I started FR as a hobby in my spare time while working on another business venture during the day. In the beginning, we were more about fighting government abuse, corruption, Clinton, et al, and creeping socialism. As more and more members signed up and started posting, it evolved into a site that set its goals on restoring the constitution. Seemed at the time that if we could only get the government to abide by the constitution, then it would be much smaller and have less room for corruption and abuse.
Then we noticed that many of our members signing up were either veterans or had family members serving and so we also evolved into a site that was very supportive of our troops and appreciative of all who fight or fought to keep us free. And we kept growing.
Along the way we became a great big family that played together, fought together, prayed together. We realized that this on-going fight was much bigger and had a lot more meaning than just the constitution and fighting corruption. The real fight turns out to be a fight to restore our traditional American way of life and to restore faith in God to a nation and a people who had lost their way and was completely demoralized. America cannot long survive if it turns its back on God!!
“Conservatism” to me means conserving our great American heritage and appreciating our founding and especially our great gift from God, our Liberty. America was founded on the belief that all men are created equal and are granted unalienable rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness by our creator, God. We have a classless society. No man need bow to another. We all share equality (equal treatment) under the law. We all have a right to our lives, our privacy, to live and raise our families where and how we choose and to educate our children as we choose. A right to our endeavors and to enjoy the fruits of our labor. To worship freely. To speak out. To own property. To bear arms. To defend ourselves against criminals, evil doers, tyranny and wannabe kings or dictators.
We are the only nation on earth (as far as I know) that was created and run by the people and for the people based on the belief that we’re all equal in God’s eyes and that our rights come directly from Him. Our rights are not granted by government. And government does not derive its powers from God. And our rights cannot be taken away by government!!
Our government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed!
We the people created this government and WE granted or delegated to it certain limited powers and they are defined and enumerated in our constitution. All other powers are reserved to the states and the people! That’s you and me, brother and sister. We are the sovereigns. And it is our right and duty to secure or restore the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
Free Republic has extended a welcome to all like-minded conservatives who believe the much or all of above and wish to join our fight. All others are welcome to do as they wish, but the should NOT TREAD ON US or our beliefs on our private property!! We aggressively defend our God-given right to freedom of speech and freedom of association!!
For God, Life, Family, Country, Liberty!!
On the begging accusation, long ago the FReepers who love FR decided to donate money to keep it going. Amy, John and I were partners in a separate software venture when I started FR as a hobby in my spare time. It was just a hobby on the side. But it wouldn’t stop growing. It soon consumed ALL of my time and then all of John’s. And eventually all of Amy’s that she had available to her. Our commercial software venture soon fell by the wayside. Now we are not wealthy people and we have to make a living. We have bills and have to eat. We couldn’t take FR commercial due to the fact that we were always getting threats of lawsuits. We felt we had a fair use right to use copyrighted news material as long as it was for discussion, education and critiquing purposes and not for commercial use. And we did eventually get sued, in fact sued several times, But we held our ground for as long as we possibly could and eventually had to compromise. Otherwise, we’d be spending all of our time fighting suits.
Long story short, even though it was continuing to grow, we didn’t have the money to keep it on the net. So the FReepers who love and use FR decided to fund it themselves via donations. In the beginning, I wasn’t even involved in the fundraisers. FReepers freely volunteered their time to step in and raise the funds necessary to keep FR alive.
Now I find that we excerpt most material anyway, so we might be able to go commercial if we choose, but then I’d be afraid that FR would lose its way. FReepers love it because of or dedication to our causes. If its goal becomes concentrated on just making money, then its a whole ‘nother ball game.
Nothing wrong with capitalism. I love it. There’s no better way for a free society. But FR was never intended to be a commercial business venture, and still isn’t. And I’m not looking to get rich. I’m hoping we can just continue the way we are.
If you don’t wish to donate, don’t bother. If you don’t like our goals on FR, or don’t like the way we manage it, but wish to continue posting here anyway, be my guest. But I really don’t see any need for you to complain and snipe while here. There are plenty of antifreeper sites out there for that kind of activity and I’m sure you can find a better managed site if you have a mind to.
Thanks!
And we thank and are eternally grateful to all loyal FReepers who do appreciate and love this site and our causes and wish to keep it going and keep up the fight for Liberty!!
Thank you all very much!!
Thank you for this wonderful site, this Free Republic.
A little insight into The Real Laz.... as opposed to the one I play here (lol)....
As usual...!!!...very well stated!
Happy Mother’s Day to your beautiful wife..
Thanks very much, dearest Jim.
God bless and keep you. Long live Free Republic and YOU, John and Amy!
FYI, fml = Marcella is very special!
You’re not happy here. Take a hike.
Trust me, you won’t be missed.
Patriot FReeper donors, like me and countless others, are HAPPY to support our forum with our FREELY given donations.
I only wish and I hope to soon be able to give MORE!
Thanks Jim, and I amongst others, appreciate your hard work and dedication.
This would surely be a dull and boring world if everyone agreed lockstep with everyone on all subjects.
As to the dissidents, real or imagined, remember everyone pleases everyone else, some by entering a room and others by leaving.
FWFS Shipmate.
Bravo!
Thank you, Jim. This site has made a deference, in the life of this country, in the cause of conservatism and in our individual lives. Blessings on you!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, dear Jim! Thank God for you. And thank God for Free Republic.
I sincerely appreciated that post.
You have good reason to be very proud of what you have created with FR.
Thank you for all that you do.
You are a wonderful writer, Jim Robinson.
thanks for posting
