm)
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