At THIS point in time, with THIS level of hostility coming from the RW smear machine

[burythehatchet]

AND the very real notion of freepers and fascists stalking "us", what is the prudent thing to do in terms of defending ourselves?

I will guarantee you that one of the RW zealots will cross over and kill someone because of their beliefs. It will not come as a shock to many of us. My personal feeling is that one of us is attacked we are all attacked. So what do we do? Do we wait for it to happen and call the police? Do we take steps to defend ourselves?

I'm not soliciting "Rambo" answers but I honestly do feel that our bretheren are at risk and I do not want to fell helpless WHEN they come after me.

[aquart]

1. Thank you for your concern.

Rambo answers are exactly what you're soliciting.

[burythehatchet]

4. Kiss my arse

[Forkboy]

14. And thanks for your lack of it.

[AX10]

2. I am pro-gun.

I want a direct means to protect myself from these RW kooks.

[burythehatchet]

12. and I have never in my life laid my hands on a firearm.

So its just not in my "make-up".

[renie408]

3. Double the tinfoil in your hat. n/t

[burythehatchet]

7. your rapier wit has left breathlessly gasping for air.

[renie408]

15. Blah blah blah.

Look, I think the question is stupid. I am sorry I don't feel in personal mortal danger from freepers, other than that through running the country for the past ten years, they have put us ALL in more danger.

And I can't help it, if you honestly think that posting on the DU is putting you in danger of losing your life, that is some pretty HEFTY paranoia. Besides being egocentric.

[burythehatchet]

19. Are you impaired in any way? If so, I'll try to dumb it down for you.

Where the fuck did I say that posting on DU was putting me in danger?

[renie408]

22. Well, it looks like you are plenty quick to get ugly. I think you'll be OK

if somebody jumps you. Just access all that ready anger.

I guess I saw 'freepers' and thought of the internet because, you know, it refers to the Free Republic, an internet website.

[peace13]

13. Months ago we had a stalker at our peace vigils.

He ended up videoing us and putting it up on youtube. He was very scary and there is nothing that we can do about being labeled as 'Granville Communists' on that site. He stopped coming after the VA shootings. Don't know why. I guess you really have to live it to understand that not only can it happen here, it does! Peace, Kim

[Richard Steele]

23. Yeah, because freepers NEVER bomb clinics, or shoot pro-choice doctors, or blow up Federal buildings

Yeah, the fear of freeper violence is just crazy-talk
like bigfoot & UFOs, right?

Pfft. Take the tinfoil off your eyes and ears. RWers
murder people all the damn time. Always have.

[havocmom]

5. One or two liberals, defending themselves most seriously

ought to stop the stalking. The wingers are cowards. All bullies really are cowards. They pick victims they think they can safely attack. A few surprises and that shit will probably stop for the most part.

By the way, RW zealots have already killed people because of beliefs. Some clinic workers have paid with their lives because they believed women should have full medical care and options.

[peace13]

6. We worry about this at our weekly peace vigils.

Just takes one crack pot to take us all out. I have to tell you that when we have kids on the line I review exits and plan to be a human shield should anything bad happen. Really sad to think about.

[burythehatchet]

10. I have a ssimilar concern. I go to as many war protest and other

marches and meet-ups. Sometimes I bring my son with me. I think it sucks that I have to worry about his safety because of these goons.

[2Design]

8. you are correct - they incite people - this is what the nazi's did

they incited people and finally got them to the point where they were willing to kill and they did kill. Millions of people. They are doing the same thing now. It is the same scenario - just people do not recognize it

[Richard Steele]

25. Yup. And they "distance" themselves during the early stages of inciting violence.

We're seeing that right now, with the 12-year-old kid
that the freeptards have declared to be their target du jour.

They're spreading his family's address and personal info
across the web, accompanied by polarizing & DEHUMANIZING
rhetoric.

It's clearly an attempt to spur some unbalanced, violence-prone
individual into actually HARMING that family. Doesn't take a
rocket scientist to get the hint. Freepers don't do "subtle".

But the CONGRESSMAN who started the campaign retains "plausable deniability".
It won't be anyone he's ever met who finally takes a shot at that kid,
and the eMail that suggested they be targeted was sent from one of his
assistant's accounts anyway.

[dkofos]

9. Find a hole and hide

[burythehatchet]

11. what would that accomplish?

[Warren Stupidity]

16. Inhale: clam. Exhale: enjoy.

This is not the weimer republic yet, we are not battling left vs right in the streets of a failed republic. Nor is this argentina in the 70s, we are not being disappeared by the death squads. All of those things may indeed come to pass, but we are not there yet.

Communication is important. There is little you can to to protect yourself from organized violence backed by the state, but there is much we can do together to make sure that if that is the future we face that it does not happen quietly.

[Stargazer99]

17. You mean like the bullet hole in the middle of Pat Tillman's forehead?

And the English scientist who "committed sucicide" that said Iraq didn't have any WMDs?

[durrrty libby]

18. Is this about a particular incident or just freeper rhetoric on the

internet?

[ck4829]

20. This is a valid concern. When someone says "tinfoil", just ignore them.

There are several things you can do right now.

Record information about hostilities and stalking, take names, take screenshots, cache the URLs
You can also ask if other people feel as though they are being stalked, sticking together is very good in these days

[Marr]

21. I think the potential for this sort of thing really peaked in 2003.

I'm much less concerned about possible right-wing violence on political opposition nowadays. They're in the minority and getting more so everyday. Those types of people are much more dangerous when they feel like they've got power.

[shadowknows69]

24. Contents of my apartment

One very strong dog
Two swords
Severals sharp knives
Numerous blunt objects
One 12 gauge shotgun.

nuff said I hope.