Anyone ever gotten Death Threats?

[friesianrider]

I'm just curious, 'cause I write letters into my local newspaper as often as I'm allowed by them (every 30 days; yes, I'm that annoying person who takes three hours out every month to draft a letter to the editor).

Anywho, I've just received my third death threat this summer in response to my Dad's (a Vietnam Vet) letter condemning Bush and supporting Kerry. This time (since somehow they know we're related) they threatened to burn my house down, kill my parents, rape me and then kill me. I turn these over to the police but in this conservative area, they don't really care.

Has anyone had this happen and is there anyone else I can go to with this? I think they're just spouting off and won't really do anything, but it'd be awfully nice to see them arrested...

[friesianrider]

1. Sorry....I just realized I posted this is the campaign section....

My apologies - I know this doesn't really belong here - if anyone doesn't want to bump up the thread, just sent me a private message. Sorry everyone!

[demnan]

2. I'd get the police involved

People who threaten you can be serious business.

[Warpy]

5. Good advice, keep a paper trail

document everything you get and everything you see that could be suspicious, like some weirdo hanging around the neighborhood all of a sudden, or unfamiliar cars parked on the street. Keep a little notebook with you constantly for this stuff.

Most of these guys are big fat cowards, so there's usually nothing much to worry about. However, if any of this stuff gets really overt, even to the point of getting your car keyed or even things like porch furniture overturned, make sure the cops know it's escalating.

If the threats are over the phone, the phone company will help by installing a trace on the line. You just document the times the calls come in, give it to the phone company in a couple of days, and they'll take care of the guy's phone service.

Mail threats can be handled through the post office. Just turn them over as they come in, let them deal with it.

There is help out there should this guy be something besides a freeper blowhard. Good luck.

[G_j]

9. important point

Notify the post office and phone co. if that is how the threats are being made.

I was not threatened with death but physical harm by neo-nazis.
I was able to finally speak to their 'leader' and convince them to leave me alone. I basically relied on lessons I had learned from the writings of MLK in my communication. That is a route that requires extreme caution however.

But in your case you don't know who it is.

[alittlelark]

3. No , I have not

what you are describing sounds over the top - where do you live? I have an uncle who is in the police force, I'll chat w/ him about it.

[sniffa]

4. i get some

but not reaLLy anymore - i'm hard to find now.

[BiggJawn]

6. Nobody takes me seriously enough, I guess....

Not even an offer to kick my ass all over the county...

[bryant69]

7. Making death threats is a crime

You should definately get the police involved.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[commander bunnypants]

8. I would get the FBI invovled

That is way over the top


DDQM

[Pigkiller]

10. Lets see the letters.

I have got to see the burn the house down kill the parents thing.

[merh]

11. You should contact the police and the post office and the feds.

Maintain the envelope with the letter and report anything out of the ordinary. If a package is on your porch and you didn't order anything, back away from it, do not touch it and call the police.

Do not take death threats lightly.

[ursacorwin]

12. yes.

when i was a child, my folks got mailboxed bombed and crosses burned and the whole nine yards from our local pseudo-klan chapter. it was a very conservative area and we were one of the few mixed race families for miles and miles...

take it all really seriously. make one friend, at least, on the force who is decent enough to care about crime, and honest enough to do the right thing. contact your local papers, and be prepared to take out an ad if no one in the police dept will befriend you. contact federal and state authorities if no action comes from the locals. get a video camera or digital recorder, keep copies and originals of all the letters you get. take pictures of them whenever they come to your home. contact the local tv station. make friends with the local chapter of whatever liberal or progressive orgs are in your area. join a church and ask for help from the congregation.

be very, very careful.

[JohnnyRingo]

13. This is terrible....I can't imagine my getting so upset by a letter to....

...a newspaper that it would incite me to violence. (threatened or actual)

If this is the profile of a Buxh supporter, these are sad times, indeed.

I hope this is just hot air by intellectually challenged crackpots incapable of expressing themselves by civil means, and nothing comes of it.

This is the poison mindset cultivated by such political catylists as Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity. They make the weak minded feel that attacking liberals et al the "patriotic" thing to do.

It's all fun 'til someone gets hurt. Please be careful, and stay alert.

[alfredo]

14. Yes. I got middle of the night calls because of a

letter I wrote against organized prayer in school.

I told her I had caller ID. I didn't at the time, but the calls stopped.

15. I have but from Christian extremists

I've been running The Skeptic Tank for about 15 years or so and there have been a number of threats over the years, all from extremist Christians -- who almost certainly all vote a straight Republican ticket.

In all cases I've forwarded them to [e-mail] and ignore them since none were credible threats; they're just people upset as having their Creationist beliefs debunked, or having other pet notions debunked.

I see in the news that a number of Kerry supporters have been attacked, a veterans group was attacked, and Republicans have been stealing people's political signs from their front lawns and stuff. The hatred against Democracy and Constitutional guarantees in America by the extremist right is only going to get 1000 times worse after Kerry starts rebuilding America.

16. On rare occasion

I've been running The Skeptic Tank for about 15 years or so and there have been a number of threats over the years, all from extremist Christians -- who almost certainly all vote a straight Republican ticket.

In all cases I've forwarded them to [e-mail] and ignore them since none were credible threats; they're just people upset as having their Creationist beliefs debunked, or having other pet notions debunked.

I see in the news that a number of Kerry supporters have been attacked, a veterans group was attacked, and Republicans have been stealing people's political signs from their front lawns and stuff. The hatred against Democracy and Constitutional guarantees in America by the extremist right is only going to get 1000 times worse after Kerry starts rebuilding America.

[PittLib]

17. Not yet ...

but I have a feeing I will soon. Several people wrote in to complain about a photo of the dead children in Russia being on the front page of the paper. They said it was exploitation and inappropriate and "appalling" I wrote back that it was reality ... and that people needed to be jarred by such things. They had the choice to look at it because it did not happen in their own backyard. Why do you think they aren't showing pictures of the Iraq casualties, especially the children? Because it is horrifying - and we'd be forced to acknowledge our part in the process. It so irritates me how much people take for granted (myself included). Sorry - I'll take my soapbox and go home.

[bluestateguy]

18. This is why the Left should oppose gun control

I turn these over to the police but in this conservative area, they don't really care.

Here in Texas a lot of gay people that I know own guns because they simply do not trust the government to protect them from from hate crimes.

[vetwife]

19. Yes and I posted it on this board

I went on Radio Left and am married to a Vietn nam combat vet (disabled) and did a show that made the swift boat liars and others look bad., as I founded a veterans org. I also am pretty active in the vet community, the GuyJames Show, and contacting legislators. They were emailing me.The haters.
So I posted it and turned them over to their servers and the server tracked them down and dropped them and Skinner and Will Pitt and a few looked at their ISP's as well. It happened a couple of weeks ago. I have not been threatned other than puter as no body I am sure here wants to mess with Billy Jack or Rambo.(my husband) if It had of been in person I would have contacted the FBI but what good would it have done considering they work for the man I was slamming.