Should Free Republic Be Deemed A Hate Site And Monitored By The FB?I

[DemocratSinceBirth]

[Forkboy]

1. Wouldn't surprise me if it already was being monitored.

[ContinentalOp]

57. Really? I would be absolutely shocked.

I mean, they're not liberals. Why would the FBI be monitoring them? :shrug:

[Buzz Clik]

2. How about the CI%A?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. The CIA Is Prohibited From Doing Domestic Surveillance

Maybe if the FBI was monitoring Free Republic the security guard at the Holocaust Museum would still be alive!

[boppers]

33. Websites may be domestic, but internet traffic is not.

Anybody surfing websites from another country, who, oh, happens to surf free republic, means that free republic traffic and pages can be monitored.

There are a few interesting implications that arise from this.

[rhett o rick]

39. The CIA is prohibited from ___ are you serious. What will happen to them if they

get caught? FBI spanks them?

[lilytea]

52. They get a phone call form joe biden

LOL!

Just kidding!

[KansDem]

68. Nah! Just a sternly-worded letter from Congress...(nt)

[Mari333]

46. lol

[Buzz Clik]

3. Actually, we wouldn't want to establish an new precedent.

I mean, this place isn't exactly a love fest.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. I Am Under No Illusion That DU Isn't Under Surveillance

But unlike Free Republic none of our fellow posters have been linked to acts of violence...

[rhett o rick]

40. Sorry, your double negitive got the best of me. Of course DU is under surveillance.

The asshole righty's are paranoid. They will surveil their own grandmothers just because they can.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

17. I think the NSA

would classify DU in their "Citizens sharing points-of-view, with low-level ass-hattery" file. The really far Left types want nothing to do with (in their eyes) petty political discussion forums. Huh, I guess that makes me mid-Left.

But FR is a completely different story. I have seen posts on there that have curled my hair. In their culture of cultivated and prideful ignorance, the angriest, loudest, and ultimately most dangerous get carried away in their tunnel-visioned, vicious rants. They type things that they really shouldn't. And the NSA is good (especially good at hiding its tracks). They could read a post on FR (no hacking required, just registered user) and within an hour know what brand of diapers the Rethug is wearing, and when was the last time he bought ammo. And you can't blame the NSA for being prepared, as Right Extremism has become the predominant domestic terror threat.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. They Are Constantly Pushing The Envelope

Saying things they shouldn't say. Things that don't rise to the level of unprotected speech nor should theyt but speech that comes so close to the line that makes the speech maker suspect...

[hfojvt]

21. really, about the far-left types?

I once belonged to a socialist mailing list where we discussed things through email. Not that different from DU except less public. Presumably the people there were far left types. At least it included a socialist candidate from 2000. One who gave the election to Bush, damn him. David McReynolds. I had to look it up.

[Buzz Clik]

25. "low-level ass-hattery"????!!!111

I'll have you know that some of us take great pride in being asshats, and we perform at the highest level.

:mad:

[MADem]

5. Other--it probably already is monitored, like most of the net.

Total Information Awareness by any other name would smell as sweet, to paraphrase Shakespeare....

[BlooInBloo]

7. Depends on what the explict, detailed criteria are, not the intruitive understanding of the word.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. There Was A Post That Called On One Million Armed Men To March On Washington

That sentiment warrants surveillance.

[BlooInBloo]

10. Depends on what the explict, detailed criteria are, not the intruitive understanding of the word.

[jefferson_dem]

8. Does Jim Robinson shit in the woods?

Ergo.

Hell Yeah!

[Sebastian Doyle]

14. No, RimJob shits in his pants

(that should bring a few Freeps out of the woodwork like the termites they are.... :evilgrin: )

[sakabatou]

45. DUzy!

[jefferson_dem]

11. Hey DSB.

So nice to see you around again. Hope things are going well... :hi:

[laylah]

12. Absofuckinglutely!

Those knuckle draggers hate this country beyond anything I have seen in my 58 years. May they be hounded, investigated, and brought to justice before anything as horrible as many of us fear, may happen!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. I assume its already being monitored, as is this place and LOTS of others

[havocmom]

23. yep

[Warren Stupidity]

15. I support freedom of speech and so should you

and that support views law enforcement snooping on the discussions of people, even public discussions on message boards, as not a good thing and not something we should support.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. I Support Freedom Of Speech

I don't support traitorous behavior which includes advocating the overthrow of the American government by having one million armed men march on Washington and I would feel the same way if a poster here suggested that.

[jefferson_dem]

18. Monitoring a website is one thing. Shutting a website down and censoring online speech is another.

One may support the former and adamantly oppose the latter.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. Yeah I Was Calling For The Former

A poster there called for a million armed men to march on Washington. Those sentiments probably fall under protected speech but they cry out for monitoring.

[jefferson_dem]

24. Even protected speech can be regulated...if it presents a danger to society.

When a website openly advocates the violent overthrow of the political system or unlawful removal of the existing regime, that would seem to satisfy such a standard. They are walking the line. That's for sure.

Aside from the legal question, I am troubled that the threats of violence may actually influence policy-makers to avoid taking a stand for change.

