Call to action: Twitter needs to use its power to stop graphically abusive accounts

 

  Warning: Some of the images in this post are not safe for work. 

Twitter is an open forum for anyone who wants to tweet their mind. That's great. I partake in a big way. But when I get tweets-- daily, hourly, sometimes piling on one after the other-- that are abusive, insulting, viciously demeaning, hostile, and sometimes violent, then it's time to take action.

Twitter sure doesn't. I know that for a fact, because I've tried over and over again to convince them that in some cases, it stops being free speech and starts feeling like assault.

 [NOTE: This post is not about cyber bullies, although they, too, are abusive; I've been harassed and smeared for years by one "progressive" who many of you became aware of and have since avoided. This is about extremist trolls, who also happen to bully.]

I regularly hear from right wing extremists, tea partiers, and total nutcases (that's not hyperbole, there are some very sick people out there). When they're civil, I simply ignore or block them, and even debate them once in awhile. And yes, I admit to succumbing to occasional lapses of playing Whack a Troll just to share their ignorance with my followers, using as much snarky mockitude as I can muster up.

But then there are those who pop in repeatedly to suggest various activities that they want me to engage in-- with my own body or theirs-- and apply colorful words like c**t and suck my c**k, simply because they've read my tweets and don't agree with me. I don't know these people nor am I familiar with their accounts, but they get some kind of perverse pleasure out of following my threads and entering my stream with slurs, attacks, and irrational tirades.

Almost without exception, these trolls oppose me politically, and that's fine. But the intense hatred spewed by many of them is disruptive, highly offensive, and completely out of line.

There is a particularly rabid one who should be in jail or in a padded cell-- again, no hyperbole. If I were to post screen grabs of his avatars, messages, and profile photos, you'd literally want to gag. My own husband couldn't get through them. Unfortunately, catching sight of them is unavoidable when they're in my stream or when I go to block and report.

Imagine the most frantically vile, graphic images depicting blatant racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny, bigotry, and self-loathing. They include explicit close-up photos of defecation and the most hard-core XXX porn you can imagine, abominable references, every kind of debasement of women and young men, degrading photos of celebrities and our president and first lady, you name it.

And the crude, twisted tweets he sends me match the vulgar visuals. He has also opened accounts using my likeness (taken from my Twitter account), as well as those of other high-profile liberals like Rachel Maddow, Lizz Winstead, John Fugelsang, Bill Maher, and Rosie O'Donnell, among others.

In short, he is an obsessed, deranged, seething, hostile, psychologically impotent (and likely, physically) conservative coward who consistently targets progressives, mostly women. Here are semi-cleaned up, edited grabs of two of his tamer suspended accounts. Trust me when I say, they get much worse than these:

Here is one of his defunct profile pages

A tweet he sent out under my name and avi

This is one reason I stay anonymous. It started when a stalker came to close, sending me a Google map of my neighborhood, so that was that.

This person has been suspended well over 500 times. I've reported him to Twitter well over 100 times, and finally contacted my local authorities as well as the FBI more than once. But because he didn't threaten my life, they did nothing. As I type this, he's added at least three more Twitter accounts that I'm aware of.

I've endured this for years, literally. Because of this, I felt it was time to put out a call to action. Perhaps if enough of us demand more oversight from Twitter, especially those of us who are sick to death of being barraged with disgustingly offensive messages and photos, then maybe Twitter will take notice and do something.

It's unimaginable that they can't devise a better system to rid Twitter of such filth.

By the way, when I tried to fill out one of their complaint forms, I didn't have a link to the offending tweet, so the form wouldn't go through. I didn't have a link because I blocked him, and the account was immediately suspended so the tweet was no longer accessible. So I'm snail mailing them, and I'm including about two dozen graphic screen shots of 93 of the suspended profiles I've captured.

Here is the tweet:

"I'd like to take a 12 in figurine of a smiling G W. Bush and ram it up your stinking communist ass."

Please share this post and contact Twitter. It's worth a shot to at least try to turn things around for once. I'm fed up with having to so much as glance at the malignancies that come my way.

Thank you.

Twitter contact information:

Twitter, Inc. 1355 Market St, Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94103

And to Twitter users, some general contact info, not that it will do much good:

@Support

@Twitter

@Spam

To file a ticket, go here.

To report an abusive or offensive user, go here.

