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I do not get the impression that alan17b/benjy17b is trying to incite conservatives or insult their values--only that he is questioning some of the policies and practices of the current administration. This is a right that Bush himself often says he is fighting to defend. It is quite possible that alan17b/benjy17b is indeed a liberal, but at least he appears to be trying to engage the group in a thoughtful and intelligent debate. I think it is a shame to waste an opportunity for mutual understanding and enrichment by treating such a discussion as a mere "food fight".

Hi Melissa,

I understand your post in general terms and agree with all that in general terms as well. But don't be fooled by the "icing on the cake", so to speak...look a little deeper at the "ingredients" used by alan17b:

"I am hoping that there are conservatives out there who will undertake to examine the question of whether our present (unelected) president deserves a true conservative's confidence."

"We used to think that Mr Clinton set the standard for presidential lying; but Mr Bush is _much_ worse."

"He has tripled the threat of terrorism"

"He "defends the environment", but he lets us drink arsenic and breath mercury"

These are alanb17's "ingredients".

A couple of things; first, although this is obviously not my website, FR is not set up to be a debating forum between liberal ideas and conservative ideas. It is a gathering place for conservatives, as it plainly states on the Home page:

Free Republic is an online gathering place for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web. We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America.

Having said all that, there is nothing to prevent liberals from showing up here and trying to engage conservatives in debate over these issues. However, if they do show up as univited guests into a private forum that chooses to be exactly what it states for all to see on the Home Page, with every right to do exactly that, then the liberal guests should at least show up with facts; not incredible, unsubstantiated, out-and-out fabrications or ridiculous accusations...especially without any data or facts or even an attempt to back them up.

In this case with this latest liberal disruptor alan17b, he is merely a semi-sophisticated "wolf in sheep's clothing"...apparently old/mature enough to mask his anger, but still porous enough to allow those "ingredients" (refer to the examples above which were quotes from his posts) to be the cornerstone of his disruption. And make NO mistake...he is not interested in debate, just disruption.

I don't pretend to speak for JimRob, but I'm certain that he views alan17b in the same way, although his term might be TROLL.

Hope that helps...

Oh, and BTW...welcome to Free Republic!

MelissaA
Since Dec 6, 2003