Posted on 08/10/2002 1:29:46 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
The anti-FReepers are on the prowl. As most of you know, there is a group of ex-FReepers who have been dogging us for the last several years. The anti-FReeper community was started several years ago by a group of disgruntled individuals who were banned from FR and then wanted to get back at us by damaging our reputation. This started out as petty name calling and rumor mongering, but they now appear determined to cause us as much harm as possible. Even to the point of attempting to get FR and FRN shut down and the owners and managers of the organizations bankrupted or jailed.
Some of the early members of the group include ex-FReepers Mojo, Aligyrl, Landshark, Z2, Headhunter, LindaM, and others who have come and gone over the years. The most recent additions to active anti-FReeping appear to be ex-FReepers Clarity, Clinton's a Liar and JoeEveryman.
There appears to be a certain love/hate relationship involved here. Some of these people hate FR and its PTB (that's "Powers That Be" in their lingo) with such passion that they cannot stay away. Some of the original members of the AF community have given up and drifted off, some have come back to FR, and some are as determined as ever to kill FR and have me and whomever else they can thrown into prison for whatever crimes they imagine us guilty. Their motivation is pure revenge. Their driving force is hatred.
Their current attack is centered around an attempt to break up the Free Republic Network and, through that angle, to cause as much damage to FR as possible. Unfortunately for all of us, there is a genuine problem with the ex-leader of the South Carolina Chapter. Apparently, there was some money collected for events that was never paid over to the vendors and the chapter leader is accused of taking off with the money. I am not going into all of the gory details here, but I understand that there is an official police investigation ongoing and the SC Chapter and the FRN are cooperating fully with the authorities. The anti-FReepers, led by JoeEveryman, are trying to gain maximum leverage from any fallout from this case and are attempting to use it to bring down FRN.
JoeEveryman ran an FR thread (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/728856/posts) last week on this subject. I eventually deleted it because it was turning into an anti-FReeper haven and I do not want that on FR. The anti-FReepers have plenty of their own websites to conduct their hate campaign. Those who are interested may find JoeEveryman (posting as "Panjandrum") on the LibertyPost.org forum, now appearing to be the latest home of the anti-FReeper community. I have undeleted the JoeEveryman thread for those who are interested in reading it, but have left it locked. I do not want any more anti-FReeping activity on FR.
JoeEveryman is now banned from Free Republic. It is clear on the thead that he ran here on FR and on this (http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readarticle.cgi?114+1485+0+1) thread on LibertyPost.org that his intent is to bring FR down and to cause us as many legal problems as he can. I cannot see allowing him to do this on my own website.
It appears to me that they are either preparing some sort of lawsuit and or are trying to entangle me, Bob J, FR and FRN into the SC case. None of us had anything to do with whatever wrongdoing may have taken place in SC. The South Carolina Chapter is an independent entity, as are all of the FR chapters, and neither FR nor FRN have any ownership or control over their activities. It appears that the anti-FReepers are trying to break that down. We'll see. FRN is cooperating fully with the authorities and I will too if they ask.
In the meantime, I do not want them scheming on FR so they are banned and will remain banned. I will also ban any other FR members who get actively engaged in this attempt to bring down FR.
A request to all. Please do not drag any of the anti-FReeper stuff to FR. I do not want it here.
Free Republic has withstood many attacks over the years, from both the left and the right and I am confident that we will survive this attack from this Free Republic Haters Association as well.
Thanks for your continued support.
Jim
Whoop-tee-do! You mean I'd have to face Mojo with all his multitude of Yahoo names, or the afer Landshark, who spent two years telling everyone that he was a successfull venture captialist in his thirties, with a wife and baby daughter and he was actually a unmarried college undergraduate? When called on his lies he whined that everybody tells lies on the internet? This can all be backed up by internet quotes. These are some of the anti-freepers. A real class act.
However, this does worry me.
In the words of that great american, "Can't we just all get along?" </sarcasm>
Couldn't resist that. On a more serious note, once again, Jim, you have proved yourself to be a "class act" and I am proud to be a member of your organization!
Seems like your brainchild, FreeRepublic, has become like a rebellious, adolescent boy. You bring 'em up as best you can, but beyond a certain point there's not a lot you can do other than observe, and comment only when asked. (That's usually after the fact of a disaster or two.)
