JoeEveryman and the Anti-FReeper Attack on Free Republic

Various Anti-FReeper sites | August 10, 2002 | Jim Robinson

[Bob J]

I would like to point out that for several years Commonsense had represented to the Forum that her chapter had incorporated, had officers, a Board of Directors and a treasurer/chief financial officer. She went so far as to mail copies of the legal documents, including State Seals, to other chapters and individuals interested in doing the same. This was the only FR Chapter to have done this and was well before even the Network going down that same path. The point is, to all outward appearances, the SC Chapter was one of the most, if not the most, organized, prepared and effective chapters, possessing the appropriate controls to assure legal and financial responsibility.

[backhoe]

I always try to keep an eye peeled for troublemakers- thanks for the warning.

[ken5050]

Throughout history, it is always the practice of groups on both the left and right of the political spectrum to try and consume their own. Probably misdirected passion..or whatever....as one who tends to usually ignore these type of threads 99% of the time, as well as those frantically posted about something that's happening on the DU website, while I understand that you feel theneed, and responsibility, to keep of informed, don't you run the risk of giving them more import and publicity than their worth? It's a fine line, and I don't profess to know which is the best course of action, but considering the Joe Everyman thread, whichyou locked at 320 replies, and ultimately decided to remove...maybe an alternative course of action would have been to leave the original post up, but remove ALL the comments....Part of the attraction for disruptors is all the attention they get..it's evident to them in all the virulent responses and anger they trigger, so why not deny them their pleasure.....

[Catspaw]

I missed the original thread, but it might be best not to discuss *anything* about a case that's under investigation.

It does sound like that now-banned freeper is setting up Jim Rob for a lawsuit and the less information posted the better.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

I cannot see allowing him to do this on my own website.

Nothing at all unreasonable about that.

[Miss Marple]

DO, look at who most of the anti-Freepers supported. (Hint...NOT Bush.)

Bush people generally tend to follow rules. We are just boring old main-stream Republicans, not conservative enough for you, of course.

By the way, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

[Bob J]

I noticed on that board that the Afers are making noises about JoeEveryman showing up a FRiva to cause a disturbance. We may have to notify Hotel Security.

[woofie]

People loose perspective ...this is an internet site not the French revolution

[usconservative]

What follows below is the email that I just sent to JimRob. Last year before the SC event in question, I expressed to Jim my concerns about the Ads that the SC chapter was running on FR, notably the attendance of Judge Sauls and Katherine Harris.

The ads that were run on FR said that Harris and Sauls would be in attendenace at the S.C. event to accept Freedom awards. There was alot of buzz around the S.C. event and alot of people wanted to go.

About a week before the event, I became aware of problems in getting attendance confirmation from Judge Sauls and Katherine Harris. One person in particular (who shall remain nameless) in the S.C. chapter was beside herself because she was told to keep quiet about the event, and that the S.C. chapter had "alot of money" riding on the event. And in fact, they did.

When I became aware of the problems, I posted a thread in the FAB section wanting to know if Katherine Harris and Judge Sauls were in fact going to attend. At the time, there were more than 50 people on Paltalk planning on coming.

Instead of answering the question on the thread, I was trashed by several "key" members of the FAB and told I was destroying the event. The lack of an answer to a direct "are they coming or not?" question spoke volumes.

As the date of the event approached, it was finally learned by a handful of people (including myself) that Judge Sauls and Katherine Harris would not be attending the event --- but it was too late for us to cancel. Plane tickets and reservations on the island were non-refundable. So we opted to go anyway. After all, we had all spoken on-line for so long we wanted to meet each other, and if nothing else we could make a good time for ourselves ... which is what we ended up doing.

But I gotta tell ya, the whole thing STUNK. From the way it was promoted (in which I felt after one point it became deliberately misleading) to how FR was used to promote an event that the organizers knew couldn't live up to it's "billing."

For the record, and for the AF'ers who seek to destroy FR and JimRob, when Jim became aware of what was going on with the event, he pulled the ads from the forum's opening page, and all other pages. In short, Jim did the right thing.

