Ok, since this thread has come to be what it is, I’ll add my two cents.
First, I’ll say that this is still one of the best sites on the web. When I first started becoming interested in politics, this site was immeasurably helpful in getting me acquainted with the current political situation. For that, I will be forever grateful, so know that, when I make my following points, I still really like this site, despite its flaws. Here’s a observations:
1) No one here is disputing Jim Robinson’s right to run his site however he wants. We know that we can stop visiting this site or post somewhere else. We’re just dismayed that the greatest conservative forum on the web is collapsing. Sure, we can go somewhere else if we don’t like it, but it’s senseless to just let this site die for silly reasons.
2) The lack of posters is hurting more than just freepathons. With less people, this site is not the great news aggregator that it once was. Going here used to be one stop shopping for news and commentary. Now, the site can no longer fulfill that role, and there’s less of a reason to visit the site because of it. It’s sad to see how little activity this site has now, and the place seems to be a shell of its former self.
3) The lack of posters also means less posting and commentary on each thread. It’s sad to see the site being half dead. When I read the older threads, I am in awe of how intelligent the discussion is.
4) There are a few things that have made the posters on this site lose much of their credibility in my mind. One is the treatment of Newt Gingrich. If you read some older threads, you can see that only a year or so ago, he was widely reviled as a RINO here. Now, all of a sudden, he has become almost above reproach. Both positions are too extreme, but this site seems really dumb when it flip-flops on someone like that.
5) The Palin cult of personality was obnoxious. I like her as a person, but this site seemed out of touch with reality when, in 2010, people were acting like it was a shoe-in that she would be president in 2013.
6) The anti-Mormon junk is obnoxious. It’s one thing to allow Mormonism to be deservedly criticized, but it’s another thing to make anti-Mormonism a semi-official site policy. There is a reason why public figures won’t touch this site with a ten foot pole, and the condoned anti-Mormonism by people like Colofornian and Elsie is a large part of that reason. You can have a site dedicated to trashing Mormons or a site where mainstream public figures like Tony Snow post, but not both. I sure as Hell would prefer having the latter.
7) The anti-Catholicism on this site is also obnoxious. It’s not as obvious as the anti-Mormonism, but it is noticeable in the way the religion forum is moderated. There is no reason posters like presently no screen name and Quix should be allowed to post the way they do. However, most of this has subsided due to the fact that, because of the decrease in site activity, the religion forum is half-dead.
8) On the topic of Mitt Romney: I’d like it if the site allowed people to support or not support Romney equally. We all know that Romney is bad, but this is a question of strategy not principles. Either position should be acceptable.
9) As has been noted on this thread before, the whole viking kitties celebrating a zot thing has become ridiculous. Unless it’s a genuine troll, there is no reason to childishly celebrate the zotting of a freeper.
10) The suck-ups on this site are also obnoxious. I have no idea why grown adults feel the need to score brownie points by sucking up to Jim Robinson. We can all like Jim Rob, but we don’t need to worship him or suck up to him like he’s a dictator or we’re teachers’ pets.
So, although I love this site, it has some avoidable problems that are leading to its fundraising problems. If this post leads to a zot, so be it, but due to where this site has been headed, I’m going to take a break from posting for a while and maybe forever. I’ll still lurk and I may respond to comments on this post, but aside from that, I’ll be gone for a while. It was nice while it lasted guys.
I’m Roman Catholic and have no problem at all with this site. In fact, it is the one place that I can go and feel welcome.
I don’t know why you’d want to belong to a place that you claim does all that. You can not possibly believe it’s one of the best sites of the web if you truly believe all that you posted.
Well said. Very well said.
Any business that was conducted like this board has come to be would soon go belly up.
It will be interesting to see if your sound observations lead to changes that must be made.
So sorry you have wasted a whole year of your life. [WPaCon February 20, 2011].
Who do you nominate for head commissar of the censorship committee you are suggesting?
Well, my friend, it appears you have some serious issues with the way I run FR and the goals I’ve set for this site. If you do not know by now that I am pro-life, pro-family, pro-liberty, etc, and that the abortionist/homosexualist/statist Mitt Romney will never be acceptable to me as a presidential candidate then you’re nuts. And if you think I’m going to open up FR as an all inclusive, big tent abortionist/homosexualist/statist site just to increase our hits you’re doubly nuts. And if you think I would do any of the above for money you’re triply nuts.
My positions on God, life, family, liberty and country are non-negotiable and not open to debate. They are what they are and they’re posted on our front page and at the top of every index page: “Welcome to Free Republic, America’s exclusive site for God, Family, Country, Life & Liberty conservatives!”
