Posted on 06/22/2002 8:19:09 AM PDT by forest
Here's a big news flash y'all will probably never hear from the establishment news: The LA Times and Washington Post settled their lawsuit against the Free Republic web site.
Now, for readers who do not happen to know about the Free Republic web site(1), all I can say is go look. What you will find there is the modern "Liberty Tree." That is, folks post news articles and commentary on the site and invite others to comment.
Well, here's the rub: Most of the many thousands of people visiting Free Republic daily are rather conservative. Much of the published news has a decisively liberal bent. Which means, many of the folks visiting Free Republic are apt to poke a little fun at some of the mainline media's claptrap.
In the mix were these thousand pound gorillas lurking in the background -- who happen to have unlimited finances to spend for attorneys because that is a tax write- off for them. They took offense to the comments posted by visitors of the Free Republic about how they report and comment on the news. That is, they are allowed to publish an opinion. They just do not want us, the great unwashed, publicly commenting on their published material.
As we stated above, the "they" in this case are the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times -- two major players in the realm of far left journalism. Which means, when they combined their legal staffs and together bankrolled a lawsuit against a private web site, they came with considerable clout.
On the other side is Jim Robinson, a semi-retired man who is the owner and operator of this modern day Liberty Tree known as The Free Republic. Jim provides a site for others to post news and comment on the news. Nothing more. All he asks of visitors is that they be somewhat polite to each other and about what they say about the news posted.
In court, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times said that the visitors violated their copyright by posting their published newspaper articles at the site. They have a point, of course. But, the problem is, it is not a very valid point. Because, once their writers string together a group of words and the corporation sells whatever newspapers they can peddle, that particular string of words will not be used again. The marketing of those words was completed.
Besides, just like the Founding Fathers of our country used to post news articles and messages on what was called the local "Liberty Tree" back then, so do we have the perfect right to do so electronically.
Who owns the "news," anyway? If the media thinks they do, we have a major problem! Furthermore, if the "news" is common property, it would seem that the "common people" have a right to comment on it -- no matter who relates it. That is what is known as free speech.
Besides, as said above, they were done with it. They sold their newspapers. In doing so, they put that "news" in the public domain. They received their money.
So, after they publish the "news," we are not supposed to share it with friends and discuss it? Apparently, that is exactly the point of the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. We are to read their words, take those words as gospel, and never show anyone else what they said.
Okay, maybe I'm getting a little close to the edge of silly here. But, so were "they." They sell newspapers in the millions, but take legal action simply because a few people lambaste their liberalism on Free Republic. So much for free speech, eh!
Here sits one writer who will never again believe anything those corporations say about free speech or freedom of the press. They may want it for personal gratification, but they have proven to the nation that they have no interest in freedom of the press and speech as a concept.
The cold hard fact is that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and the premier newspaper publisher of that era, Benjamin Franklin, all encouraged folks to post articles and news on their respective Liberty Trees. That is our history; our American heritage.
Jim Robinson took it all in stride, probably relieved that stupid event was finally over. In his public reply to visitors of Free Republic, Jim said, in part:
"Well, my fingers are not cold and dead and my keyboard has not been ripped away. While this is not entirely a win for Free Republic, neither is it a crushing defeat. Free Republic is alive and well and the fight against liberalism continues on. It's a crying shame that the hallowed words of the WP/LAT will no longer grace our pages, but, somehow, I am sure we will manage to live on without them.
"And despite what our detractors may say, we have not committed any crimes or broken any laws and we have not admitted to any guilt. We have negotiated a mutual agreement and settlement with the LAT/WP and have agreed upon satisfactory terms for continuing forward without having to spend the rest of our lives in court."
Grace under pressure, we call it. Because, the fact is that the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times each ripped off Free Republic for $5,000 in damages.
But, there's a fix for that -- a really pertinent (or perhaps "impertinent") fix. That is, all who have the ability to string a few words together in a readable fashion should continuously paraphrase and lambaste the lead editorials of these two newspapers. Because, even if the folks at Free Republic can no longer post the liberal claptrap of the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, there is nothing in the world stopping them from publicly ridiculing their brand of socialism.
They deserve it.
1.http://www.freerepublic.com/home.htm
Who owns the "news," anyway? If the media thinks they do, we have a major problem! Furthermore, if the "news" is common property, it would seem that the "common people" have a right to comment on it -- no matter who relates it. That is what is known as free speech.
Here sits one writer who will never again believe anything those corporations say about free speech or freedom of the press. They may want it for personal gratification, but they have proven to the nation that they have no interest in freedom of the press and speech as a concept.
Jim Robinson took it all in stride: "And despite what our detractors may say, we have not committed any crimes or broken any laws and we have not admitted to any guilt."
All who have the ability to string a few words together in a readable fashion should continuously paraphrase and lambaste the lead editorials of these two newspapers. Because, even if the folks at Free Republic can no longer post the liberal claptrap of the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, there is nothing in the world stopping them from publicly ridiculing their brand of socialism. They deserve it.
They only want to cite "free speech" when it's convenient for them.
In a chariot of light from the regions of day,
The Goddess of Liberty came;
Ten thousand celestials directed the way
And hither conducted the dame.
A fair budding branch from the gardens above,
Where millions with millions agree,
She brought in her hand as a pledge of her love,
And the plant she named Liberty Tree.
The celestial exotic struck deep in the ground,
Like a native it flourished and bore;
The fame of its fruit drew the nations around,
To seek out this peaceable shore.
Unmindful of names or distinction they came,
For freemen like brothers agree;
With one spirit endued, they one friendship pursued,
And their temple was Liberty Tree.
Beneath this fair tree, like the patriarchs of old,
Their bread in contentment they ate,
Unvexed with the troubles of silver and gold,
The cares of the grand and the great.
With timber and tar they Old England supplied,
And supported her power on the sea;
Her battles they fought, without getting a groat,
For the honor of Liberty Tree.
But hear, O ye swains, 'tis a tale most profane,
How all the tyrannical powers,
Kings, Commons, and Lords, are uniting amain
To cut down this guardian of ours;
From the east to the west blow the trumpet to arms
Through the land let the sound of it flee,
Let the far and the near, all unite with a cheer,
In defence of our Liberty Tree.
A quote from Jim Robinson in his settlement announcement:
"Unless we receive prior written permission on an article by article basis, Free Republic agrees to continue posting only excerpts (as allowed by fair use) and links from any of the LAT/WP or related publications."
My question would be: Where can we get a listing of related publications?
Yes, we do have a major problem and that's why FreeRepublic continues to grow each week, blemishes and all.
I hope FReeper Doug Fiedor visits this thread.
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