Posted on 08/30/2013 9:01:53 PM PDT by The Bat Ladys Husband
My involvement with Free Republic began around 2000 when my wife began her vigil around the Texas governor’s mansion in support of GW against the challenge of Al Gore for the presidency. I generally provided the livelihood for the Bat Lady to be able to protest and surround the mansion against the leftists who were kept at bay across the street. While she was registered in order to post after action reports I was a lurker on the site.
Over the years we have attended rallies and protests and meetings. Other groups of freepers nationwide also held rallies, attended protests, and held vigils- activities that were organized and coordinated through the Free Republic site. After action reports were posted almost daily, report after report from across the country from different freepers describing their activities. Even the term "freeper" came to mean one who actively engaged the left to fight against disinformation. We considered ourselves patriots. While we did not risk our “lives, fortune or sacred honor”, we suffered the slings and arrows of a hostile left in the cause of freedom.
With a few exceptions, the “freeper” of today is merely a couch potato who is content to amuse himself by making snide comments and repartees about current news. Few even support the site monetarily. Free Republic appears to barely be able to keep its head above water and its so-called member freepers are such a non-factor of dissent that unlike in the early year, Rush Limbaugh rarely references the site (although he seldom mentioned it).
Early freeper were the ones who got up off the couch, made their signs and used the leftist tactics of street activism against the left itself. Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, and Jonas Goldberg are example of early famous freepers, but Free Republic also had the likes of Basil (Second Amendment Sisters), True black man, Jimmy Valentine’s Brother, Kristin, the entire DC freeper contingent and so many other activists making a difference for conservative causes.
At some point in time, a subgroup, “The Pajama Patrol” arose within Free Republic. What a sad day that was. The mindset of Free Republic turned to the couch potato mentality referred to earlier.
The most current after action report I have seen was my wife’s, The Bat Lady’s report on the May 2013 Tax Day protest. One of the protesters with us was a 90-year-old lady with her handmade sign. If she can do it, why can’t you?
All you new Freepers need to get up off your butt and get out and make a difference. Where are you at the Impeach Obama overpass events? Why aren’t you organizing anti-Syria bombing protest? Why aren’t you marching over Benghazi, the NSA, the IRS or ObamaCare? If you are there why aren’t you posting your reports to inspire and motivate others? You are not the only reader of FR in your city. Find the others and get together. Act in concert. After 13 years, the Bat Lady and I are still in contact with those we met on the front lines.
DC Freepers maintained vigils at VP Gore's house, and prevented code pink from vilifying our troops at Walter Reed every week for years. Freepers once actively protested the left and got Clinton impeached. Some even say we were the Paul Revere of the TEA party,
Is your barcalounger so dear or American Idol so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God.
It is time for freepers to rededicate themselves to the vision that Jim Robinson created. All the clever comments you attach to the threads are less than useless. It is time once again to become a large thorn in the side of those who do not strive for the American Ideal and be the activists we once were. If you cannot post an after action report “go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. …May posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”
“It does not take a majority to prevail ... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” Samuel Adams
In answer to my own question: yes it is worth saving if its members make a difference.
And the roiling zombie cult like groupies of TOTUS a sea of waving hands just to meet the little plastic god and his ancillary meat thing puppet.
With enough lead-in, a “whodunnit” thread might be doable.
Difficult, but doable.
Freepathon is over, guess that answered the supposed question.
Ditto for the Tea Party. A number of rallies I attended in the hay day found people more interested in the signs we all carried ("Ooo that's a good one...") than causing hell for politicians. And the politicians who came out of the wood work to cozy up to the TP. Made my stomach turn.
“Somewhere there is a litigious nail holding his cranium.”
Some of us who should be retired are: still working full time plus a lot of extra hours trying to keep a business going; raising grandchildren, keeping up with our state rep and senator and well as those who represent us in DC to monitor their activities, their voting record and sending them a weekly email plus a phone call to share our opinion; reading entire bills such as Obamacare so that we are well informed; monitoring the activities of our local city council and the mayor and attending those meetings and sharing our opinions in writing and by phone; monitoring the activities of our county commissioner and sharing our opinions on issues being voted on; monitoring the activities of our local sheriff and sharing our opinions; writing our State Insurance Commissioner about issues which are problematic and systems that are unnecessarily expensive and cumbersome from a compliance standpoint; listening to the news on local stations and taking the news directors to task for presenting only one side of an issue; serving on the Board of a local Republican group and dealing with Ethics Commission issues; sharing things we learn from reading FR articles with friends, family and low information voters spread across several states via email so they can be better informed; lending support to other groups such as the TEA Party and the Heritage Foundation; supporting candidates such as Mia Love.
You’re right - I don’t stand on overpasses and wave a sign so much any more - but there are only so many hours in a day and so many dollars in the bank account. There are many battles to be fought and each person has to decide what they can do within the limits of their abilities to be effective.
I, for one, would be devastated if FR were not around. The knowledge that I have gained is priceless and allows me to be a thorn in lots of people’s side because I never hesitate to share what I learn. May God continue to shine down on you all and bless Jim for all his hard work.
My involvement in FreeRepublic made at easier for me when I decided to run for County Supervisor in 2012. Years of honing my ideas and understanding the conservative philosophy was instrumental in my victory.
I implore anyone thinking of running for office to just do it. Get involved in your local County GOP and start being a part of. It is vastly more satisfying to actually enact chane then just talking about it.
The video for “welcome to the machine” where the waving hands turn red and then become a red ocean.
“Joooooin us! Jooooooin us!”
Welcome to FR.
I take my son for a ride down the twisty road. He waves his 4 year old head and I get a red ocean of vomit.
No video on that one, but he repeated it once again for me in Hawaii above a volcano in a helicopter with a pilot flying like he was on a combat mission.
Not all of it, but a fair portion. And I do work for a living. Forty years in the computer business and now I’m semi-retired and only work 16 hrs per day / 7 days per week. And my two sons and another partner with me. And we all earn a living. Thanks.
Is that Busta Moooooove?
He blessed you with, “Dad, I don’t feel goo-BLURGGORCH!”
Always a treat.
My nephew did that to us.
At least it wasn’t in the car as we had enough time to get him outside before he launched a gut missile.
“I cast Magic Missile!”
Well, he was in helicopters three other times and there was none of these big turns like we had in Hawaii. The volcano was blowing hard after being dormant for weeks and even the pilot was excited. Especially since they make money with an active volcano.
The location of such things change over the years as well. I had seen that volcano a decade earlier and the tube and lave moved miles since the last time.
His mother gets sick with motion all the time as well. Needs pills if we go on an ocean voyage and we get waves.
Ah, not a constant faster of magic missile then.
Neither is my missus.
As long as she is driving.
Ummm.. How many hit points of damage does it do, and how much armor do you need to defend against it?
And is that anything like a cat producing a furball?
Makes for an interesting vacation.
After kids vomit, you hydrate. They get get real ill after that.
Which edition rules?
Magic resistance helps, don’t recall base damage off the top of my head.
Yes, hairball is the feline version.
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