Posted on 03/04/2007 4:46:35 PM PST by johniegrad
Even though we are still almost two years out from the presidential election, it is clear that the candidates are campaigning in earnest. This has led to some acromonious discussions with accusations flying about posters' motives and dedication to the principles of conservatism. While these frank discussions could be healthy for pounding out the details in a primary, some here are indicating their unequivocal refusal to support some candidates if they are nominated after the primaries. Furthermore, valuable posters have discussed their disatisfaction with the website as a forum for discussing conservatism and some have threatened to leave.
Given these observations, I'd like to republish the posting of the website owner from a few years ago.
Statement by the founder of Free Republic:
In our continuing fight for freedom, for America and our constitution and against totalitarianism, socialism, tyranny, terrorism, etc., Free Republic stands firmly on the side of right, i.e., the conservative side. Believing that the best defense is a strong offense, we (myself and those whom I'm trying to attract to FR) support the strategy of taking the fight to the enemy as opposed to allowing the enemy the luxury of conducting their attacks on us at home on their terms and on their schedule.
Therefore, we wholeheartedly support the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive strikes on known terrorist states and organizations that are believed to present a clear threat to our freedom or national security. We support our military, our troops and our Commander-in-Chief and we oppose turning control of our government back over to the liberals and socialists who favor appeasement, weakness, and subserviency. We do not believe in surrendering to the terrorists as France, Germany, Russia and Spain have done and as Kerry, Kennedy, Clinton and the Democrats, et al, are proposing.
As a conservative site, Free Republic is pro-God, pro-life, pro-family, pro-Constitution, pro-Bill of Rights, pro-gun, pro-limited government, pro-private property rights, pro-limited taxes, pro-capitalism, pro-national defense, pro-freedom, and-pro America. We oppose all forms of liberalism, socialism, fascism, pacifism, totalitarianism, anarchism, government enforced atheism, abortionism, feminism, homosexualism, racism, wacko environmentalism, judicial activism, etc. We also oppose the United Nations or any other world government body that may attempt to impose its will or rule over our sovereign nation and sovereign people. We believe in defending our borders, our constitution and our national sovereignty.
Free Republic is private property. It is not a government project, nor is it funded by government or taxpayer money. We are not a publicly owned entity nor are we an IRS tax-free non-profit organization. We pay all applicable taxes on our income. We are not connected to or funded by any political party, news agency, or any other entity. We sell no merchandise, product or service, and we offer no subscriptions or paid memberships. We accept no paid advertising or promotions. We are funded solely by donations (non tax deductible gifts) from our readers and participants.
We aggressively defend our God-given and first amendment guaranteed rights to free speech, free press, free religion, and freedom of association, as well as our constitutional right to control the use and content of our own personal private property. Despite the wailing of the liberal trolls and other doom & gloom naysayers, we feel no compelling need to allow them a platform to promote their repugnant and obnoxious propaganda from our forum. Free Republic is not a liberal debating society. We are conservative activists dedicated to defending our rights, defending our constitution, defending our republic and defending our traditional American way of life.
Our God-given liberty and freedoms are not negotiable.
May God bless and protect our men and women in uniform fighting for our freedom and may God continue to bless America.
Jim Robinson
Sadly, I agree. We're much better at strategy than at planning. Imagine that! Socialists are always better at planning, because they like telling other folks what to do.
The reason I'm a Republican is not because I agree 100% with the GOP platform, but because the GOP is closest to my beliefs:
- Follow the Constitution
- Lowest common denominator government
- Every penny taxed that is not necessary is legalized theft
- Strong defense, including protection of our borders
- Separation of Church and State does not mean banishment of religion from public life
- Our rights are, indeed, God-given rights and we should acknowledge that
- Constitutionalist judges and justices
- Encourage entrepreneurs
- Encourage marriage, which consists of 1 (one) man and 1 (one) woman
- Be good stewards of the Earth. In other words, drill and mine carefully.
