Posted on 09/29/2007 11:22:01 PM PDT by Jack Black
After 9 years, 9,217 postings and 158 original threads I have decided to leave Free Republic.
I haven't arrived at this decision lightly, FR has been a huge part of my life for a decade.
I've learned a tremendous amount from interacting with people here. A lot of my beliefs have been challenged, and I've had to rethink things I on many occassions. There are not too many places where you can learn from sincere people in an atmosphere of open discussion.
My reasons for leaving are twofold.
First, and most importantly, I think I'm graduating. I've probably gotten whatever I am going to get, in the way of education and, hopefully educating others, out of this place. But, after a while, it seems that a lot of the old discussions come around again.
Every day is precious, and in some fundamental way we are what we do. Being a total newshound, and knowing everything about the latest ins-and-out of the issues is gratifying. But, at this point in my life, I think I just need to let go of some level of obsession with it, and do other things.
And, in the second place, I feel that we've used whatever opportunity we had to influence things and our country is just not destined to go in the direction I would like.
The original charter for Free Republic talked about "restoring the Republic" (if I'm not mistaken) and the current one speaks of moving conservatism forward. Sadly, I don't see these things happening, and I don't see internet discussion as being a key, for me at least, to helping them happen.
At some point the 'education and discussion' phase of any political program needs to give way to the activism part. I have deep respect for the activists who have done so many great events, particularly the Gathering of Eagles. I have had the privilige of participating in a few FR organized outings and they are the highlight of my time here.
At this point I think I need to seek more harmony with the world around me, and that has to include coming to terms with the fact that I live in a very socialist state, run by many corrupt individuals. For me, given where I am in my life and the burdens I carry, it just isn't working to care about these things quite as much as I do.
Looking back, I would rate our greatest accomlishment as a group the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Perhaps it is the spector of his wife becoming President that has soured me on the future of our country, and on internet activism as a way to influence it.
Our greatest failure has been the inability of the Republican majority, which many of us worked for decades to achieve, to even attempt to implement any of our key issues. This is both sad, and pathetic. I cannot accept it, but in the end I have no choice.
I fear that if I stay engaged I will become cynical an bitter. These are not traits that I consider admirable, and taking a harsh and honest look at myself I think I'm already slipping down that path.
In large part leaving here is an attempt to re-orient myself around things I can control, around areas I can be successful in, and around things that will make me happy.
I've made a few on-line acquaintances who I hope to keep in touch with, hopefully you feel the same, and I'll be sending you Freep Mail with my contacts, if you don't have them already. I'd love to hear from you at any time.
I've been co-owner of the Civil War II ping list. This has been a great list where we have discussed the most disturbing trends, events that have caused some authors or posters to think our country may suffer again as we did in the 19th Century when visions of the future diverged so completely. I don't know what the future holds but it is my most sincere wish that as a nation we find some way out, some way to come together. Sadly, I'm sceptical about our ability to find that way. The list will now be maintained and run by Archy and Travis. Once could not ask for better owners than that.
I'd like to thank Jim and the staff for everything they have provided to me and thousands of others. I think they have done a lot for the country with this forum. My last act here will be to send Jim a few more checks. I'm probably way behind on what I owe, and will try to make good on my debts to the forum. I urge any of you who are not contributing enough to try to do a little better.
This is a very special place, and I will take solace every day knowing that it is here, filled with good people putting up the good fight. You will all be with me in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you will think kindly of me.
Thank to everyone for making FR what it is. May each of you follow your dreams and find success in your lives.
Goodbye.
-J.B.
Though I didn’t have the pleasure of getting to know you I have read some of your posts. It is sad to see someone such as yourself leave this great forum, hopefully you will return. Godspeed!
There have been times, over the past few years, when I have toyed with the idea of joining the majority of our ‘citizens’ (in name only, since citizenship, by definition, includes allegiance and personal responsibility) and embracing the philosophy that ‘ignorance is bliss’. I believe that many of them do so out of apathy and laziness, but more and more patriots are choosing to do so out of self-preservation. We can no longer obtain even a semblance of peace of mind while watching our beloved republic being sold out from under us to the highest bidder, who often times turns out to be our ideological enemy.
A woman with fewer genuine qualifications than the majority of people sitting in Washington, and a list of abuses of power, and crimes (in both the legal sense, and those against humanity), that would rival those of any past infamous world leader, is one of the front runners to become leader of the free world. And the decision-makers in academia and the media consistently refuse to report, or remind us about, the blackness of her heart, and the fact that her allegiances lie everywhere but in the preservation of our sovereignty and the safety of our people.
Although there are countless others, that single fact is sufficient to make a patriot re-think his innate desire to reclaim our republic from the scoundrels. There is little more foolish than embarking on a deeply meaningful, time- and energy-consuming endeavor that one sees as essentially hopeless – at least under current conditions.
