Have you been threatened by an elected official yet?

[Matt Collins]

I highly suggest you sign up for their e-mails.

I just got a call from an activist in Maryland who attended the Complete Activist School. He was excited because he had been threatened by an elected official!

Now, why was he excited? Because after taking the course he knew not only to expect the political class to threaten him, but also to take it as a sign that he is being effective.

And yes I am happy for him, because:
1. We had already gone over the rules together and I knew what he was doing was legal, and
2. I also suspected that what he was doing would probably be effective, and
3. It was going to take guts to actually make it happen.
I have two questions for you:

Have you been threatened this year? Has a member of the political class tried to tell you that what you are doing is going to backfire? Have they made broad murky threats that you are doing something illegal?

Are you following the rules? Have you looked at the campaign finance rules to be sure that you are including the proper disclaimers? Have you checked to make sure your materials don’t cross the line from “informing citizens” to “advocating the election or defeat of a candidate?”

If you are following the rules and if you have NOT been threatened yet, then you are probably not pushing hard enough.

In other words, you are not making the political class upset. You are probably not yet an effective activist.

I’m not telling you to become so obnoxious that no one wants to work with you. I am saying that when you are effective, politicians will try to stop you.

They will try to get you to be “reasonable.” If that doesn’t work, then they will threaten you. Are you ready for the push back?

If you are not sufficiently mad at what the political class has done to you this year and you are not confronting them, then I have to wonder what is it going to take to make you upset? How much liberty are you willing to give up before you are ready to make a difference?

Yep, getting threatened by a politician is a badge of honor and a good sign you are having an impact.

Sincerely,


Kirk Shelley
Foundation For Applied Conservative Leadership

[heavenlyboy34]

Politicians threaten me and my property daily, though indirectly.

[BuddyRey]

Not sure if the Lawn Gestapo that threatened to fine my dad 50 dollars a day if he didn't move his BBQ grill were elected or not (there's no HOA in our neighborhood), but damned if one of the folks we've lived beside for 25 years didn't rat us out to them instead of coming over and talking to us like a real neighbor.

/rant

[Matt Collins]

Not sure if the Lawn Gestapo that threatened to fine my dad 50 dollars a day if he didn't move his BBQ grill were elected or not (there's no HOA in our neighborhood), but damned if one of the folks we've lived beside for 25 years didn't rat us out to them instead of coming over and talking to us like a real neighbor.

/rant

It's often times easier to use the government to do your dirty work which is exactly why the government should be small and limited - to prevent it from becoming a tool against others,

[james1906]

It's often times easier to use the government to do your dirty work which is exactly why the government should be small and limited - to prevent it from becoming a tool against others,

The HOA where I live allows you to donate money to the HOA to go after specific households.