UPDATE: Here is a sample letter sent by one of my favorite commenters:

Twitter, Inc 1355 Market St., Suite 900 San Francisco CA 94103

Attn: Dick Costolo, CEO

Dear Sir:

I’ve become more and more alarmed by the threatening, harassing tweets bombarding people like GottaLaff and urge you to take them seriously. One man who sends one tweet after another threatening her, even sending her a map of her neighborhood, forced her to resort to using a pseudonym on Twitter and he still doesn’t stop.

Spam is bad enough but when one is verbally bashed and/or threatened it is not to Twitter’s benefit and such tweets should not be ignored. Just reporting or blocking them isn’t sufficient to stop their abuse; they simply open a new account under a different name - as you know.

Surely Twitter can trace an account back to an IP address and demand that they cease such dangerous behavior. I understand that tweets can be sent from IP addresses that are used by many people (at cafes, for instance) but there is such a thing as product liability. I’m urging you to hold the owners of such IP addresses responsible for the damage their users do. Even bar owners who serve people after they are drunk are held responsible for the damage their customers do.

I’ve enjoyed Twitter for a few years and want to continue to do so but such threatening behavior makes a pleasant experience completely abhorrent and there’s a limit to the amount of such behavior I, and others, will accept.

Please develop a policy to identify & ban such people from the Twitter feed.

White supremacist opening nightclub for youths

By GottaLaff

Nothing says Family Values like a club for teens run by an anti-Semitic racist Nazi:

A man who once proclaimed himself the national director of Aryan Nations is planning to open a nightclub east of Kansas City for the under-21 crowd.

The Black Flag is set to open Friday in the Prime Outlet Mall in Odessa, but Charles Juba, a self-avowed racist and anti-Semite, has extended invitations to high school students in Blue Springs, Independence, Fort Osage, Grain Valley and others.

Why not just go on Larry King Live and promote it in front of millions, because that's how shamelessly brazen these monsters have become. Why, he could indoctrinate millions of high school students in one fell swoop!

It's becoming much too easy to spread hate in this country. There is a real danger of Americans becoming desensitized, assuming they're even aware of white supremacists to begin with.

Tea Baggers are screaming about "evil" President Obama while this kind of thing is going on in front of their little blind beady eyes. Way to prioritize.

Report: Anti-Semitic incidents doubled last year

Interesting. Seems to me that this would be obliquely related to the uptick in hate groups documented by the SPLC.

TEL AVIV, Israel — An annual survey of world anti-Semitism says attacks on Jews more than doubled last year, the biggest jump since the study began more than 20 years ago.

The Tel Aviv University survey counted more than 1,000 anti-Semitic incidents in the world in 2009, ranging from vandalism and arson against Jewish buildings to attacks on Jews.

The report noted the steepest increase of anti-Semitic incidents occurred in Western Europe, especially Britain and France. It says most of the incidents were carried out by Muslims, whose anger over Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip last year often turned into attacks on Jewish targets.

Anti-Obama Facebook page: 483,518 fans, racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic images

By GottaLaff

UPDATE: The number of "fans" has topped half a million since the original post.

My pal over at Windy City Watch has graciously invited me to cross post this latest offering from a Facebook page, which is yet another appalling collection of racist sewage.

WCW and I agree that one way to eradicate these cretins is to expose them. The post says it all, so I have nothing to add (Please note: You'll have to scroll down to view the photos, out of consideration for those who wish to avoid them):

[...] A quick survey of the page’s photo gallery features at least 20, out of 443, offensive photos (racist, homophobic, anti-semitic) referencing President Obama as well as the First Lady.

Now let me be clear, opposing and criticizing President Obama IS NOT racist, however using some of the offensive imagery found in this photo gallery to attack him is.

I find it both pathetic and insulting that folks who post, e-mail and defend the use of these offensive images will portray those of us who dare to call them out on their bigotry as accusing anyone who does not the support Obama as racist, THAT SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE.

What is true is that there is a significant number of Obama detractors who are motivated by racism and I have no problem saying that.

To those who claim not to be racist I encourage you to strongly condemn this crap.

Now that the light has been shown on this fan page lets talk about potential fall out:

* Some will quit the page. [...]

* The page’s administrators or Facebook might remove the photos or even delete the page entirely, only to have it replaced by others, which will be equally offensive.

* Others will defend the content on First Amendment grounds, these folks usually are low information activists/bigots/voters who don’t really know what the First Amendment is about.

For starters I should note that I have not demanded that this page or the photos be taken down, I wouldn’t mind leaving it up just to show how racist some of Obama’s detractors are.

