The View From North Central Idaho - Kim duToit and hiding in the closet

Saturday, September 17, 2005

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I've had a couple people ask me if I had any clues what was going on with Kim duToit's site, why it was down, etc. I also saw a lot of people visit my site via search engines with query strings about Kim. About all I could determine without given him a call (which I was hesitant to do because I don't really know him that well) was that a connection could be made to the machine but it was refusing requests--someone had turned the site off.

AnarchAngel has the story, the essence of which is:

I have communicated briefly with Connie Du Toit, and there is a business issue requiring Kim and Connie to take the site down right now, and without any notice. They can't provide details yet but expect some information in a few days.

The last few months have had a very sobering effect on me. Think about this:

Q: How many gun bloggers openly use their real names?
A: Not many.

Q: What percentage of those have had "problems" of some sort because of that?
A: A lot.

Q: How many anti-freedom bloggers do you know of that have "had problems?"
A: None that I know of. But I don't "travel in those circles." Anyone that you know of?

If you have to "stay in the closet" to be safe then how safe are you? Did the Jews in Nazi Germany increase their safety by "keeping their heads down"? It's a predator/prey type situation. If you go into hiding then you are saying, "I am the prey." You embolden the enemies of freedom. They become the full time predators. They are at the top of the food-chain. If we don't bring a few of those predators down, feed on them, and scatter their sun-bleached bones on the range among our empty brass shell casing we have nothing but fear and hiding in our future.

Careful now. Think about this. Who are our true predators? They aren't just someone that advocates for their own imagined safety at our expense. The predators are those that attempt to harm us personally (socially, financially, etc. as well as physically--which is unlikely) because they do not want our voices heard in open debate. If you were to target someone for the loss of their job just because they advocated some new restriction on firearms then you are no better than those that targeted me or Kim for our activism. In essence you cannot initiate "force"--you can only respond when they have initiated the use of "force" against you or another innocent party. Don't think this means you have to "play nice". Don't just whine about things for a while. If they initiate "force" they have given you the signal for you to transform into a ferocious predator. You aren't done until you are napping in the sun with a full belly and the vultures are feeding on the remnants of the carcass.

Also on this topic:

The closet
CCRKBA blasts bigotry
Fred of Fred's M14 Stocks on being on a list
Thoughts on coming out of the closet
Coming out of the closet has it's price
Coming out of the closet

Freedom | Gun Rights | PNNL

Joe Huffman Saturday, September 17, 2005 8:21:00 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

Disclaimer | Comments [7] | Trackback Related posts:
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Quote of the day--William P. Hoar

Saturday, September 17, 2005 9:13:55 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

Well Joe, I think you and I are probably the folks who've been publicly screwed the worst, but there have been a lot of private screweings out there as well.

So far I've lost two jobs, been sued, and had a fatwah along with associated terrorist threats and several visits (and surveliance) from the FBI.

I still don't regreat I use my real name though. I think it's important that people know who I am and what I stand for. If they have a problem with that, then I don't WANT to hide it from them.

That said, I do wish life wer ea little simpler; and I'm tired of trying to find good new jobs.

Chris Byrne

Sunday, September 18, 2005 7:40:15 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

Ditto. If you want your beliefs to be taken seriously you have to back it up with your identity. Why are the most popular bloggers 'known' like Hugh Hewitt and Michelle Malkin? Because they have a reputation connected to their personal identity.

I don't hide who I am, but I also don't always post as 'Brian C. Lane', mostly because I'm trying to promote my LibertyNews website (which I really do need to update more often).

I made a decision when I turned 21 that was different from alot of my 'peers' (they thought that 21 was time to go get legally wasted). I followed the rules, even though I consider them a violation of the Constitution, and got my CPL (Concealed Pistol License) and I've been carrying every day since. I decided that freedom and promotion of the 2nd amendment were important enough to let everyone know it.

I drive a truck with an NRA sticker on it, I'm a member of WAC, SAF, CCRKBA and a NRA life member. I do whatever I can not to hide and I think Fred's point about those who are hiding now when the fight is relativly easy is spot on. If you're not willing to fight now you darn well aren't going to be out in the open when the SHTF. Just look at what has happened to concealed carry since I got my CPL in 1990! We ARE making progress. Even in Liberal Washington State we have been holding off their advances (thanks in large part to the work of Joe Waldron, president of WAC, and gun owners around the state who are not in hiding).

