[nutmeg]

Train wreck? BUMP to read later...

[SW6906]

As has happened regularly over the last four+ years, these kinds of events will only make FR better.....

[VaBthang4]

For Conservatives, that's how it is supposed to work.

Throw each other around....move some furniture, get in some good shots...then dust yourselves off and get back down to business. No hard feelings.

That's how John Wayne did it.

:o)

[Saundra Duffy]

God bless FreeRepublic.com!

[VA Advogado]

BUMP you guys should be sent to the middle east. Way to go Jim/Joe!

[lexington minuteman 1775]

I like some of the "tinfoil hat" stuff.So hope some slips through.We need a little humor now and then.BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Did you hear the one about how aliens invaded the Free Republic dressed as elephants?Tee hee.I hear you say, hey I don't see any elephants.See, the disguise worked.

[usconservative]

But the standing moderator policy is to go as easy as possible on the posters. Many flame wars and insults and even some minor violations of other rules may sometimes be ignored. It depends entirely on the situation and the posters involved. Posters with unclean hands might as well avoid using the abuse button. We do not want to wade through hundreds of posts looking for who is at fault. We do not have time for it and do not want to act as nannies anyway. The general rule of thumb for a moderator is to always give the poster the benefit of the doubt. If there is any doubt, then we do not delete and do not ban. I'd rather bend the rules than stifle the debate.

I'd like to know how this type of policy is going to elevate the level of debate on FR and stop the namecalling/insults/flamewars.

[Revolting cat!]

Train wreck you say? As an unengaged observer and a dilettante par excellence, I must, uhm, observe that visually and emotionally speaking that would be quite interrrresting, dare we say more interesting that the kissy kissy, hug hug woodstockian love-in we are having this evening!

[unsycophant]

You didn't have to do this, because it IS your forum. The compromise sounds fair. Thanks for listening. Congrats.

[rightofrush]

btttttttt May it all work out for a better FR!

Moved and seconded (many times over).

[DB]

May I ask where the "smokeybackroom forum" is?

[xJones]

As it is, the only losses suffered were a few black eyes and a lost ear or two. Fractures and abrasions were suffered, but no major bones broken or organs punctured.

Well, you left out the third degree burns and the idiots that made complete fools of themselves, but other than that....:)

[mhking]

Gentlemen, like any family, FR is going to have it's occasional dustups, and like any family, there will be disagreements.

I'm just glad that like most families, the mutual combatants have come to solid closure, and dealt with their disagreements agreeably.

[Faraday]

Brewers win! (Unbelievable)

Packers win! (as expected)

FReepers win! (had to happen)

Jim, your political instincts are excellent. You will continue to have my enthusiastic support.

[ArneFufkin]

The folks who have been banned are not missed by any but a few here who hold the same anti-authoritarian life view, and care nothing about you, the forum and its mission, the rules and protocol - anything but their selfish rights devoid of responsibility. Nobody gets booted from here because they are TOO conservative or they express an anti-Bush opinion or judgement. They get booted because they flaunt the rules and disrupt the decorum that keeps the Forum from chaos. They conduct themselves dishonestly and without regard to the forum community. I've been put in the cooler and my posts have been yanked, and it's always been for good cause. There's an element here who are just feeloading ingrates and anti-everything, including other humans, government, parties, you and the needs to moderate debate on this forum. They're petulant little kids posing as "real patriots" and "true conservatives". Rights without responsibility, thats what think a patriot embodies. Keep tossing them Jim, they're just coming back under new handles. The forum somehow is moving along without the insights of Buckaroo, Harry Callahan and t-shirt. If I get tossed from here, it'll be because I deserved it.

[Max McGarrity]

Whaaaattt???? There's been a battle brewin'?? A dust-up?? A potential train wreck?? Dang, gotta get my nose out of the smokin' threads more often. Seriously, JimRob, BADJOE, et al, we really do appreciate all that you put up with, even if we're not aware of it. (And thanks for not banning me when my frustration boils over.)

[sweetliberty]

I am so thankful that y'all worked this out. I love FR and FReepers have become my family online and I always tried to mediate family squabbles because I hate watching people I care about fighting with each other. Sure, there are a few FReepers who are a consistent source of aggravation, but there are a few in every family. You just try to love them anyway and take their follishness as part of who they are and if they get too out of line you don't let them eat at the big table.

I'm sorry I have to be away a couple of days and will miss the lovefest this thread most likely will be, but at least I can go off to work in peace without worrying about family casualities in my absence. :-)

Jim, I saw your posts on Mercy's thread and I have to say that I have gained a whole new respect for you. I think you and Joe both showed what you were made of and I think that will cause a lot of discouraged FReepers to take heart. What you do is so important for the country and it is certainly important personally to those of us who call FR our home on the net. God bless y'all and thank you so much for sharing yourselves with us.

[ClancyJ]

Such great news. So glad this is going to work out.

Thank you both for your consideration for the good of FreeRepublic and the posters.

This is on the way to being a premier forum.

[bmwcyle]

AMEN

[Gracey]

Thanks Jim. They don't come much finer than you and BadJoe.

Glad you've kissed and made.