The proper center....
Posted on 04/27/2007 3:10:50 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
Yup, there’s been some kind of mission statement as far back as I can recall. Here’s the one from the wayback machine I found when I was posting to Sam Hill earlier. He was talking about when he signed up in 1999. Although some of the focus of what we were trying to influence has changed, the underlying core principles have not changed.
http://web.archive.org/web/19990125095438/http://www.freerepublic.com/
What is our mission? Free Republic is dedicated to reversing the trend of unconstitutional government expansion and is advocating a complete restoration of our constitutional republic. Listed below are some of the issues we feel strongly about.
Basically, we believe that the Founders designed our system of government in the form of a constitutionally limited republic, with maximum freedom intended for the people and minimum government control or interference into our personal lives and business affairs.
The united states of America was intended to be a federation of sovereign states, each with its own constitution and state government. Governments at all levels — federal, state and local — were to be controlled by the people. Our Constitution explicitly restricts the power of our federal government; and our Bill of Rights guarantees that NO government may infringe upon our God given unalienable rights. This is to ensure that the real power remains close to home, with the states, the local governments and always in the hands of the people.
We the People have granted our federal government limited powers to oversee certain things, such as national defense, interstate commerce, the postal service, the coining of money, and the operation of a court system. Most other powers now in the hands of the federal government were illegally usurped from the states and from the people.
Somehow, over the years, our guiding principles of law, as set forth in the Constitution, have been eroded to the point that the federal government now has total control — leaving the states impotent and the people as captive servants to the federal government. This must be reversed if we are to survive as a free Republic and a free people.
We at Free Republic are determined to return the Constitution to its rightful place as the Supreme Law of the land as the Founders intended.
It is not necessary for everyone to hold the same views to be members of Free Republic, however, many of us do share many of the following as common beliefs and goals:
The preservation and complete restoration of our Constitution and Bill of Rights with special emphasis on the first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, ninth and tenth amendments and, of course, our right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness — free of government intervention.
We call for the repeal of the 17th amendment, which will reverse the independence of the Senate and reestablish the Senate as a representative of the State governments, as intended by the Founding Fathers. This arrangement was intended to be a critical check against illegal federal expansion over the States, and the people residing in the various States, and will act to return the powers not granted to the federal government, as enumerated in the Constitution, to the states.
We call for the repeal of the 16th amendment and to abolish the income tax and the IRS. Revenues to the federal government should come from excise taxes and tariffs.
We call for the repeal of the Emergency and War Powers Acts, an end to all national emergencies and a ban on the unilateral creation of law by Presidential edict. We are also working for the repeal all laws created by unconstitutional and extraconstitutional devices, such as Executive Order or Presidential Directive.
Repeal of the war and emergency powers acts and the various states of national emergencies will allow the abolishing of all unconstitutional federal law, agencies and departments. This will return us to a Federalist system of government and return many responsibilities to the States and personal rights to the citizens.
A return to a strictly Constitutional form of federal government will automatically repeal and abolish all unconstitutional federal involvement in states issues such as: crime, health, education, welfare and the environment. The Tenth Amendment will again be in effect, which will bar all federal attempts at legislating social issues. This will also require that social programs such as Social Security, welfare and Medicare be repealed. So too, will most federal subsidies.
We further call for the rescinding of all treaties and/or International Agreements which are not in perfect agreement with the federal government?s Constitutionally mandated task of protecting the rights of the people.
We believe that the United States should disassociate itself from the U.N. and that the U.N. should be forced to leave the United States. Furthermore, we demand that the federal government refrain from meddling in the business and squabbles of foreign nations, unless there is an imminent threat to the people of the United States.
We also call for the strengthening of our military and defenses; the effective control over illegal immigration and smuggling; the paying down the national debt; and strict control over federal agencies like the CIA and the FBI.
NOTE: Free Republic does NOT condone bigotry or violence and does NOT advocate an overthrow of the government.
That would make an interesting tagline. I'll shorten it a bit.
I like it!
I do too!
He is so far on the left of so many issues that it is hard to see why Mr. Giuliani doesn’t run as a Democrat instead of as a Republican.
***Maybe that’s his plan.
Rudy Giuliani video on YouTube: “I would like to run on the Democratic line “
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1793570/posts
“the now banned liberal Giuliani supporters/conservative bashers were cheering wildly as the Bush bashers were getting their heads handed to them.”
So true. I was not a basher, but when I posted my dissent against the Miers nomination, CFR, open borders, I was pummeled with 2X4s as many others on here were too.
It's a fine line.
Yup. I received quite a bit of that pummeling myself. Cant hold out for known conservatives, y’know.
It should be interesting to see what kind of mileage FR gets after your latest tune-up.
Buchanan to the right and Giuliani way out on the left. Extremism abound. Even though some FReepers tilted leftward on a few issues over the years, I always thought Jim kept FR in the conservative mainstream, operating in the spirit of Ronald Reagan.
That sums it up beautifully.
Clearly, individuals who do not share conservatives' hopes and dreams are out of place on FR---like a slab of Spam in a 5-star restaurant.
Let's keep in mind that FR is NOT a debating forum. Since its inception, FR has been a haven for conservatives, a place to get away from liberal rantings. FR is a news-oriented forum where conservatives discuss current events---mostly agreeing, sometimes disagreeing.
JimRob has outlined the FR mission to which all conservatives subscribe. Conservatives agree unequivocally that FR is NOT the place to promote liberals, socialists, socialism, abortionism, feminism, homosexualism, gun control, illegal aliens, etc.
Jim has decried the conservative-trashing some individuals have engaged in, and has acted accordingly.
It is extraordinarily offensive when individuals come on FR with a hidden agenda.
When individuals continually denigrate FR conservatives and diminish our strongly-held beliefs.
When individuals use FR to flack liberals like Giuliani and engage in revisionist history vis a vis Rooty's positions (as a way to dupe conservatives into thinking Rooty is one of them).
When individuals suggest FR conservatives are a meaningless insignificant group that they, and Rooty, plan to dump off the Repub party lifeboat.
When individuals suggest FR conservatives are "in the way" of Rooty's political ambitions.
When individuals suggest FR conservatives should bug off and sit idly by while the US government is turned over to Rooty-liberals, heralding the political destruction of our Nation, and the loss of our freedoms.
Individuals who do not, or cannot, abide by FR protocols should not waste our time, or our bandwidth.
I don't think Fred will be the next Reagan. He will just be the new Fred. He's an original, just like Reagan was.
But he would, IMO, govern in the spirit of Reagan.
When Ronald Reagan spoke, the world listened.
When Fred Thompson speaks, people listen.
A very rare quality, indeed.
I like FredT! I hope he makes some announcement soon.
Took your suggestion as to the tagline.
Looks real good.
I like it!
And then there's me...
Hi Leni! Hope you’re doing better!
Looks pretty good but I’d put both right sections into the same color and move both areas to the left (pardon the expression).
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