Yesterday I received a threat in the mail. It came from the "Americans for Limited Government Foundation", from its Chairman Howard Rich. Here’s how it starts out:
Recently a new left-wing organization announced that it would be targeting donors to conservative, free-market organizations. The major press announcement stated that the organization intended to engage in such activities as "public exposure," having "watchdog groups digging through the lives" of these individuals, and "possible legal trouble."
It goes on to say that Mr. Rich, having been a victim of that kind of "abuse over the years", will "push back against the radical agenda of the Left." And, he says, because I have donated to one or more of the (unnamed) organizations, and "have been able to engage in these activities without notice, operating in relative obscurity," my name has been put in their database. "We are monitoring all reports of a wide variety of leftist organizations. As your name appears in subsequent reports, it is our intent to publicize your involvement in your local community. Should any of these organizations be found to be engaged in illegal or questionable activity, it is our intent to publicize your involvement with those activities."
And then he concludes with one of the Right’s mantras: "You should know that instances of coordinated voter fraud are surfacing all across America and investigations into possible criminal coordination are underway."
Then, remembering his manners, he very kindly signs off with "Sincerely, Howard Rich, Chairman."
Well, Mr. Rich did not succeed in scaring or intimidating me, but he did succeed in pissing me off. I have forwarded his missive, and the Memorandum on "Heightening Awareness of Political Activity" he enclosed from the Law Offices of Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, at 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20006, to the Maryland Attorney General’s office, who had not heard about them yet. And I'm posting it here on Kos to make sure lots of people know about it. We can't let these guys push us around.
Note that the threat letter came via UPS. I believe it’s a felony to send threats through the US Postal Service.