Posted on 08/16/2007 7:56:17 PM PDT by crusher
I was listening to the news out of the corner of my ear when I heard FreeRepublic specifically mentioned as a "hate site" about fifteen minutes ago.
Ostensibly the long report was about the Klan using the web to recruit new wackos. Then the focus turned to Casa Maryland, and their director who claimed that calls for his murder had circulated on the internet by anti-immigrant bigots. It was then that the anchor identified FR by name as a hate site.
What I meant by that is that I've been in the forum long enough to see the change of tone.
Are you suggesting the tone hasn't changed any?
“...all those Patriots on FR who double as bikers can be mistaken for thugs as well, but we all know they are some of the kindest people on earth.”
I strongly resemble that remark! :D
BTTT.
Is FR really a hate site? Of course not -- most definitely not. If you want to see a real hate site, go check out "stormfront.org" or the like.
But your response pretty much misses the point. The topic of this thread is Fox 5 News labeling us as a "hate site." It's legitimate to wonder if we have helped them to do it.
It's primarily a matter of first impressions -- which is all that most newcomers to FR will be willing to obtain. If you're upset about Fox 5 News calling us a "hate site," perhaps it would be worth trying to see if there's anything in your, my, or anybody's behavior that would legitimately lead them to that conclusion.
Ultimately, the question boils down to this: what would an outsider think, after spending an hour or so looking at FR? Is it possible that he might understand why Fox 5 News calls FR a "hate site?"
Take an honest look, and you'll see plenty of examples of how he might actually see their point. FReepers can say some pretty wild and aggressive things, and oftentimes they'll do it in groups. That's a problem.
“In addition to the immigration RINOs we are hated by liberals who saw the fall of Dan Rather as our fault. No one likes a group that has power and the will to use it.”
Good point tioga! And, exactly why I think the liberal MSM saw an opening (via RINOS not being happy with us) and jumped on it knowing that those who were upset with us wouldn’t smack them down as they would have prior to this whole amnesty debacle.
UGH... How I wish this weren’t happening! But, I think it’s just another in a long line of examples of our elected officials and the MSM trying every way they can of silencing intelligent people who disagree and can see through their propaganda, and who can literally write, speak, and debate things with passion, facts and truth!
*************
Sure he does. And you have the right to accept or reject it.
I intend to ignore it and keep posting. I refuse to let THEM define ME.
Big media is frightened.
They know where news is found, it doesn’t reflect well on those who ignore, edit, cherry-pick, editorialize (instead of report), and literally make up the news.
Look at the stocks, look at the cuts, look where advertising is going.
Where does talk radio get a lot of their news/see through and correct MSM through fact check?
IMO, sometimes it really is hate (or bigotry, or racism, or whatnot) ... but that's just my opinion, and anyway it's beside the point.
The question is not your or my opinion of FR or various FReepers. It's more about how outsiders like the nice folks at Fox 5 News perceive FR.
They, having no long-term connection or understanding of FR, would base their opinions on the topics posted at the time they checked us out, and the manner in which they're discussed.
Sometimes, what you call "passionate political discourse" would leave an outsider with a very, very poor impression of what FR is all about -- even to the point of justifying an opinion that FR is a "hate site." Even though it's nothing of the sort.
Some, but definitely not all.
What was the response.
What do you recommend do.
I’m furious about this.
Oh, no ... you're not really going to suggest that it's only trolls who make us look bad, are you?
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.
Proverbs 8:13
= = =
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
1. You've accused me of hatred, xenophobia and bigotry. I told you to post any of my own words that support that. In return I will not post to you for a month. You haven't yet and you won't because you can't.
2. I've asked you to provide details to your solution of seperating the violent illegals from their more passive brethren. You haven't and you won't because you can't.
This week you called for the Feds to bail-out the mortgage companies with our tax dollars. Very liberal. Does the fact that you are in this business influence you?
This week you called for the government to fund social services for illegals and their kids. Very liberal.
This week you posted that those upwardly mobile Black kids from Newark were responsible for their own murders at the hands of one of your illegal darlings. That's just despicable and hardly conservative.
You wrote..."I admit I said I was "hopelessly liberal toward the peaceful illegal immigrant"
That is a bald-faced lie. You just added the word 'peaceful' now.
You wrote..."As far as I'm concerned they all deserve to start out here with a 'clean slate'. Therefore, unless they have criminal records from their home country, they're as pure as the driven snow.
Once they are arrested and convicted of a violent crime or theft, they should be jailed and then deported."
My point exactly, your idea is to wait until they rape or murder or rob or deal in drugs or in sexual slavery and only then, after they are caught and convicted should they be deported. That's a bit late for the raped, robbed and murdered Americans (even those kids whom you accuse of being responsible for their own murder). And all so that you can continue to profit from the labor of the illegals as you have admitted more than once.
Sending me a private message pleading to be seen as just a regular guy was pathetic.
You are no conservative. You are the enemy...I'm fairly certain that the mothers of those murdered kids would agree.
"Hate" has been so over-used as to have little real meaning any longer. Just like the race card is dog-eared from how many times it has been played, calling someone a hater nowadays, more often than not, is used to try and stifle legitimate criticism of the actions of a group.
Against illegal immigration? You hate Mexicans. Think moderate Muslims need to speak out more against Islamic terrorism? You hate Islam. Decry black-on-black violence? Why, you're a racist. Think Rudy is too liberal? You're a Rudy hater. Think Mitt is too liberal? You're a Mormon hater.
There are some posts on FR that trend to the bad side. But almost all of those get yanked. What remains is generally valid criticism of groups that have no desire to be criticized.
Me too! And, I'll continue to post my opinion straight up.
I strongly oppose the idea that's being hinted at by some - that idea of strict censorship or over-moderation in order to present the image of a monolithic conservative forum. Freerepublic is a forum - a collection of individuals with varying degrees of the conservative mindset. We are not all the same, and many of us are more willing to voice our opinions vigorously than others.
About those ideals....
We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.--- John Adams
Part of the problem of Internet anonymity is that it tends to make a fellow forget his manners and responsibilities. It's very easy to spew off a passionate and unreasoned response, which works to everybody's detriment.
It's much more difficult -- and far more important -- to avoid the temptation.
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