[OWK]

Now you're blaming Jim because your site did exactly as it promised and turned into a cesspool? I've seen maybe 3 or 4 times Jim has referenced LF and it was usually after the perp was jettisoned.

Blame?

Nah... Jim did what Jim does best.. a little subtle manipulation, and voila.. his headache is now someone else's.

Not a problem... we'll deal with it.

Free speech is worth it.

Does it come without warts? No.

There'll always be fools.

We operate on the assumption that a fool is better rebutted than intimidated or censored.

We don't have a collection of Dales' over at LibertyForum.

No "dossiers" to whip out.. no implied threats.. no "zots".

Truth wins there, because it is true.. not because it is prescribed and enforced.

Does it take work?

Sure.

Does it subject you to outside criticism from those predisposed to smear? Yup..

But all in all... it's worth it.

[Dane]

Free speech is worth it.

Does it come without warts? No

Uh, "one who knows", I think you meant to say, "yes", as your last word in your above italicized passage.

But what the hey, I don't proclaim myself as "one who knows", what does a little peon like me know.

[Bob J]

And I admire LF for sticking to it's original philosophy, but when you allow anyone to post, even Nazi's, don't blame that on Jim.

[tpaine]

"Implied" threats?

You should see my dossier of real ones..

[aloysius89]

We seem to be having a discussion of unadulterated, unmitigated, unalloyed free speech, the pure uncut stuff. It was always my impression that free speech did not include the right to shout FIRE in a crowded building nor the right to shout down the opposition. I am genuinely curious as to your thoughts on this view.

Thank you.

[Jim Robinson]

Hey, it's a free country and a free market. I don't know about you, but I cherish and defend and exercise my constitutional right to freely control the content and use of my personal private property. Likewise, I dearly love and openly exercise and aggressively defend my first amendment rights to free speech and freedom of association.

America is the land I love and I defend her and our Liberty with every fibre of my being.

I set up Free Republic to promote the conservative point of view (not necessarily the Libertarian point of view) and invited other like-minded conservatives to join me. I never intended to create a liberal or even libertarian debating society.

True, I may have allowed things to get a bit out of hand in the earlier years, but I eventually recognized the error of my ways and have since corrected course.

Liberals infest and control the government, our justice systems, our legal professions, our educational institutions, our media, our churches, our charities and every aspect of our society, families and personal lives. Liberalism is a cancer and it's feeding on our society and our American way of life. Untreated, it will destroy us.

We ARE the dissenters. Free Republic is intended to be a liberal-free zone where conservatives can be free to discuss issues important to ourselves without having liberal trolls and other slimeballs jamming their gnarly diseased thumbs in our eyes at every turn.

This is not a liberal debating society. It's a place for conservative discussion and activism. We have certain goals in mind and have on going conservative activism projects at all times. We do not need, nor do we appreciate naysaying trolls dogging our efforts.

Liberals are not welcome here. Nor are abortionists, feminists, homosexualists, environmentalists, gun grabbers, anti Americans of any kind, peaceniks, pacifists, U.N. lovers, world government advocates, socialists, communists, marxists, anarchists, fascists, nazis, skinheads, whackos, propagandists of any stripe, tinfoil hatters, whacked out conspiracy theorists, religious bigots, racists, white supremacists, anti-Semites, Holocaust deniers, violence advocates, violence prone revolutionaries, uni-bombers, sociopaths, perverts, spammers, hawkers, solicitors, self promoters, trolls, trashers or bashers, whiners, etc., etc.

Most Libertarians are ok as long as they don't fall too much in line with any of the above unwanted categories and don't go into the bashing/trashing mode or otherwise become anti-FR trolls.

Otherwise, you are certainly free to join any of the other forums on the internet (it's a big FREE world out there) where you may feel more comfortable, or even to create and operate your own free speech haven and operate it any old way that pleases your pea-pickin' heart.

In the meantime, if you desire to remain on Free Republic you're certainly welcome to do so, but I really do wish you would learn to quit harping your victimhood. It's very annoying and does not necessarily reflect well on libertarianism in general.