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Posted on 10/18/2005 8:18:22 AM PDT by Erik Latranyi
It is time to take some conservatives to the woodshed.
With a heavy heart, I write the above after visiting Free Republic this morning.
Why?
Simply our discourse is degenerating. I am dismayed at the amount of name-calling taking place in these pages. I am even more dismayed that this name-calling is being conducted by conservatives against conservatives.
I understand the anger and disappointment stemming from the Miers nomination, but also inclusive of the budget deficit, education department, immigration, etc. These are matters that bother me as well.
Unfortunately, the tone on Free Republic bothers me even more. When conservatives call each other names and friendly disagreement over issues degenerates into those proclaiming to be "real conservatives" versus "phony conservatives" we only bow to our lowest common denominator.
Rush Limbaugh calls this the "conservative crackdown". In many ways he is right (as Rush is so often). Conservatives do not want stealth candidates. We worked hard to win and will continue to work hard to increase our majorities and enact our agenda.
We are proud conservatives and we want to proclaim this from the mountain tops!
We also want those who represent us to be proud as well. We do not want apologies. We do not want stealth. We do not need to hide behind "compassionate conservative" labels.
We are the majority and we will remain the majority as long as we continue to educate the public about what conservatism is and why we demand responsibility from both the individual and the gov't.
However, lately, we are calling each other names.
This is liberal-speak. We do not want to stoop to the level of our enemies. We should not use their tactics, either.
Conservatives use logic and reason to support our ideas. We can disagree without being disagreeable.
We are not doing that, folks!
Too many of us are so caught up lately that we forget how to be civil. If you want to call names and use the F-bomb, go to DU. You will find that language replaces truth and fact everywhere.
And that is what names do, isn't it? Names replace truth and fact.
But we are conservatives. Truth and fact are what got us this far and it will be truth and fact that continue our rise to roll back 80 years of liberalism.
Some of us back President Bush and trust his judgement. Some of us do not. That is OK. That is healthy for our movement.
What is unhealthy for our movement is this name-calling.
Let it stop. Let us debate Harriet Miers over facts and truth. Stop pronouncing yourself a "true conservative" and anybody who backs President Bush a "Bush-Bot". That is liberal-speak.
Another 'stinkin, bandwidth-wasting vanity!!!!
There really isn't one single definition of "conservative" anymore.
Neither does conservative=morally perfect. Or perfect in any way.
There are no "true conservatives". Some people believe in more conservative principles than others. Conservatism is not a monolithic block of exactly like-minded people.
Conservatism is like beauty --- there is no perfection, but eveybody has their own idea of what it is.
Exactly the divisive nonsense democrats love.
Just bleat it all right out quick-like and we can then focus quality time on finding out about that missing teen in Aruba.
Oh, I almost forgot, Moron!
I think we've become so sensitive to DUmmies coming in and infiltrating us, and this is our first major disagreement, that I'd be surprised if this didn't happen.
Now that we know where people of good faith can disagree, it's time to can the insults. DUmmies will still post easily-spotted, zot-worthy drivel :-)
Thank you for the article. And, I wholeheartedly agree.
Great posts. Lets not let the liberals take us down their paths with filibustering and namecalling. Lets be conservatives and remain on the high road.
If we can'tcome to the truth with logic and fact, minus the name calling, then why bother. That does not mean that we cannot identify hypocritic acts and broken promises,by our so called leaders.
However, I reserve the right to use the term "presstitute". I just have to.
On KSFO this AM they talking about this very topic. The Republican party is proving to not necessarily be the best vehicle for representation of conservatives, and that conservatives might just need to find another party.
With all due respect, this is not a new phenomenon at FR.
Weenie!? I knew Weenie personally, and you're no Weenie!
Explosion of government spending and continuation of the nanny state is conservatism? I don't think anyone can say that with a straight face. The fight is between Republicans who still think the party is somehow strategizing and conservatives who realize that they have been left behind.
If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
Also, please see The Backside of American History
You'll love this 187 page .pdf (1.99 MB)
*sigh*
So you'll excuse me when I rant about more and more pork spending, entitlement growth, poor trade policies, poor border enforcement, and other such filth making its way through a Republican President and a Republican congress..
There's your problem. The "tone" on an internet site bothers you more than the public rape of the U.S. Constitution. Your priorities are skewed.
FR wouldn't be FR without the hysterical ranting.
Well! I see that I'm not alone with this thought.
If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
Also, please see The Backside of American History
You'll love this 187 page .pdf (1.99 MB)
Well I have great affection for all of my co-FReepers although we spout our differing opinions across the board.
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