Neither is Robb, Joe, or Linoge.
Then there are the people who are doing nothing for advancing the cause, and are simply engaged in an attempt to garner fame for themselves. They loudly proclaim themselves to be engaged in civil disobedience, get the spotlight focused on themselves, and before any serious consequences can befall them, they fold their tent and scurry away. They then spend a large amount of time patting themselves on the back, and demanding that others recognize the so-called huge ‘risk’ they took in doing absolutely nothing. They are doing nothing for the CAUSE, they are doing this for THEMSELVES and their over sized egos.
Where did this all come from? Well Joe, Robb, Linoge, and I were hosting an extra copy of the Defense Distributed file pack. Allowing a quick and easy method for others to grab it if they so choose.
Divermedic took great offense saying how dare we pull our links when we evaluated the risk – reward matrix being beyond our worth. Evidently if we were true activists we would fall on our swords and simultaneously commit seppuku.
You’re missing my point. The point here is that hosting the file from the beginning was a risk. Joe had to know that, or else why post the file at all?
A lawyer will ALWAYS tell you not to take a stand. That is his job. The easiest legal case to win is one that you never get into in the first place, but this results in very little change.
You accuse me of driving from the back seat, but isn’t that what the entire blogosphere does? We all sit around and complain about the state of affairs, but very, very few of us are willing to take a stand.
This is the reason why I think that all of this big talk about the “line in the sand” for gun owners is just that: talk. Everyone wants to complain, but no one wants to actually risk anything. Including myself, Joe, and even you.
Evidently, the thought there are different levels of risk and different cards that could be played never crossed this poor soul’s mind. According to our illustrious leader here the best course of action is to always follow the original plan, even if the enemy makes an unexpected move that can easily and most likely cause your total destruction. Hey, at least you died on a hill for nothing while screaming “Shall not be infringed” like a true activist right?
If you think that Joe, Robb, Linoge, or myself hosted this file for attention, maybe you’re the self-centered egotistical asshole projecting his approach to life on others. I do find it interesting that while he continues to criticize us he has yet to actually put his money where his mouth is and do a damn thing beyond open his mouth bitching about how we’re “posers”. Because a poser runs out and donates time and money and supplies said information to a couple hundred people?
Did we take as much risk as we could have? No, why? Because honestly there was no reward to continuing the risk. So why do it, why choose that hill to die on given the weapon they brought to bear against us? We’re not running around bragging about it, we’re defending our decisions to some pleab who didn’t take an ounce of any risk himself. We’re defending our actions against a man who has quite literally done nothing other than complain.
What is really telling though is how he states we’re not activists.
- Really, Joe is doing nothing to advance the cause? I guess Boomershoot counts for nothing.
A lot of Joe’s writing on the right to keep and bear arms which you can read on his blog… is writing that you really really need to read.
- Linoge isn’t doing anything to advance the cause? I guess his work on the graphics matter posts aren’t worth anything. His work engaging in debate is pointless and not worthy of note either.
- Robb isn’t doing anything to advance the cause? So his work for Florida Carry does not exist?
- I’m not doing anything to advance the cause? I guess my time donated helping Joe doesn’t matter. I guess all my writing doesn’t matter. I suppose the time I spend at gun shows helping people contact their legislators is time wasted. I suppose the time I spend on the phone with my own legislators working on the details of pro-gun bills coming up for sponsorship are moot. I suppose the time I donate to support A Girl, Sean, OldNFO, Linoge, and Weer’d and ensuring their blogs work and run is nothing. I’m also going to be supporting another Washington State Firearms group here over the next couple days. At cost while donating my time, but remember I’m not an activist.
His claim is the following:
Look, the penalty for violating ITAR is a million bucks plus twenty years in prison. I GET it if you aren’t willing to risk that. I know I’m not, but that is no excuse to run around and brag about how much you did and how much of a risk you took. That does nothing but pull the focus away from the problem and place it on you. That is why I criticize people for this.
