Hate, threats and cowardice
There are many people in this world I disagree with.
I disagree with people who think that women should be kept at home, not paid equal wages for equal work or aren't as intelligent as men.
I disagree with people who think that there is only one 'right' religion and everyone who worships differently or who doesn't worship at all is damned.
I disagree with people who think it's OK to wear red and pink together. I mean...come on! Think people!
There are a whole range of other people's opinions I disagree with and I can be forthright about letting them know that many times. This has led to some great arguments, debates and yes, good-natured verbal slanging matches in the past.
What it has never led to - until recently - is threats and hundreds if not thousands of vexatious complaints. It has never led to people wanting to kill me because they don't agree with the results of my research into the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. It has never led to people calling my home in the middle of the night to tell me to die in a fire or sending me emails saying they are sharpening their knives for me.
In my world - until recently - it was OK to disagree and even to fight about these disagreements - even to dislike each other because of irreconcilable differences. Disagreement didn't mean wanting to physically harm the person you disagreed with, nor did it mean sending constant threats or trying to stop them from speaking in public. They are every bit as entitled to their beliefs and opinions as I am - even if my beliefs and opinions are backed by research and theirs aren't. Each to their own.
Why won't I tell people where our Canberra seminar will be held?
A few days ago, the AVN announced that it would be holding a seminar in Canberra on Saturday the 10th of November. For the first time, we have decided not to release the name or location of the venue - only saying that it is centrally located within Canberra so it will be easy for anyone in that area to get to.
The reason we did this is that over the last 3 1/2 years or so, every single time we have held seminars, there have either been threats to the venues, requiring us to hire security guards at our expense - or letters and phone calls to the venue urging them not to allow us to speak. The source of these threats has always been both the hate group, Stop the AVN (SAVN) and their parent group, the Australian Skeptics.
These anti-democracy campaigners will do anything and everything to take away our right to speak and your right to hear us. One has to wonder what they will gain by their campaign against free speech?
Within a matter of hours after advertising our newest seminar, the following post was placed on the SAVN Facebook page by a 'brave' person who has made up a profile to hide their real identity:
No doubt, there are currently several complaints winging their way to various government departments in the ACT and no doubt, this will cost the government there money in investigating and assessing these vexatious missives - but since when has SAVN or the Skeptics ever worried about costing the government money? Their stunts in NSW must have cost in the area of several million dollars now if they were added up. So what's a bit more?
Then, just about 2 hours ago, I received an email from someone using a tormail account. I believe this is the same person who previously sent threats to me using the fantasticfox5@tormail account. You remember that person - Dan Buzzard's mate from Stop the AVN.
This time, they used a new tormail account - one has to wonder if the other one got too 'hot' for them?
And here is what they said:
From: savn@tormail.org Date: 24 October 2012 2:42:40 PM AEST To: meryl@avn.org.au Subject: fire alarm
wouldnt it be fun to pull the fire alarm at ur venue?
you could just cancel your talk it would save a lot of agro
We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.
Of course, this juvenile anonymous wanna-be is just a symptom of the whole SAVN psyche. These are people who believe that it is OK to threaten those they disagree with and to do it from the protection of anonymity. They are surrounded by thousands of hangers-on who are too gutless to say anything in opposition to the abusers because - well, let's face it - anyone who belongs to a hate group is themselves a hater. So there are the vocal haters who should be in gaol for their hate crimes and the background haters who should be ashamed of their support and enabling of these criminals.