A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....02-21-03...A Higher Standard

FreeTheHostages; Billie | FreeTheHostages

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest.....
......Every Day

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues; salute and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which we can express ourselves.

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   I can remember lurking when there were only a few regulars who posted, and now there are over 60,000 who have registered for posting privileges. The forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I can no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I've been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that doesn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why, in addition to seeing FR's Finest Military Personnel every day, I thought it might be fun to feature a different FReeper (or FReepers) each day. If you would like to be pictured, or know someone who would, please FReepmail me and we'll turn the spotlight - on YOU - for the day!

And do let me know if you'd like your picture added to the groups of Veterans/Active Military below. I will keep this page updated, and continue to add them to the comment section of the original Veteran's Day thread as well.

<

TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett.
MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick,Leroy S Mort, Mark17.
BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam,
dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony
BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang

TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx
MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law
BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.

TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68.
MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797
BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack

We now have eleven groups of veterans/active military; we will post each group of three or four twice a week, with thumbnail/links of the remaining seven or eight groups on each thread. Click on any of the thumbnails below to see the group full-size.

         

GROUP 1A: TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

GROUP 2A: TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

GROUP 3A: TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

GROUP 4A: TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

      

GROUP 9A: TOP: Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog. MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son. BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.

GROUP 10A: TOP: dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon. BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.

GROUP 11A: TOP: ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son. BOTTOM: AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset); WVNan's husband; ladtx' Aunt Eva.

                     

      Angelwood with war paint as part of Operation
      Infinite Freep on 10-27-01 outside the White House

A Higher Standard by FreeTheHostages
  

Angelwood

Angelwood is co-leader of the DC Chapter. "Angel" is her maiden name. She's got a cherubic face and she's angelically modest. Hard to do her profile - talk about your moving targets! She was quoted in the news this past week about the leftwing protests (see this post) , and was recently spotted outside the French embassy waving her version of the French flag:   a white flag because “they like to wave white flags so much!”

As Angelwood reports, she has fun at every single DC FReep, and she loves to hug each of us. "I love our Chapter members. We have a real, honest affection for each other." But it’s not all fun and games; that’s not how the road to Heaven works. Angelwood conveys her view to us DC Chapter members that we should have a "higher standard" in a fallen world, free from any suspicion of improper or unlawful behavior.

Y’all listen up. You’re about to learn something about leadership from a winner of one of the 1999 “Significant Freeper” awards, a winner of the 2000 “Freeper of the Year” award (shared with Kristinn), and someone who has led the DC Chapter to various lifetime achievement and Chapter awards.

Have A Very, Very
Understanding Spouse

Enough said. We have all benefited from his patience in sharing Angelwood. As the Chapter has matured, I hope he's become less of an "FR widower." Thanks, Freeper “Mark Phelps” (also our DC Chapter webmaster).

Know Your Chapter History
And Respect It
Fall of 1998:
MrConfettiMan Was There, Where Were You?

A conservative all her life, Angelwood found Free Republic in 1997 in the Whitewater link off of the Drudge Report. She lurked for some time. Then, one day in the fall of 1998, in the course of the impeachment turmoil, she read this post from MrConfettiMan:

"As promised in a previous article, I went down to the White House this morning with my protest sign. It was the first time I had ever done anything that might label me an activist. And you know what? It felt awesome!!!!! It might feel really good to sit around with a bunch of like-minded people and complain about Clintoon, but it feels a hundred times better to go out and be proactive. * * * Join me. It'll make you feel really good."

This truly historic FR thread had a commanding title: "DC Protest: I Was There, Where Were You?". (You’ve heard this story but you can never hear it enough. Remember DaisyScarlett’s profile just last week of Bert, who said he felt really good when he finally went to the White House protest. Those were heady days!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She laughs at her first sign: two pieces of construction paper with bumper stickers (Impeach Clinton) and flag stickers slapped on them, joined with strings to form a "sandwich board" she wore.

Birth of a Chapter

Soon after these weekly protests commenced, a thread went up on Free Republic entitled:  Washington DC Area Chapter Formed. All were welcome:

"We have decided to continue our White House protest every Saturday from 10am - 2pm . . . . We encourage all Chapters and citizens to join us on Saturday mornings. You will not believe the support you get from tourists and Americans. America does care. Eagles Up!

