At first I did not know why you locked the thread and then I read down and wept.

[sheshe2]

At first I did not know why you locked the thread and then I read down and wept. Du has lost there collective minds.

Read the letter here. It was vile!

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/118724424

I am in pain that all sanity has been lost. A sweet young woman was threatened and stalked here at DU, yet they did not PM her, they sent a letter to her house. She has two children. They sent it to her home!!!! They sought out her address and sent it to her home.

Skinner has been notified and in contact with concerned members. Police will be contacted tomorrow along with the postal service. What happened here was a crime.

You locked it so we would not lose another voice here. 1Strong was hidden and now silenced. KMOD another hide. Why? For supporting a young black woman that was stalked and threatened from a supposed member of DU, a Supposed Bernie supporter according to the letter.

I know you will rage at me. This is no broad brush. So many of you jumped on that thread to support bravenak. I love you for that. Actually I have many Bernie friends.

Right now my concern is for bravenak and her family. No one should ever be so terrorized for who they do and do not support in an election.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Oh, my dear sheshe...

I stand with you, and with Bravenak and with the good members of DU.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

59. +1,000 n/t

[sheshe2]

76. Thanks Peggy.

[villager]

2. That is frightening, disgusting, disturbing, and entirely out of bounds...

And while we don't know for sure it's from an actual DU member (remember that certain segments of the right, and the intelligence community have been well-practiced at sending divisive fake letters to and within movements for decades...) it really doesn't matter.

It's way beyond out of bounds.

And if it is from a DU member -- fuck 'em. Get 'em off this board. Permanently. (Of course).

[sheshe2]

4. Sadly I do believe it is a member,

yet may be trolling.

Skinner has the means to monitor this.

As a woman, I find that letter frightening. A person read posts on a board, They were so inflamed by her posts, that then they took the time and energy to find her address and sent her a hate filled vile message. That in itself is terrifying. Who does stuff like that?

[villager]

7. Damn right it's frightening.

And though I'm a guy, I know what you mean about the extra pit-in-the-stomach sense of vulnerability you might feel as a woman.

Who knows what kind of troll does stuff like that -- whether deliberately, for the purported chaos it would cause, or because of deep, grievous, personal imbalances...

[SunSeeker]

12. Thing is, they can easily see who did the alert stalking in that thread.

They should ban those people too.

[sheshe2]

15. Yes they should SunSeeker.

Every last one of them.

Also the alerts on 1SBM thread. A thread about a DU woman being stalked in her own home with sweet young children. They alerted there? Seriously? They alerted there as well. Where are we to feel safe anymore? I hope Skinner will answer that question.

[awoke_in_2003]

64. I guarantee it's a member

A lot of trolls came here during Operation Chaos in 08, and they know how to skate that line.

[villager]

65. Of course an undercover troll isn't really a "member" in the sense I was thinking of

...if the whole point is they are deliberate infiltrators.

[FrodosPet]

3. This is freaking batsh*t insane

Strength to bravenak.

[pa28]

5. +Weeping.

[yuiyoshida]

6. This whole thing makes me so damn mad and sad as well

I am totally disgusted with this... Kore wa kanzen ni iyadesu. Sono osoroshī ikō shin'nen.
これは完全に嫌です。その恐ろしい以降信念。.

[brush]

8. Why was the thread locked?

Don't we need to let people know about this crime?

[sheshe2]

10. The thread was locked by a longtime AA member.

A very intelligent woman that I am proud to know.

I like her a lot.

It was locked since sadly a thread about a fellow AA member being stalked IN HER HOME was upsetting some people since it was signed as a supposed Bernie supporter. Two hides resulted, both AA members, one being an ally as I am. I find the alerts there sickening. No one is allowed to grieve anymore we are attacked. Stalked. 23 did not want to lose any other members.

She is wise.

[brush]

54. Thanks for explaining. I knew about Bravenak and then the letter . . .

however, I wasn't aware of the extent of the crazy, weird racism that seems to have taken over here in targeting prominent African American posters.

Gives me pause as to whether to continue coming here.

It also gives me pause as to WTF is going on? Are these alerter/stalkers actually Sanders supporters or are they trying to make it seem that way, I mean with mentioning Sanders on the threatening letter to Bravenak?

The racism of the country has infested this place also.

