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Title: Not So 'Free Republic'’—The Shot Heard Around the Net
Source:
VDARE
URL Source: http://www.vdare.com/misc/gheen_050211_shot.htm
Published: Jul 23, 2006
Author: William Gheen
Post Date: 2006-07-23 17:58:53 by Morgana le Fay
Keywords: None
Views: 227
Comments: 18
The shot heard around the Internet has been fired on http://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. 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 http://FreeRepublic.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.[Cache of ALIPAC posts, banned] 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. Free Republic is one of the Internet's most popular news and debate forums. They enjoy a high profile on the web while promoting their site as a conservative free speech zone that does not censor debate and information. The site's notoriety peaked last year when participants played an important role in the CBS/Dan Rather document scandal. Although the site is privately owned and Robinson is free to do as he likes, these recent purges have left long term members wondering if the White House or Republican National Committee has undue influence at Free Republic. In light of the fact that rule abiding and lawful members of the Free Republic community have been shunned simply for their opinions has sent many longstanding members and financial contributors looking for a new place to express themselves. Many are simply walking away from their accounts because of what they consider a deceptive and unethical practice that is contrary to the founding principals of Free Republic. The Free Republic Open Borders Lobby (FROBLs) is a group of Free Republic members that support the President's immigration record and amnesty plan. They are jubilant that Robinson and his moderators have joined their side of the debate by targeting their opposition. One regular supporter of the Bush immigration plan that posts under the name Bayourod, exclaimed "there aren't that many of you left, and the ones that are, are mostly lightweights who don't understand the issues. Watch for the ones who call other FReepers names. They are the immature ones who are (in) way over their heads." Other posts make it clear that those members that represent the minority view in favor of the Bush immigration plan are quite aware of and supportive of the banishing of their opposition as well. The FROBLSs may be in the loop, but many other Free Republic users do not know that their counterparts are being treated unfairly. Once Free Republic bans a particular user, they lock them out of the site by blocking their IP (Internet Protocol) address so the banished can't communicate with other users. This allows Robinson and his moderators to operate with little fear that the rest of the community will be notified of their effort to shape debate on the site. This is not the first purge of users that Free Republic has engaged in and there are unwritten "rules" that indicate they have taken a stance against others in the immigration reform movement. Although the Terms of Service rules for the site do not list these considerations, users may find their post quickly deleted and their account suspended for mention of certain reform groups, authors and other websites. Free Republic participants have documented censorship of material from or mention of groups like http://VDARE.com, http://Rense.com, American Patrol, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, 9/11 Families for a Secure America, ETHER ZONE, News with Views, author Frosty Wooldridge, Save Our State, the Minuteman Project and others. Congressman Tom Tancredo, Pat Buchanan, and the organization Team America PAC are under constant verbal assault by the FROBLs. Anyone that is concerned about illegal immigration is falsely labeled as a racist, wacko, tin-foil hat wearing, conspiracy theorist, third party supporter and a Bush basher that could cost the GOP the presidency in 2008. Although the majority of conservatives on the site respectfully disagree with President Bush's immigration policy, these views are being silenced by removal or the threat of removal. A large group of Free Republic members gathered in a forum at www.alipac.us to ask Mr. Robinson why he has engaged in this method of affecting the discussions on his website. Although Mr. Robinson has been invited repeatedly to respond to these concerns, he has declined to comment. As one poster says "JR's silence speaks volumes. Not to mention the fact that JR's silencing tactics speak volumes, too! It's just creepy and shameful." Activists and former contributing members of Free Republic are working hard to spread the word that Robinson and his moderators have declared themselves political combatants against the immigration reform movement. These Paul Reveres consider those that run Free Republic as keepers of the gate that are willing to turn the site into a political advertising wing for the Bush Administration against the wishes of the Freepers. The predicted political revolt in the conservative community against the Bush immigration policies has become a reality. Free Republic has fired upon their own loyal supporters and what they hoped would be secretive deeds in the night have become the shots heard around the Internet. William Gheen [email him] is the President of Americans for Legal Immigration
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#1. To: Morgana le Fay (#0)
Yeah, but if you are a big enough donor you can get away with anything.