And finally, after all the trashing I took on the FAB boards for raising (and now being validated) my concerns surrounding this event and how FR was fraudulently used by one or more of the event's organizers -- I tell you it was worth it. It was worth doing the right thing and letting Jim know what was going on. It was worth doing the right thing and exposing the fraud that was perpetuated not only on I, but on 15-20 other Freepers who attended that event, and spent our hard earned money to book flights and lodging accommodations. In short, it was worth doing the right thing. Those of you who trashed me instead of attempting to uncover the truth for yourselves should take a lesson from that. Unless and until YOU take a stand for what is right, you're no better than our opposition.

And if that comment gets me banned from the FAB, so be it. Doing so would only validate me further. Frankly, I don't think any of you have it "in you" to step up to the plate and apologize for your trashing me a year ago and I won't hold my breath waiting. I know what type of person I am, and I know what type of people you are.

And now my email to JimRob:

---begin paste---

I trust you recall my comments from last year in which I expressed my concern for FR's allowing promotion of chapter events on the FR forum? Specifically, the claims that were made regarding the attendance of Katherine Harris and the Florida's Judge Sauls at the SC event?

Now you see why. They KNEW beforehand that in fact neither would be attending and yet kept promoting the event saying both would be in attendance until I called them on the carpet for it. Remember the trashing I took on the forum? I truly wish I were wrong in this case, really I do. But everything from the way they asked people to pay for the rooms (ie: give Julie your credit card info.) just STUNK to high heaven.

I'm actually sorry in this case that I've been vindicated as it looks as if some of it is coming at your expense.

If push comes to shove Jim, PLEASE know that I'll back you to the hilt because once I expressed my concerns to you and why, you pulled their ads - as you should have. When you found out what was going on, you did the right thing.

I won't hold my breath waiting for an apology from the people who trashed me when I called the event into question, because frankly none of them are big enough to apologize. But YOU I'll gladly stand by.

And if you want to post this on the forum as proof that you did the right thing when you learned the truth, feel free to. Or better yet, I'll do it myself.

---end paste---

[DoughtyOne]

It may not seem like it, but the information that Bob has provided is very generalized. There's nothing he provided that isn't very well known to the AFers. That's the shame of it all.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Thanks for the ping, deport. I wouldn't have wanted to miss what Jim had to say about this.

[TLBSHOW]

when attacked shove it right back in their ant-freak

[Askel5]

It is true that none of the FR or FRN leaders have anything to hide

Save their identities, perhaps, as they egg on the AF-ers and stir the pot to the detriment of all involved.

I think some of those who would claim exclusive victim status have sometimes brought the suffering upon themselves in part.

If you're going to claim the high road for yourself, you must stick to it as a rule.

[Bob J]

I agree and this is the direction the SC Chapter seems to be taking. My comments were resereved for what I believe to be commonly known facts on the general forum.

[lodwick]

bttt - thanks for the info. JL

[Askel5]

when attacked shove it right back in their ant-freak

Why get down on their level?

If their primary problem is a fixation with all things FR/FRN, why not best them by ignoring them. (Regardless how important it may be to monitor the situation given some of the damage they've tried to wreak in the past with vendors and other aspects of the running of the Forum?)

[Jim Scott]

You're right about the fake 'conservatives' that bash Clinton and play the 'disgruntled Republican - ultranservative' game very well. Some are sincere and make good points but the fakes are often those who are fanatically rabid about criticizing Bush (and use the DU epithets) beyond reason, or else they slip up and say something so over the top regarding conservatives that the mask falls off. I've seen it happen a time or two and it's very frustrating.

FR is a place for politically conservative debate but I find that it's often also a place where you have to debate around Libertarian philosophy endlessly (don't they have their own website?) and fight off the anti-Republicans and fake conservatives attempting to slip in discouraging, anti-conservative lies.

This latest anti-FR incursion needs to be cut off at the knees. Jim Robinson has a right to censor those who post on his website and attack FR and it's founders, whatever the reason. I don't care about the specifics. If some FR chapter had a theft of funds that's unfortunate but it doesn't have anything to do with the website. Attempts to smear the Robinsons and other FR officials with a localized law violation is cheesy. Let them file the stupid lawsuits or whatever it is they want to do but keep it off of FR. We have enough distractions.

[lewislynn]

I would say that people who profess to be Republicans who do not support traditional conservative ideals could also be suspect.

That could apply to most Republicans in Congress and dare I say some actions of the President. Call me disruptor, many have, but to me, like it or not, 'them's the facts'.

[tomkat]

just started reading this so would imagine some other geek's already gotten to it,
but would hope y'all have IPs, etc ...