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Email: The Future of Free Republic
Email | 06/25/02 | Jim Robinson

Posted on 06/25/2002 3:42:21 AM PDT by Jim Robinson

The following email is being circulated to our members by various disgruntled former FReepers:

Subject: The Future of Our Free Republic

Dear Fellow Free Republic Member,

Many of us at Free Republic are distressed by the extraordinary level of censorship that has been so obviously going on. It is very obvious that individual posts, entire threads, and the entire work of members who have been highly regarded are disappearing into a Memory Hole.

Scores of us have organized an e-mail network that is independent of the communication controls presently, and sadly, being used at our Free Republic. We have carefully documented the unmistakeable evidence that most of the posts, threads, and posters that are vaporized completely are overwhelmingly targeted for their political stance on the Right. These are not Leftwingers. These are not even Middle-of-the-Roaders. These are not disruptors. These are not foul-mouthed delinquents. These are fellow patriots on the Right who disagree with the controllers of FR on specific issues that are now hotly debated by the Right. We have documented that FR will parade before you, as if to hide all of the great posters whose work has been destroyed, a straw-man delinquent that has been banned. This is deceptive.

Treating these fellow patriots on the Right so shabbily is not right. As shabbily as those banned into the Memory Hole are being treated, the most shabbily treated of all are all of the good folks on Free Republic themselves. We came here for honest debate. Free Republic advertised itself as a Forum for honest debate. Without that honest debate...everything at Free Republic becomes shabby.

We can do much better. As a measure of how intense the simmering feelings have gotten among members on this unjustifiable use of deleting, censoring, and banning please link to the following thread. You will notice that one simple and sincere plea from one of our finest members has spontaneously touched off a prairie fire of approximately 500 posts in a mere 18 hours. If it isn't Memory Holed this thread may shoot into the thousands.

If you would like to receive anonymous updates of information concerning the hundreds of Freepers who have networked via e-mail to restore the wonderful honest debate to Free Republic, just drop an e-mail of just one or two words if you like for extreme brevity to:

StopCensoringUs@hotmail.com

And, here's that link back to the snowballing thread at FR:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/704701/posts

Thank you so much for giving your thought to this vital matter for our Internet home.

Sincerely, StopCensoringUs@hotmail.com



TOPICS: Announcements
KEYWORDS: adminlectureseries; fr; lexicon; opuslist
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To: Cachelot
that got your brother booted was probably that he made an a$$ of himself

my brother rarely posted anything on this forum. He got the boot because you put the interests of a foreign country above your own and pushed the abuse button.

761 posted on 06/25/2002 7:02:13 PM PDT by VinnyTex
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To: TLBSHOW
Seems this is a hot topic over at the nut house!

Interesting to hear LF referred to as "the nut house" after its owner so eloquently complimented Jim & FR. Ah well.

762 posted on 06/25/2002 7:04:36 PM PDT by Jefferson Adams
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To: Jim Robinson
Jim....I've never said nor even intimated that the Democrats are squeaky clean on anything. I see virtually no difference between Gore and Bush, that's true, but that doesn't mean that I think the Democrats are OK. I opted not to vote for the lesser of the two evils...I voted for the person I thought would best following the Constsitution.

You're correct in that I didn't get elected but that happens all the time to candidates--there can only be one winner in a contested race. The only thing I took hard was Jim Waltermire's death (the GOP candidate for governor)--at the time he was the Secretary of State and responsible for checking into election irregularities. After his death, we regrouped and tried to get Attorney Marc Racicot of the A/G office to check into it....but he couldn't be bothered. The Bob Dornan race and the Louisiana race of a few years back are quite reminescent--the GOP really wasn't interested in finding any irregularities or illegalities.

As to what among a number of things has spoiled my disposition towards the GOP....I don't like liars whether they are Democrat or Republican. If its bad for the Democrats to do it, it should be bad for the Republicans, too. I love my kid brother, but wouldn't vote for him for any office either--he's a liar as well.