Secondly, those moaning about free speech should know that as they exercise their rights to be unrepentant racists, many of us will exercise our rights to call them, what they are, BIGOTS.

Lastly, the First Amendment only deals with the government restricting speech, Facebook who could face a member/advertiser backlash, can do whatever it wants if it feels this page hurts its image and damages its bottom line.

Below are some screen caps of some of the offending pictures...

Obama shines Palin's shoes

Watermelons at the White House

Pure ignorance

Confederates over throw the Capitol

Anti-Semitism

Racist birther photo

Obama as a pimp

Homophobic

Obama as a monkey

Sexual stereotypes of Black Men/White Women

Obama as a Muslim

Obama using saying "Aw Hell Naw"

Obama taking Palin from behind

Attack on the First Lady

Another attack on the First Lady

Attack on the homeless

Putting anti-white slurs in Obama's mouth

Witch doctor

Obama as a thug

Nearly half a million "fans". Welcome to "Real America".

Conservative: Go away, JD Hayworth

By GottaLaff

(via)

Yesterday on Hardball, J.D. Hayworth defended Birthers.

Now a conservative writer points out that J.D. also defends Henry Ford who defended Nazis:

In his 2006 book, “Whatever It Takes: Illegal Immigration, Border Security, and the War on Terror,”, Hayworth wrote;

the ever-so-successful process that used to be called ‘Americanization’ was a major movement in the early 1900s … Henry Ford, a leader in this movement,

These men of many nations must be taught American ways, the English language, and the right way to live.’ Talk like that today and our liberal elites will brand you a cultural imperialist, or worse. But if you ask me, Ford had a better idea. [...]

What the former Congressman failed to mention was that ‘Ford’s idea’ was based on xenophobic and anti-Jewish beliefs. [...]

Hayworth also failed to mention that Ford was one of the German Nazi parties earliest foreign supporters. In Hitler, Ford saw an individual who was willing to adopt many of the same Americanization policies towards “Jewish bankers”, non-whites and immigrants in Germany and the axis occupied countries. [...]

I am not suggesting JD Hayworth is promoting Nazism in Arizona and America, (as I am sure the liberal media will have plenty to say about this if Hayworth were to win the nomination), but for the former Congressman not have not found a better example than Ford’s Americanization doctrine, when suggesting solutions for America’s cultural and security issues, should be troubling for all republicans.

Go away, JD Hayworth.

Ditto.

And thank you, Kristofer Lorelli.

H/t: Tiggrr1

Jesus Guns, the Sequel: "Uncle Sam had seen fit not to give us a 'pussy 'Jewzzi'"

By GottaLaff

(Via. Click to enlarge)

Remember the Jesus Guns? Weren't they special? Well, now we have the sequel:

And what they will never tell you on Fox "News", and probably not even on CNN or MSNBC, etc. is contained in the following three emails sent to Mikey Weinstein of the Nobel Prize-nominated Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), following an ABC News exposé last week on the bible versus that are encoded on the rifle scopes made by Trijicon, Inc., and used by our military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You'll have to follow the link to read the e-mails, but I'll give you some nasty, hate-filled, bigoted, startling little details from the weevils who need to be exposed right out loud:

The soldier shares an appalling alleged account of his superior officer's description [of the Jesus Gun] [...] All the better, said the officer according to the soldier, than what they might have received since "Uncle Sam had seen fit not to give us a "pussy 'Jewzzi' (combination of the word 'Jew' and Israeli made weapon 'Uzi')"."

Jewzzi SIR! Yes SIR!

To be more specific:

[T]he senior NCO said that the private's rifle was also something else; that because of the biblical quote on the ACOG gunsight it had been "spiritually transformed into the Fire Arm of Jesus Christ" and that we would be expected to kill every "haji" we could find with it.

You can read the rest here.

Meantime, I would like to dedicate this post to those who saw nothing wrong with a few innocent little Biblical inscriptions that would never really cross the line or even see the light of day.

And if all this doesn't convince the doubters, imagine substituting the name Jesus Christ with Allah.

Still poo-pooing us "alarmists"? How's about this:

He said that the enemy no doubt had quotes from the Koran on their guns but that "our Lord is bigger than theirs because theirs is a fraud and an idol". [...]

This senior NCO was apparently also the head person of a conservative, crazy Christian group called the "Christian Military Fellowship" and made a big deal about the importance of joining to everyone. He told us all that we MUST read a book called "Under Orders" in order to make it through this combat deployment and said he had many copies for everyone.

