Q: WHAT TO DO WHEN THE MAN KNOCKS 😉

Someone asked. Here is the answer.

Two people have been contacted in the past month or so. Both for activities online that were unrelated to our movement, but were slips made in rage.

We never do anything illegal or recommend anything illegal. It is counter-productive to do anything other than political activism that draws attention to our policies. We use a lot of devices to encourage the spread of our ideas. And to give our people courage that if push comes to shove they can win. But you will notice how very careful I am. And how I won’t even talk to troublemakers.

I’m very deliberately following in the steps of the founders, and following settled federal law that licenses Americans almost uniquely in the world to propose political change in the model of the founders.

If you are involved with our group at all and you get involved with other activities you are putting us at risk. We don’t need you to put us at risk.

TESTOSTERONE IS A WONDERFUL DRUG.

I realize there are a lot of young men with young men’s testosterone and that online bravado and sh-t talking is part of being one of today’s young men. On the other hand you can easily cross the line. And you are most likely to cross the line when you lose your temper. It is losing your temper that makes people worried – not your trash talking.

THEY’RE DOING THEIR JOB

This forces cops that would rather be solving ‘real crimes’ to do their job given the ‘escalations’ that happened last year.

If you know someone who did or said something stupid you are likely to get a call. if you do something serious THEY SHOW UP and knock on your door. If you do something really really stupid a raid. It’s the economics of law enforcement: their effort follows your degree of stupidity. 😉

But 99.999999% of the time someone in some online group commented on, or said something that could be misinterpreted as a legitimate threat. That means they are trying to get dirt on someone else – not necessarily you.

If you’re involved in other groups or other events or with other people then look there. Usually we know all what we did to attract attention, because we remember losing it, and usually its saying something ‘stupid’ in haste. Sometimes it’s venting by larping – and it’s possible to interpret your larping as a threat.

You don’t have to learn more than once anything you tell law enforcement passes thru a telephone-game of continuous modification worse than the news media and workplace-gossip because the law enforcement just like the media frames everything in whatever institutional narrative they are familiar with – and these are ordinary guys not rocket scientists. Anything you say will not be interpreted or recorded or communicated as you said it. All human organizations do this.

This is why I emphasize ‘man up, shut up, show up’. With ‘shut up’ being an imperative. Group political activism is safe. Larping online is more dangerous than showing up in large groups.

BE POLITE. BE CALM. BE CLEAR.

But If you DO get a call, either don’t answer it, or don’t return it. If it’s serious they state the question on the message or they show up. They don’t call.

If you talk to them, be polite at all times (they are doing their job) do not be afraid or angry (they are doing their job) tell them that you won’t talk to them without a warrant and lawyer. And say absolutely nothing else. Don’t ever talk to them without a lawyer. Ever.

They will take a normal person’s read on you. If you are scared of them, or threatening to them, or irrational, or even impolite, that means more bad than anything you can say good.

Help them do their job: Just tell them that you are just an activist, never engage in anything other than activism, won’t talk to them without a warrant and a lawyer, and wish them good luck in their investigation. Unless there is imminent danger to someone’s life, then you will help.

Unless they already have you for some crime or other they will go away because you aren’t worth the effort.

If you are worth their effort then you did something stupid. lol

Don’t do stupid things. 😉

Please.