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I would define it as sanctimony, not a prediction. But then again, I guess it is human nature to assume that, in case of a dispute, it is always the other man who is narrow and fanatical.

Sorry, but I see no substantial difference in the behavior of the side of these arguments represented by the original poster than I do the "special interest groups in the conservative movement" you so fear. For every thread calling M.S. a murderer, there was one accusing the Schindlers of glorying in the media attention or being out for monetary gain. Considering the circumstances, both extremes were reprehensible. But that's par for the course in a rough-and-tumble forum where ideas are expressed openly. Whining about it doesn't do anything but make those who do look wussy.

Your original post presented the loss of the original poster (and others of his same opinion) as something regretful. I don't necessarily agree. All things change, people come and go, and any large group of passionate people will have a fluid membership. He will be replaced, just as you or I would be. The only difference is that some of us don't feel that our exit will necessitate a grand rhetorical flourish (or pious intonings by our fellow travelers about what this "means" for Free Republic). If he's no longer happy here, I'm sorry. But far "bigger" names than his have disappeared over the years, and FR has kept right on chugging along. So it will when I leave, so it will when you leave...

I agree with most of what you said, but I can't buy this:

For every thread calling M.S. a murderer, there was one accusing the Schindlers of glorying in the media attention or being out for monetary gain.

That's some alternate universe. An easy search of the archives will prove that to anyone. And it's just not a count of the threads, but the behavior on those threads. Anyone who defended the rulings of the judges based on the actual legal issues before them was shouted down.

The truth is that the Schindlers did not have very good attorneys. They made the wrong case and they did it in an awful way. Even when that was clearly demonstrated, most here felt the judges should have been activists in the cause of Terri and ruled on matters not even before them.

I understand the passions involved and I even understand wanting the judges to be activist judges when the cause is so dear, as hypocritical to the conservative movement as that is.

What I don't understand is the nastiness in which that was expressed. The countless calls for Greer's and Michael Schiavo's death from pro-lifers? Calling people here with long track records of reasonable, intelligent, and conservative posts "nazis", "pro-deathers", ad nauseum? Even when some of those posts got pulled, the damage is largely done.

We've had people here calling for the drawing up of lists of Freepers they hate so they can do something with it; I'm not sure what.

So, I don't buy that it was even-handed or merely rough and tumble stuff here at the forum. It was ugly, and it was largely one-sided.