Not so ‘Free Republic’: The Shot Heard Around the Net

[indigobusiness]

2/11/2005
by William Gheen
President, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC
Topics: President, reform, activism, laws, illegal immigration, censorship.
The shot heard around the Internet has been fired on FreeRepublic.com The owner Jim Robinson and his moderators have launched a sniper style purge against members that disagree with the President’s ‘guest worker’ amnesty or support more control of illegal immigration. Free Republic is an amazing tool for those looking for a good debate and news from around the country. The problem for the administration of the site is that their creation is allowing the participants to learn that the Bush immigration record and plans are shockingly out of line with the views of most conservatives. The management’s answer to this conflict between the majority of conservatives and the influence of the White House on their Web site has become electronic executions and censorship.

Robinson refuses to respond.

Members and readers of Free Republic would be surprised to know that many members of their community have fallen silent on the discussions about illegal immigration lately because free speech is an illusion on FR.com. They are silent because they have been banned from the Web site without warning, cause, or explanation in most cases. For weeks the moderators have been suspending and banning new members that chimed in quickly on the immigration debates.

Now this trend has broadened as the first groups of long-term users were suspended or banned this past week. Although Robinson and his staff removed many members of the Free Republic community in the first few days of the purge, those that religiously support President Bush’s immigration plan, open borders and approve of public benefits for illegal aliens remain on the forum. Those that were banned were the members that wanted more done to control illegal immigration and a strict observance to the President’s Oath of Office.

By taking sides with the open borders lobby, Jim Robinson has taken a position that is at odds with more than 80 percent of the Free Republic community and the majority of conservatives in America. The fact he is using tactics his own users would find unethical to censor articles and silence opposition with banishments and intimidation is of great concern to all of us as Americans. New members of Free Republic and those that are not aware of Robinson’s covert attempts to stifle debate should be warned.

snip

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=206

[Demit]

1. How exquisite! The not-so-Free Republic. Purge, baby, purge!

[Champion Jack]

2. Ha ha!

What a bunch of Maroons!!!!

[CatholicEdHead]

3. Typical

that shows that FR is not a "conservative" board at all (as if there was any doubt). It is a "Bush board". Agree with Bush's policies 100% or so long.

[queeg]

4. Typical Neo-Cons

You are either 100 percent blindly with me or else you are a pinko commie fag liberal

[rodeodance]

6. some are getting a taste of their medicine.

[indigobusiness]

8. More of the "Chickens coming home to roost" phenomenon.

What goes around, definitely, comes around.

[madrchsod]

5. well stormfront must have a huge increase in membership

these guys and gals have been ranting about this for,well,years. poor babies at freerepublic..gave all that money to jimmy and he kicked them off his site!!!

[Jamastiene]

53. I'll bet they do

damn freepers, I mean nazis, I mean freepers...

[coloradodem2005]

7. Maybe they will wake up and realize just how...

...disenfranchised they are.

[Wilber_Stool]

9. This is rich:

Free Republic is an amazing tool for those looking for a good debate and news from around the country.

It's not hard to see were he's coming from. They're beginning to eat their own.

BOOOOM!!

[CatholicEdHead]

10. Yes it is

if I want to debate "conservatives" or conservatives, I know of a few other boards to do it on without the instant boot. Not FR, my only post lasted 30sec at FR.

[Vogon_Glory]

11. If The Freepers Are Starting To Eat Their Own...

If the FReepers are starting to eat their own, all I can say is:


"Bon appetit!"

:evilgrin:

[indigobusiness]

14. "You want fries with that?"

"Have it your way."

[Canuckistanian]

20. Freedom Fries!

And Freedom Onion Soup.

[indigobusiness]

21. "Freedom Onion"

sounds like a sex thread topic.

[ClintonTyree]

34. They're amazing tools alright...............

I kinda' feel sorry for the REAL Conservatives (kinda', not a whole lot). They have to be depressed as hell with this administration's fiscal policies.

