Freepers track me down from LTTE; send mail to my home address!

[DemoTex]

I am concerned as to how they got my home address. I guess that kind of thing is possible with the internet, my name, and my city and state.

Their little communication to me was, of course, unsigned and without a return address. That is the Freeper way: attack a person who has the guts to stand up for his convictions in an anonymous letter. They must have a high postage bill, because the newspaper which ran my LTTE last week ran two anti-Bu$h LTTEs today.

I wish I could scan and reproduce here what was sent by these people. I'll line it out, instead. First, picture a "certificate" with an ornate border. The top line, centered, in large italics reads Congratulations!, then,
YOU HAVE WON, then in larger type
THE ASSHOLE OF THE DAY AWARD. It goes on
IN THE TRUEST DEPTH OF LIBERALISM, ARROGANCE, IGNORANCE, HATEFULNESS, AND STUPIDITY OF YOUR --- Then there are three boxes to be checked:
Opinion
Letter (Of course "Letter" is checked for me.)
Editorial
YOU ARE AWARDED THIS ASSHOLE OF THE DAY CERTIFICATE,
KEEP UP THE STUPIDITY

SON'S (sic)OF WW II VETERANS .. NOW ORGANIZED IN 39 STATES

WE WILL NEVER --- NEVER SERVE THIS COUNTRY UNDER HANOI JOHN KERRY!

Of course there is a donkey on the "certificate," and a post-it note which reads, MOST OF OUR DAD'S (sic) WERE INFANTRY VET'S (sic).
BRAVE MEN.
100% FOR BUSH

Well, I already have that little gem framed. It says more about their side than I ever could.

[bryant69]

1. Childish

But I bet it made them feel tough for a few minuts. Manly. Or whatever they were trying to feel.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[drdigi420]

2. i would consider that a high honor, considering the source

[sui generis]

3. write another LTTE with the post

point out that it's unfortunate that America has come to this kind of bizarre behavior - embarrass them for the little angry children they are. You could probably even address the sad little "freeper" with a good chance of him reading your message in front of all the readers.

[MsTryska]

7. I agree.

You could also mention that you will be reporting this mail to the feds, as you consider it harassment and are scared for your safety.

[Killarney]

14. definitely do this

write another LTTE to the paper showing:
1) how childish it is that people would actually hunt you down and do this just for having a different opinion and
2) how Republicans want to crush dissent and threaten people who dare voice their opinion. Their side is based on FEAR.

[DemoTex]

27. I've got a call in to the LTTE-editor ...

I am going to outline some options. Since this papers LTTE's are limited to 200 words, he will have to give me a little more space.

[H2O Man]

61. The newspaper might also

want to do an article. That might be better than another letter.

[VOX]

25. YES! The "Sonnies" are hitting others, even veterans. See this NC example:

http://www.citizen-times.com/cache/article/editorial/62160.shtml
Unsigned attacks on AC-T letter writers a new low in opinion wars
By Joy Franklin, Editorial Page Editor
Sept. 25, 2004 6:17 p.m.
All sorts of veterans' groups have been popping up during this election cycle.
<snip>
Say you've never heard of the Sonnies?

Well, the fact that they have to borrow a war is probably something of a hint.

Where the Sonnies are concerned, having the courage of your convictions means never having to sign your name.

I learned about the Sonnies when they started sending certificates (anonymously, of course) to some of our letter writers.

The certificates read: "Congratulations, you have won the a-h– of the day award. In the truest depth of liberalism, arrogance, ignorance, hatefulness and stupidity of your. (check one) Opinion, Letter, Editorial, you are awarded this a-h– of the day certificate, keep up the stupidity, Son's of WWII Veterans . Now Organized In 39 States, We will never - Never serve this country under Hanoi John Kerry!"

Not only is courage not one of their distinguishing characteristics, they're not long on subtlety either.

I had just been thinking that in the age of spin doctors, the quality in shortest supply was authenticity.

But there's no doubt the Sonnies are authentically mad and they're taking the prospect that Kerry might become president personally. In fact, they've joined the battle to see that it doesn't happen.

They've taken up their weapons- insult and intimidation seem to be the best they can do - and they're waging war against the letter writers of the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Well, as much as you can wage war without ever emerging from your foxhole (they had foxholes in World War II).

I mean, c'mon now. This is a new low in the incivility wars.

It doesn't even qualify as clever. It's just nasty and rude.

Some new wrinkles in the art of political nastiness are coming into their own during this election. For example, political satire has taken on a whole new dimension thanks to the advent of Photoshop and the Internet. But at least the photos of George Bush as The Turbanator and John Kerry as Kerrigan (a takeoff from "Gilligan's Island") are funny.

One of the recipients of the letter happened to be a World War II veteran himself.