Nope. Nothin' wrong with that. He was just bein' neighborly, doing unto others, and loving his fellow man.

UPDATED: "You Jewish f***."

By GottaLaff

My wonderful pal Joshua has given me permission to cross-post one of his blog entries in full. It is from his site, The Joshua Blog. Joshua is both gay and Jewish. What a crime, huh?

Got this lovely Pulitzer Prize winning gem today from chriskemp (christopherkemp@live.com):

You jewish fuck. Ever read Leviticua? Its a book in what you call the Torah. That means first five books. Anywhoo, you're penchant for sucking other guy's cocks is reason to have your worthless ass stoned.

I would not throw any stones, because I ain't a Jew. I would leave it for other Jews.

You are an ignoramus. If this nation that has given you and your ilk safe harbor should fall in full-fledged communism (which is what you are longing for in your leftward leanings) be afraid. Be very afraid. The government that you have helped empower may very well come after you.

Have you ever studied 1930's Europe? A little something happened there that you may want to take note of. It happened at the very same ideological hands that you seek to empower here.

Chris Kemp
Blythewood, SC

Show Chris some love guys: christopherkemp@live.com

He tried to post this on President Obama's West Point Speech (in Full), but it was really worthy of it's own post.

LOL.

UPDATE I:

Here he is on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChristopherLKemp

Thank you, Joshua, for allowing me to share the "love".

Threats like these sure must make eensy weensy tiny gnat-sized Chris feel big and strong and powerful. I guess that's all he's got: Poorly spelled, badly worded, vile little outbursts.

Sadly, calling people like this out and exposing them has become all too common here at TPC. But I find it is one of the few (non-violent) ways to both fight back and gradually rid ourselves of ignorant, pathetic cowards such as Chris.

UPDATE, THE APOLOGY:

I got two e-mails today; both contained apologies from Chris. E-mail #1 is from one of our favorite Commenters and my Twitterpal Joeyess:

Laffy, I sent an email to chris from joshua's blog:

You do know that 1930's Europe was in the grip of fascism, right? Furthermore, you know that communism began in Russia, right? Russia. The continent of Asia? Why do you people so easily confuse fascism and communism? They aren't the same, you know? In fact, they were mortal enemies. Is your confusion ignorance or willful belligerence?

And what makes you think for one moment that this country is in any way leaning towards communism? Do yourself a favor, look up the word socialism in the dictionary, be intellectually honest with yourself and then look in the mirror and at your reflection say three times: "You're an idiot.".

You won't feel any better about yourself, but at least you'll be a little smarter and honest, and gosh darnit! people will like you!!

and here's his response:

From: christopherkemp@live.com

Subject: Re: nice fella.

Date: December 4, 2009 8:23:00 AM CST
To: joeyess

You are so right. I'm never going to be able to apologize enough for that stupid and hateful thing I did on Joshua's blog.

I have got issues that make my current life sound like a really bad country song. Laid off in Feb., divorced and missing my girls, within about 2 weeks of having my car repo'd and probably 60 days from foreclosure.

So my solution was to get torn up on about 9 beers the other night and flame out by projecting my crap onto someone else. I am really sorry for having done that.

I do understand the difference between socialism and fascism. You are right about it.

If its not communism that we are leaning toward, then what is it? Socialism is just communism-lite. The gov't is involved in so many areas that they have no constitutional authority to be in. Nothing gives them the right to take my money and my children's money and their children's money and spend it on bailouts for wall street.

I already beat you to the punch about saying "I am an idiot". I've been kicking myself all night while trying to sleep. I really was raised better. Even at 44, I don't want to endure the tongue-lashing my Mom would give me if she read what I wrote to Joshua.

If you have any connection with him, please pass this along - he has blocked me from posting to his blog. Like, duh, I'd do the same thing too.

Chris

The next e-mail was from Joshua himself. He got this apology:

Joshua,

I am so very sorry for the hateful and horrible things I typed on your Blog Tuesday night. I apologize to you personally and to all of your friends that visit this site. There is no excuse for my behavior. Whether I agree with your views or not is no reason to spew the crap I did.

I'm sitting here flushed with shame and embarrassment for having written such stupid things. I'm my own problem, not you or whomever is in DC. I've set the beer bottle down and stepped away from it.