[Sebastian Doyle]

48. Not just "a poster"

The owner and administrator of the website, RimJob himself.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

43. I upset people when I said much the same thing in another thread

about the suit against an off duty Philly Cop site.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

30. There's no such thing as "snooping" on a public message board

There's no law that says law enforcement has less right to view materials in the public than the average person.

[Warren Stupidity]

50. Yeah sure there is.

That would be when it is some government official's job to monitor and take notes on and perhaps record what is posted to some message board. It is similar to having a government agent attend and participate in political organizations in order to monitor their activities. It is not what government officials should be doing in a nation where freedom of speech is a strongly protected right.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

54. Except you seem to be ignoring the original point

Seeing as places like FR are now fostering the "It's time to take up arms" attitude openly on their site.

Now of course, 99% are cowards blowing off steam. But to pretend there is no legit threat from some of these folks is head in the sand thinking.

What would you say to a band of private citizens monitoring the boards, and firing off complaints to the FBI as a heads up? Still too much for you?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

60. Maybe The Poster Missed The Post On Free Republic

The post where the poster suggested a million armed men march on Washington.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

61. Did You Have A Problem When The FBI Infiltrated The Klan To Find The Killers Of Cheney, Schwerner,

And Goodman?

[emilyg]

36. +1

[DemocratSinceBirth]

62. Do You Think Calling For Armed Insurrection On A Bulletin Board Calls Out For Monitoring?

~

[depakid]

22. The answer to that is obvious- both from the posts and from the record

[lunatica]

26. I say it's OK if the FBI monitors DU too. Why not? It's an open forum

So yes, I think it would be perfectly understandable it they did and quite puzzling if they didn't

[mwb970]

27. There are much worse sites than FR. /nt

[DemocratSinceBirth]

28. But They Aren't As Popular

~

[jefferson_dem]

29. Worse, yes.

The one with initials "SF", for example. Much worse? :shrug:

[Scurrilous]

31. It's a comedy site...

...and should be monitored by the writers at The Daily Show & Colbert Report.

[d_b]

35. ^^ this

[blondeatlast]

32. The unrestrained use of violent and hateful rhetoric makes me say "yes" about FR.

That it is an accepted, even celebrated practice there is what sets them apart from the likes of DU. We certainly have our share of hate and violence, but it isn't very common; not the case for FR.

[Hepburn]

34. Ya think?

The place is a sewer of hatred...evil hatred.

JMHO

[WeDidIt]

37. Advocating armed insurrection in Washington D.C. if a bill is passed?

Nah, they should be arrested for terrorism.

[proud patriot]

38. yep and protest warrior as well

x(

[ProgressiveProfessor]

42. Are they still around and active?

Last I saw they were into provocative signs and PR stunts. Latest update looks to be 2 years old.

[proud patriot]

44. They are somewhere if not there

Those were some sickos .

[Skittles]

41. I'm sure it already is

[FarCenter]

47. Monitoring FR would be a waste of tax dollars

Besides, it is indexed in Google, so when the TLA sift the Google database, they get monitoring of FR and DU for free.

[Iggo]

49. No. And it already is.

Monitored by the FBI, that is.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

64. A Poster On That Site Advocated Armned Insurrection

That has never been protected speech. Monitoring of that site is justified. Monitoring yes, censorship no... By monitoring the site the potential traitors will out themselves...This will help the FBI protect us from these would be domestic terrorists...

[Odin2005]

51. Yes.

They are a clear and present danger to the Republic.

[madeline_con]

53. No. What happened to free speech? Even ignorant speech is protected.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

63. Calling For Armed Insurrection Has Never Been Protected By The First Amendment

~

[madeline_con]

66. Don't they have a disclaimer?

Or is Rimjob blogging this revolution nonsense?
Edited to add: Your OP was not exactly forthcoming with specific info.

[subcomhd]

55. Of course it already is - as is this one, I assume

not the "deemed a hate site part." But surely they check in on all sorts of sites. We have had local message boards with some pretty borderline stuff on it that I would think would have been looked at. During the election one of our local wing-nuts got a visit from the SS when she told an Obama phone-banker he would end up dead.

[proteus_lives]

65. I would bet dollars to donuts that both DU and FR are monitored.

It makes sense to monitor both.

[subcomhd]

69. absolutely

[Kievan Rus]

56. The Southern Poverty Law Center ought to consider...

adding Freeperland to its already extensive list of hate movements that it complies.

[ezgoingrl]

58. Abso-freakin

lutely.

[siouxsiecreamcheese]

59. I have it on good authority that they already are..

I know someone who has evidence they are being monitored in some circles. Unfortunately, I can't give much more info.. don't want to get that person in trouble.

[Bandit]

67. Maybe they should be classified as a "dirty bomb" about to go off

That would call for the Padilla treatment..

[tuckessee]

70. No. DU's resident Stalinist wannabes are more dangerous than Freepers. n/t

[cherish44]

71. I think RimJob is mentally unbalanced after reading his manifesto and recent comments

I think most sane conservatives probably abandoned that place a long time ago. What's left are the batshit crazy extremists. I'm sure the FBI is watching them closely and it's justified. (Say what you want about DU, it's not perfect by any means, but the batshit crazy population on here is a very small minority, unlike FR).

[Rwalsh]

72. This thread might help:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6104139