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.
We’ve had fakers frauds and assorted flakes before, hence the extreme dose of skepticism.
Especially multiretreads signing up and going “I’ve been here since 2000!” And their sign up date is the current day or so...
:-/
Be advised, that’s what it appeared to be.
Welcome, see you around the forum.
I have done that also, many scouts got the mammal badge because of my programs. I even got called to the Bob Bullock museum for the opening of one of the Batman movies on Imax.
What a thrill. Took 4 different kinds and lots of people fascinated.
/hijack of hubby's thread To those who thought hubby was not real, he doesn't take it personally. Just because he hasn't posted all these years he reads everyday. So he knows about the trolls etc. no offense taken.
You tell him Dottie!
Good to see you posting to thisj jerk. He simply has no idea, does he?
We need to get together one of these days soon..........
Mari
You tell him Dottie!
Good to see you posting to thisj jerk. He simply has no idea, does he?
We need to get together one of these days soon..........
Mari
Me too. Many here do lots of good work. Some post informative articles, some work with active organizations, some defend important issues here for the many lurkers to contemplate.
However, it seems there are far too many do nothing couch potato grousers as TBLH said, and it is true, we ALL need to do more at this time. If we don't we lose, if we fight (do) we could turn this thing. It's our choice, let's take the criticism to heart rather than whine.
>> Not that it is any of your business
Hello? Y’all made it my business when you brought it up in that dishonest, unfair, whiny self-righteous rant.
>> I am not going to apologize to you or anyone except maybe JimRob. But why should I? My hubby has the right to his opinion. bla bla bla bla
It’s funny how you and hubby are one unit “joined at the hip” when it suits you — like when you’re ‘splainin why he’s really been a freeper just as long as you even though he signed up yesterday! Goes to all the events! Rah rah!
But then you’re separate individuals each with their own disjoint opinion when THAT suits you — like when you’re disavowing his broad brush tar job as HIS opinion.
That’s hypocritical. It’s one or the other.
I wasn’t born yesterday, so I think I’m going with the “you’re in it together”. Hubby speaks for you too; you can’t run away. Heck, you were probably reading it over his shoulder patting him on the back when he pressed SEND.
By the way, where IS the old man? Out protesting somewhere? In this heat? What a true blue conservative stud. The rest of FR is truly unworthy of such a one as this.
So I told you how much we have given, how about you tell everyone how much YOU donate? I think that would be fair, since you are so harsh to all here.
Anyone who knows us, will tell you we ARE joined at the hip, but 2 people can't ever be 100% in tune with every thought and comment said. So I don't believe it hypocritical to say what I did.
I wasn't reading over his shoulder, in fact the 1st time I read it was this am when I got up. I didn't even read his pre-notes. You don't have to believe it, but I'm not a liar.
By now you know with all others that as a new poster his comments were held for review and is now posted. And he really is a great guy, I'm sure glad to have him.
Also glad I never met you! Soon as this thread is over, I won't be reading anything you post.
Maybe I will throw that suggestion in the box, can we click a button on just certain posters so their posts don't show up on the thread we are reading?
N.T. would be my 1st in 13 years.
You've probably read about the big mess in Colorado the last year or so. Monday I'll be seeing my state representative Dave Young, who is part of that mess, and let him know what I think.
I seriously considered running against him, but there are just too many skeletons. I will work to help whoever does run against him.
part of the problem might be perception...there is such a knee jerk reflex not to use FR for any kind of self promotion or free enterprise...which is the owner’s right I might add - but it does discourage a dynamic that I think could be good for mobilizing people thru FR.....
And if you say F.U., the advertiser goes elsewhere.
And if boycott campaigns are waged against advertisers who support FR, then the advertisers go elsewhere.
Jim Robinson will not relinquish control of this site to anyone for any reason.
He shouldn’t have to reiterate that policy as often as he does.
Mr. K, donors already have the option on the last donation page to have their donation status displayed, which you may have missed when you were tendering your donations.
We have:
Monthly Donor Club
Dollar-A-Day Club
300 Club
New Monthly Donor Sponsors Club
In addition, every FReeper is personally thanked, on the thread, multiple times by JimRob and by members of the FReepathon team, by FReepmail or email, when he or she
makes a donation.
Credit cards get rejected for a lot of reasons. Sometimes the CC company wants a 9-digit zip code on your address, and sometimes it insists upon 5-digit.
Sometimes there is a typo and your name/address/whatever does not precisely match the data on record at the CC company.
For whatever the reason, you can still send checks or money orders to:
Free Republic, LLC
PO Box 9771
Fresno, CA 93794
Shame is a powerful motivator.
Perhaps, if the message is sent to the right people. In this case, our new fool acted as if he knows everybody here and what we do beyond our time on line.
Then the attempted shame backfires.
Business owns NBC, ABC, and CBS. Are you stupid?
>> So I told you how much we have given, how about you tell everyone how much YOU donate?
Check your freepmail.
>> ... since you are so harsh to all here.
Huh? I haven’t even been harsh to everyone on this THREAD, let alone everyone in the forum. I think I see your elitism showing... “you” and “your views” apparently are the world for you, and “everyone” sides with you (in the fever swamps of your own mind anyhow). There are plenty of posters on this thread who agreed with me that Hubby’s vanity was out of line, including some TO me, including at least one that goes back even further than YOU do. But I guess you didn’t notice those.
>> Anyone who knows us, will tell you we ARE joined at the hip, but 2 people can’t ever be 100% in tune with every thought and comment said. So I don’t believe it hypocritical to say what I did.
Fair enough.
>> the 1st time I read it was this am when I got up. I didn’t even read his pre-notes. You don’t have to believe it, but I’m not a liar.
I believe you. My assumption was unfair. I apologize.
>> he really is a great guy, I’m sure glad to have him.
No doubt, and I’m glad *you* have him, too.
>> Also glad I never met you!
I’m ambivalent about you, but I sure wish hubby had simply gone to bed at eleven BEFORE throwing a bucket of his snot onto my computer screen to notice.
>> Soon as this thread is over, I won’t be reading anything you post.
Freedom of choice is a wonderful thing.
Back to my harsh nature: Yeah, I *was* harsh. Hubby’s post was insulting, whiny, shaming — and unfounded, when applied broadside to the population of Freepers. I have a really bad habit of responding in kind to that sort of crap. I do not claim that is the right thing to do — it’s a character flaw, I’m working on it, and my own DW has taken me to task for it more than once. I don’t generally start fights here — rarely in fact. But I don’t put up with a bunch of crap from holier-than-thou types, either. Especially ones that don’t stick around to pick up the pieces.
FRegards
I think you’re right about involvement . I think the focus should be leaning on our congressman. Agitation against Syria is premature. Supporting tea party pressure on Congress is important. The biggest issue for America is repentance.
Great thread.
bttt
Ha, you just keep digging deeper, don’t you? The OP had more than one point - maybe you should get reading glasses.
You know who you remind me of? Grover Dill.
I’ll just think of you as Grover from now on as I skip over your comments.
So long. Have a nice labor day weekend.
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