[Warpy]

27. The thread was locked because the Alert Trolls had discovered it.

2 good people got suspended today because of those alert trolls getting lucky with juries.

[brush]

49. Thanks for explaining

First Bravenak and now others — what kind of weird racism is going on with these alerters and juries?

[joshcryer]

50. I cannot handle this.

This is beyond disgusting. I want to rage quit DU with posts about how terrible its users are. This is infuriating. I am so pissed the fuck off. Fuck.

[sheshe2]

66. I know how you feel, josh.

[BlueCaliDem]

57. The Admins should immediately revoke that suspension.

No one in his or her right mind believes those alerts were reasonable, therefore, those suspensions should be revoked, and the stalkers should be purged immediately.

[SusanCalvin]

70. Yep. Right now.

And bravenak too.

[Cha]

73. Excellent idea, BlueCali~

Mahalo~

[steve2470]

75. agreed! nt

[sheshe2]

86. Sadly there is a response from Skinner in aTA.

I say sadly because...

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/12598641

It's 1SBM's fault.

make me angry BCD.

[lovemydog]

28. It was locked by a well-respected moderator of this group

who is probably tired of seeing members of this group used as target practice. I respect her judgement.

[brush]

47. Thanks for the explaination. I had no idea . . .

this place had gotten so crazy.

Bravenak getting suspended and then the letter and now this.

Seems some weird racist shit is taking over here.

[sheshe2]

78. Target practice.

Bulls eye on there backs. Hands up don't shoot. You nailed it lovemydog.

[Starry Messenger]

9. To bravenak and family.

[SunSeeker]

11. That is so fucked up.

[McCamy Taylor]

13. Thread should not have been locked. We are grown up enough to know about CREEP

and about how the GOP uses attacks against one Dem that supposedly originate from another Dem in order to divide and conquer.

In case some do not know, I will go post a thread about it. Here is a link to the WaPo piece.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/stories/buchananmemo.htm

[gwheezie]

18. It was not locked because of grown ups

It was locked because 2 more respected members of the AA group were silenced and the stalkers have been effective. Personally I don't want to lose another member of the most intelligent group on du. Without their voices it's hardly worth coming to this forum.

[McCamy Taylor]

22. So we give up our voice...so that we will not lose our voice?

Now I really want to see the thread unlocked.

[lovemydog]

34. I respect the judgement of the person who locked it.

She is kind & compassionate and protects the regular posters here. She also may have more information than we do.

[sheshe2]

19. Sadly it is a proven fact.

We are not grown up enough. Number23 made a great call in that thread and I for one respect her opinion. How many more AA voices were you willing to lose there? Four, maybe more.

I for one do not wish to lose one more.

[OnyxCollie]

24. .

[IMG][/IMG]

[OnyxCollie]

25. No need to bring the GOP into the equation.

Democrats can fight each other without aid.

[Number23]

68. It's pretty apparent why I locked that thread.

[gwheezie]

14. Support for Brave and contempt for racists

I am outraged and sad this attack on AA members of this site continues. The threat to Brave is appalling. And AA group members continue to be silenced here.
Black lives matter.

[sheshe2]

20. Hey gwheezie.

I am outraged with you. I have had enough of this place. Skinner needs to wake up if he wishes to save his site.

[leftofcool]

42. I think it is too late.

It has been taken over by non Democrats and most of us just don't really care anymore. As you know we have all moved elsewhere.

[salib]

16. This is f-ing crazy stuff.

Whoever it is needs to come out and face the music. Cowardly BS.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

17. I just hope whoever sent that

is found out and dealt with. What a terrible thing to do! I'm just disgusted and I hope bravenak will be OK and won't be discouraged. WTF is wrong with some people???

[lovemydog]

21. It's sadly ironic

that in a thread about bravenak being stalked, two contributors to this group had their posts hidden. Democrats value a jury of one's peers. Those who hid the posts are not our peers. I doubt any contributors here would have voted to hide them.

I stand with my friends in this group. That thread should be read by all to see the crap that goes on here. Number23, I understand why you locked the thread. I support you one hundred percent.

Thoughts and prayers to bravenak. KMOD, thank you for standing up for what's right. And onestrongblackman, my friend, take care of yourself and hope to see you here soon.

[sheshe2]

26. Hey you.

I got home from work tonight to bravenaks mail. She sent me the letter. I felt like I got hit in the gut. I was scared for her. Truly frightened.