Thankfully, someone "jane from hell" sent me an email last night to call me out on my hypocrisy - I had forgotten about my "posting". When I looked it up and read it in a sober state I was dumbfounded by my own foolishness.

I was laid off in February, have judgments against me for failing to pay debts, am close to losing my car and going into foreclosure. Six months behind in alimony and have an IRS lien. Obviously, the solution to all of that is to get blindingly drunk and post things on the internet.

I've received some well-deserved criticism by way of Facebook and emails and have responded to all of them with apologies. I surely don't deserve it, but I am asking to be forgiven. I'm not a christian nor do I go to any church or have anything to do with organized religion.

For whatever its worth, I wish you and all of your readers success and all of the best things in life. I won't bother you again.

Chris Kemp
Blythewood, SC

Joshua posted this response at his blog:

He sounds sincere. No, "I'm sorry IF I offended" half-assed sentiment we usually get from politicians and cable news haters.

Your thoughts?

UPDATE III:

Apology accepted, Chris.

After thinking about your apology for a while, I realized that I’ve said some terrible things that I later truly regretted (some of which still haunt me to this day). And, since your apology was sincere – one that came obviously from your heart – it would be awfully childish of me to not accept it.

My thoughts? I'm relieved to see Chris take the time and effort to send what look to be heartfelt apologies. However, I can't stop thinking about the Mel Gibson incident. Chris revealed a side of himself that came out when he got drunk and depressed. Why would anyone even think to say such hateful things if it weren't at least a small part of who he is and what he believes?

It has never so much as entered my mind to hurl racist or bigoted insults at anyone. Ever. Drunk or not. Furious or not. Depressed or not.

But that doesn't mean I wouldn't accept Chris' apology, because he made at least two sincere attempts at making amends and explaining himself. He stated how appalled and ashamed he was at his own behavior, and said so. So good for him for owning up and caring enough to go out of his way to address Joshua and Joeyess directly.

What a shame that it was necessary to begin with.

Laffy Note: I'd like to add that Joshua's generous acceptance of the apology swayed me some. I do have to ask though: Is Chris one of those people who, like an abusive husband, apologizes and then repeats the same behavior? We may never know.

Laffy on the radio: 2009 elections, tea baggers, guns, hate speech

By GottaLaff

If you missed it:



I was on the Radio Machine with the absolutely wonderful Angie Coiro (on San Francisco's progressive station Green 960) Friday night, discussing these posts:

Three Percenters: "Attempt to further oppress us at your peril"...

Twitter post: "I think Nidal Hasan is an absolute hero"...

Definition of stupid: Brag about election-related vandalism on Twitter, plus these appalling photos.

If you missed the Big News, I now have a regular radio spot with her every Friday night at 6:45 Pacific!

As Angie's special correspondent and demented sidekick Buttercup, I bring her one silly story and one serious one every week, or whatever else happens to pop up in the week's news.

More corporate sponsored, right-wing anti-Semitism...

By GottaLaff

(click on image to enlarge)

I saw this earlier, but my friend Larisa Alexandrovna beat me to the punch on writing it up, so I'll post a few excerpts from her post, and suggest you go here to read the rest:

No matter the issue, be it tax cuts for the middle class or health care for all, the stupid (and/or paid for) are out protesting against their own best interests.

But stupidity has crossed the line into offensive propaganda.

The photo was taken at today's glue-sniffer rally by ThinkProgress' Lee Fang. The sign above reads “National Socialist Health Care: Dachau, Germany – 1945."

Fox News has aggressively promoted this rally and its talking heads, like Glenn Beck, have aggressively tried to tie health care reform to Nazism. Americans for Prosperity, a corporate front-group sponsored this event.

Please read the whole thing, and thank you Larisa.

I'm sickened by this, and it's long past time to stop these ignorant, bigoted hate-mongers.

GOP officials apologize for Jewish stereotype

By GottaLaff

Yesterday I posted about the Borscht Belt team of Ulmer and Merwin. Whaddya think, did Rachel embarrass them into the mea culpa? It certainly couldn't be their consciences. They waited until after they got slammed before they slinked out with an apology:

After his words attracted national attention and drew condemnation from a Jewish state senator, a South Carolina Republican official is now apologizing for co-writing a newspaper op-ed that described Jews as penny-pinchers. [...]

State senator Joel Lourie, a Democrat and one of South Carolina's two Jewish lawmakers, issued a statement on Monday rebuking the two Republicans, calling them "individuals who unapologetically espouse racist and stereotypical attitudes."