That means putting up with a lot of guff at times. But it doesn't mean allowing them/him to come in the living room and trash the furniture. Bottom line, I think you struck the right balance in locking the thread you refer to, but leaving it up for anyone to read.
Don't let your pride in your offspring be daunted by such events. You raised up a strapping young man. In a short time he will be a man in the world -- a worthy one, I believe. And that means hat's off to you.
Congressman Billybob
Click for latest column: "Good People, Naked People, People Who Are Wet and Wild."
Of course there is benefit, Jack...you would earn the trust of your fellow freepers. You can't underestimate the power of trust, since you depend on drawing more members into the activist roles.
For example, the innagural ball loss I mentioned above. If you guys (and gals) came out right away and said..."hey, we screwed up, we undercharged the ball by X amount,' there may have been some greif about it...but I think more freepers would have donated the following freepathon to help with the difference. Heck, I would bet you more freepers would "get involved' to make sure that this type of stuff didn't "ruin' the forum in the future.
You would be building a solid active base, based on the cause and the honesty for which it is carried out.
Instead, you have opuses...folks getting banned for asking too many questions and a whole bunch of people scratching their heads wondering if there is some shady business going on.
What a drag, to have a good reputation. Have spent the last 40 years trying to live it down.
Congressman Billybob
Click for latest column: "Good People, Naked People, People Who Are Wet and Wild."
Using volunteer help, it is not inconceivable that mistakes are made. Most often, they are mistakes of execution, not of principle. But because people are quick to judge, once a mistake is made, the blame-shifting starts. Then feelings get hurt and the bile starts to flow and all unity dissolves in a corrosive spray of vitriol and enmity.
Maybe we in the Network need to work harder to deserve the trust we ask for. Keep in mind that there are issues of such sensitivity that they cannot be capriciously made public knowledge. But your reasoned criticisms have been noted and will be acted upon.
That same gratitude applies to all who have spoken in a spirit of co-operative critique. Together, we truly can achieve the goal we all share.
After Jim Robinson started this thread, I have been reviewing the wonderful people who have made this website what it is today.
The March for Justice in October 1998, was perhaps Free Republic's highest point, and it has been interesting to go back and remember former Freepers. I recorded the event and have been watching the video tape the last two evenings.
For images:
http://www.freedom-usa.net/freeper_pics/protestpics.html
In the last couple of days, we have listened to many comments about a few people. Unfortunatly, since the March for Justice in 1998, hundreds of outstanding Freepers are no longer with us.
I have always supported Free Republic and will continue to do so. However, not to find this a little disturbing, would be less than honest.
Place me in the group: "Clinton's a Liar (CAL) is an Anti-Freeper?"
So sad and confusing. Do you know if CAL is still with Alan Keyes? I would hope not. Don't think she would serve him well being so vindictive.
Knowing that you are probably serious about this comment...I will not point out the absurdity of it.
It is exactly this mindset that has led to all this crap. The secret 'inner workings' that the privledged have to deal with. Did every friggin' one of you have to read "Dianetics" by L.Ron Hubbard before you became 'cleared' for the 'sensitive' stuff?
Y'all have a good day in your fantasy world....just remember that you are just another in a long, long line of 'inner groups' that have existed here at FR. Everyone has good intentions...remember the FAB? Coven? Do these names ring a bell?
Sorry to hear of your troubles across the border in the other Carolina. (No offense meant from your larger neighbor. I have my great-grandmother's personal account of fleeing Columbia when the Bluebellies captured and burned it.)
Regarding your comment about a better breed of politicians, click the second link below, and let me know what you think.
Cheers,
Congressman Billybob
Click for latest column: "Good People, Naked People, People Who Are Wet and Wild."
He must have a very thin skin.
P.S....Your old friend the parrot trooper who claims navigator is in a wheel chair must have tried the controls at afConistan because most of the threads are deleted...either that or they are seeking to bury the evidence of their criminal conspiracy. It is to laugh.
Hmmmmmmmmm, from what I've seen no one has been banned for asking questions. But I've seen lots banned for making wild, baseless accusations. Kinda like this one........
No, fortunately I never exchanged e-mails with Connie or Clarity. Those that did are often finding their supposedly private e-mails leaked.
This has allowed us to do some major research over the years and find connections which are not always obvious.
It should be a simple matter to find articles posted by Clarity, Clinton's a Liar and others and see exactly why they were banned and/or became Anti-Freepers.
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