763 posted on 06/25/2002 7:06:59 PM PDT by Rowdee
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To: Petronski
I remember central scrutini(s)er. What an ass.


764 posted on 06/25/2002 7:07:00 PM PDT by Cultural Jihad
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To: general_re
Personally, I like the chronological format better, with the option of clicking on "view replies" if a specific post or line of discussion catches my attention. I find the other way much more confusing to follow for just readability. Here, we have the best of both worlds.
765 posted on 06/25/2002 7:10:42 PM PDT by sweetliberty
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To: Jefferson Adams; Jim Robinson; PhiKapMom; WIMom; GalFromTheBay; billbears
To all:

Not all LiFers are out to destroy FreeRepublic or attack JimRob. I was a "Freeper" long before I was a LiFer. I still post here (I'm not hard to find). The purpose of FreeRepublic is to "support our Constitution and look for honesty, integrity and honor from those in government." To that end I support FR and what it stands for - both by posting and by donations. I and many other FReepers/LiFers defend our country and Constitution at both sites. And anyone that has seen my posts on either forum knows that I am proudly Christian, American, a conservative, and southern.

When I first joined WiMom had threads discussing the Constitution and Federalist Papers, PhiKapMom had threads about tax-cuts and the Senate. Other threads were about supporting Ashcroft, and running commentaries kept the cubicle-bound informed. I talked with hundreds of other posters about dims, the elections, W, and everything in between. I looked forward to the fund-raisers, and posted words of wisdom from Ronald Wilson Reagan, a man that I consider to be one of our greatest Presidents.

I support our 1st Amendment rights to free-speech, and opined about the suits against FR. And about the freedom to exercise our religion, and the right to keep and bear arms. And privacy, the right to a fair trial, and the sovereignty of the states. FReepers GalFromTheBay and Billbears started and maintain a daily prayer thread and endured abuse because of it - yet I certainly think that our country is is need of prayer, and that some things only God can change.

I cannot support any politician - no matter what label is affixed to their name - if they violate their oath of office. No matter if they are a Dim, or a Republican or anything else. Anyone that crosses that line - who knowingly and willfully supports a position that is contrary to the Constitution - I cannot support or defend. To that end I can utilize my rights to the soapbox and ballot-box, by seeking to remind others about how far we've drifted. I know their is no such thing as the perfect candidate - I simply prefer to search for the one that matches most closely what I hold dear.

Some dissent is tolerated on both sites, what value is their in a mutual-admiration society? If someone has an opinion and not just an insult, then no matter how much I disagree with them I value their opinion.

Jim Robinson and John Deere can clean up posts as they see fit on their sites. Each site has it's attraction. John Deere wrote, "Liberty and objective reasoning always trump immoral concepts of human interaction that depend on coercion and weak minds for their survival." I'm proud to support both sites.

766 posted on 06/25/2002 7:14:03 PM PDT by 4CJ
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To: parsifal
Parsy, you are a perfect case in point that Jim tolerates the weirdest a wide spectrum of opinion and discussion...either that or he's decided to keep you around as a cutiosity.
767 posted on 06/25/2002 7:14:05 PM PDT by sweetliberty
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To: 4ConservativeJustices
What's the biggest dissapointment for me regarding FR is the lack of participation on constitution or government related type threads. Cheese and moose seem to be more important. (not slamming cheese whatsoever!) Whatever, I still learn a lot from FR and as long as we can affect a change, I'm here.
768 posted on 06/25/2002 7:20:20 PM PDT by WIMom
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To: 4ConservativeJustices
Well said, 4 :)
769 posted on 06/25/2002 7:22:34 PM PDT by Jefferson Adams
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To: Jefferson Adams
The thing that makes his nose obvious is overwhelming Democrat corruption. Without that, none of us would've ever known what that two-bit hack looked like in the first place. Defeat the Democrats, and I don't mean just barely. Beat them by a landslide. Give the Republicans the "mandate of the people" to dump the failed liberal/socialist programs and start dismantling the federal beast. Bring about a new Reagan revolution. Make the Republicans fight among themselves as to priorities for cutting. Cut, slash, and burn. Turn our capital loose and quit siphoning off 25% or more from the producing private sector and quit allowing government to squander it away. Get the government out of the way and let prosperity boom for the next twenty to forty years. Cut and slash all spending programs. Cut taxes. Shift the tax burden off income and away from production where it is nothing more than a penalty. Make the government earn it from consumption through excise taxes. Release investment capital, allowing business to expand. Allow the people to go to work without taking a third or more of their pay. Allow people to live free from government overtaxation and choking regulation for the first time in their lives. Let's face it, very few citizens living today have ever enjoyed true freedom since the Democrats took control in the '30s. Mr. President, tear down this welfare state!