He didn't take kindly to the unsigned missive.

"Today, I received an unsigned certificate stating that I had won The A- of the Day Award for my letter that you published 08/18/04," Charles M. Beall of Clyde wrote.

"The sender was a coward in that his/her name was not signed (I signed my letter).. Well, I served in WWII and I am the son of a WWI veteran. A person who will not sign what they send is the lowest form of life and too cowardly to ever serve in the armed forces of the U.S.A."

On a certificate sent to one letter writer, the Sonnies wrote, "Our group questions your maturity."

They may not be clever, but they do know how to be ironic.

Readers may contact Franklin at 828- 232-5895 or by e-mail at Jfranklin@ CITIZEN-TIMES.com

[DemoTex]

33. That's them. The Sonnie-boys. Joy Franklin skewers them.

Bwaa haa haa.

[wicket]

53. Go for this!!!

[cheshire]

4. Nothing like proving the point for the other side. LOL Dolts.

[roseBudd]

5. You should tell law enforcement as there is a stalker aspect

to what they have done

A relative of a friend got a threatening unsigned letter demanding she remove her Kerry/Edwards yard sign.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. I agree. Get this on record

[punpirate]

6. This is one of the continuing amazements in my life...

... that a spoiled rich kid can dump out on thirty-one months of his National Guard obligation (by not flying from May, 1972, until his agreement to fly was up in Nov., 1974) and is treated like a general returning from the wars, and his opponent, who actually fought, and then had the courage to say that war was immoral, and he's called "Hanoi Kerry."

The country is truly upside-down. Thank you, lying Repug assholes for that bit of disorientation.

[JohnnyCougar]

8. call the paper and have them do a story about it

show the world how truly moronic they are.

[texastoast]

9. Wimpy freepers, as usual

Why can't they sign their names? Scaredy scaredies.

Plus they are boring.

:boring:

[Gman]

10. Why is it Freepers have bad grammar and can't spell?

I guess its either bare bones education, low intelligence or both.

[Hot Water]

28. Look at their website.

It looks like a design from the 80's. Have to squint to even read it.

[MasonJar]

11. My father was at the Battle of the Bulge; my father-in-law was a

Marine at Imo Jimo; my uncle was a bombadeer (sp); my husband was in the Marines during Viet Nam. They were all fighting for our freedom to write Letters to the Editor, saying whatever we please.

[Dogmudgeon]

13. From the SONS of veterans?

You mean, they weren't veterans themselves?

I'm the son of a WWII veteran. And I say you're OK.

Contact the Police. Just for shits 'n' giggles.

--bkl

[sherilocks]

15. My firewall captured four trojan horses;

each one sent after visiting the site. Maybe it's a coincidence, but I wouldn't put anything past them. Did you give them your e-mail address? If not, they only have your IP Address and your ISP provided the information. ISPs are not allowed to give out that information without a court order.

[exsoccermom]

16. I'm the daughter of a WW II vet

And one thing they should realize: They are too old to serve. My father was in the Bataan Death March (and hated Bush types) and my stepfather with in the 82nd Airborne and a very strong liberal Democrat.

[murielm99]

26. My husband's uncle is a Bataan Death March survivor.

He goes to all the reunions. He sends us books about the subject all the time. But they are the books that pass his smell test.

He is way up in his nineties now, and a rather amazing guy. He owned his own veterinary practice in California until he was way past 80.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. My friend's dad was an Iowa Jima, Saipan, Tinian, Marine vet

so let's just say he was a COMBAT infantry vet.
He was a straight ticket Democrat to his dying day. WHY? Because he knew Democrats really and truly genuinely cared about little guys like him.

These fucks can go fuck themselves with Bush's honorable discharge. And if they get bored they can take Cheney with them and have him fuck them in their special circle of hell.

[blue agave]

18. Chicken Hawks !

You notice they never served, themselves. They falsely try to transfer their parents bravery to their own misguided sense of patriotism. Typical warmonger. They proudly wear ignorance on their sleeve.

They forget that, in WWII, their parents were fighting against Prescott Bush and his German business associates who financed the Nazi war machine.

[guntherconcept]

19. Someone has a lot of free time on their hands

Amazing. I don't know what's more pathetic about this episode. The fact that some loser is willing to spend all that time tracking you down, preparing the bogus "certificate" and expecting that his efforts will impress you, or the fact that his only claim to fame is having a father who served in WWII. Let's see, that makes him roughly old enough to have served in Vietnam, yet he doesn't mention that particular conflict at all. They will "NEVER SERVE THIS COUNTRY UNDER HANOI JOHN KERRY"?? All the evidence indicates that they never served the country when they were old enough to and had the opportunity, so I don't think their present threats are anything to get excited about.

