Joe Anybody: A native Idahoan living in Sacramento, CA. Lover of backpacking, hiking, news, and Search and Rescue volunteer work.
I stumbled onto the Free Republic by accident. In March of 2003, I was surfing the net collecting news/opinion links. While reading an editorial that was slamming president bush for not clearing his foreign policy through the UN, I clicked into the most depressing website that I have ever found. The site was a message board for liberals (that will remain un-named). I couldn't believe the arrogant, ignorant, crap that was posted. I mistakenly thought that they were interested in debate, entered their civil rights forum, and tried to respectfully defend the writings of Paul using a verse from Galatians. Apparently they were not familiar with the verse because I lasted 5 minutes before being banned for life. People that read my post were calling me a Fundie, a FReeper, and other words that start with the letter F. I had no idea what a FReeper was.
It took me a few more days to find the Free Republic, but I have loved this message board since. I don't post often, but frequently lurk in the news forum.