Replies

kristinn,

Sour grapes doesn't suit you.

Sure there are significant disagreements amoung FReepers about how we are to be organized and how we conduct ourselves, but when we loose sight of the real objective of advancing our common cause of liberty, then we all loose.

It pained me greatly to not be able to include the DC chapter in the conference slide show presentation (at your request), as I consider your hard work and dedication in "getting in the face" of our National leaders on their home turf to be an integral part of the FreeRepublic team. But I honored the agreement between the DC chapter and FRN as best I could, even when it left a huge whole in the FReeper story. </>

I hope that you guys can find it in your heart to work with FRN and not against it. It is far from perfect, but without it we would have one less tool to fight the good fight against liberalism and for freedom and justice.</>

__________________

To clear up any misconceptions...this is the freepmail that I sent to anymouse after Kristinn and I reviewed the material that anymouse sent to me. As you can see, we did not forbid use of any of the photos.

Re: DC FReeper Photos
To anymouse | 2002-08-02 18:21:05 sent

Hi, anymouse!

We've looked at the photos in the folder marked "Capital Area" and some of the photos are not DC Chapter members at all (the ones with diotima in them).

We would appreciate it if you would take our photos out of the Capital Area folder. The DC Chapter of Free Republic is independent of the FR Network and our photos should not be shown under any "Capital Area" heading or folder. Please make sure our section is separate and marked as "DC Chapter of Free Republic."

The photos of our "Warpaint" freep outside the Old Executive Office Building on Pennsylvania Avenue sure were colorful and we had lots of fun in headbands and warpaint. The DC police designated our rally site to keep us away from confrontations with other protesting groups. We had a great time that day.

Thank you for your hard work and efforts. I hope you have a great time in Las Vegas. Sauropod will be accepting the DC Chapter award. Neither Kristinn nor I are able to make it there. Kristinn has no vacation until October and I took mine earlier this summer at Hilton Head and Austin, TX. It was good to see you again at the Heart of Texas meeting. Take care.

Kathy

By the way, we have been told that Bob J would not allow Taxman or sauropod to read the DC Chapter acceptance message that Kristinn and I wrote for FRiva attendees and FReepers everywhere. Following is the brief message we wanted to convey:

For just about four years, members of the DC Chapter of Free Republic have tried to represent fellow FReepers across the country honorably. It has been our pleasure to have met many wonderful, patriotic America-loving people.

We want to thank Jim Robinson for creating and maintaining his revolutionary web site, Free Republic. We also want to thank all those who have stood beside us throughout the years and those who have supported us through donations to Angelwood's Button Fund and the Patriots Rally held last April.

Thank you.

Sauropod already explained here that he did not receive the speech in time to read it. If he had, he would have been allowed to say anything he wanted as the other award recipients were. If we didn't want to hear what you had to say, we wouldn't have invited a member of your chosing to come out to our conference, all fees paid.

I didn't know there were any pictures of me the Capitol Area Chapter section, probably it was a mistake when someone uploaded them, I don't even live in DC. LOL!

By the way, we have been told that Bob J would not allow Taxman or sauropod to read the DC Chapter acceptance message that Kristinn and I wrote for FRiva attendees and FReepers everywhere.

Then perhaps you missed this post from Pod on this very thread two days ago:

Posted by sauropod to kristinn; Angelwood; All
On News/Activism Aug 21 9:46 AM #535 of 821

The reason the message was not read was because I did not receive it in time to take it with me.
In Freedom, 'Pod.

This is incredibly sad. I feel sorry for you.

But, not to worry, I never noticed your pictures were missing from the montage until someone mentioned it here.

Thanks for letting us know. I asked over on another thread and appreciate finally getting an explanation.

By the way, we have been told that Bob J would not allow Taxman or sauropod to read the DC Chapter acceptance message...

At this point, since this has been proven by others to be a complete fabrication, I think it is fair to ask you who told you this?

The Network has gone out of it's way to mend past disputes by bumping your threads, applauding your FReeping, including you in the Eagle Award voting and presenting you with a very nice and expensive framed award. You were invited to the conference and we even offered to comp your representatives conference fees to get you attend. Our efforts have been rewarded with nasty and innappropriate comments from several members of your chapter and petty criticism of our efforts. I will repeat a comment I made to ANV earlier on this thread after his discussion with Fred Mertz, Saurapod and others about mending fences and moving on with the work to which we are committed.

"The olive branch has been extended many times, only to be swatted away."

The Free Republic Network will continue to move forward. Dwelling on past issues and bickering with our own only distracts us all from accomplishing the work at hand.