I'd suggest writing another letter to the editor, include a copy of the certificate, and let them know that their readers are being systematically harassed by this group of cretins. You may get a lifetime achievment award for you efforts!

[benburch]

20. Hell, I got death threats from a supposed "Progressive"

Seriously.

Oddly, the freepers have been actually rather polite when they have written me.

Go figure.

[yardwork]

21. My father-in-law served in both Europe and the Pacific in WWII

He was on the front lines as the Allied Army liberated France and marched into Germany. He almost died on an island in the Pacific

He was a hard-core liberal Democrat. He died some years ago and he would have been horrified by this administration and everything it is doing.

[Demit]

22. the Dad's who were Vet's fought for the Son's right's to be moran's

sorry, this recent phenomenon of people inserting unnecessary apostrophes into plural nouns just, shall I say, make's my eye's cross. I only wish it were limited to freepers (sigh).

Yes, I think you should at least xerox it and send with a note to the paper. Who knows, maybe they're getting other reports like yours, and will do a story on it.

[Catherine Vincent]

23. No return address. LOL. Typical chickens.

Also, you should send a copy to the paper that you wrote and let them know this is what happens to anti-Bush (or anti-war) citizens.

[Mike Niendorff]

24. brownshirts are coming out of the woodwork now.

Sort of an "I know where you live, and I'm watching you" kind of thing.

Wonder how many other people they've sent these things to.

OTOH, I can't help but laugh at the desperation inherent in this kind of nonsense. How many people do they really think they can get to with this kind of stuff? I mean, eventually they'll just run out of stamps :)


MDN

[murielm99]

29. I have only gotten one letter like that for my efforts.

Of course it was unsigned.

I received a couple of other positive letters for things I put in the paper.

A few freeper types have written their own LTTEs in response to mine.

The one unsigned letter I got was very mild. I saved it for a long time, though. I figured if I got more than one, I would give all the stuff to the sheriff. I would have informed the paper, too.

Something is terribly wrong with these people.

[G_j]

30. I believe we

live in the basic area. Was your LTTE published in the AC-T?

[Zen Democrat]

31. My father is a WWII Marine vet -- Saipan, Tinian, Okinawa - and

he's a Democrat to the core.

My dad thought Vietnam was wrong and said so. He was against going into Iraq because he knew Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.

These people who think all vets are Republicans are crazy.

[grace0418]

32. That's awesome

They're wasting time with that bullshit instead of registering people to vote or raising money for their party.

Keep it up, "looser's"! Don't be waiting for a reply because we're too busy registering voters and raising money and awareness for a REAL candidate!

[DemoTex]

34. They spent about two-bits on that letter, and what did they teach me?

I learned exactly why moronic rhymes with dildonic.

[DesEtoiles]

35. Did you do a google search on their purported organization?

It may be illegal to send profanity using U.S. Mail.

[DemoTex]

37. I Googled with no luck. See this link that Razzmutt posted.

http://www.citizen-times.com/cache/article/editorial/62...

Joy Franklin of the Asheville Citizen-Times busts them! She calls them "The Sonnies." From now on, I'll call them the "Sonnie-boys," that intellectually challenged band of girly-men.

[spanone]

36. Some major idiots still think that Vietnam was a 'Good War'

Fucking astounding.

[sofa king]

38. I wonder how those guys feel about their kids getting drafted.

[bloom]

39. and yet it sounds like they wouldn't serve in the military under anyone...

-pretty creepy having people track you down...

[Piperay]

40. Literally these people have

no life so they can spend every bit of their time looking up addresses and crap like that that the rest of (who have lives) are too busy for, they really are pathetic. :-(

[NewYorkerfromMass]

42. And if they would only spend a fraction of that time

learning how to spell.

[TXDemGal]

41. This is one reason I've had an unlisted address

for the last 10+ years. Too many nut cases out there.

[karlrschneider]

43. Evidently this moron has invested in an apostrophe company.

:D

I get some of that sort of shit too, but I don't worry too much about the knuckledraggers. We're very very well armed and excellent marksmen.
;-)

[DemoTex]

55. They need to read "Eats, Shoots and Leaves."

I sure their kind eats shoots and leaves (or bananas).

[LSK]

44. post the return address here!

[DemoTex]

46. The Sonnie-boy Chicken-hawks don't sign or return-address ...

their work. If they had balls, they would write a LTTE about us, saying what they say in their "certificate," and sign it. But you know that will never happen. It would be like un-hooding Ku Klux Klansmen. They think they are strong because they are anonymous.

[candy]

45. Hysterical--looks like they have nothing better to do with their time.

Also I thought we learned the possesive and plural stuff in 3rd grade.

[T Town Jake]

47. That's outrageous, and cowardly...

...sadly, there's a lot of asshats in the world.
What was your LTTE about, BTW?

