Paulville — a proposed gated community reserved only for Paul supporters so that they can live free of “psychopath despots who run this sick world”.
Aspartame — really scary stuff from which only Ron Paul can save us
Space limitations prevent an exhaustive list of terms you should know in dealing with traffic from Liberty Forest, but this should be enough to give you an idea.
Tactics that might make their mamas cry.
Besides emailed threats and an onslaught of frustrating commentary on your blog threads and Facebook page, you might also encounter traffic via IP-masking services like HideMyAss.com and constant attempts to destroy your credibility. These could come in the form of ugly comments made in your name on other sites, false websites designed to look like yours, or lies spread about you online. In my case, Paul supporters were posting in comments across the blogosphere that I had “multiple abortions” and make my living off suing businesses in lawsuits based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. (I’ve never had an abortion or filed an ADA-complaint. I have filed state-level complaints that are based on our state law in regard to denial of access for my service dog.)
Lessons learned.
I will still be critical of Rand Paul at my personal blog, but I have learned that I can only go so far with what I say, and there is one particular race in Kentucky that I will never blog about because of these threats. One lesson that I’ve learned is that the more effective I am, the more I feel I put myself and my family at risk. Another lesson I’ve learned is that if anyone wants to try to build a coalition with Paul supporters, no matter how reasonable they might otherwise seem, they’re not going to give a damn if a blogger’s family is threatened by anonymous Liberty Forest thugs. In other words, you’re on your own. This is one reason that Liberty Forest is so effective for the Paul clan. They have their anonymity and each other at the same time. The combination of these two realities is problematic, to say the least.
And now the answer to the obvious question. Am I now fearful because I’ve written this post? The answer is yes. I am. The more important thing, though, is that other bloggers out there be aware of what it means to blog strongly critical of Ron Paul, Rand Paul or other “Liberty” candidates, particularly in a state level race and especially if they know you’re a vulnerable person. If you’re someone who can’t handle such things, it’s not worth it.
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Follow Lisa Graas on Twitter and visit her blog at LisaGraas.com
