OK, for the millionth time...
OUR REPUBLIC IS FREE. THE WEBSITE IS NOT.
Okay, for the first time, I joined this website and it didn't cost me anything. I assume you mean that operating the site costs money, therefore it is not free.
Operating the military costs a bit more -- oh 350 Billion or so, and that military, backed by our ideals, is why the Republic is free.
If it doesn't seem a bit scary to you that this site purports to be about the free exchange of information and ideas, and we are going to blanketly ban DU members or their positings, you have an interesting view of "free." Which, by the way, you are free to have.
Listen, that DU stuff is mostly crap, but the exchange of ideas, and knowing the origins of DU philosophy on important subjects is useful to our discourse, IMHO. As I said earlier, this site certainly posts no shortage of silly posts and intellectually stunted ideas, but we seem to tolerate them as long as they are our idiots, and not theirs.
You don't see anything wrong with that?