He also called on DeMint and South Carolina GOP chairwoman Karen Floyd to denounce the comments.

Floyd did so on Tuesday, calling the observation "an offensive and inappropriate comment" while also accusing critics of using the controversy for political gain. Aides to DeMint have not responded to requests for comment. (UPDATE: DeMint has also weighed in.)

The Republican Jewish Coalition also blasted the op-ed. RJC Executive Director Matthew Brooks said in a statement that Ulmer and Merwin "have done a tremendous disservice to their party."

Ulmer [...] said he "quoted a statement which I have heard many times in my life, truly in admiration for a method of bettering one's lot in life."

See? He was just quoting other anti-Semites. And it was a compliment! What's all the fuss about?

He e-mailed in an apology last night:

"I meant absolutely nothing derogatory by the reference to a great and honorable people," he said in the e-mail. "I hope that anyone and all who were offended by my comment will accept my humble apology."

How about this? Stop sending e-mails and get in front of a mic. Then say it like you mean it.

Merwin waited until this morning:

"At this time I wish to deeply apologize for any material included in that letter that would be considered antisemitic [sic] in any way," he wrote in an e-mail to reporters and other Republican officials.

I see. It wasn't really anti-Semitic. It was just considered anti-Semitic. Anti-Semitism (note the spelling, Ace) is apparently in the eyes of the beholder.

"I have always abhored [sic] in the past, and shall continue to do so in the future, anti-semitism [sic] in any form whatsoever. I concur fully with the apology offered by my co-author, Jim Ulmer, and likewise beg that any and all who were offended will accept my deep felt apology."

At least it was deep felt. I know that to be the case, because he said so.... in his badly spelled e-mail.

DeMint "looking after the nation's pennies -- like a Jew would"

By GottaLaff

So DeMint's just like my family? We Jew People sure know how to cheap out, huh?

After a Democratic state senator wrote that DeMint didn't bring enough money back to the state, Bamberg County GOP Chairman Edwin Merwin and Orangeburg County GOP Chairman James Ulmer responded that he was just looking after the nation's pennies -- like a Jew would.

"There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves," Ulmer and Merwin wrote.

No words. None.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/19/gopers-demint-like-a-jew_n_326295.html

H/t: Sam Seder

Conservative group alters NBC e-mail: "“Bite me Jew Boy”

By GottaLaff

(via, click on image to enlarge)

Bite me ALG:

NBC News president Steve Capus fired back at Americans for Limited Government Friday, after the conservative group published an email allegedly from NBC producer Jane Stone to its director of media outreach Alex Rosenwald, with one line: “Bite me Jew Boy.”

Family values at work again. Those wacky groups and their pranks!

“I’m still in shock, and outraged that this reckless organization would go out with such a defamatory, irresponsible statement,” Capus told POLITICO.

Stone did respond to a mass email from ALG. You can see his original, non-anti-Semitic content below.

“Somebody, on the other end, I’m assuming, took the return stamp from the email and then put in this hateful message,” Capus said. “I don’t know who did it. It’s outrageous to suspect that somebody from NBC News would do it.”

Don't these conservative groups remember that the Jews run the entertainment industry? Time for a refresher course:

It's time for Pretending to be A Jew for Dummeez! Lesson #1: A Jewish e-mailer would most likely avoid sending blatantly anti-Semitic messages. Now really, basic common sense dictates that one gets one's bigoted stories straight. Come on!

Capus said he contacted the group and asked them to rescind the press release that accompanied publication of the email. He said that ALG would not agree, and the instead responded with a “politically-fueled rant against NBC, and a completely irresponsible diatribe."

The real e-mail, verified by NBC, reads like this:

From: Stone, Jane (NBC Universal)
Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 1:57 PM
To: 'arosenwald@getliberty.org'
Subject: Re: ALG Calls on Congress to "Put Up or Shut Up" on Defunding ACORN

Take me off this list!

Let's get to know ALG better, shall we? Here's a little something that's currently on their front page:

Obama’s U.N. Apology

H/t: mparent77772, Gr8RDH

It Can’t Happen Here: Today's Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend

By GottaLaff

Pam Pilger

I have a very caring, impassioned Twitter pal who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, who shares his feelings about recent events here at TPC from time to time. I always welcome his submissions, because he always has wonderful insights.

His latest effort concerns anti-Semitism and the recent increase in other expressions of hate we're all too aware of (examples can be found here and here).