BTW - You're welcome for the award. We paid for it out of our own pockets.

That Patriots Rally in April was a great time. It was like entering the twilight zone, being outnumbered by tens of thousands of anti-American commie peaceniks.

Thank you, Kathy.

How did we ever get to this place? (That's rhetorical.) Even when I was actively participating as a daily poster on FR and a weekly protester at the White House, I never bothered following the soap opera-like flame wars that occurred every couple of months. (I guess that's because I did all my freeping at work and most of the flame wars happened at night.) After the shame trial in the Senate, my level of enthusaism dwindled and all but dropped off the face of the earth. I lurked most every day for awhile but then found myself no longer visiting the site (and I was on the FAB!). I believe it was the election debacle that brought me back to Free Republic as the latest and greatest news site. I was a little more vocal for a bit before reverting back to lurking mode where I have remained ever since and have avoided flame wars to this day.

I learned of the whole Cal incident probably a month after it happened and I still don't know the whole story. I've been trying to piece together what happened during the last couple of days (and please, nobody offer to tell me their version) and it saddens me that people who were trusted friends only several months ago could treat each other like bitter enemies now. Given my history with the chapter--as the freeper who gave birth to the DC Chapter back on Saturday, September 26, 1998--I was hoping I might be able to help but it appears to be way beyond that at this point.

Rodger, you mentioned on a thread yesterday to Kristinn that you hoped they worked things out as the DC Chapter had much to offer the Network. While I certainly agree the DC Chapter has much to offer the Network, the acidic tone of the comments from various chapter members sprinkled throughout the threads yesterday left me pondering how wide the chasm has become and whether it can ever be bridged.

Angelwood and Kristinn, if I may be so bold as to offer you both some advice, or at least an observation. Now that I'm stuck at home all day long with a high speed internet connection and have been doing a lot more freeping, I've noticed during the past couple of days / nights the tone of your posts have changed quite a bit since the old days. You've earned your reputations with four years of good, solid, hard work. I hate to see either of you tarnish them. I'm not suggesting you should run away from a fight, but you guys (and other members of the chapter) seem to have axes to grind with people on this site and at times appear to be instigating trouble.

One more thing, then I'll get off my soap box, I hate to state this publicly...but has the DC Chapter simply considered severing it's ties with Free Republic? I mean, let's face it, while the FRN says it's an indepedent entity from the FRR, in reality they may as well be joined at the hip. If the chapter has so much disagreement with the FRN, can't this logically be extended to the forum? Couldn't you simply rename your organization and then post after-action reports to the site or something? Food for thought.

Finally (okay, two more things), I want to make clear in case it already isn't that I don't have a dog in this race. Unfortunately without being in this from the beginning, I have to remain neutral. I'm not siding with the DC Chapter on this and I am not siding with the FRN on this. (Yes, I realize my opinion on this means dittily-squat to freepers at large. This is meant mainly for Angelwood, Kristinn and Bob J who I still consider as my friends.)

All right, let me have it. In all honesty, I'm not trying to be antagonistic here. Hopefully, just helpful. Joe (MCM)

At the risk of belaboring this ugly family feud, I need to make it clear that the choice to minimize DC Freeper photos was made by me based on the FRN leadership's request to only show FRN chapter FReep photos (after all this slide show was to be shown principally at the FRN conference.)

Even then I bent that requirement by including some non-FRN chapter FReeper photos in the general FReep events sections and in the FReeper/Sept. 11 memorial sections. I did this because it is not possible to show the entire FReeper experience by limiting the scope to just FRN chapters (I personally have a problem with drawing such a strong division between FRN and non-FRN FReeper chapters, as we are all FReepers first and formost.)

For those who attended the conference and were able to see the slide show, they know that it was meant to be both a joyful celebration and hopeful tribute to those lost in the past 2 years. But mostly in both extremes its aim was to bring FReepers closer together and reflect on what great (practically miraculous) accomplishments we have performed, when we work together and don't worry about who gets credit for the success.

Sure some worked harder than others, but they know what they did and that it was the right thing to do at the right time, and that is what matters. If we have time enough to reflect on who did the most in the past, we obviously have too much time on our hands and are not working as hard as we can for the future of our country - like we did in that past time. (Frankly that applies to almost every FReeper, as we seem to have more opinion flame war posts than FReep reports lately.)

Let us find the motivation to improve this country under a freindly Administration as compelling as we did under a hostile one. As much as we hope to retain conservative political control, we know that the liberals have to regain control to survive politically. Vigelence is the price of FReedom.