- Second Amendment rights, etc.
- Abortion in limited sitautions (life of the mother, etc.)
Anyway, oh yeah, we were talking about planning . . . See how easily distracted I can be?
Thanks for the pingg...oh, you didn't ping me to that.
Why not?
Good for you for keeping an open mind, rdb3. That's all we can ask of anyone.
I don' think there is any reason to jump on the bandwagon if you don't wish to do so. I can only speak for myself when I say that I've hoped Rudy would run for the presidency long before he announced.
I'm back :-)
Open minds. Fertile ground for future injections of mush.
Thoughtful, good post.
Here's a recent one by me:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1794672/posts?page=206#206
Exactly so, CWOJackson.
It may not seem a big thing to you, but the truth is a bit different and a significant factor in the degrading of our culture. At the time Goldwater ran for President, abortion was legal in all the United States and territories to save the life of the mother. What wasn't legal was abortion on demand, to terminate the life of an alive unborn child just because the pregnant female wanted to be rid of the pregnancy burden.
If you cannot see how this difference in perspective pre and post Roe has debased out culture with abortion on demand, then you will find it hard to comprehend why we 'social right' conservatives are still fighting this battle of wholesale slaughter of alive unborn children.
When Goldwater ran for President, homosexuality was defined in Clinical Psychology texts (and I know because I sold them to colleges and universities shortly after that time) as aberrant behavior, with deadly consequences to life and health ... and that was prior to the emergence of HIV and AIDS (and I know about that too, because I was a pharmaceutical rep when that epidemic broke upon humanity). And we could go to other 'social issues', but I trust you get the point.
Ping, if you get back to this thread on Monday.
But I should have, Registered. My old fingers aren't what they used to be.
"This has led to some acromonious discussions"
It's hard to get serious attention when your very first paragraph has a simple spelling error easily correctable by the use of the built in spell checker. It is worse yet to make, as the body of your argument, the improperly credited mission statement as though fault lies within its body.
In short, this site is not for the casually interested, but more for the serious student of the political winds that blow; and, if indeed they blow from the conservative corner of our world, we need honor the tradition which gave birth to this current and stand steadfast toward where the current takes us and ensure that when all the dust has settled that the trail behind us is not littered with the castoffs of our inconvenient baggage.
I am as guilty or more guilty than most for indulging in sesquipedalianism; but I am and remain as serious as a heart attack.
Every time I see this site sideswiped, I grimace and wonder whether not it was a simple, glancing blow or an aggressive shot across this proud bow.
I preach; I'm out of character, I shall resume jesting.
Over.
Preach on, Professor: none are too old to learn; none are so informed that they cannot comprehend a new thought; and none are so damned right that they cannot be edified.
Very nice post, SoA.
Conservatives do well when we talk about the underlying philosophy of our beliefs. We need a foundation for our beliefs (and if you want to wax Biblical on this, of course, the house built on stone and not on sand) because without one, our beliefs just become a list of issues. It should be more than that.
I wonder if political liberals understand that they are mostly several single-issue groups lumped together? It is very hard to find a political liberal who will talk about his/her underlying beliefs. Try one sometime; it's great entertainment.
you must do selective reading...the mud is being slung at the Rudy supporters who do try to do just that...someone posted today that 15% of the people post 70% of the threads...my response to that was why don't the 85% post any threads...I'm still waiting for an answer...I'll still be waiting tomorrow...any thread right now on any forum of FR is fair game to bash Rudy supporters....no matter what the topic...
Who posts which threads is irrelevant. If all of us tried to spend more time posting threads than responding to them, we'd never have any discussions. Free Republic would simply be a site where people could read internet news stories from other places.
Bill
takes all kinds doesn't it?
>>> "It is very hard to find a political liberal who will talk about his/her underlying beliefs. Try one sometime; it's great entertainment." <<<
I missed the memo too dang it
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