Posted on 02/12/2016 10:04:27 PM PST by Optimist
Over the past several months, Free Republic has begun to show an ugly side of its members. Although admittedly comprised of many strong-willed, opinion-charged individuals presenting thoughtful, conservative insights into the topics of the day, this forum has begun to show a seamier side as the Trump-Cruz-Rubio-Carson 2016 Primary heated up. You all know what I mean. Many of you have either been at the giving or receiving end of EMOTIONALLY-charged attacks against various candidates or even individuals as their supporters.
Herewith a few thoughts I would like to share:
Well, this is what happens when one (Ok, I) become frustrated with the ad-hominem attacks against so many good people both on this site, and otherwise supportive of conservatism and the rise of a conservative Republican Party. We are all decent, America-loving conservatives who are driven to strive for what is best for returning this country to its pride.
Please Freepers, make your best case, and trust that whoever eventually runs against the Demobeast will, with God's light, be the right person for the job.
Let the flame-war begin, I have donned my suit! And God bless.
I disagree.
Being on the receiving end of some REALLY nasty rhetoric, and seeing other FReepers get taken out to the woodshed over and over and over, this is the nastiest time ever here on FR.
This is particularly true of attacks being thrown from one particular candidate’s side. Really nasty stuff. Questioning people’s belief in God, attacking on very personal levels. I myself have been attack personally inside FR, in private posts, one crazy person even tracked down my email and emailed me a letter asking if I was really being honest about my faith in God.
Yes, there has been a spinoff site created from this primary season, and it’s mainly because of the childlike behavior coming from one particular candidate’s side. When every post/thread which is positive about the other candidate gets completely infiltrated and becomes nothing more than attack after attack after attack, people get fed up with it.
I’ll tell you this: some of these folks need to be VERY careful with what they are doing. This community will not be able to stand without some reigning in of the rhetoric and vitriol. What they are doing is tantamount to being at party, and running up to each group of people, and lambasting them/questioning their belief structure/attacking them with constant ad homonym attacks.
Frankly, if it was my party, folks that engaged in tactics like that would be shown the door. All that does is intimidates people into being afraid to post anything in opposition. Eventually the place is going to be nothing but an echo chamber.
Good post.
As I posted before: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3395235/posts?page=120#120
And. . .
An observation: . . .the Supreme Court will be in play during the next presidential term. One can argue if Cruz nominations to the Supreme Court would make it through or be “Borked,” and one can reasonably question if Trumps picks will be reliably conservative in their votes, but one thing is for certain and for sure, with go-along to get-along republicans in the Senate, President Sanders or President Clinton will get their reliably socialist/lefty nominee(s) on the court.
To me, that is the greatest danger to this great nation.
The court will be lost for generations and our nation may not survive with internationalists and socialist/activist judges running the Supreme Court. That is my greatest fear.
I remind the candidates that it is time to knock off the circular firing squad and focus on the real enemy—the democrat party.
Do not join Free Republic....the people there are right wing extremists who believe in The Constitution! They are NUTZ!/S
Lol.. Look at the facts.. People signed up to support trump...and maybe a few other candidates. He is a vulgar, nasty man who uses the words my daughter..and have sex in the same sentence. He is afraid of a girl and hides behind veterans. I was told I have a demented imagination cuz I’m a Cruz bot.. I am, in truth a constitutional bot.. Whatever candidate supports the constitution is my pick. The truths of the candidates are all covered up by vitriolic hyperbole. It looks like the democrats.. Trump is a dem..Have taken over the board.. They are nasty.. No rebuttal or argument, just nasty.
I was a new Freepers’when trump ran the first time.. But most of these folks have forgotten the inconvenient truths of his former campaign... They just call you a liar and keep believing trump is not Mr a single Payor 2000.
Most of us are rational, I thought trump was great, until he started saying he will force Isreal, force Apple.. Those are unconstitutional statements so I quit even conside in trump.
There are a handful of FReepers calling Cruz a “liar/cheater”, “godless,†“flat out ineligible for POTUS†and constantly setting up threads to fight battles we’ve fought over and over and over again on FR, and who, of course, also post the constant bile from places like Conservative Treehouse.
If the Mods shut down such threads and warned individuals, things would calm down. The problem really could be resolved by simply targeting a few of the most problematic posters, which the Mods could simply pick out by enforcing the rules clearly outlined for posting to FR.
“Personally, I like to advance the conversation. But it is difficult to maintain a civil conversation when people think it is their duty to converse by kicking others in their chins.”
Agree.
There are some FReepers that see nothing wrong with being crass, profane and downright unreasonable, incapable of a civil exchange—and they are proud of it and mock those that are calling for adult conversations.
Check out this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3391340/posts
Many examples of FReepers mocking those that are calling for civility.
That’s a good idea. I can’t remember a time where I’ve ever pressed “report.”
What you say about FReepers is true, most certainly, but we should not be at war with each other, as it is today.
Scorched earth war on FR benefits only the demoncRATS.
Yup, it’s the silly season.
BUMP!
Agree with No. 5 for sure, and maybe that is exactly what is causing the clashes........
I remember the old Fred Thompson vs Duncan Hunter battles of ‘08 and the massive Giuliani purge. Good times.
Amen.
Three cheers!! A lot of patently false attacks are robotically repeated about all the candidates and personal attacks to the posters are all too common.
It is a reflection of the increasing rage of people lied to by smarmy GOP-e politicians. They lie to get elected and regard the people with contempt.
+1
I think some of my impression is due to the effect you describe. When it gets hot, people abandon the site. I've done that for long periods, usually just because my interests shift, but other times because my view was out of rig with the prevailing view at FR, and my view was unwelcome.
For example, I quit posting for years during the Libby trial. I posted at other places (Just One Minute) and on my own - became a dirty filthy blogger, and IMO, FR was in fact an echo chamber on the Libby case. So what? I didn't opus out here, or drag others away. I'll quit posting again sometime, few will notice the absence.
Everything in life goes through cycles, internet forums being no exception.
So just put those who you view as twits, on your twit list. If nobody posts to them, if their posts don't "get a rise," if you scroll past their crap, FR will be more peaceful, and self regulate to a lower level of useless heat.
Amen. And thank you.
I’ve only been here since 2000 and admit I’ve been mostly a lurker but I’ve never seen it so ugly.
Considering that in past primaries when the choices were much worse and people were still somewhat civil, one would think that this nastiness would not reach this level. I would happily vote for Cruz or Trump. I would feel less enthusiastic voting for Rubio, but he is still so much better than McCain, Christie, Bush, or Romney choices. We should be grateful, not bitter.
You are so right. Great post. It’s disgusting seeing age old Freepers tear each other apart. We need to be above the DUhmmie level of behavior. There are also an ample supply of noob trolls I’ve called out for being the little sh@t upstarts that they are. The elder Freepers have no excuse however and they need to stand down on personal attacks.
And in the end, FR exists because of private donations. I refuse to stand by and let some overly emotional flame war drive off valued, donating Freepers and bleed our funding dry. We’ve lost enough good people already.
Me too. The level of discourse has sunk as the season has progressed. The infighting is sad and disturbing. Respectful comments seem to be in short supply. I don't post much anymore and won't have anything to contribute on the subject of Trump or Cruz. But I have learned things -- for example, the underlying similarity of people with widely divergent political opinions (i.e., left v. right).
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