Internet harassment of Democratic or progressive political activists is a seriously problem that seems to be growing in scale and scope. Many Internet active Democrats have long been aware of organized harassment campaigns from large groups of Far Right Wing Republican cyber terrorists.
These tactics and harassment campaigns have created the terms "freeped" and "freeper" because it looks like many of the extremists involved seem to rally for the attacks with individual of a similar political bent at Free Republic.com. Everyone active at Free Republic.com are not involved in the "freeper" attacks. The terms are now applied to Right Wing extremist who use the harassment tactics but are not necessarily associated with Free Republic.com. The terms have become generic.
"Freepers" attack open message boards and blogs with smear campaigns in which they use profanity and obscenities, racist language, character attacks and false accusations. Every idea that is moderate, liberal or progressive is labeled communist or socialist. Anyone who does not completely follow the line of the Republican Far Right is called a traitor or supporter of terrorism.
These "freepers" attack the idea that the United States is or should be a democracy with venom. They often falsely claim to be independents or Libertarians while pursuing a completely Republican Right political agenda. They often attempt to infiltrate Democratic or progressive groups by claiming to be Democrats or progressives to stir up conflict or give credence to stereotypes of their opponents they wish to promote. Fundamentally, these "freeper" tactics are fascist in nature or worse.
Sometimes, their tactics appear to cross the line into criminal behaviors. Emails with viruses are sent. Websites are hacked and vandalized. Faked emails are sent with insulting or obscene content that seem to be coming from prominent Democratic or progressive Internet activists but are really being sent from "freepers."
Some individuals who have been active in the past at sites like Free Republic.com have been connected to acts like the mailing of anthrax hoax letters. There is some Internet speculation that the deadly, real anthrax attacks shortly after 9-11 might have come from people who share political values with the "freepers" or who might be "freepers." Unfortunately, the Bush Administration has still not solved the Anthrax Attack case.
Democratic Talk Radio has been victimized by "freeper" attacks of all sorts. In one week, we received over 10,000 pieces of hate mail. Our message board at Democratic Talk Radio.com has been filled with thousands of obscene messages until open posting was closed. "Freepers" have infiltrated our message board for Democratic activists to sow conflict. We have received anthrax hoax letters, emailed death threats, etc.
Recently, we are finding that thousands of pieces of spam are being sent that claims falsely to be coming from various fake names @democraticTalkRadio.com when no emails are ever sent from addresses using @democratictalkradio.com. Our mailbox is being flooded with undelivered spam being returned so real email does not always get to us.
Critics are complaining to AOL about receiving our Democratic Voices columns which are normally received by many local Democratic activists, union leaders, journalists, progressive websites and bloggers. AOL has disrupted our email access in acts of blatant political censorship and harassment based on politically motivated complaints.
AOL seems to think that their Terms of Service trumps the US Constitutional guarantees of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Assembly. Anyone who does not want to receive our Democratic Voices opinion column can individually request to be removed by replying to our emails. You can block any sender from sending you email. The politically motivated Terms of Service complaints are crude attempts to keep our opinion columns from being received by the opinion leaders who currently receive them by individuals who disagree with their content.
Political emails are not commercial spam. AOL and other Internet providers are violating Constitutional rights when they attempt to block them from being sent when the emails do not contain profanity, obscenities or threats.
The Internet should work like our American Democracy. We should not try to restrict the rights of others to freely express their views. Political harassment, corporate control, censorship and dirty tricks have no place in our national tradition.
Written by Stephen Crockett (co-host of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com .) Mail: P.O. Box 283, Earleville, Maryland 21919. Email: midsouthcm@aol.com . Phone: 443-907-2367.
Feel free to publish without prior approval at no charge.
www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com
Stephen Crockett is co-host of Democratic Talk Radio and author of the Democratic Voices opinion column.