But that's what happens when you walk in lockstep. There is no room for individualism or even a slight break in ranks. It's their way or the highway.

I think the Republicans' "small tent" just got a little smaller.

We "big tent folks" will survive because individualism is encouraged.

[WeirdHoward]

12. I was proud to be banned

I was proud to be banned from freerepublic and hannity, though it was embarrassingly easy. Any dissenting opinion provokes a call for banning.

WeirdHoward

[dbeach]

13. Thanx for info

bush and bedlam ...same same

[DS1]

15. That makes no sense at all. Yes, it probably sucks to live in Mexico

compared to here, but you should follow the rules/laws to get here. My family did. One of us even votes, but you can be SURE it's not going to be a vote for anything Republican ;-)

[indigobusiness]

17. It only sucks to live in Mexico when money is short.

Kind of like the USA.

[DS1]

22. Good point

Kinda like my thread title

[Strelnikov_]

27. (If You Ain't Got The) DO RE MI

"Oh, if you ain't got the do re mi, folks, you ain't got the do re mi,
Why, you better go back to beautiful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee.

California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see;
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the do re mi."

Woody Guthrie, "Do Re Mi" 1937

[Patiod]

16. Man are they going to lose the SW Freepers

I met an awful lot of conservatives out there whose #1 issue is Border Control.

[Misunderestimator]

18. LMAO... Like stepping on an ant hill.

[Contrary1]

19. Rate the story a "5" while you're there. n/t

[Mike Niendorff]

23. Most. Ironic. Statement. Ever.

Jim Robinson has taken a position that is at odds with more than 80 percent of the Free Republic community and the majority of conservatives in America. The fact he is using tactics his own users would find unethical to censor articles and silence opposition with banishments and intimidation is of great concern to all of us as Americans.

Somebody call the irony police. Pronto.


MDN

[McCamy Taylor]

24. Damn! Any word yet about a rival "Free" Free Republic Site?

[indigobusiness]

26. Let Freedom Rain

Range...er...Rein...Reign...

I meant to say that.

Ring, Frodo, ring.

[reprehensor]

25. All that and * doesn't give a damn about the Constitution.

Pretty unconservative if you ask me.

[UrbScotty]

28. I'm so glad Skinner and the mods on DU allow disagreement

Provided, of course, that it is reasonable.

[immoderate]

31. It's always a concern when you shut people out.

Would DU enforce a party line? Hard to conceive given the profile of the party now. But suppose we took the White House. How would a post like "President Full of Shit!" go over then. We're democrats. How would you tell the difference between a progressive dissenter and a disruptor? I know we can, but it's hard to make rules that seem fair all the time, especially when we hold free speech so highly.

Now, an incident last week woke me up to why we don't let them stay on here. A couple of freepers, who punctuate everything like this...got onto a thread, and proved they're incapable of knowing when they're insulted. I hope it wasn't their best and brightest; I would fear for the gene pool.

Nevertheless, being selective can lead to some tough situations.

--IMM

[indigobusiness]

33. It would hinge on it being true, or not.

It would fly high here, if true.

Yes men? Never.

[SoCalDem]

44. I am not a freeper, but

I do punctuate things a lot with...

I know it's wrong, but I simply cannot help myself...
:)

I also compulsively use multiple ???

please spare me , sir:):):)

[immoderate]

45. I know there are good people who do that...

and I don't want to offend (used to be SoCal myself, BTW) but nobody over there writes English. And those I referred to during the attack were particularly illiterate and undeveloped. When the mods got wind of it, half the posts disappeared.

I don't mention people's styles around here (even before I knew the rule,) but as a former school teacher and ocassional copy editor, I notice. But multiple question marks????!!!!!! Methinks you go too far. Good thing you said compulsively.

--IMM

[SoCalDem]

46. Hee hee you said :

"ocassional"

BUSTED, teach :P

[immoderate]

58. Uh. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Every time I skip the spell checker, I pay. We all have our demons. And don't think I wasn't aware that the post would be strutinized. Pedants deserve that.