Take it away, 42bkdodgr:

In past comments I wrote about the growing hate, racism and the erosion of our democracy in this country. Recent events have shown me it is still growing.

In the past week we have seen protesters (1) displaying swastikas, (2) showing pictures of President Obama in Nazi like uniform, calling him a Hitler, depicted him as the Joker, (3) armed (legally) with pistols and assault weapons in the crowd and (4) mob rule at Town Hall meetings.

But today I saw a video that made my blood boil. At a town hall meeting, an Israeli Jew was being interviewed. He was explaining to the reporter the benefits and treatment received under Israel’s health care system. A woman in the crowd began to yell “Heil Hitler” at the Israeli. The Israeli was shocked and said to the woman “How can you call me that, I’m a Jew?!”

If there is one thing that gets a Jew extremely upset is the display of the swastika and the Hitler salute. I have had the swastika sign etched into two cars I had parked in my driveway on New Year’s Eve some years ago, so I have experienced this first hand.

Some may say these demonstrators are just ignorant or kooks, to which I respond, that’s what they said about Adolph Hitler and his goons in 1933.

This hatred may go on for the next few years, because whether the Health Care Reform Bill is passed or not, the hate will continue. If HCR is passed, the hatred will intensify; if it is defeated the haters will become bolder in their actions. It’s a no-win situation.

Until such time the Republicans act with some back bone and tell the conservative media, the hate and misinformation they are spewing and encouraging mob rule only splits this country farther apart. This is not how a democracy works.

While I titled my comment “It Can’t Happen Here”, I’m beginning to believe the foundation for it to happen has begun.

Well done and thank you, 42bkdodgr, that needed to be said.

David Shuster listens to us

By GottaLaff

I keep using this word, because it fits: Mensch.

He is referring to this post. And the Barney Frank post is here.

VIDEO: Meet Pamela Pilger, the Nutcase Who Yelled 'Heil Hitler' at a Jewish Supporter of Health Care Reform

By GottaLaff



Yesterday I posted the video of Potty Pam Pilger screaming "Heil Hitler" at a Jewish man, and then mocking him in the most abrasively despicable way. The above video is an interview with her after that little outburst.

Now we've learned that she's "privatized" her Facebook page, and more:

Pilger was also quoted by one of the local news stations at the town hall:

"I don't care what they do with this health care bill. It will not pay for abortions. If somebody wants to go outand have wild sex, for the fun of it, then they can pay for the consequences. I'm not going to," said Pamela Pilger who was at the meeting and opposed the plan. [...]

Also, Pilger's husband appears to be a McCain/Palin '08 domain squatter, and a Wonkette tipster pointed out that she's wearing an Israeli Defense Forces t-shirt! Irony!

As they say, it's all about the company you keep... right, Rushpublics?

VIDEO: Townhall woman mocks Jewish man, yells ‘Heil Hitler’

By GottaLaff

My blood is boiling. I have no words. None. Just watch:

I am not a violent person at all, but I badly want to smack this woman, or at the very least, kick her sorry, insensitive, despicable, anti-Semitic ass out of that town hall:

Conservatives have strenuously denied that there is any anti-Semitism on display by anti-health reform protesters at town hall meetings nationwide — despite all the evidence to the contrary. Last week, Las Vegas radio station KDWN AM720 sponsored a “contentious” town hall, emceed by conservative morning show host Heidi Harris. At the event, local news stations were interviewing an Israeli man who was praising the “fantastic” “national health care” in Israel.

The video tells the rest of the story. Seriously, I'm shaking mad.

Hannity buddy Hal Turner arrested for threatening Connecticut officials

By GottaLaff

[Image courtesy of Isis.]

WWHS?* Get out the Maalox:

You all remember Sean Hannity's buddy Hal Turner, the neo-Nazi nutcase whose favorite activity is threatening various public officials, most notably federal judges -- though most recently he was also publicizing his empty threats to wreak havoc at President Obama's inauguration.

Well, it looks like the threats finally caught up with him:

Radio host Hal Turner — accused of hosting a website that incited Connecticut Catholics to "take up arms" and singling out two Connecticut lawmakers and a state ethics official — was taken into custody in New Jersey late today after state Capitol police obtained an arrest warrant for him.

Turner, who has been identified as a white supremacist and anti-Semite by several anti-racism groups, hosts an Internet radio program with an associated blog. Last week, the blog included a post that promised to release the home addresses of state Rep. Michael Lawlor, state Sen. Andrew McDonald and Thomas Jones of the ethics office.

