First of all, thank you Jim Robinson for Free Republic. I appreciate your providing me with a place where I can air my views and find out what others are thinking and saying. I also appreciate the opportunity to engage in the spirited back and forth that we FReepers love.
I too have been sometimes taken aback by the personal attacks and have said so. All things considered though, I still believe that allowing the spewers and frothers to be among us is what makes the site live up to its name. Those who don’t know any better than to personally attack posters, who use vulgar language, or are tasteless in general are a stark contrast to the majority of articulate and competent defenders of their view that FR has come to be known for hosting. To my mind, they perform a function. They are, for that reason, easily identified and just as easily ignored if one chooses. I, myself, have been guilty of engaging them, not to accomplish any victory but simply for entertainment. I’ll admit, that’s stooping to their level and I intend try to do better.
I fully appreciate your banning those whose vulgarity and hatred go over the top. But to me, Free Republic, it’s wonderful, diligent truth seekers and sayers, along with the not so graceful and even the frothers and spewers, are a model of a free nation whose bedrock is free speech.
If some members are upset because they can’t brand those they consider “not real Conservatives” and “not real Christians” with a scarlett letter of shame, then they absolutely should start their own site. It won’t be long until they find out that each individual of them has just a little different perspective on what being “real Christian” or a “real Conservative” consists of. They will then begin to eat their own exactly as they have tried to do here.
What I need to do and believe to be a “real Christian” is between me and My Maker. What I need to do to be a “real” political anything is entirely up to me and no one else.
Thanks again, Jim. I hope to be around here for a long time
‘All things considered though, I still believe that allowing the spewers and frothers to be among us is what makes the site live up to its name.’
Within reason, a little snarkiness is spicy. But this is a VERY unusual situation. I do hope an amnesty is worked out if there is any purging over Cruz/Trump ....
What I need to do and believe to be a real Christian is between me and My Maker: by Aleya2Fairlie, 1/25/2016
If conservatism is about anything other than freedom, individual, political, and economic, I am not interested. on 1/25/2016, 7:16:44 AM by Jim 0216