Add to the above the fact that our ‘leadership’ in Washington consistently refuses to take any meaningful steps to address the tragedy that the ‘forgotten American’ (he who knows and respects his country’s roots, and who simply seeks to work hard, raise his family, and be allowed the personal freedom to achieve to his potential) will soon be assigned minority status, in deference to those who seek to reap benefits without having contributed to the wealth, and those who seek our absolute destruction – the latter two consistently being granted virtually unfettered access to our homeland, our prosperity, and our avenues of power.
I have not enjoyed much contact with you in the nearly nine years that we have shared this forum – and, after reading your opus, I am deeply saddened by that – I feel a kinship with you. Unlike many well-intentioned posters here, I will not suggest that you simply take a brief hiatus and return here, because I suspect that that should not happen. You have traveled beyond the point at which that would make sense for you.
There are a growing number of patriots whose realism, uncomfortable though it may be, has led them to the knowledge that what ails America can no longer be addressed through political activism. Those of us who have come to that realization are now preparing to exit the arena, focus on our families and our neighborhoods, and, if the situation becomes so grievous that the average American is willing to put down his remote, get up off his couch, and become outraged to the point of action, we will be there to take part in taking back our government.
Until then, we are occupied with sweeping in front of our own doors and cultivating our own gardens, and urging our neighbors to do the same, in the hopes that the dust will begin to fly, and those in power will begin to recognize that corruption, oppression and treason are no longer acceptable options.
God bless you and keep you safe, Jack Black.
~ joanie
Allegiance and Duty Betrayed
Will this be found along with the body?
Usually they leave because of the lack of admissions requirements.
Ditto on the admission thing.
Ditto on AR.
I concur with you.
First, I think we are headed down a road of socialist mayhem and economic collapse. Our leaders are all multi-millionaires and are not impacted by the folly (Clintons, Kennedy, Kerry, Gore, Edwards, Bush, etc). Hllary in particular is bent on class warfare by pandering to minorities (soon to be the majority) by giving away money. She wants to repeat the blunders of Johnson’s Great Society concept where a huge welfare state is created and the desire to work goes away. I fear for my children, but our society is so deadened to the perils of socialism that there is no escaping it.
Second, as a Catholic, I have read too many anti-Catholic slurs by Freepers. I really though Freep was different, but now Freep is as anti-Catholic as the leftist sites like Daily Kos. You are playing into the Godless left’s view of the world - don’t you get it? Not all of you, just some people that don’t realize that they sound like Bill Maher with his anti-Catholic fumings.
The sky is blue; the sun rises in the east; things fall down, not up; nobody remembers in the end and then they all die, leaving something unfinished.
Keep in touch. In any event, keep online contacts open and clear. When the crap hits the fan, many of us will need to know who and where the friendlies are and how we can avoid collateral damage to our side.
Is posting an opus some sort of therapeutic event? Why not just leave quietly?
You will be missed...
“I fear that if I stay engaged I will become cynical an bitter. These are not traits that I consider admirable, and taking a harsh and honest look at myself I think I’m already slipping down that path.”
I dont know you, But let me leave you with this thought-
I felt exactly the same way in 1997. The whole clinton mess just absolutely finished me. Your entire Opus could have been spoken by me then. I quit giving a crap and immersed myself in my career. On September 11 2001 about 900am I took it back. I may now be cynical and bitter at certain times, I have certainly chastised myself for it. And right now seems to be a really tough time to hold on and not retreat again.
But Ive already decided I cant. I might take a brief break or step back, but I cant forget or stop caring about what happens ever again. If too many people do that, the cost is too great.
I stopped being a newshound about five years ago and like you, decided to step away from the front lines of the battle. I take time to go hiking in the woods, finish raising my kids and got a dog. I also do a lot more reading (of books) than I did when I was an online junkie. So instead of spending several hours a day online, I might spend a few hours a week.
Never found it necessary to leave FR and stop checking in on a regular basis. So try moderation instead of cold turkey.
LOL
yeah, like when he quits next week...
Haven't noticed an Opus in a long time. Have I missed anything good? :-)
Take a break and shift gears.
Not going whole-hog doesn’t mean give up completely.
That said, I understand. Part of me wants to disconnect entirely, just live life freely and recognize most of life is not particularly affected by hysteria. Be prepared - and should CWII (or any other SHTF/TEOTWAKI/major scenario) happen, just roll with it.
Sometimes one needs an overt act to change gears.
For someone who is actively & socially involved, just not showing up doesn’t work.
“I fear that if I stay engaged I will become cynical an bitter.”
Depends upon which wolf inside you that you feed, Dude.
I don’t know Jack from Adam, but I can’t stand these self-serving posts. THIS is part of the problem with the GOP. Too many think they’re a bigger part of the whole than they are.
“We must hang together or we shall surely hang separately” - Benjamin Franklin
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