"Mr. Turner's comments are above and beyond the threshold of free speech," Capitol police Chief Michael J. Fallon said in an e-mail announcing the warrant. "He is inciting others through his website to commit acts of violence and has created fear and alarm. He should be held accountable for his conduct."

[...]

Turner also recently suggested to readers of his blog that someone should shoot another abortion provider:

After the killing of abortionist George Tiller, another "doctor" has publicly announced he wishes to take Tiller's place to continue partial birth abortions!

Physician LeRoy Carhart of Omaha, NE wants to continue providing third-term abortions after the brazen slaying of his friend and colleague George Tiller.

Gee, this is becoming a "target-rich environment!"

I suspect someone has a bullet for this guy too. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Prison is too good for this guy.

*What Would Hannity Say?

Anti-Semitic acts decline in U.S.

By GottaLaff

Mazel tov!

The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States has declined for the fourth consecutive year, the Anti-Defamation League says.

The New York group's annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents, issued Tuesday, counted a total of 1,352 incidents of vandalism, harassment and racially motivated physical assaults against Jewish individuals, property and community institutions in 2008, a 7 percent decline from the 1,460 incidents reported in 2007, the ADL said in a release.

Rick Warren Allies Distribute Anti-Jewish Comic To School Kids

By GottaLaff

It's too early to read something this disturbing:

In late March 2008, as announced by Rick Warren's publicist A. Larry Ross, Uganda became the second official "Purpose Driven" nation on Earth, following Rwanda. Sometime during the year Uganda also gained the dubious distinction as a nation that distributes state-sanctioned anti-Jewish propaganda to school children. Up to one million copies of Manga Messiah, which features a basic mis-representation of Biblical scripture giving readers the impression that the Jewish Pharisees were in league with Beelzebub, will be distributed in Uganda with the apparent blessings of the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Uganda's First Lady Janet Museveni, who has participated in Rick and Kay Warren's HIV/AIDS conferences.

Following a March 2008 meeting with Janet Museveni, Rick Warren announced his plan to make Uganda the world's 2nd "Purpose Driven" nation and enthused, to an audience at Uganda's elite Makerere University, "The future of Christianity is not Europe or North America, but Africa, Asia and Latin America." Warren's declaration was followed up by Uganda's Archbishop, Henry Orombi, under whose aegis the Church of Uganda intends to distribute ten million anti-Jewish comic books; "Someday we will have a purpose driven continent!" [...]

According to Political Research Associates' senior analyst Chip Berlet, Manga Messiah is "[a] colorful comic training manual for motivating young leaders of the next pogrom against Jews. Not just offensive -- ghastly and horrific in content with a clear enemy scapegoat identified for venting apocalyptic religious bigotry."

Chip Berlet is not alone in his assessment that Manga Messiah betrays an ugly anti-Jewish slant. As a story by journalist Tom Baker, published June 28, 2008 in central California's Modesto Bee, quoted Japanese popular culture scholar Prof. Deborah Shamoon of Notre Dame University, "I think the representation of Jews is appalling."

Go here for much, much more, where you'll also be able to view the graphics more clearly.

Washington Post calls out Gramm-pa McCain's association with U.S. Council for World Freedom

By GottaLaff

The corporate media is awakening:

When John McCain severed his ties with a group linked to ultra-rightwing death squads in Central America may make a difference considering some of the literature associated with the U.S. Council for World Freedom.

McCain has said he resigned from the Council's board in 1984 because he was uncomfortable with the group's activities, but his name was still on the group's letterhead in 1986. He also attended the group's "Freedom Fighter of the Year" award ceremony on Oct. 3, 1985.

On July 15, 1985, the group's newsletter featured an article by Robert H. Goldsborough that appears to belittle concerns about then-President Reagan's decision to visit a cemetery with 49 graves of Waffen-SS officers. [...]

Goldsborough, identified on the web as a former staff investigator for the House Committee on Un-American Activities, is author of a book called "The Network of Power" which purports to reveal the "the handful of powerful unelected men who secretly rule America." In an interview conducted in 1998 that appears on the web, Goldsborough identified who he felt were the "top four world elite who he thought controlled the world" -- Edward Bronfman of Seagrams and the World Jewish Congress; then-Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin; then-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan; and financier George Soros.

Anti-Semite much? Now about that guy Ayers who did something when Obama was eight years old...

UPDATE: Even the AP picked it up!