“If Free Republic does not stand for Free Conservative Thought I guess I am wasting my time.”
Perhaps you are. It’s their site. Therefore, they get to make the rules. If you don’t like it, post on another site or start one of your own.
As Ayn Rand so aptly put it: “The right to free speech means that a man has the right to express his ideas without danger of suppression, interference or punitive action by the government. It does not mean that others must provide him with a lecture hall, a radio station, or a printing press”(or an internet site, my addition) “through which to express his ideas.”
You are correct. I have great respect for Ayn Rand. I also believe the word “Free” means free as in free thought. Our founding fathers had many disagreements, but they found a way to make it work.