Charming: a hate site has published my name, address, and is soliciting ppl to kill me

[Oak2004]

What fun. I just found out that a week ago a hate site published my name and home address, as well as the home address of my friend and neighbor (who is a very well known activist in a particular field of activism), and is asking readers to kill us.

It's not the first time I've been threatened with death for my nasty habit of not keeping my mouth shut. I mean, I got my first death threats as a school kid who dared associate with the African American kids after school integration, and I'm not sure I've gone more than five or so years between politically-motivated death threats ever since. That said, it's always unsettling.

So I've called the local police, who haven't a clue what to do about internet-based threats, and I'm going to make the obligatory FBI report, which will probably have no effect, but which might get a response since these people are being watched as potential domestic terrorists given that they've threatened government employees. I've also complained to Blogger, not that that's likely to do anything because people have been complaining about this particular hate site for years without success -- Blogger/Google doesn't actually enforce its TOS. If I can figure out anything else to do, I'll do it. I'm not expecting much. And I'll increase my home security to the extent that I can as the resident of a public housing project.

What a wonderful way to start one's day.

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Holy crap!

You've got the law enforcement covered, try to get friendly media outlets to cover it too.

Maybe http://www.eff.org/about">Electronic Frontier Foundation for media noise and of course the ACLU could probably help finding legal services.

eff doesn't do that kind of legal stuff--exactly--but they can point you in the right direction. And if this website has done this before, they will probably know who to contact.

This is just another reason why I hate republicans.

[roguevalley]

19. I don't suppose the secret service can be called. If they are also

threatening politicians, that might get them pounded. see if they are and turn them in. I send hugs to you, honey.

[villager]

2. Hang in there. A similar thing happened to me, years ago...

...right before the rise of the internet. "Luckily." Thus, the particular hate group in question had fewer means to "broadcast" the information on activists it had "compiled..."

[bluerum]

3. The police haven't a clue? What would they do if a sexual predator was stalking

their kids online? I am sure that they can think of something.

To be blunt, I think that their lack of creativity is politically motivated. Open death threats whether printed online or in a newspaper are cause for legal action. I would say that an online threat is more dangerous because of the size of the audience.

[stillcool]

15. My husband has gotten on-line threats..

and has had to deal with identity fraud issues. Our police department is 'clueless' as well. They don't have an 'internet' division. They don't do 'that stuff', but did give him a number to call to another police department to file his complaint.

[bluerum]

23. Again - if their kids were being stalked by an online predator they would move

very quickly.

A police department claiming that they do not know how to respond to online threats in the year 2008 borders on dereliction of duty and it is certainly absurd.

Whoever is running that outfit should be fired.

[stillcool]

28. Not likely..

I live in a small town, and we are lucky to have what we do. I doubt if it will get better, before it gets worse.

[bluerum]

29. Send a deputy to night classes or take an online class on internet security.

For christs sake. It is 2008.

[lynnertic]

4. EASY TO FIX > use the back channels - you can find out the domain name registrar and the host

through WHOIS and ping. Call them up and the site will be down in a moment because illegal activity (like soliciting an assassination) violates every EULA.

If the ISP and host don't respond and quickly then just mention how you can call the news. Every town has a "(some tv channel) on your side" beat reporter.

[ogsbee]

8. This sounds like the thing to do

What a colossal drag. Hopefully it's just talk (internet talk). Living hyper-alert is exhausting but it sounds like you know that. We're with you.

[tblue37]

9. Most such TV beats are called something like "Call for Action."

Also contact Keith Olbermann, Glenn Greenwald (of Salon), Kos, and other popular , reporters, or columnists on our side. Get that info out there.

Publicizing such evil behavior is the best way to bring it to a halt, because cockroaches scurry away from the light.

[IsItJustMe]

36. Every once in a while I come across a gem. That WHOIS site is a great asset. Thanks.

[papau]

5. brings back memories of 50's and 60's- thought this had basically ended-sorry you're caught up in it

[Celebration]

6. Do you have a friend that is a lawyer?

I would get a lawyer friend to write a letter to Blogger, and send it certified with return receipt, and in no uncertain terms tell them that you are informing them of this, and that failure to remove this will cause legal consequences. Make sure they know that failure to take action will result in their being responsible for anything that happens as a consequence of it not being removed.

Do this in addition to going through the police, etc.

[Oak2004]

17. I don't. My friend has a lawyer

who has been in contact with Blogger over this site in the past. Blogger did nothing.

[Howler]

7. Geeeze I'm so sorry!!!!

That this kinda bullshit is still going on!
I will fire up a crystal Reiki grid of protection for you and yours!

[Melinda]

http://www.wiredsafety.org

http://www.wiredsafety.org/911/index.html

Chock full of help. Please visit and provide them with all the information you have.

[windoe]

10. Read The Gift of Fear?

Written by an FBI agent trained to distinguish real threats from ones that are not going to follow through, a fascinating read. It put me at ease once when I was being stalked. Remember real stalkers like attention. Good luck to you, I really hope this blows over.

[Baby Snooks]

22. Gavin de Becker

Gavin de Becker is a former "celebrity" bodyguard, not a former FBI agent, who turned his ability to instinctively identify potential threats to the people he protected, including Elizabeth Taylor, into a major security consulting firm but is best known for his being the first in this country to use the word "stalking" in the public forum and his book "The Gift of Fear" is still the authoritative book on the subject along with Linden Gross' "How to Survive a Stalking."

Reality is stalking victims are left to fend for themselves in this country. There are laws, both state and federal, but they are simply not enforced.