--IMM

[sarahlee]

55. To be objective

DU has sometimes kicked people out who were disagreeing with many. And they were not Republican trolls. So we need to be careful about how we behave with aiming the critical cameral at others.

Not that FR has eveer allowed for any disagreement - I do recognise a lot of major differences. Just saying that it has happened here as well.

I think it is always a good idea to hold up our own mirror and examine our own imperfections from time to time so we can decide if there are ways to improve.

[latteromden]

29. You know, somebody else here brought it up, and it seems impossible...

but I just have to wonder if we're missing an opening, here (yes, everything is political with me). The purged freepers and us have one thing in common - we both disagree with at least one of Bush's policies. There's some sort of level of understanding there between the two groups. I doubt any of them are too easily persuadable, but we wouldn't have to do that. Just promote free speech, even for them.

Not that it would ever actually work. But it's an interesting thought.

[Liberty Belle]

37. Yes. It fits with people barred from Bush events,

regardless of party affiliation, if they wouldn't sign loyalty oaths, and those teachers arrested at a Bush appearance simply for wearing a T-shirt proclaiming something about protecting civil liberties. That sort of thing ought to make true conservatives, even Free Republic members, squeamish. It also raises questions about the legitimacy and sanity of a leader and party that refuse to hear any dissent.

An open and free exchange of ideas is something people on both sides of the political spectrum ought to agree is healthy and necessary in a democracy.

[indigobusiness]

54. Hogan's Heroes had more freedom

than plebians in Bushworld.

[lala_rawraw]

30. The freeps

Come home to roost. Now they can be proud of what they helped to make happen: their own silence.

[lala_rawraw]

32. Wait...

I just realized something, the Prez supports 418, remember? So what the hell are these freepies talking about? They are pleased? Um... woo hoo, idiots, do they not read ze news? Ooops, forgot, they read Gannon:D

[grasswire]

35. ha!

very, very interesting.

Robinson has fallen SO LOW. He must be getting some payola.

[Laurab]

36. That is just so funny to me

Everything is just great - until it affects them. Wonder what the long time members are going to do about this. My hope would be that it opens their eyes a bit, but then, I've seen their writings, and I'm not so sure their eyes can be opened. Freedom is on the March!

[Vanje]

38. Bring out the long knives, Jim Rob

Its long knives night at FR

[smoogatz]

39. I get banned from FR all the time.

My longest stint under a particular login name there was about five days. I've never been abusive on FR or even controversial, really. I've been kicked off for committing the following sins:

1.Pointing out that global warming was a measurable phenomenon and that there was essentially no debate within the scientific community about whether it was taking place, or whether human activity was contributing to global climate change.

2.Pointing out that the US is not, technically, a Christian nation, and that the authors of the constitution were not Christians in anything like the current sense of the word.

3.Pointing out that Iraq has the world's 2nd largest oil reserves, estimated at 220 billion barrels, worth about 11 trillion dollars--enough to supply all of US consumption at the current rate for 46 years.

And so on. I get banned, in short, for posting FACTUAL information that challenges the freepers' beliefs. But I keep going back, because I think it's important to confront them with facts. So much of what they believe is based in ignorance and false information.

[indigobusiness]

43. Truth is a cardinal sin

in the land of self-importance.

[bleever]

40. Great story. The desertion of all the rats who are starting to realize

that for all their loyalty, * feels he owes them NOTHING.

And this story makes me think we should be expecting an orchestrated slam on DU at some point, since they always attack where they are weakest.

[coeur_de_lion]

41. hey thanks for posting this, Indigo

warms the cockles of my heart. How soon before they finish eating their own and start wondering where the "conservative base" ran off to? When will they start wondering what happened to compassionate conservatism and realize they have been royally screwed? Now if only we could find those banned conservative FR devotees and send them all a copy of the Patriot Act. IF they would read it (doubtful) they might begin to realize the nightmare we've all been living since November 2000.