770 posted on 06/25/2002 7:25:43 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
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Comment #771 Removed by Moderator

To: Jefferson Adams
But I wasn't referring to LF as "real freedom" - I was referring to the fact that real freedom requires allowing people to voice their opinion. Even if we don't like that opinion.

There's another right you are ignoring, and that is the right to own and manage one's property.

We have real freedom. There is not a single person anywhere on the internet in America who does not have real freedom. Everyone can voice their opinion somewhere on the internet, somewhere in a printed publication, somewhere on the radiowaves, in a letter, at city hall meetings, over the phone to friends, on the streetcorner, in the park, etc. But nowhere is it written that others are obligated to make sure you are heard, and nowhere is it written that others have to publish your words or provide audio support, batteries, paper or bandwidth for other people's rants. Everyone can get their own web sites, radios, printing presses, cardboard signs, and paper, but no one has to buy, maintain or deliver these things for people. Refusal to do so isn't a restriction on freedom.

On the web, sites can be had for free, although that is certainly not a right. I've got my own web sites, a free one and a paid one, and so far I have never gotten myself banned no matter what was posted on either of them. Anyone can get their own web site and post their rants, because there is nothing stopping them from doing so. Jimrob hasn't stopped a single person from getting their own site, nor has he ever vowed to bring down other people's sites as his detractors have on occasion vowed to do to FR.

But if everyone had the freedom to post whatever they want on your web site, or mine, even when we don't want them to post on our web sites, or manipulate our forums, or spread propaganda, then WE would not have freedom. The first ammendment isn't there to protect anyone's right to be heard or to be read on other people's property. The first ammendment isn't there to dictate to web site owners what is and what isn't 'fair,' or 'free.' It's to make sure that Government can't take away your right to speak- not to prevent someone from kicking you off of their property for yelling in their yard, or off their web site for any reason they please. It's to keep government from taking YOUR printing press away, but not to prevent the owner of the press from repossessing a machine that you used but haven't paid for. Jim Rob is nowhere near as powerful as people make him out to be, nor are the moderators. They simply cannot stop anyone from starting their own web site and posting to their hearts consent on it, even if the moderators or JimRob were so inclined- which they aren't. So they cann't 'censor people,' or prevent a person from voicing their opinion. They CAN and rightfull so, prevent people from using the web site as if it was communal property.

I don't understand why people think they have a right to someone else's web site, or why, when denied posting privileges on a web site which belongs to another, they think this impairs their liberty. It simply doesn't impair their liberty in ANY way. Why don't all these whiners write angry protest letters to EBAY or Amazon.com, National Geographic, the St. Louis Post, Democrats.com, the Red Cross, Catholic Church web, the Sierra Club web, or some blogger's web site for not allowing any stranger who stops by to take up as much bandwidth as he pleases with any topic or rant he pleases? It's simple- the whiners know very well that EBAY, Amazon.com, National Geo, the Post, Democrats.com, the Red Cross, the Catholic Church web, the Sierra Club and a bunch of bloggers own their sites and they know very well that those site owners, instead of wasting their time trying to explain the difference between 'my' web site and 'your' web site, will simply ignore the whining or send a response like this: 'What part of 'site owner' don't you understand?'

