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Cyncooper made a point that many missed.
Just because her opinion was DW GUILTY, many assumed she was just as uninformed as most posters on these threads who came in with media fed responses.

Cyncooper was one of the most diligent posters in researching the facts , testimony, evidence in this case.
She was forced to prove herself, and stayed even when accused of being uninformed.

I think that no matter what happens with the Van Dam/Westerfield case, the experience has had a long-term effect on Free Republic. An experience many will not forget.
This case was a test. A test because it was a highly emotional subject. A test because the evidence was marginal. A test because the media involvment and spin was at a maximum. A test because the good/bad were hard to distinguish.

A test of character, endurance. A very revealing test.
Very few got good grades on this test. (and it didn't have anything to do with whether you believe DW guilty or not)

I agree. I even enjoyed my buddy Kim. There are two sides to every issue and especially trials.

Congradulations to everyone that stayed with it. I thought you did a great job too, UCANSEE2.

John

It's only a "test" because people like you keep insisting "marginal evidence," "frame-up," etc.

GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD: Most of us here think the evidence was OVERWHELMING, and thought Westerfield did it all along. To us, your continuing harping on the same, discredited themes is just bizarre.

As far as "FR being able to recover," this was such a small topic in comparison to others we've had--like the 2000 elections. We had a LOT of people turn "renegade" against FR during that period, and it was MUCH worse than the Westerfield threads ever thought about being, so I'm sure FR will recover.