== Chapter 49. When It Comes to Impeachment, There's No Room for Excusing the Inexcusable ==
By Larry W. Bryant
[Author's Note: In every American's living room sits a huge letter "I," shaped like a pregnant, legless elephant, begging to have her dignity and legs restored -- so that she can serve the cause of U. S. justice. Must most of us, at our peril, continue to conveniently ignore her pleas? Must we now allow the incoming Democrat-controlled 110th Congress to shackle, demean, and deny the "'I' word's" power for accountability, long-term reform, and preventive care for our cancer-ridden government? Let's hope that the political expediency behind the two congressional form letters e-sent on Nov. 20, 2006, to Colorado resident Jane Swartley won't contribute to an aborted delivery of Baby Justice. The first letter, from Democrat Rep. Mark Udall, concludes: ". . . I am not persuaded that it would be appropriate for the House to consider impeaching either the President or Vice President." Well, exactly what would persuade you, sir? Perhaps your receipt of several thousand more letters like the one Swartley sent you? Or, say, a multi-thousand-dollar contribution to your next election campaign? The other letter, from Democrat Sen. Ken Salazar, concludes: ". . . rather than use up the country's time on impeachment proceedings -- as many of my colleagues unwisely chose to do in 1998 [i.e., in the case of B. J. Clinton] -- I would prefer that the Congress get back to working on issues that affect families across Colorado and America." Regardless, senator, of your personal preference in ignoring that restless elephant in the living room, you and your colleagues have the constitutional duty to support the people's impeachment movement; your failure to do so is adversely affecting all families in the nation -- because the impeachable offenses committed by and for the Bu$ch-Cheezey junta have been compounding themselves for six years, imposing an unacceptable economic and moral burden upon our current and future generations. How can your conscience live with that fact? On Nov. 21, 2006, I received a phone call from a young man identifying himself as a representative of the Democratic Party of Virginia. Before he could begin his pitch for money, I told him: "If you're NOT calling about IMPEACHMENT, I don't want to hear from you. If you ARE calling about impeachment, I want to hear everything you have to say." He replied: "Okay, I'll let you go," and hung up.]
SCHMOE [picking a piece of sausage from one of his back teeth]: I hear that ol' Pippin and his pals are gearing up to take part in this "National Impeachment Day," scheduled for December 10th. Any thoughts on that, Rev. Pat?
RICHMANSON [bowing to the group]: Well, first of all, I wanna thank you all for having me share some morning time with y'all again. That prayer breakfast over at the Blair House certainly has me fired up for action. By the way, Dubya, I like the way you've renovated the floor in here. It's so polished that I almost lost my footing as I entered.
BU$CH: Don't feel bad about that, Rev., ol' buddy! I actually did slip on it the very day after the Perma-Gloss had dried. When I hit the floor, my secretary screamed and almost ran into the Rose Garden without first opening the door, while I . . ..
CHEEZEY [interrupting]: Yeah, tell us, Pat, what you think should be done about this "Impeachment Day" thing.
RICHMANSON: Sure, Dick. When I get back to Virginia Beach, I'm gonna broadcast to my closed-circuit pulpit leaders in the field some instructions from on high -- so to speak, heh-heh. I'll explain God's marchin' orders, one of which will be, "Whenever any your parishioners start askin' you about impeachment, tell 'em that even the thought of impeachin' such a godly man as Dubya here has got to be a sin in itself. So, these heretics had better get on their knees and repent of such thinking, right now -- you hear?" Amen.
TROVE [trying to look and sound pious]: Amen. Say, Pat, maybe you could print up a tract and distribute the anti-impeachment Word throughout all the congregations under your purview.
RICHMANSON: You must be a mind-reader, Karl -- which, incidentally, is forbidden by the Bible; you know . . . that passage in Deuteronomy about consulting with familiar spirits. Anyway, I've already drafted the language for that tract, and our general counsel, Gordon Suckulow, is reviewing it even as we speak.
CHEEZEY: Fine. Have him fax us a copy ASAP, along with any of his comments or recommended changes. When we get the final version, let's make sure that plenty of copies go to all our military chaplains. I understand that some of them have been receiving barbed inquiries from disgruntled family members who somehow feel wronged by our Mid-East policies and practices. The tract oughta help put these people back in their place.
RICHMANSON: Will do, sir. It'll be done up with state-of-the-art color graphics, and will refer the reader to our web site for more details.
BU$CH: Hmmm. How's this project gonna be financed?
RICHMANSON: No problem there, Dubya. We'll be using some of this year's Faith-based Initiative grant for it. That makes it a win-win effort for everybody.
CHEEZEY: Well, Pat, in the past you've certainly shown us how creative the clergy can be in putting these grants to work for the greater good. By the way, that's a fine name you've picked for that new yacht of yours -- "Angel Wave." When can you arrange for us to come down some weekend and take a day-long spin in it?
RICHMANSON: Tell ya what, guys: you pick the date, and I'll bring that puppy up here and dock it at the Washington Marina for ya -- near the Fort McNair corner. That way, you could drop by during the next morning and we could all sail over to Annapolis for lunch.
SCHMOE [yawning and still picking his teeth]: Sounds like a winner to me. I hope this new yacht has at least one e-mail terminal installed down below.
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