Posted on 01/05/2009 6:14:17 AM PST by reaganaut1
When the scheduled federal trial begins this month for two Texas men who were arrested during the Republican National Convention on charges of making and possessing Molotov cocktails, one of the major witnesses against them will be a community activist who acted as a government informant.
Brandon Darby, an organizer from Austin, Tex., made the news public himself, announcing in an open letter posted on Dec. 30 on Indymedia.org that he had worked as an informant, most recently at last year’s Republican convention in St. Paul.
“The simple truth is that I have chosen to work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” wrote Mr. Darby, who gained prominence as a member of Common Ground Relief, a group that helped victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
He added, “I strongly stand behind my choices in this matter.”
Mr. Darby’s revelations caused shock and indignation in the activist community, with people in various groups and causes accusing him of betrayal.
“The emerging truth about Darby’s malicious involvement in our communities is heart-breaking and utterly ground-shattering,” said the Austin Informant Working Group, a collection of activists from the city who worked with Mr. Darby. “Through the history of our struggles for a better world, infiltrators and informants have acted as tools for the forces of misery in disrupting and derailing our movements.”
Mr. Darby’s letter answered lingering questions in the case of the two Texas men, David McKay and Bradley Crowder, both also from Austin. They are scheduled to go on trial in Minnesota on Jan. 26, and if convicted on all counts, each faces a prison sentence of up to 30 years.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Just popping in to say, I read the headline, said to myself, “That’s something the New York Times would say,” and lo...
Hmmmm ... let’s see ...which is worse?
(A) Making Molotov cocktails and planning to use them, so that your political opponents get burned alive; or
(B) Preventing something like that from occurring?
If someone had infiltrated the so-called “Army of God” in the same way, preventing Molotov cocktails and nail bombs from being used against abortion clinics, what would the moonbat lefties from Austin be saying?
Who pays these people? How do they buy groceries, pay their rent, buy soap and toiletries?............
IowaHawk or Scrappleface couldn't write better satire than this....
what is it about "organizers?" They seem to be a pretty shady lot, sort of like "consultants" in the '80's, only shadier.
Says it all right there. Austin is a liberal moonbat sanctuary, sad to say.
Who pays these people? How do they buy groceries, pay their rent, buy soap and toiletries?............
...well, for one thing, they don’t buy soap. Most are still living with their parents.
Jeez. What a bunch of drama queens!
It's probably no coincidence that the flagship campus of the University of Texas is located there. Higher education has benefits, but the costs universities inflict by spreading hatred of America should also be weighed, especially when "college for everyone" is being promoted .
This just begs for one of those cute cat photos saying something like, "we iz in ur networks".
Something tells me that we the taxpayers pay their rent etc......
Typical Austin ‘activists’:
-are college students on the 10 year plan
-are on all kinds of student aid,
-form non-denominational,non-profit groups to to solicit
public and private donations for their “cause”
-belong to some publically supported left-wing group like
ACORN.
-financed by some white guilt, trying to relive the 60’s,Hyde Park liberal
I see these activists DAILY....
I’m a UT grad. I’m well acquainted With Austin/UT’s uber-liberal status.
As a Texan and UT grad, I’m not proud of either!
“Who pays these people? How do they buy groceries, pay their rent, buy soap and toiletries?............”
Ol’ commrade soros himself funds a lot of these groups.
The hippies in Austin don't use soap.
December 29, 2008
To All Concerned,
The struggles for peace and justice have accomplished significant change throughout history. I’ve had the honor to work with many varying groups and individuals on behalf of marginalized communities and in various struggles. There are currently allegations in the media that I have worked undercover for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This allegation no doubt confuses many activists who know me and probably leaves many wondering why I would seemingly choose to engage in such an endeavor. The simple truth is that I have chosen to work with the Federal Bureau of investigation.
As compelling as the natural human desire to reason and express oneself can be, regardless, I must hold my comments at this time on certain aspects of the situation. That said, there are a few statements and generalizations I will make relating to my recent choices.
Though I’ve made and will no doubt continue to make many mistakes in efforts to better our world, I am satisfied with the efforts in which I have participated. Like many of you, I do my best to act in good conscience and to do what I believe to be most helpful to the world. Though my views on how to give of myself have changed substantially over the years, ultimately the motivations behind my choices remain the same. I strongly stand behind my choices in this matter.
I strongly believe that people innocent of an act should stand up for themselves and that those who choose to engage in an act should accept responsibility and explain the reasoning for their choices.
It is very dangerous when a few individuals engage in or act on a belief system in which they feel they know the real truth and that all others are ignorant and therefore have no right to meet and express their political views.
Additionally, when people act out of anger and hatred, and then claim that their actions were part of a movement or somehow tied into the struggle for social justice only after being caught, it’s damaging to the efforts of those who do give of themselves to better this world. Many people become activists as a result of discovering that others have distorted history and made heroes and assigned intentions to people who really didn’t act to better the world. The practice of placing noble intentions after the fact on actions which did not have noble motivations has no place in a movement for social justice.
The majority of the activists who went to St. Paul did so with pure intentions and simply wanted to express their disagreements with the Republican Party. It’s unfortunate that some used the group as cover for intentions that the rest of the group did not agree with or knew nothing about and are now, consequently, having parts of their lives and their peace of mind uprooted over.
There is no doubt in my mind that many of you reading this letter will say and feel all possible bad things about my choices and for me. I made the choice to have my identity revealed and was well aware of the consequences for doing so. I know that the temptation to silence or ignore the voice of someone who you strongly disagree with can be overwhelming in matters such as this one; and no doubt many people will try to do just that to me. I have confidence that there will be a few people interested in discussion and in better understanding views different from their own, especially from one of their own. My sincere hope is that the entire matter results in better understanding for everyone.
Many of you went against my wishes and spoke publicly in defense of me. Those involved were correct when they wrote that I wasn’t making my choices for financial reasons or to avoid some sort of prosecution. They were incorrect that my ideology didn’t support such choices. One individual who publically defended me stated that they didn’t believe I was working undercover because the government would have used my access to take down a more prominent activist if the allegations were true. If indeed the government or I was interested in doing so, it could have happened in such a manner. However, the incorrect notion that the government was out to silence dissent was the cause for the mistake made by that person. In defense of the individuals who openly did their best to do what they thought was defending me, they did not know the truth and they had no way of knowing the truth due to their ideological and personal attachments to me. It’s unfortunate that the truth couldn’t have come out sooner and that the needed preparations for such a disclosure take time. I really did mean it when I said that I didn’t want to discuss it and that I didn’t want folks addressing the allegations.
Again, I strongly stand behind my choices in this matter. I’m looking forward to open dialogue and debate regarding the motivations and experiences I’ve had and the ethical questions they pose.
In Solidarity,
Brandon Michael Darby
yeah, but who pays for their tats, henna hair paint, and piercings?
Don’t be surprised if we are the ones who pay for these anarchists. They probably are getting money from the government or from a leftist run foundation. The money is probably laundered to cover its true origin - protected by the Democrat party.
You said it. They do street theatre because they don’t have enough talent to go into real theatre. These people sure are drama queens. I think they are acting out their personal “issues” and need lots and lots of attention. Waah, waah, waah!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.