My name is on all kinds of lists and I actually don't care. If they come for me you can be damn sure that you will be hearing about it (just call me a tripwire).

I do need to become more involved. The e-Postal matches have been great, except that I'm missing a 'boomershoot' rifle at the moment and my ammo reserve has depleted to the point where I need to build them back up before doing another contest. We've got USPSA in the area and I need to get into that 'one of these days', and I realy am planning on going to Boomerhoot next year.

Brian Lane
editor, LibertyNews.org

LibertyNews

Monday, September 19, 2005 8:17:32 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

Interesting post. From where I sit though I had no choice but to blog under a pseudonym. I work in a reasonably high profile organization in DC and my ability to get my job done would be significantly impacted if my larger views of the world where known. The simple fact is DC is all about playing nice polotics. Oh, you can attack someone in the press, but those are through very accepted channels and tools. Even then, a democrat attacking Bush can always respond - later on when looking for a job - that they were just doing the bidding of their boss. To put something up on a blog however, is different and attaches that opinion to the individual in a very public way.

As I've often tted out, this is a free country and you can say whatever you want, it just doesn't mean there aren't consequences. In DC, those consequences could mean unemployment and the inability to get future work.

In any case, thats not the reason I am cutting down on blogging. The few people who know me aren't going to rat me out (that I know of), I've just found the quality of my real life paying work slipping as I spend more time on the internet (such as making this post). I would like to get a new job and spend time with the family, and so, until I get those priorities taken care of, the blog is a luxury I can't afford.

Countertop

Monday, September 19, 2005 8:56:40 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

I've paid a heavy price for posting under my real name. A price I had no idea I would have to pay. From the first few hours when I interviewed at PNNL I let them know of my websites, and my firearms activities. There was never even a hint of a problem with those activies. Even my performance reviews praised the contributions I was able to make because of my 2nd Amendment related activities. To be blindsided so completely is certainly a warning to others. So I fully understand someone making the decision to stay in the closet.

Posting under a pseudonym is not going to get you criticized by me. However, I will still raise the question, "How safe are you really, if you have to do that?" You are living in fear and I claim you should work to reduce or eliminate that source of fear.

Joe

Monday, September 19, 2005 4:44:35 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

While I do not blog on guns enough I find the fact that my real name, Gunner, ends up being listed as "Gunner" on some blogs like it is my alias

gunner

Friday, October 07, 2005 10:59:10 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

I too, have been searching for Kim Dutoit's site. I have inherited a Browning Challenger .22 LR-I and others ruined the bluing...it's stripped; has been stored...wanted some input from him; that appears to be one of his personal favorites.

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a Democrat...
I consider myself a patriot-your blog and comments are VERY disturbing. However, I am unsurprised that the Feds or other PNAC-world domination and control of the masses in the "other" America will begin to track and suppress bloggers who appear armed, whatever their cultural/socio-political views.

Gun control laws could have never been passed without Republican cooperation-I would ask that any of you thinking progressive conservatives review ALL of the GOP's legislation before taking the "NRA supports them, they're safe..." method of voting support.

Sooooo, with that, if someone has intel on the Dutoit's whereabouts OR some inexpensive tips to refurbish and test my spiffy little sidearm, pls. write back. LIMITED in my BUDGET-I am a Katrina/Rita survivor. I still have my home; lost $$ stream, insurance,etc. I am far more blessed than many fellow citizens. Keep us, "the Sportsmen's Paradise" in your prayers.

God Bless America-

AG

ANNE GABRIEL

Friday, October 07, 2005 11:33:14 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

You might try asking The Gun Guy at http://www.thenationofriflemen.com/nor/index.php/rant

As for Republicans... this last election was the first time I ever voted for a Republican for president. My primary affliation is Libertarian but their opposition to the war on terrorists caused me to reduce my support for them. My republican Senator (Senator Craig) is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and I don't have a problem supporting him.

Joe

Comments are closed.

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