This is a story that you need to read if you care about conservative politics and your First Amendment rights.
First, some background: when Russell and I went to CPAC, we were initiated to a fraternity of conservative bloggers, thanks to our friends Crystal Wright and Ali Akbar, at BlogBash 2012. It's a tight-knit community that has a whole lot to say. BlogBash was an awakening for me - Brooklyn GOP Radio is part of a larger tapestry of a conservative movement with a mission of spreading conservatism and the ideals we share in order to put our nation back on the right path (no pun intended). A few weeks later, Russ and I got our "National Bloggers Club" ID, which we both proudly carry everywhere we go.
Immediately after BlogBash, I learned how deep the ties in this community are when Andrew Breitbart passed so far before his time. On Twitter and other social media outlets, the outpouring of love, grief and anguish was palpable - but I also saw a network of support and the unity of the conservative blogging community. Around the country, people gathered to remember Andrew. To this day, I've refused to change my #IamAndrewBreitbart profile photo on Twitter - my own little tribute to someone who blazed a path I and thousands now walk.
To the story: Late last week, I started seeing a Twitter hashtag for someone named Brett Kimberlin. When I looked it up, I was astonished at what I found. To sum it up, Brett Kimberlin, a violent, radical felon known as "The Speedway Bomber" tried, among other things, to silence an attorney/blogger by framing him for a
crime and harassed another attorney/blogger, nearly getting him killed
in a “swatting” operation. For those of you who don't know what that is, “Swatting” is when someone makes a fake 911 call to the police who "alerts" them to a contrived shooting at the target victim’s home, usually in the dead of
night. In response, Police dispatch a SWAT team to the unsuspecting target’s home and... well, you can imagine the possibility of a tragic outcome.
For an account of the whole sordid saga, check out these fine story by The Blaze and on Breitbart (which has TONS of links to check out as well) and the first-hand accounts from the victimized bloggers:
The bloggers' "offense" was that they had the temerity to do what bloggers do when they see something wrong - bring Mr. Kimberlin's exploits into the sunlight. Kimberlin, they say, is not only a dangerous convicted ex-felon, but he's a dangerous convicted ex-felon funded by “progressive,” left-wing foundations (including
George Soros’ Tides Foundation) who uses the legal system - and worse - to intimidate and silence bloggers who write about him.
And as a result, these bloggers suffered life-altering injustices; an internet "hit job". Blogger Aaron Walker and his wife lost their full-time jobs as a result
of Brett Kimberlin's attacks. Robert Stacy McCain lost his home. These bloggers - and indeed, the entire blogging community - is under attack.
As Patterico puts so succinctly:
As Patterico puts so succinctly:
Chilling.
Responding to these disturbing events, over 200 conservative bloggers took to the internet to expose what had happened. On “Everyone Blog About Brett Kimberlin Day”, the largest organized online burst of content of its kind in blogging history, resulted in several blogs, Tweets and Facebook pages by those who researched further into Kimberlin’s background. Even Glenn Beck interviewed victimized bloggers on his radio show last week - yes, this is that big.
Now I've come to find out that over the weekend, Erick Erickson, another high-profile conservative commentator, is the latest to be victimized:
I hope you are as astonished as I was last week at the lengths people have gone - and will continue to go - to intimidate and bully people into submission, in the name of politics.
Responding to these disturbing events, over 200 conservative bloggers took to the internet to expose what had happened. On “Everyone Blog About Brett Kimberlin Day”, the largest organized online burst of content of its kind in blogging history, resulted in several blogs, Tweets and Facebook pages by those who researched further into Kimberlin’s background. Even Glenn Beck interviewed victimized bloggers on his radio show last week - yes, this is that big.
Now I've come to find out that over the weekend, Erick Erickson, another high-profile conservative commentator, is the latest to be victimized:
I also hope that you are as proud of the conservative blogging community for the way they responded to what I can only describe as an act of terrorism as I am. To be a very small part of this community and be associated with people who are unafraid even in the face of such horrors is humbling. The message has been sent - an attack on one is an attack on all.
But I also hope you realize that this
is more than attack on conservatives. This is an attack on our
fundamental rights as Americans. This should matter to everyone.
This piece is my small contribution to bring awareness to what happened here and spread the word.
***
Ali Akbar of the National Bloggers Club has set up a donation page to help support bloggers targeted by Kimberlin. Please help here if you can.
This is truly scary. Big Brother is not only watching, but invading and murdering those in their way. When they have better tools than our homegrown police and politicians, you know we, the little people, are in trouble.
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