I first read Willie Green - wonder if he's still around freaksville? Great information, Morgana, thank you.
Personally, I have to differ with you on this one - but, then again, how big is big?
The author is on the right trail, but the coon is up a tree out of sight. RNC???? Yes. What is more interesting is the man behind the curtain. I was totally banned by RimJob personally when I said, "Free Republic is neither Republican nor Conservative"... He bade me adios at once and pulled the plug, after 8 years. Long ago RimJob and I had mutual acquaintances.
Not sure, but maybe Morgana can be of help. :p
"To be nobody-but-yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can ever fight; and never stop fighting." E.E. Cummings
I use Firefox and finally, after all these years, I deleted my FR bookmarks from my "Daily" tab group(if that means anything to you). Time was I would say, "Yeah it's skewed toward republicans, but it's still one of the best news sites on the web." Not so, anymore. The place is only useful for propaganda analysis. BTW, I was around that place for quite a while, also, but under another name. RE the RNC, people keep looking for the payoff money, I would suggest looking at his son's clientele. Every ten-dollar-a-month host comes with several free forum engines, so who is paying $$$ for FocusForum software, and how much?
Total propaganda. RNC...Has some very public upstanding gentlemen. Privately, they are scum. Politicians are politicians, only the sheep are kept in the dark.
The final fall of a once great site, now commences. Most posters who(like me)left, were loyal to America not to the Republican Party, and believed that the Constitution was the law of the land not the RNC platform. By embracing the open borders lobby RimJob has sealed his doom, to those who have fled that asylum and are here for the first time welcome.
One theory on why RobJim's turn, goes back to the early part of the decade when he was sued by the Washington Post and the LA Times, over the fair use of the stories, and also he got into an ugly spat with a poster named Eschoir, he somehow got out of those scrapes, and that is when you started to see some of the purges especially after 9-11.
Nope. He developed his prefection in purging in late 99 early 2000 when he joined the Bush team.
You're right. FR is neither Republican (in the classic sense) nor Conservative (in that they don't like actual freedom or the Constitution) -- its now nothing but a neocon echo chamber. It was a good idea, but, like other great ideas, was corrupted, probably by money. Fortunately, we have 4um and we should all be thankful for it!
Press 1 for English. Press 2 for Deportation.
JimRob sold his soul to the devil.
Do I hear a fat lady singing?
What, this is somehow new news??? Oh Fucking Please.... RimJob and his assclown friends have been having routine purges since 1999.
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
#2. To: Morgana le Fay (#0)
William Gheen
War - it's for the children
#3. To: Soda Pop (#1)
...if you are a big enough donor you can get away with anything.
War - it's for the children
#4. To: Morgana le Fay (#0)
" recent purges have left long term members wondering if the White House or Republican National Committee has undue influence at Free Republic."
#5. To: lodwick, Morgana le Fay (#3)
how big is big?
#6. To: Cynicom (#4)
RNC???? Yes.
#7. To: Rabble Rouser (#6)
The place is only useful for propaganda analysis.
#8. To: Morgana le Fay (#0)
#9. To: All (#8)
#10. To: The 7th MJS2U2 (#9)
nd that is when you started to see some of the purges
#11. To: Cynicom (#4)
#12. To: The 7th MJS2U2 (#9)
#13. To: Morgana le Fay (#0)
 | What's that Mr. Nipples? You want me to ask the nice lady about her rack?. |
#14. To: lodwick (#2)
I think he's banned. He hangs around at LP now.
I first read Willie Green - wonder if he's still around freaksville?
Do I hear a fat lady singing?
#15. To: lodwick (#3)
Big enough to help the Robinson's enjoy the lifestyle the FReakers have made them accustomed to... Size does matter
how big is big?
#16. To: Morgana le Fay (#0)
Robinson seriously needs to rename the site FreeRepubliCAN.
#17. To: mirage (#11)
thanks, mirage!
Fortunately, we have 4um and we should all be thankful for it!
#18. To: christine (#16)
Or, FreeRepubliCAN'T. What a joke and a travesty it has become.
FreeRepubliCAN
War - it's for the children
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