Freepers and Lurkers from all over the country would coordinate their travel plans to the DC area so that they could join the DC Chapter for a Saturday protest. Honorary DC Chapter membership was bestowed upon them all.

Angelwood had lurked for more than a year, but had not registered to post. She had asked MrConfettiMan or Marylander to post articles for her. She began going to the White House during her lunch hour and then would have a report posted. On December 6, 1998, the New York Times had a front page story by James Bennett stating that there were no protesters at the White House. Angelwood's husband was so incensed that he signed her up on Free Republic that very day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Press Discovers Angelwood

Since the NYTimes article wasn't true (SAY IT ISN’T SO!!), Marylander and Angelwood made plans to protest the D.C. Office of the New York Times on Monday afternoon. They passed out a flyer and asked every man who entered or exited if he was Mr. Bennett. Someone, who must have been offended by the impromptu protest, even lobbed a raw egg out of an upper window at Marylander and Angelwood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And the Rest is History

So the chapter began. There were ebbs and flows in events and attendance. Kristinn, Angelwood, and MrConfettiMan were mainstays. Sometimes, for some Freeps, it was just two or three people. Things blossomed, things bloomed. “Freepers are everywhere.” Angelwood became known as the “Button Lady” because she began making up buttons with clever and true statements on them for distribution to the tourists and student groups visiting the White House. Many Freepers and Lurkers donated to the DC Chapter “Button Fund” over the years, and to date approximately 15,000 buttons have been handed out.

When Angelwood wasn’t standing outside the White House on Saturdays in those early days, she was able to go to various Congressional hearings and trials. She would write after-action reports to share her insight and eye witness accounts of what went on behind the scenes at memorable events, such as:   Ken Starr’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee; the Burton House Government Affairs Committee hearings with John Huang, Bruce Lindsey, Beth Nolan, Cheryl Mills, and Charles Ruff; and the trial of Julie Hyatt Steele where Angelwood freeped Susan McDougal. She had the Freeper bug big time!

If You're Going To Work
This Hard, You Might As
Well Have Fun!

Angelwood and Kristinn thought they would be able to retire after George W. Bush was elected and the Clintons left the scene of their crimes. Unfortunately, Al Gore just wouldn’t concede that he had lost, and the DC Chapter got busy organizing the protests at the Vice President’s mansion on the grounds of the Naval Observatory.

GET OUT OF CHENEY’S HOUSE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Bush was declared the 43rd President of the United States, she helped with the Free Republic Inaugural Ball and Count the Silverware Party (featuring Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and his band, Capitol Offense). It was a complete success.

Check out Angelwood's bookmarks in her profile. She's been at all the major DC Freeps. That includes the March for Justice and Impeachment Day. It’s revealing that one of her favorite Freeps is the lesser-known "Twilight Freep" outside the White House, just before the dinner to honor the 13 House Managers and to thank them for their role in securing President Clinton's impeachment. She and about 70 or 80 others went to the White House with flashlights and signs.

The White House entrance was set up with a screen surrounding the front door. It was a security measure to protect President Clinton and Hillary when they stood outside to greet the Japanese Ambassador. There was a formal State Dinner that evening. The assembled protesters were able to do several chants: “Clinton is a Liar” among others. Then they chanted "Treason is the Reason" so long and so loud that it made it onto the C-SPAN tape of the event, which is available for sale. This is one of her favorites because she knew that evening that President Clinton and Hillary must have heard them. Even after the Senate failed to do its constitutional duty after the House impeachment, this Freep was a "reminder" to President Clinton that Freepers were out there, still watching.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since September 11, 2001, the DC Chapter has been very active in maintaining a memorial site at the Pentagon to remember the victims of that tragic attack. They have also countered the anti-war protesters whenever they assemble in Washington, DC. They have held three Patriots Rallies for America to Support Our Troops and envision many more. And when Sen. Clinton goes fundraising, Angelwood goes Freeping.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All this has earned Angelwood quite a Rolodex in a town that competes on who-you-know. As they say in Washington, “People” – that’s a capitol “P” – have her phone number. She won’t name drop names, so let’s “out” her with some photo-dropping. Being a leader of the DC Chapter is like being an angel in one respect: there’s a lot of work to be done, but you get to meet some pretty important people! People such as  (click on the photos for larger view).....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brit Hume

Bob Barr

Katherine Harris

David Limbaugh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And of course, this man...