I hope this is just the tip of the iceberg. I avoid FR but maybe I should start paying more attention . . . nah.

[indigobusiness]

42. You're welcome.

My pleasure.

[Me.]

47. The Great Giant Thumb Of Conservative Fascism

has descended upon their tiny heads. It's almost too good to be true. I hope there are more out there like Jimmy, he could be the gift that keeps on giving.

[Ellen Forradalom]

48. Not the first purge RimJob has conducted.

McCain supporters fell victim to a bloody purge in 2000.

[fortyfeetunder]

49. Free Republic's Future...

I think they've jumped the shark bigtime.

We ought to start a poll in the Lounge to figure out when the website will go down in infamy....

[nightperson]

50. Free the freeps!

Inside every Bushbot is, well, I don't know what the Hell is in there trying to get out but you might wanna introduce them to Kerry-endorsing Scott McConnell:

1:

"immigration—an issue around which genuine debate erupted for a brief time in mid 1990’s—only to be extinguished by the regnant factions of the conservative Establishment...we will free the immigration debate from the prison to which it has been consigned."

2:

"Two new issues broke apart the 1980s Reaganite conservative consensus. The first was immigration...

Conservatives who still had jobs in the seemingly ever-growing network of neoconservative magazines and think tanks learned that the place for many of their real political views was: private life...

No matter how quickly Baghdad is conquered, it is clear that the neocons have led the United States into an extremely perilous situation, perhaps the most dangerous in its history. As strident advocates of open borders and the sworn enemies of immigration reform—they have helped bring about a situation where it was easy for terrorist cells to hide themselves within the nooks and crannies of the “first universal nation” they espouse."

[lala_rawraw]

51. Here is an idea for the freeps

Some must have some good dirt to kick up. I think for this willing to become Brock-like in their retribution should scoop over some baubles so that we can show the "left behind freeps" where the door is.

[Gman]

52. Robinson did respond to this...

"By taking sides with the open borders lobby, Jim Robinson has taken a position that is at odds with more than 80 percent of the Free Republic community and the majority of conservatives in America. The fact he is using tactics his own users would find unethical to censor articles and silence opposition with banishments and intimidation is of great concern to all of us as Americans. New members of Free Republic and those that are not aware of Robinson’s covert attempts to stifle debate should be warned."

"Free Republic participants have documented censorship of material from or mention of groups like VDARE.com, Rense.com, American Patrol, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, 9/11 Families for a Secure America, ETHER ZONE, News with Views, author Frosty Woolridge, Save Our State, the Minuteman Project and others."

"Others" referring to sites like stormfront.org, et al.

That's right. I simply do not wish to be associated with these sites. I'm sure that anyone who wishes to associate with these people already knows where to find them. I don't want it on FR.

I also want nothing to do with vigilantism so that rules out the so-called minuteman project. I'm not going to make a big deal out of it, I'll simply continue revoking the posting privileges of those who post from these sites or attempt to promote vigilantism on FR.

Also, there are some posters who are using the illegal immigration issue to insult and or viciously attack other posters on this forum. These people should not be surprised or act innocent when they lose their posting privileges. Continued posting of racism, personal attacks, insults, profanity, etc, will lead to a sudden loss of posting privileges (with or without warning or explanation). Don't bother writing.

Final note: I do NOT support open borders or illegal immigration. Sincerely doubt there are many on this forum who do.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1341266/posts

-------------------

For what it's worth.

[CatholicEdHead]

56. Wow

2700 posts and counting.

[Dr Ron]

57. Jim Robinson, meet Mike Sullivan

I guess you two have a lot in common. After all the problems we had on the old official Kerry forum with Kerry supporters being banned for dubious reasons, I'm glad to see the right's equivalent has the same problem. At least we can be equally embarassed on this subject.