Does the Lutheran Church web site HAVE to host Islamic web pages, or vice versa? Would it be 'free' if they were so obligated? No. It wouldn't be freedom if they did so, it would be 'web welfare.'

Why is it that people think they have ownership and 'inalienable rights' on this site simply because they know how to log in? Did Jim pass out stock certificates or deeds? Is there some legal proof that those who complain about being 'denied rights' have any legal rights at all to post here? I sure haven't seen any proof of ownership from them.

772 posted on 06/25/2002 7:27:27 PM PDT by piasa
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To: KissOfTheSith
If you think that Jim doesn't allow disagreement with Bush, then I would suggest that you've been reading the wrong threads. I have seen many passionately charged discussions where there was a lot of disagreement with Bush's policies on some matter or other. It seems to me that only when a poster gets abusive or rabidly anti-Bush do the posts get pulled.
773 posted on 06/25/2002 7:30:30 PM PDT by sweetliberty
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To: WIMom
What's the biggest dissapointment for me regarding FR is the lack of participation on constitution or government related type threads.

Sadly I must agree. I enjoyed those threads, but there were only a few that cared enough to post :o(

774 posted on 06/25/2002 7:31:28 PM PDT by 4CJ
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To: ScreamingFist
I have also never been booted from FR, nor had a post I know of pulled. If you're happy with the FR censorship

If you haven't been censored, what are carping about?

775 posted on 06/25/2002 7:31:54 PM PDT by Roscoe
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To: Jim Robinson
Jim, A couple months ago, the Milwaukee County Executive, (like a county governor) was recalled because he created pensions for him and his employees that were astronomical. The county exec's pension alone was in excess of 2 million dollars. We needed 70,000+ votes for a recall, we got over 180,00+. What's the point?

While they were doing the exit interviews during the primary, the die hard democrats were saying they were fed up with the status quo. This is Milwaukee, the leader of socialist government and voting conservative. For the first time in Milwaukee's history, a *gasp* conservative was elected to a high position. If conservative reform can happen in Milwaukee, it can happen everywhere! There is hope! The mere fact that lifelong democrats are seeing the light, there is hope!

776 posted on 06/25/2002 7:32:44 PM PDT by WIMom
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To: Cultural Jihad
So that's who wrote the email?
777 posted on 06/25/2002 7:34:16 PM PDT by Roscoe
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To: cake_crumb
"Why is it that so many of these forums seem to be obsessed with FR?"

When you're the best at something, others tend to either imitate or attack.

778 posted on 06/25/2002 7:34:24 PM PDT by sweetliberty
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To: oldfart
"she tells me that God instructed the Jews to kill every man, woman, child and domestic animal when they conquered a land."

Not every land, but there were times when God did indeed instruct His people to do just that....whenever it was certain that allowing any to survive would in one way or another be destructive to them.

779 posted on 06/25/2002 7:37:17 PM PDT by sweetliberty
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To: Jim Robinson
Get the government out of the way and let prosperity boom for the next twenty to forty years. Cut and slash all spending programs. Cut taxes. Shift the tax burden off income and away from production where it is nothing more than a penalty. Make the government earn it from consumption through excise taxes. Release investment capital, allowing business to expand. Allow the people to go to work without taking a third or more of their pay. Allow people to live free from government overtaxation and choking regulation for the first time in their lives. Let's face it, very few citizens living today have ever enjoyed true freedom since the Democrats took control in the '30s. Mr. President, tear down this welfare state!

That's the JR I knew. Kudos to you sir.

780 posted on 06/25/2002 7:37:19 PM PDT by 4CJ
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