You must’ve seen this when you registered and or when you login every day, so if you wish to walk some other path, I don’t know why you bother signing in.
So I’ll repeat for your benefit which I’ve posted many times before, if you find FR is not your cup of tea, just move along because we’re not changing it to suit you.
As with all anti-freepers now harping from the peanut galleries, we got a long fine before we met you, we’ll get along fine without you.
But just to show there are no hard feelings if you do go, I’ll leave you with this parting message:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ZKIX0ICZo
You've been registered here for a year and two months. Boo Hoo.
Like we aren't interested in the GOP, the same applies to you who never seem to get like you retread!
When I read the older threads, I am in awe of how intelligent the discussion
And then you came along with all your liberal wants, needs and whine.
Along with the obligatory comment when one is void of conservatism - Sarah shouldn't be celebrated but Romney should. Straight from the Romney handbook.
You won't be missed by us Patriots and your mindset is a dime a dozen heard throughout the 'gutless GOP' camp.
Now you speak for public figures!! And you wonder why any one with integrity do not take you serious?
Thank you Colofornian and Elsie for exposing the 'UGLY' truth about Mormonism right from their own literature - things the average voter would have no knowledge of. It's no wonder a Mittbot, WPacon, singles you out! You are a blessing to FR!
WPaCon shows he doesn't like doing the 'right thing' as that would be conservatism. Not pinging those he is accusing - shows a backstab mittbot mindset.
When you were on the RF, reading your posts, it wasn't rocket science to know you weren't interested in truth while witnessing your childish antics. Thanks for proving it!
Do you always go around & gossip behind people's back? Is that just norm for your lifestyle? (Considered common online courtesy to ping them when speaking about them to others)
There's a few "anti-Scientology-ism" people around as well. Do you go around to those sites & ensure you defend the Scientologists as well? Or does Mormonism have some special "ism" appeal to you not found in Scientology? [I post on Mormonism here because (a) I am a descendent of a Mormon leader; and (b) Conservative Mormons post & lurk here)
Do you object to the Mormons for using both Lds.org -- and its doorbell-ringing -- as a platform for its anti-Christianeering, or do you lopsided side with the Mormons? [take any phrase below, cut & paste it & go to Lds.org to find it...re: the Lds missionaries...see the last row in the chart below]
Mitt Romney, Dec, 2007, speaking @ the George Bush Presidential Library: "I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers – I will be true to them and to my beliefs."
Snapshot of Joseph Smith’s Slanderous Invectives vs. Christian Sects |
Mormon Source[Note: Most of these are Mormon ‘scriptures'. In fact, First three rows below are Lds 'scripture' & therefore cannot be rug-swept any more than a Jew might try to take three commandments off of the very tablets of stone Moses brought down from the mountain] |
| “...which of all the sects was right… must join NONE of them, for they were ALL WRONG… those professors were ALL CORRUPT…” | Joseph Smith – History vv. 18-19. – Lds "scripture" Pearl of Great Price |
| ...“which of all the sects was right…ALL their CREEDS were an ABOMINATION in his sight…they teach for doctrines the commandments of MEN…” | Joseph Smith – History vv. 18-19. – Lds "scripture" Pearl of Great Price |
| Mormon church the only ‘Christ-sanctioned’ church on earth: “…the foundation of this [Mormon] church…the ONLY true and living church on the face of the whole earth” [Obvious ‘scorched earth’ implication: All other churches are false and dead] | Lds “scripture” Doctrines & Covenants 1:30 |
| Direct question asked of Joseph Smith: 'Will everybody be damned, but Mormons?" Answer from Lds "prophet" Joseph Smith: 'Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness." | Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 119 [Not “scripture” – but still publicly spoken by the Mormon ‘living prophet’ and published by a later Mormon ‘living prophet,’ Joseph Fielding Smith – via a publisher owned by the Mormon church – Deseret News Press, 1938] |
| “In 1952…the first official proselyting plan was sent to missionaries throughout the world…It included seven missionary discussions that emphasized…[four topics, one of them being]…THE APOSTASY and Restoration…” [This makes it almost 60 years that Mormon church missionaries, now numbering 52,000, have formally emphasized in its training & door to door saturation a priority in bashing the worldwide Christian church as “apostates” (100% AWOL)] | Our Heritage: A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints p. 116, 1996 |
WPaCon - I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ll bet it’s hard to pronounce.
You might remember if you are sooooooo hooked on proper FR behavior to ping those who you name in your post so they have an opportunity to reply. How much have you ever ponyed up WPaCon? Or have you been a freeloader? You don’t like it here, then perhaps DU is a better forum for your dribble.
A zot would be too kind for you - but well earned for the bile you’ve posted.