If you have a Facebook page, you've probably seen memes from Cop Block. Many people who are concerned about the militarization of police departments post Cop Block memes, including some of my friends.
CopBlock claims their goal is police accountability:
We do not “hate cops.” We believe that no one – not even those with badges – has extra rights. The failure to realize and act on that is to our detriment. By focusing the disinfecting light of transparency on public officials we safeguard not just our rights but those of future generations.
Those of us who write for and are responsible for CopBlock.org affirm that violence is not condoned except in the defense of self or others - while we recognize the rights of other individuals to use the CopBlock name, we do not recognize those that do not affirm and live by that statement. [click here for more on the non-aggression principle]
They claim they don't condone violence, but note how they weasel out of responsibility "we recognize the rights of other individuals to use the CopBlock name... but we don't recognize those who do not affirm and live by that statement..."
Well, except for this guy. Christopher Cantwell is in favor of dead cops. He blamed Steve Arkell, the Brentwood, NH police officer recently killed in the line of duty, for his own death.
He cheered on Justin Bourque, the young guy who killed three RCMP officers and wounded 2 others.
As you can see, it says this Tweet is from CopBlock. The same CopBlock that claims it doesn't condone violence. As it happens, Cantwell is a frequent contributor who appears to be entitled to tweet as CopBlock. Given that Cantwell approves of killing cops, it's difficult to take the CopBlock bleatings about nonviolence and the so-called "non-aggression principle" very seriously.
Amanda Miller, who, along with her husband Jerad Miller went on a spree in Las Vegas where they killed 2 cops in a pizzeria and a bystander in a WalMart, had a YouTube channel where she "liked" a bunch of videos about the moocher rebellion at the Bundy Ranch. She also "liked" this video from CopBlock:
So who IS CopBlock? Adam Mueller aka Ademo Freeman tells us all about it in this history written in 2010. The founders and behind the scenes guys are mostly from the Free State Project, the group of libertarians (or armed miscreants if you prefer) who are attempting to occupy, colonize, and take over NH.
- Jason Talley, who donated the theme and his time to get Cop Block off the ground
- Pete Eyre, who guest blogs and post videos of his police encounters
- Ian & Mark of Free Talk Live, who have helped spread the message of Cop Block on their show, which lead to an anonymous donor. Who now helps Cop Block sponsor police brutality segments on FTL.
Jason Talley is a Free Keener. Pete Eyre is a Free Stater/Free Keener who comes to us from the Cato Institute, the Drug Free Alliance, and the Institute for Humane Studies - all libertarian enterprises funded by the Koch bros.
Ian and Mark of Free Talk Live are Free Keeners. Ian is Ian Bernard aka Freeman a trustifarian moocher who claims his home is a church in order to get out of paying taxes, and Mark is aka Mark Edge, though his real name is Edgington. He comes to us from Florida, where he spent 9 years in prison for strangling a motel manager.
And that's the point. CopBlock is the Free State Project. The FSP loves to tell us that they're here for freedom, and they are peaceful people. Underneath those claims of peace are a roiling, nasty, violent stew - Chris Cantwell, Larken Rose, Vin Suprynowiscz, Muni Savyon and Darryl W. Perry to name a few. Then there are the Free Keeners who follow meter readers around with video cameras and harass them. That's not the act of peaceful people. It's intentionally antagonistic and bullying. Dave Ridley, the wannabe Stossel (or at least Jimmy O'Keefe) of the Free State Project stalks and harasses female legislators in the Legislative Office Building. Ian FreeLoad urged his followers to "ambush" Representative Janet Wall.
I am certain that the same people who say guns don't kill people will come by to tell me that CopBlock doesn't kill cops. My friends who put CopBlock memes on their Facebook pages have never watched the "when should you shoot a cop" video, and will be horrified to learn it exists. They'll be horrified to listen to Larken Rose, the tax dodging Free Stater and anarchist whose words are heard in that "when should you shoot a cop" video.
My friends aren't going to kill cops. But Justin Bourque did. So did Jerad and Amanda Miller. They all had CopBlock in common. And CopBlock comes from the Free State Project in NH - which is the home of the first in the nation presidential primary. In fact, the FSP is attempting to get a big chunk of folks here in time for that primary. Peaceful intent or something more sinister? It's worth pondering.
