Today, in Montana, a judge told Andrew Anglin to get stuffed.
If you don't know who Andrew Anglin is, you are fortunate, but allow me fill you in. A white supremacist and neo-Nazi, he is the founder of the website Daily Stormer, the pre-eminent online meeting place and news source for people who think Hitler had the right idea. An admirer of Richard Spencer ( the neo-Nazi who got punched at a party celebrating Trump's inauguration, to the evil glee of some liberals, which led to intense discussions as to whether it was acceptable to feel evil glee at a Nazi getting sucker-punched), he doxxed a woman named Tanya Gersh.
Who, you are wondering Is Tanya Gersh? She is a Montana realtor whose sole "crime" was declining to help Spencer's mother sell a commercial building. Spencer had recently given a speech at a white nationalist conference in which he declaimed, "Hail Hitler." The speech went viral, and protests were planned at that building. Gersh, who is Jewish,decided she wanted no part of this, which is understandable to most rational people
Anglin then accused Gersh of trying to extort money from Spencer's mother. That would be unpleasant, but Anglin didn't stop there. No. He chose to make the woman's life a living hell by publishing her contact information and encouraging his readers in 30 articles to "take action". He also posted pictures of her, her husband and her son. His supporters responded enthusiastically. She received over 700 messages from Anglin's and Spencer's followers, including death threats. she became afraid to.answer her phone. She has suffered a fair amount of trauma over this, developed physical symptoms and had to get therapy, none of which are unusual reactions to being stalked, harassed and threatened. Something similar happened to the women in Gamergate and Christine Blasey Ford. Rightwingers are really good at this.
Gersh filed suit against Anglin. She has alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and violations of the Montana Anti-Intimidation Act. Anglin has asserted through his lawyers that he should get away with this because of his first amendment right to free speech. He could have his day in court to defend that claim, but that would require he actually show up in court. Because he is basically a loud-mouthed coward, he has supposedly fled the United States claiming he is afraid for his life.
Why? What would make an avowed White Supremacist terrified?
Well, the Southern Poverty Law Center declared his group, which has 31 chapters here and in Canada, to be a hate group. He says the SPLC has harassed him repeatedly, according to Marc Randazza, his attorney, and he has no intention of coming back to the U.S. and is no longer a U.S. citizen. He refuses to return for a court-ordered deposition. Anglin has offered to comply via a video conference or in an American embassy because he is convinced people who think racist anti-Semites are pondscum will try to kill him ( ignoring the fact that rightwingers are the ones who have committed the majority of terroristic murders in the last decade, not antifa or Black Blocks or leftists in general).
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch disagrees, and has ordered him to get his sorry Nazi ass back to Montana. He has ruled that "Anglin's personal safety concerns are factually unsupported" and aren't reason to allow him to be deposed overseas. So far Randazza has not filed any paperwork defying the judge's order, but has made it clear that his client has no intention of returning to the U.S. now or ever.
For what it is worth, there is some dispute over whether he actually is out of the country. David Futrelle of We Hunted the Mammoth says there have been some reported sightings of this horrid little man within CONUS,generally in Ohio where he grew up.
And Trump fans call liberals snowflakes. Methinks they do protest too much.
Anglin is a very special kind of snowflake: the rightwing kind who is very good at making threats and encouraging others to issue death threats, but when it comes down to it, ultimately a coward. But we always knew that about the alt-right. The Proud Boys are very brave when a group of them can surround a single man they've got cornered and on the ground. Richard Spencer's fans were courageous marching in Charlottesville with guns and baseball bats and wooden shields when they faced unarmed counter protestors. Time and time again, they have proved themselves valiant macho badasses-- as long as their targets are unarmed and outnumbered and don't fight back. Especially if they are women. Add misogyny to Anglin 's list of faults; he doesn't like women much at all, which may explain why incels like him so much.
I am normally willing to defend freedom of speech. I agree with the ACLU that even most abhorrent speech must be protected. The first amendment requires that. It does not, however, require a respectful hearing or even a hearing at all. You are allowed to spout hate, but no one has to.listen and are free to laugh or yell back. I have practical reasons for preferring them to run their mouths publicly: It makes it easier for us to know who they are and whom to.watch. But I firmly believe there are some narrow limits where speech can cross a line. When you threaten someone with violence with the intention of intimidation, that crosses the line. Apparently a lot of people agree with me because there are laws against it, and it can be a crime. Anglin and his buddies have crossed that line. He is fortunate that she is simply suing him for monetary damages.
I agree with Indiana Jones. "Nazis. I hate these guys."
Whatever Anglin does, I hope she gets liens on any and every thing he owns. Including his dreams. No, especially his dreams of an all-white anti-Semitic homeland.