Saturday, September 22, 2012
Patriots: Don't let Big Brother intimidate you! (By: B. Christopher Agee)
I recently discovered an online conservative forum called Right Wing America, which graciously shares my articles and those by other Western Journalism contributors. Upon introducing myself, I was greeted with hospitality and quickly established a rapport with several of the members.
After browsing the posts for a while, I was struck with the unabashedly conservative viewpoints being freely shared among members. It was refreshing to see people unafraid to speak their minds, especially when free speech is being attacked at every turn by leftist ideologues. In a subsequent interview with the co-founders of the site, I determined these patriots understand there might be repercussions for their outspokenness – they just speak out in spite of it.
We cannot simply remain quiet out of fear. This nation was formed by those willing to call out tyrants no matter the retribution that might follow. They saw the bigger picture, which was creating a sustainable environment to foster individual freedom. Now, as that unique environment is being targeted, it is time again for us to bravely defy their attacks.
After noticing a forum he co-created which focused on issues such as hunting and fishing and received far more political posts than anything else, Ace said he decided to begin RWA as a safe haven for the discussion of conservative issues.
“We steadily rose from 200 to about 900 in six months,” he said, saying outrage over Obama’s destructive policies was responsible for much of that rapid growth.
Though membership is limited to right-wingers (the site has a special forum, known as “Right Wing Hell” for banished liberals) Ace said visitors often have sinister origins. He said he has tracked government IP addresses to Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington D.C.
“I’m sure there are government trolls on the site reading and recording everything we say,” he explained. “If a guy can get arrested for saying something on Facebook, I’m really surprised that no one has been arrested on here.”
Despite that, he said the forum maintains “a firm free speech policy.”
Byrdie, a co-founder who serves as one of the sites “gatekeepers,” is always on the lookout for sinister spider accounts. She said she created a comprehensive list of government IPs, noting she’s seen some of them present on the RWA forum page.
“I always find at least two government IPs watching us,” she said. “Hell, we’ve gone so far as to give them shout-outs on the site.”
She is realistic about the possibility of backlash, saying, “Retaliation will come; I’m sure of that.”
No matter, she is determined to maintain an online location for conservatives to meet and express their concerns about the future of this country while sharing current events about which all American should be aware.
“I just feel it’s worth the risk,” she said. “RWA has exploded lately; it’s growing quickly. Obama has forced people to look for sites to vent.”
“Administrators do have a contingency plan,” she said.
“Ace has a backup site ready to go online if RWA is ever taken down. We won’t go without a fight,” she said.
I’m sure there are similar situations playing out across the Internet, though I must admit a hectic schedule keeps me from spending much time exploring the various conservative forums. I’m just pleased I found a group that shares my beliefs and are unafraid to speak of them openly.
Byrdie said it best, so allow me to close with her eloquent words claiming her right to free speech:
“I’m an American, I have rights just like everyone else. They’ll have to drag me away screaming before I’ll stop fighting for this country.”
B. Christopher Agee founded The Informed Conservative in 2011. Like his Facebook page for engaging, relevant conservative content daily.
After browsing the posts for a while, I was struck with the unabashedly conservative viewpoints being freely shared among members. It was refreshing to see people unafraid to speak their minds, especially when free speech is being attacked at every turn by leftist ideologues. In a subsequent interview with the co-founders of the site, I determined these patriots understand there might be repercussions for their outspokenness – they just speak out in spite of it.
We cannot simply remain quiet out of fear. This nation was formed by those willing to call out tyrants no matter the retribution that might follow. They saw the bigger picture, which was creating a sustainable environment to foster individual freedom. Now, as that unique environment is being targeted, it is time again for us to bravely defy their attacks.
After noticing a forum he co-created which focused on issues such as hunting and fishing and received far more political posts than anything else, Ace said he decided to begin RWA as a safe haven for the discussion of conservative issues.
“We steadily rose from 200 to about 900 in six months,” he said, saying outrage over Obama’s destructive policies was responsible for much of that rapid growth.
Though membership is limited to right-wingers (the site has a special forum, known as “Right Wing Hell” for banished liberals) Ace said visitors often have sinister origins. He said he has tracked government IP addresses to Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington D.C.
“I’m sure there are government trolls on the site reading and recording everything we say,” he explained. “If a guy can get arrested for saying something on Facebook, I’m really surprised that no one has been arrested on here.”
Despite that, he said the forum maintains “a firm free speech policy.”
Byrdie, a co-founder who serves as one of the sites “gatekeepers,” is always on the lookout for sinister spider accounts. She said she created a comprehensive list of government IPs, noting she’s seen some of them present on the RWA forum page.
“I always find at least two government IPs watching us,” she said. “Hell, we’ve gone so far as to give them shout-outs on the site.”
She is realistic about the possibility of backlash, saying, “Retaliation will come; I’m sure of that.”
No matter, she is determined to maintain an online location for conservatives to meet and express their concerns about the future of this country while sharing current events about which all American should be aware.
“I just feel it’s worth the risk,” she said. “RWA has exploded lately; it’s growing quickly. Obama has forced people to look for sites to vent.”
“Administrators do have a contingency plan,” she said.
“Ace has a backup site ready to go online if RWA is ever taken down. We won’t go without a fight,” she said.
I’m sure there are similar situations playing out across the Internet, though I must admit a hectic schedule keeps me from spending much time exploring the various conservative forums. I’m just pleased I found a group that shares my beliefs and are unafraid to speak of them openly.
Byrdie said it best, so allow me to close with her eloquent words claiming her right to free speech:
“I’m an American, I have rights just like everyone else. They’ll have to drag me away screaming before I’ll stop fighting for this country.”
B. Christopher Agee founded The Informed Conservative in 2011. Like his Facebook page for engaging, relevant conservative content daily.
Follow @NACBU_bloggers
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