There is a forum for stalking victims which is the only such forum in the country - Stalking Victims Sanctuary. It has become a sanctuary for stalking victims and those include those who have been "gang stalked" or the victim of "governmental stalking" which is becoming a sad reality.

www.stalkingvictims.com

The gift of fear is indeed a gift. Particularly in our increasingly predatory society.

[On the Road]

11. If The Threat was Racially Motivated

it might already qualify as a hate crime. If you can find the right people, there is extraordinary attention to that. Burning crosses and even graffiti are investigated.

I would call a lawyer (legal aid if necessary), but if a crime is committed the website owner might be considered an accessory and the identity of every visitor to that page can be subpoenaed.

The website owner need to know that (or whatever variation of that is true). It would be better for that message to be communicated by an official than by you.

[Oak2004]

18. It's a hate crime motivated by disability, in this instance

Yeah, believe it or not, there are people, and even groups of people, who hate people because of their disability (esp. developmental disabilities). Never underestimate the depths to which human depravity can sink.

It is a crime because both federal and state law recognizes hate crimes against the disabled, and soliciting to murder, which this explicitly is -- they don't mince words or get all cutesy about what they want, they say they want the two of us "martyred" -- is a felony.

Figuring out what they're doing wrong is easy. Figuring out how to get someone to do something about it is the challenge.

[LeftishBrit]

21. Good lord...

Even more disgusting than I thought. Any chance of getting the media onto this?

[wtmusic]

12. Jeez. Local media? Other blogs? Re: FBI...stay on them.

Demand a followup. These people should be in jail.

Best of luck. :yourock:

[dtotire]

13. What City or State do you live? n/t

[Oak2004]

16. Burlington VT

as far as I can tell this amounts to a felony (solicitation to murder, exacerbated by it being a hate crime under both VT law and US law), but I'm not holding my breath on getting anyone to do anything about it.

These same people threatened (minus the address publishing) to organize a gang rape of my friend, and the police basically shrigged their shoulders and did nothing (this despite the fact that my friend has a lawyer who has been bugging the cops about all of this).

[ms liberty]

38. Have you asked your Senator for help? Bernie Sanders is one of the best...

I'd love to have him here in NC, lol!

[ogsbee]

14. Mo Paul used to get very serious sounding threats

He's OK, yes? Anybody know, 100% sure? He closed his website in 2003.

[LeftishBrit]

20. Wow. Do keep the police informed at all levels.!

I've never experienced anything that extreme but the names and addresses of people at my university (including myself) have been published on extremist animal rights sites, because some people at the university have been building an animal research lab; and a few colleagues (none of them working with animals in any way) have experienced vandalism and had their cars torched. The police and university security services do manage to keep SOME lid on the situation.

If the local police are not much use, get the police from the next highest level (state?), and try to get hold of the top people who are in charge. At the very least, your names and addresses should be removed, and hopefully the culprits will be prosecuted. Getting the FBI is a good idea under the circumstances; if the people are already being watched and have threatened government employees, then the FBI should have a duty to act.

And do increase your home security, insofar as possible!

All best wishes for your safety!

[hokies4ever]

24. Is there even any crime in Vermont?

:rofl:

Just kidding. On a more serious note, it looks like you're doing all of the right things w.r.t. notifying the police and stuff. Also, I must commend you for your activism. People like you fighting on the frontlines for various causes will make the future better for other people. :patriot:

[Vinca]

25. That's really scary. Maybe the VT Attorney General's office

could do something or direct you somewhere. If there's an FBI office in Burlington, I'd make an in person complaint. Maybe an FCC complaint?

[primavera]

26. Sorry to hear it, on the bright side though...

... it's validation that you're doing something extraordinarily positive if these vermin think enough of you to want you dead. Be careful.

[Wizard777]

27. Hire a lawyer to sue the site and it's host.

They can also give the police a clue as to what to do.

[Boojatta]

30. Solution:

Step 1: Move to Texas.
Step 2: Hire a 17-year-old student to phone you and read the website to you.

[ZombieHorde]

31. Which group is it?

[Ghost in the Machine]

32. How much are they offering? I'll split the money with you...

See, what we do is this...

Someone makes contact with them and accepts their offer. Then we get the drama department at the local college/university to do a makeup job on you to look like you've been killled. We can even film the "hit", complete with a gun loaded with blanks and everything. Have the local paper, the police department, and your friends and family in on the plan. The local paper prints your obituary. The filmed hit gets sent to the group, along with a clipping of the obituary, and the newspaper article about your "murder". Arrange to accept the payoff. Once they make the payoff, they are arrested... and we're both a little richer. :evilgrin:

Stay safe,

Ghost

[uppityperson]

33. k&r bummer, hope you stay safe and damn those type people.

bummer indeed.

[Fleshdancer]

34. PM me the site, and I'll help you get the site pulled as soon as possible

Doing a DNS "who is" search on the domain name will give you the name of their service provider who, once they realize this website is making death threats, will pull their site as fast as they can for liability reasons. It would be my pleasure to help in this endeavor.

I think you're on the right track with the FBI and local police reports. I would also recommend filing a restraining order and contact a lawyer if you can. Above all, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Screen capture EVERYTHING. If you see any weird activity around your neighborhood, document it. Talk to your neighbors too.

[pitohui]

35. get an attorney, until you cost these fucks money you won't stop them EOM

,

[barbtries]

37. there's a thread

on here today, about a 17-year-old getting sent away for 7 years for making empty threats. can't you get these people arrested and charged with domestic terrorism or something??

oops, failed to read your whole post. my bad. anyway maybe you can find that link and use that case to bolster your own - while talking to police and other law enforcement folks.