I had a friend go through that recently.

I am so saddened that once again AA is under attack. They are not even allowed to defend their friend without a hide. Wait. It was not defending her, it was wrapping their loving arms around her to love and protect her. She is one of ours.

[brer cat]

30. Amen.

[sheshe2]

31. It is late, I am crying.

I really need to go to bed.

Sweet bravenak.

I love you brer cat.

[lovemydog]

33. Hey!

I understand. I don't care who supports what candidate. I'll make my own decision when the time comes. Meanwhile I hope the haters get the help they need. For the sake of themselves and those close to them.

[totodeinhere]

60. I think we need to look into how this moron got her mailing address.

We should be afforded anonymity on this site.

[dumbcat]

69. It's not that hard

Took about three minutes.

Her name is in the URL for the photobucket account she uses to post photos.

She has referenced her blog, which has her name.

Her name leads to her facebook page, which has much more info, including location, relationships, and lists of friends.

These can lead to tax rolls and white pages, and another source I won't mention, where I found her address. I don't want to make this too easy for others.

Point being, you don't need to be the NSA to find someone's address. It is very, very difficult to stay anonymous on the internet if you don't follow a lot of annoying principles.

I support bravenak, and revile the Bernie supporting scum that did this to her, but we should not be accusing the admins of somehow releasing her private info or some other nefarious acts. It just ain't that hard to find most poster's info.

[totodeinhere]

71. No I'm not accusing the admins. I don't see how you could read that into my comment.

But that's why I keep my Facebook page and my blog totally disconnected from DU. As much as I would want DUers to read articles I have written for my blog and read my Facebook page I know better. The closest I get is saying what region of the country I live in and what type of work I do. Perhaps I shouldn't even be revealing that.

Please don't interpret my comments as any criticism of Bravenak. I sympathize with her and wish her and her family well. But I am wondering if this incident provides a lesson about anonymity that we should all take into consideration.

[dumbcat]

72. Not you, but others here accusing the admins

od somehow releasing bravenak's private info. There is a long thread that was locked.

Sorry if it seemed I was accusing you of doing that. It was not intended.

[joshcryer]

53. The fucked up part is that Number23 had to resort to a lock.

To PROTECT other DUers here. I'm enraged. This is total bullshit. I bet the trolls and haters are laughing. Sick fucking bastards.

[sheshe2]

81. Ain't that the kick in the head josh.

The fucked up part is that Number23 had to resort to a lock. To PROTECT other DUers here.

Protect them on a Democratic Board. I believe we are now on Discussionist now. We are one. How fucked is that.

[betsuni]

23. I saw that thread just now.

At first I thought the letter must be from a caver because they have so much information on DUers, like real names and pictures, so getting an address wouldn't be hard for them (and they're so creepily obsessed). Now I think it's a DUer, the style is consistent with a lot of things I've seen here, and no misogynistic slurs that conservatives love (a woman wrote it?). I'm sure bravenak has a pretty good idea.

I'm so angry that 1Strong and KMOD are gone. I don't want these alerting assholes to win, dammit. FUCK THEM.

[brer cat]

29. I just weep

for bravenak. She is strong and will overcome, but she doesn't deserve this crap.

The alert stalkers in that thread need to be banned from DU. The safe haven must be kept safe to come together in support.

[progressoid]

32. As a Bernie supporter, I agree.

Fucked up.

[sheshe2]

35. Thank you!

[lovemydog]

36. Many Bernie supporters echo what you've said,

and I appreciate them all. None of this nonsense will affect who I will vote for. Same goes for O'Malley and Clinton supporters here. I respect anyone who can see beyond support for a candidate, toward the humanity we all share. Thank you.

[Skittles]

37. a person would have to be unhinged to do something like that

seriously demented

[sheshe2]

38. Sadly Skittles...

They may be walking among us. This wasn't just internet stalking. That ass took it into her home. He stalked her into her home with 2 young children.

What I find infuriating two members here went on to a post about a member here being stalked, they stalked in a group, alerted and a jury gave them a hide. Wish someone would post those brilliant results. That means a least 8 people in two juries hid members supporting a member that is being viciously and illegally stalked in her own effing home. How sick we have become.

[NutmegYankee]

39. I'm really frustrated by this.

Here was a thread about no shit stalking in a protected group and a bunch of children come in and alert stalk to get hides. Fucking unreal!