No, here’s what happened. Divemedic came into Joe’s place and started acting high and mighty calling us pussies for pulling down the files after the risk was too high. He gave us a line of shit when we actually did something while he sat in his own little world and did nothing.
Does he really think that none of us have distributed those files in any other means? Does he realize that three of us write software for a living and are very skilled with computers. Tell me, given the penalty, would we advertise any further involvement? Especially when we could accomplish the goal anonymously to protect ourselves.
He misread the point of posting those files. Neither Joe, Robb, or myself posted that after the ITAR letter. We had posted the files to help spread them far and wide and make it simpler for some to make their own copy. Not everyone uses bit-torrent or is familiar with its use and we were helping anyone and everyone find it and sharing our bandwidth and server usage to do so. The benefit of doing so was when the primary server link was cut we were still immediately available until the alternative methods had made their way all the way into the public’s view.
I didn’t ask everyone and their mother to link that post and I certainly provided no statement that I would keep the file posted no matter what. I implied that you can’t stop the signal and you can’t. Even though Joe, Robb, Linoge, and I have removed the files to legally protect us, it continues to spread, and that’s the damn point.
*Corrections since he evidently failed reading comprehension 101 and didn’t bother to actually read the quote.
One of them even made claim that he believe John Adams when he said:
If men through fear, fraud or mistake, should in terms renounce and give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the great end of society, would absolutely vacate such renunciation; the right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of Man to alienate this gift, and voluntarily become a slave.
I guess he changed his mind and decided to become a slave…
I think you were confusing that quote with this one from Samuel Adams.
If ye love wealth better than liberty,
the tranquility of servitude
better than the animating contest of freedom,
go home from us in peace.
We ask not your counsels or your arms.
Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you.
May your chains set lightly upon you,
and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.
Ok, first up, you still don’t have the file publicly posted so you have no room to speak as if you were issuing a call to arms for support. You didn’t even post the damn thing to begin with.
Secondly, that John Adams quote states the following since you don’t seem to be able to understand, “The natural rights of man are non-negotiable and not subject to the laws over government as they are natural.”
I have not told anyone else to pull down that file, it is their choice to continue to host it if they so choose. I support their right and free exercise of that right. Just because I support that right doesn’t mean I must exercise it exactly that way. In this case I choose not to exercise that right, not because I don’t think I should be able to, but because the trouble and risk far outweighs any possible positive benefit. To put it another way, just because I support the legalization of weed doesn’t mean I want or have to smoke it.
In closing this isn’t the first time that someone from “our side of the fence” has decided to hate on me. Frankly I don’t care, I’m just going to refer to myself as “The Third Tier non-Activist Gun Blogger with a Junior Internet Detectives Badge.” Because honestly the behavior of Divemedic in this whole thing strikes me just like that Smoking Blunder ass hat. He decided to try and use this as a wedge between members of our community and frankly anyone who acts or behaves like that I don’t consider a friend. He thrives on badmouthing those on his side because they weren’t willing to continue to stand when he didn’t even stand to begin with. I’m not trying to make this out to be some sort of bad ass move, but frankly he is criticizing people when he really has no right to.
Joe didn’t want to waste time on a response and frankly he’s probably right. In the end though, he says that we were ego stroking in an attempt to gain traffic to our sites… That coming from the guy beating on the drama llama. Honestly, why should anyone give a crap about the “opinion” of Divemedic? Until this whole escapade I hadn’t even heard of him.
No, when I get a comment from Tam, Oleg, JayG, or Alan saying that I’ve done something wrong, I’ll perk up and listen, doubly so since they’ll do so in an appropriate manner and have earned their reputation and rightfully so. As far as I’m concerned, this is a no-body bitching at a bunch of some-bodies because he felt like it.
You have one shot. It is not to be used at a far distance. It is designed as a last-ditch when you have no other alternative. One shot you think may not be effective, but that man you just killed sent by the state who was trying to kill you, he has a gun too right? One much more effective than the one you just used.
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