[DemoTex]

51. It was written on the occasion of the 1000th US combat death in Iraq.

It was short and not-so-sweet with respect to Bu$h. 'Nuff said. I would put the LTTE here and the name of the paper, but I am a little spooked by those assholes getting my home address. For the time being, I don't need anymore linkage.

Oh, I'll keep writing LTTEs (and I have had many published over the years). But I'm a little spooked over this linkage. That will have to suffice. I might change my mind a little later.

[T Town Jake]

58. I don't blame you a bit - I wouldn't reprint it or the name..

...of the paper here, either, especially after some asshat pulled a cowardly stunt like that. I was just curious generally as to what it was about. Keep writing those LTTE though! That's your absolute right! :yourock: Peace.

[donco6]

48. I never get anything that good.

Just Bible verses, mostly. Maybe I can write a letter for YOUR paper!

[liberal N proud]

49. This is happening to me also!

Got stuff from the repub party today!
Never been repub never will

[NJmaverick]

50. Send copies to the paper

Ask them for an article or another LTTE.

[wicket]

52. SICKENING!!!!

[stevedeshazer]

54. Geez, DemoTex

I've never met you in person, but I KNOW from DU that you are a patriot and not an asshole.

I am a son of a WW II vet, and I'd like to kick their stupid asses.

My dad was a combat engineer who was at the Remagen Bridge invasion of Germany in 1945; he died last year. His uncle was one of the Doolittle Raiders in 1942 and was a POW (in his 90s and still very much alive).

Those fuckers don't represent this sonnie.

Thanks for sharing this sad commentary and congratulations on writing a letter truthful enough to invite an attack from a bunch of cowards. And thanks for your own service.

[DemoTex]

57. I'm a sonnie of a great WW-II vet also. WIA, then POW, then escape.

Then back to his unit in Northern Italy to become one of the first US soldiers to walk through the gates of Dachau.

I hope their dads are proud of their chicken-shit tactics. But they are probably chicken-hawks. Had they fought a war they would have said it (nay, crowed it!).

[snippy]

56. How very republican. n/t

[Freepers are pussies]

59. Freepers are douches and pussies

Say no more.

[DemoTex]

60. BTW, friends, I have removed much of my DU profile.

Some of it could have been cross-referenced to the address info to connect some other things. I believe in being open. Always have. I've often used my real name and ham radio call-sign on DU. I trust, with my life, the real DUers. We are in this struggle together. My outside writing will continue to be signed, and my hometown given. My DU writing will be done as DemoTex.

I regret that a few security issues have changed. That is due to the nature of the extreme elements of our loyal opposition. I now know exactly how the Sonnie-boys got my address. It means that they have my phone number too. The phone company is alerted.

I always try not to over-react. If I do, I like to remember Larry Shue's advice in The Foreigner (soon to be on Broadway with Matthew Broderick), "Bees come down! Bees come down!"

BTW: In over 24 years of writing and editing (including 8 years as editor-in-chief of a major aviation trade magazine), I have received plenty of LTTEs to the magazine. Some have accused me of every thing from Communism (for asking Bu$h 41 to convene the PEB to save Eastern Air Lines) to Treason (for advocating an expansion of Army Aviation). All, to my recollection, have been signed. Many, many I printed without comment (because it was their comment!). To a few I added a comment to clarify the original editorial position, never to launch an ad hominem attack against a disagreeing writer. That was then. This is now.

[Catherine Vincent]

62. It's sad it had to come to this. So sorry.

You know the saying things changed after 9/11? Well, in our situation, things changed after you wrote your LTTE. Fucking right wing pricks.

[DemoTex]

63. Since I live so far in the sticks, on let's say Mars, and since ...

I figured from the address they used that they also have my phone number, and from that they can get exact lat/lons for my position, I just called the Mars East sheriffs department. The green woman that I talked

GUNFIRE BACKYARD

On edit: Sorry. Weak limbs coming down. Sounded like a small fire-fight. Scared the dogs. Scared shit out of me. Anyway, sheriff-guy will be out here tomorrow to document all this.

[July]

64. This daughter of a WWII veteran says they're full of shit.

Anonymous letter, and trading on their fathers' service. Real big men. If their fathers were in WWII, they could have served in Korea or Vietnam, but apparently didn't, since they don't claim to be veterans. Wow, they're impressive, aren't they?

My Democrat-for-life P-47 pilot dad would be disgusted with these clowns.

[genius]

65. Property records? Voting Records? Did they have your whole name?

[Maestro]

66. They only

do it because they are chickenshits! The same has happened to me except I was phone bombed after an editorial in the Dallas Morning News. It stopped after a few days and since I never ever got mad at them which is exactly what they wanted. I would file a police complaint though.