[Recursion]

40. Jesus (nt)

[davidpdx]

41. It is appauling

I hope the authorities are able to find the person who sent her the letter and prosecute the person to the fullest extent of the law.

I'm not blaming Bravenak, but this can be a teaching moment for people to remember that they need to be very careful how much information they put out on the internet about themselves. There are lots of people out there on the internet who are dangerous and it may not take much to set one of them off. I had stuff on my DU profile and removed most of it. Even my Facebook profile is very tightly controlled making it near impossible to find me.

Those who are fairly active in the BS Group have condoned it. Remember it is very easy for someone to sign up with an account here (or almost anywhere) and pretend to be someone. That is why I have volunteered to help on MIRT.

[sheshe2]

67. Hi david,

Yes it is appalling and frightening. I sure hope the admins can help her with this.

Thanks so much for your response.

[newfie11]

43. This is horrible

How on earth did that person get the home address???

[Decoy of Fenris]

44. This whole issue has drawn me at least partly out of my perpetual lurking.

Tragically, Bravenak has a significant online presence; it took me all of two minutes to locate her address through only her DU name alone.

Even more disturbing than that is that in a bit of research, I've found there's very little recourse via the authorities in regards to anonymous letters; it's all too easy to write a letter to an area code, addressed to "Postmaster", to have them re-mail the letter to its intended recipient elsewhere in the country.

To be blunt, that letter could have been sent by anyone in the nation and at any time after August 8th (Brave's time-out), rerouting through any number of post offices. Someone who cares enough about flatly insulting and scaring Bravenak via is unlikely to half-ass covering their own tracks in a matter like this.

I think the best option we have, at least in regards to this matter on DU (outside of legal recourse), is to hope Skinner can cross-reference his internal data (IP, names of alerters) and try to find the perp based on IP addresses coinciding with the zip code. Even then, there could be quite a bit of overlap, given DU's rather large member base.

[BooScout]

45. This just makes my heart ache

To take it to the level it has been taken and to invade someone's home like this (because make no mistake, Bravenak's home was invaded) is just despicable. This is not just some internet troll, this is a sick, sick individual.

Now people no longer feel safe here.

Bravenak.

[MuseRider]

46. I could never understand

the reaction to her. Why can't people listen? She was not inflammatory. Her frustration was obvious, not hateful just intense frustration. This has been one of the worst times I have seen here in regards to people just hating on each other and simply not hearing what others are saying. I hope the scumbag who did this gets caught and punished. Bravenak should be here with us. I miss her voice. How scared she must be and all over election hatred. Insane. Sending love and support her way.

[mcar]

52. Me neither MuseRider

Or to the other more vocal members of the AA group. Bravenak was trying to educate people on this board and was silenced and threatened. Other good DUers are now silenced by alerts in a thread supporting Bravenak.

Makes no sense.

[joshcryer]

51. This is horrific.

Please let those members know that I don't agree with the shitty juries. I would say it was happenstance, but it's simply too coincidental for it to be random juries. There is an undercurrent in some circles that are against minorities if it happens to sully the supposed narrative.

It sucks when that crap happens IRL, but it sucks just as much when it happens on a site I've been frequenting almost since its inception.

[MineralMan]

55. What happened is unconscionable, at a minimum.

That kind of stalking needs to be rooted out and the stalker exposed publicly. I hope the admins of this site can figure out who the sender is. Some analysis of writing style and word usage might help. Bravenak deserves none of this crap, and the time-outs of other AA DUers is also suspect, as far as I am concerned.

This is just plain ugly on the part of the people involved and I mean all people who have systematically targeted DUers of color for "special treatment."

[BlueCaliDem]

56. I am appalled by what's happened to bravenak. I knew it was just a matter of time

before some crazy person would take it this far. DU has become so contentious that a lot of senior DUers (including myself) barely come here anymore.

What DU needs is solid monitoring/mediation. Without it, it's as if the patients have taken over the asylum.

It is incredibly sad that DU has changed so negatively. This used to be a safe haven where Democrats actually supported Democrats, and reason instead of anger and vindictiveness reigned supreme. Now it's as if being a Democrat has suddenly become controversial and unwelcome, even to the point that solid Dems like 1SBM is suspended and bravenak is stalked.

If the Admins don't do something about this escalating problem, DU will be irreparably damaged.