Rush Limbaugh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a great thrill for her to meet David and Rush Limbaugh, and she wrote a great post calling the 4/18/01 booksigning party an absolute delight!. Rush Limbaugh signed her name tag and then stuck it on her shoulder! She didn’t remove it until she got home, at which point she stuck it on David’s book for safekeeping. Rush had a link to her Free Republic article with her picture on his homepage for three or four days thereafter – great publicity for Free Republic. Whoo hah!

Thank you, Angelwood
You are one FINE Freeper!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 02-17-03 President's Day 02-18-03 Political Pictionary...Redux 02-19-03 Brad's Gramma 02-20-03 JohnHuang2 Essay

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[JohnHuang2]

G'morning, Molly :^)

[deadhead]

Enjoy your day in the spotlight Angelwood. Thank You for all you do.

~~~Colleen~~~

[Diver Dave]

Strike up the band! Another GREAT presentation and selection today, Billie. Atta Girl!!!

Angelwood, step forward and take a bow. Your antics and reports were a great influence on getting me involved with FReeping our Creep. The reports you and MrConfettiMan and Kristinn wrote each week were written in a way that made us feel we were right there with you. I loved watching you on TV sitting behind Charles Ruff taking notes and his comment upon returning from recess about someone having left some buttons on the witness table. :)

Atta Girl, Angelwood!!! Welcome to FR's Finest... Hall of Fame!

Atta Girl, Angelwood!!!

[deadhead]

Good Morning All! I will be sending a care package this week to my cousin. If anyone would like to send a word of encouragement or show your support, I would be happy to include your letter in the package. If interested, please freep mail me and I will send you my email address.

Thank You

~~~Colleen~~~

[JohnHuang2]

I'll be freepmailing you with a little message :^)

[Taxman]

Bravo Zulu! You got that right: "Thank you, Angelwood
You are one FINE Freeper!"

Angelwood, I am proud to stand with you against those who would destroy our FRee Republic.

[BufordP]

Who's using my name in vain, again?

[Angelwood]

Words are just inadequate to convey how very much I appreciate the efforts you both expended to put together this truly beautiful tribute to me. Thank you most sincerely.

[FreeTheHostages]

That is *so* pretty!

[Molly Pitcher]

Good morning John! And the sun IS shining for the second day in a row!! Yippee!

[ru4liberty]

Billie, HELP!!!!!!!! I can't open any of the links!!! I get the dreaded "The requested document does not exist on this server" everytime I click on one. What's up with that?

Angelwood, I have long admired you and your activism for "The Cause." You are a fine specimen of a FReeper, and we are proud of you. Keep on keeping on. You inspire others.

[FreeTheHostages]

Good morning, BIS! :)

[ru4liberty]

Oops! I forgot to post #31 to you!

[FreeTheHostages]

:) Thanks for saying nice things about her. Here's something mean I'll say: you guys have NO IDEA how hard it was to persuade her to be profiled! She's *really* modest -- I wasn't lying about that part.

[FreeTheHostages]

Thanks for dropping by!

[firewalk]

Good morning (-:

[FreeTheHostages]

As I mentioned in the profile -- and as we saw the other week in Bert's profile -- people who were at those White House Freeps really do remember them keenly. They were very important for the people who were there. Makes me jealous I wasn't.

[FreeTheHostages]

Good morning!

[ru4liberty]

I clicked on your profile page and on the Julio Iglesias link. Swwwwwwooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon! Thanks ever so much!!!

[FreeTheHostages]

The reports you and MrConfettiMan and Kristinn wrote each week were written in a way that made us feel we were right there with you

I'm glad you said that. Because Angelwood's so conscientous about that. You only have to look at the bookmarks in her profile -- many but not all of them after-action reports writen by her -- to know she's very conscientious about it.

As she told me, she's basically your first-born child. It's all about standards . . . .