Posted on 04/01/2005 2:39:59 PM PST by hchutch
Six months ago, Free Republic was riding high, and I was proud to be a part of it. It was coming off having blown the cover off of Dan Rather’s use of forged memos against the President. The President was well on his way to winning re-election. It was a great time to be a Freeper.
However, things have changed. It started with the justifiable removal of ALIPAC. I supported that move by Jim Robinson, but the ugliness directed towards Alberto Gonzales. He was accused of everything under the sun, and Senator Mel Martinez was viciously attacked for speaking Spanish on the Senate floor. The tone and outright viciousness (terms like FROBL and traitor were fired off at anyone who did not toe the line established by Michelle Malkin and Tom Tancredo) on immigration threads had concerned me, but I had concluded it was an isolated incident. After ALIPAC was removed from FR, I had hoped the tone there would improve. But it only got worse. I was point-blank called a traitor because my views on immigration differ from those of Michelle Malkin’s groupies. On immigration threads, questioning the questionable is not allowed. One must accept the unacceptable and allow folks to defend the indefensible. Never mind that VDARE, American Renaissance, and other sites are racist or have no problem hanging out with those that are racists (I’m just going to call a spade a spade here).
There were folks who had the long knives out for Senator Rick Santorum, one of the strongest pro-life members of the United States Senate. Why? Because he endorsed Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey. It was stunning to see these long knives out for a conservative. And all it would accomplish would be his replacement by a Democrat. How in the world replacing Rick Santorum with a Democrat would aid conservatism is beyond me, but it was demanded because Santorum endorsed Specter. The long knives were out, and I suppose it was a sign of what was to come.
The whole Terri Schiavo case has changed everything for me. A mob mentality took over the first few days after the order to pull the tube was given. Anyone who did not toe the line was attacked. I saw a dedicated active-duty member of our armed forces called a “Maine liberal” for simply asking why troops in harm’s way did not get the same sort of “all-nighter” attention that Terri Schiavo got. It was a reasonable question – we have 40-year-old P-3s still out there. We have a war on terrorism still going on, in case folks have not noticed. We have to get Social Security fixed. I say this as a person who believes that at best, Michael Schiavo’s relationship with a woman (and having two kids with her) meant he had a conflict of interest – and that he had decided that Terri was inconvenient. I cannot take his word alone that Terri would have wanted this. I also believe that George Felos is a supporter of euthanasia, and that he is using this case for his own ends. Those folks give me the creeps, and I think that Jim Robinson was on the right side of this issue. However, I also got a very bad feeling when the Schindlers embraced the likes of Randall Terry and Bo Gritz. I had to wonder what has happened to the conservative movement when the threads were allowed to spiral so out of control. The concept of euthanasia is repulsive and disgusting, but it does not excuse allowing the threads to spin out of control.
I have seen the President of the United States, George W. Bush, and the Governor of Florida, John Ellis Bush, take huge political risks in an effort to save Terri’s life. I believe they were doing their best to do the right thing, and that the original law passed in 2003 was a reasonable one that was wrongly stuck down by Judge Greer and the Florida Supreme Court. I think that the Republican Party has taken a huge risk to give Terri a chance at life, and I am disgusted with those who seek a pretext that will justify leaving the GOP in the lurch. I’m sick of the way the Terri threads spun out of control, and the vicious attacks launched at reasonable people who came to a different conclusions about the situation or who pointed out facts that certain people found inconvenient. This is not what I signed on here for.
I believe in a strong national defense, cutting taxes, and in general trying to keep government involvement as minimal as possible (there are times when the best one can do is to limit government involvement in a situation). I am pro-life (with exceptions for rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother) and pro-Second Amendment. However, I do NOT want the federal government to be involved in any culture war. “Culture” was never mentioned in the constitution, thus I believe it is left to the States or TO THE PEOPLE (see the Tenth Amendment). I do NOT think immigration is a problem, but I believe some mistakes were made along the way (like eliminating the bracero program). I also think that the President of the United States has proposed a sensible plan that will go a long way towards solving the problems on our border with Mexico and do much to alleviate the problems surrounding illegal immigration. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that it is time for me and Free Republic to part company, because Free Republic has left this limited-government neoconservative. In the process of Free Republic leaving me, I now find that I fear the social conservatives as much as I fear the loony left. As a result of coming to this conclusion, I ask that my account be deleted and all posts I have made, save for this opus and the ping to my friends be removed.
I do this with regret, since I will miss some of those who I have met here, but I feel no other choice. So long.
I know it has, although I haven't been there for years.
I live in California, and I don't find anything "romantic" about an illegal invasion from Mexico. That isn't diversity, it is balkanization.
I agree. Nothing romantic about it.
Thanks for the ping Meek.
I don't get it. Ok, I do get it on some level. I just don't read for awhile.
Hope you reconsider.
So what if there are a few nutcases here? I think voices that are right of center (like mine) can still be heard.
If a certain website bores or offends me, I just don't read it. Some of them are just preaching to the converted.
If you read a little closer you would've been able to see how I feel about those who come here that are legal vs. those who are illegal....so enough about that. If you think I need to acquire more intelligence concerning these matters can you educate me as to why: I should accept the fact that American tax $ flow to millions of non-citizens instead of towards building a better future for our own children?..... employers like me that hire only Americans are forced to pay numerous payroll taxes while other businesses in my locale openly break federal laws by hiring illegals?........we're fed the line over and over that "they've only come to work" while at the same time costing us untold billions in welfare?........American ranchers along the border are forced to suffer inestimable sleep and loss of property due to this invasion while our apathetic fedgov stands by doing very little to help them?
So if we're both supposedly against illegal immigration what am I missing here?......I'd really like to know because I feel I've identified certain troubling aspects about this situation so if I'm wrong please enlighten me.
Exactly right and just curious......what are your thoughts as to what would happen to SoCal if there's some sort of disruption and the welfare $ stop flowing to all these people totally dependent on the system?
Isn't that funny ~ you're doing the same thing with FR.
Kinda full of ourselves, aren't we. :):)
Maybe it's a sham? :)
CIVIL WAR!! They would lose, of course, and go home.
" Kinda full of ourselves, aren't we. :):)"
ROTF.....yeah sometimes we are. People get passionate about certain issues, and threaten to leave the GOP. But we don't, because we have BRAINS. Vote for a traitor like Kerry? Death would find me first : )
If you want to leave, leave. Spare us the drama.
But I bet you will be back. Your type always does.
In fact, I'd bet you have returned already with a 2nd username, to the smokey back room and your vile buddies in the WPPFF/WILD TURKEY terri-hating fan club. No doubt you will collectively continue to hijack FR readers, sending them off to the George Felos' 'FACTS' page about Terri.
Later.
I save my passion for the bedroom. ;);)
When the gun grabbers rear their ugly heads, I usually blow a head gasket : )
Adios Amigo.
Dear HCHUTCH:
Don't let the door hit you on the butt on the way out.
Every thread generates a hundred opinions from one side of the conservative spectrum to the other - deal with it. So many Nancy Boys here can't stand the idea that their pet ideology would not be the main one (perhaps because they can't argue their way out of a potato sack).
Bon Voyage, Ariva Derche, Vaya Con Dios
All power is lost with a blown head gasket.
Positive action gets the job done. :)
Be Ever Vigilant!
I have to be ever vigilant in these crazy times.
Fortunately, I have plenty of gaskets : )
There are always crazy things going on out their ~ the trick is, is to not take them personally; just keep doing what you're committed to doing; forward the action and accomplish your goals.
I've given up on trying to talk sense to the likes of the snotty taliban.
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