[Cha]

77. "What DU needs is solid monitoring/mediation. Without it, it's as if the patients have taken over

the asylum."

"Now it's as if being a Democrat has suddenly become controversial and unwelcome, even to the point that solid Dems like 1SBM is suspended and bravenak is stalked."

That would be so wonderful, BlueCali~ Sing IT!!

[still_one]

58. you are right. It is pathetic attempt by those that always seem to show up to minimize a

serious threat.

Really sad

[Jamastiene]

61. Bravenak...

did not deserve to be the target of a crime like that. What happened to her is beyond creepy. It is criminal.

I can't imagine why anyone would vote to hide 1SBM's posts. He has always been a respectful, polite poster from what I have seen. This entire situation is FUBAR. It's sickening.

[stonecutter357]

62. I stand with Bravenak

[awoke_in_2003]

63. Glad you locked it

The hides were stupid, and fine examples of alert stalking.

[Cha]

74. Mahalo for this OP, she~ Beautifully Stated. Bravenak and her Loving Family is our utmost Concern.

"No one should ever be so terrorized for who they do and do not support in an election."

The BS supporter who went too far. There will be consequences no matter how clever they think they are.

The letter sent through the Fed US Mail System..

"We grew tired of your race baiting bullshit against the only candidate who actually cares about the plight of minorities and the 99%. You and your fucking lying "I really like Bernie" bullshit. So you got 4 hides in one day. You deserved more.

When you come off suspension, you keep running your fucking mouth, guaranteed you're going to get alerted on and suspended again. We'll make a point of it. There's a hell of a lot more of us than of you. So I suggest you dial it back a whole fucking bunch.

GO BERNIE!!!"

Mr Citizen
DU Member

1StrongBlackMan http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1187&pid=24424

Bravenak

[GitRDun]

79. The irony upon irony today is unbelievable

I sincerely hope the administrators will consider ways to prevent the current DU culture from causing the site to be even more monolithic than it already has become.

Today:

A second letter of harassment is delivered to a member of the DU family. A member whose crime is trying to tell us we might not understand all there is to know about a group whose mission is to ask they stop being killed.

Two more members are silenced in a thread in support of that member.

Some posters from the group who is mentioned in the letter are twisting themselves sideways to deflect blame or even blame the victim.

Meanwhile, a few posters who create the culture, on a daily basis, by posting highly negative, sometimes downright hateful threads towards candidates they don't like just keep on posting...... Some of the OP's are mild, but many, many of them use language that would never be tolerated in a discussion between people in the same room together. They troll threads they don't like, many times pouncing in groups to attack posts or posters they don't like. These posters set the tone...hate is ok, maybe even cool (see dozens of OP recs, bouncing smilies, etc).

It's like watching a slow moving train wreck.

[JI7]

80. this whole thing goes back long before the current PRimary and Sanders

there have been people who have had problems with bravenak and other black and minority members for having certain opinions. Bravenak especially got it bad because she was very open with where she stood .

if only this was just about some huge supporter of a candidate. we have always had those.

the overall message is of someone who is very resentful towards certain people. i have noticed for this some time . people who feel uncomfortable when it comes to minorities .

while it is possible that it could be some right winger on another site . the bitterness and tone of the message is something i have been seeing for a while now on this site.

it's the same as those who claimed to be allies of feminists and then threatened to rape and kill women who did not agree with them.

[betsuni]

83. Yes, the bitterness and tone is very familiar, nothing new.

Sanders is being used as an excuse, pretending it's a political opinion, to attack the same sorts of people they're obsessed with hating.

[ismnotwasm]

82. And rather than show support

A slimy, slithering nastiness or two slid into that thread to leave their stink in it. They could have chosen to stay away, but the complete lack of anything resembling human decency prevented this apparently. And the compulsive need to leave the electronic equivalent of the glistening mucous of the impotent footless gastropod.

Fucking gross, man.

[betsuni]

84. The same compulsive need as the letter-writer. nt

[MH1]

85. You are right, the letter to bravenak is vile and disturbing.

Also that the thread needed to be locked due to alert-stalking.

I will say this: I am probably one of the more "likely to hide" DU members because I strongly disapprove of personal attacks. However I would not have hidden most of 1Strong's hidden posts. I am wondering if there were A LOT of his posts alerted on to get that "lucky" with the jury.