The Rumford Free Press has been receiving some extremely disturbing comments. Apparently someone believes they know who is operating the Rumford Free Press and have sent the comments in an attempt to attack, intimidate and control that person.
What we have been receiving is extremely cruel, bullying and threatening. It’s no different than the school yard bullies we all unfortunately remember so well. We believe that the only way to stop bullying behavior is to stand up to it. Expose it for what it is and for all to see.
More importantly, we feel an obligation to try to protect the person they are attempting to victimize. With these goals in mind, we've decided to edit several of the comments and post them here. We have also informed the intended recipient. We have received other comments so vile and disgusting it’s impossible to edit them to make them fit to print. These edited comments just provide a taste of what we've been getting. Here they are:
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "More Med-Care":
HI [Name edited out]. YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND OUT. SLANDER IS ONLY ONE OF YOUR STRONG SUITS. YOUR DAYS OF GETTING AWAY WITH IT ARE OVER.Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Rumford Selectmen's Race":
[Name edited out] you can't hide. You have been caught red handed and now
you will PAY.
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Rumford Selectmen's Race":
[Name edited out] you have been caught. I would give up, because you are
next to be run out of town, you slut.
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Submitted by …":
Guess what [Name edited out]? If you keep bashing the TRR on As Maine Goes,
our next headline will be "[Incredibly spiteful comment edited out]" both on the
TRR and on As Maine Goes. Now that we know you are island girl, we will kindly
forward all those slanderous posts about [Name edited out] so she can sue your
ass, too. If you think Lovejoy had it bad...
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Submitted by …":
We gave you a little teaser on As Maine Goes in response to your latest
ridiculous comment. All we need to do is edit the comment and complete the
headline.
[Name edited out] is Island Girl
[Name edited out] is Island Girl
[Name edited out] is Island Girl
[Name edited out] has been wondering who made those slanderous comments and
she already has a lawyer. We have your IP address from Doar's Blog and once our
hacker friends confirm the IP address on this blog, you'll be paying big money
to get out of this one. Have fun with that. What goes around comes
around.This appears to be "the little teaser" on As Maine Goes, as talked
about in the above post. The administrator of As Maine Goes has been contacted and requested to pull the victim’s name from the post to protect them.
The operator of the RFP has never posted on As Maine Goes although it appears a fan of our site may have. Most importantly, the person they seem to believe is operating the RFP has NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS SITE.
The comments speak of "Lovejoy". We all know what happened to former Selectman Jolene Lovejoy. She suffered extreme political and personal attacks that had to be horrendous to live through. Over a year later, those attacks continue despite the fact that she is no longer a selectman. Now someone is being threatened with similar, perhaps worse attacks because it's believed they are operating the RFP.
There are those in town that make a big deal out of insisting that names are given when posting to websites. I’m wondering if perhaps this type of bullying behavior is why they want names so badly. It’s hard to threaten and intimidate people if you aren’t sure of whom they are. It’s harder to smear their name and discredit them through half truths or outright lies. I’d love to be able to reveal my identity and have open debates with people in the community about our issues. Look at what has been done and what continues to be done to the public figures of our community. Look at what they are threatening to do to someone just because they think they are running a website that gives the people in the town a voice, even though we’ve worked hard to insist people use their voice respectfully. If the abusers don’t know who we are, it takes away their power to personally attack us and forces them to debate on the merits of their argument.
The RFP is outraged at these attempts to intimidate us into closing this website and disgusted that there are members of our community that would treat others this way. We will not be intimidated. We invite other responsible, civic minded community members to join with us in trying to extinguish abusive behavior in town, in all its forms. It is well past the time to take our town back.
Posts
12 comments:
RFP, it doesn’t matter to me how you are, I am just glad to see someone stepped up to the plate to give our respectful worded citizens a voice. You are doing a excellent in job as far as I’m concerned and keep up the good work. The people who post that garbage hate being stood up to, stand tall RFP and they will fade away.
Mark Tripp
Well Said!
This type of theatening should be reported to the police. It's beyond bullying.
It would be one thing if the supporters of the Rumford Reporter stuck to their own site, but they continue to infect other sites with their viciousness. They don't play nicely................
Why do they feel compelled to do this? What harm is RFP doing in promoting respectable discussion, debate and community involvement?
RFP, now you see why I gave up the Reporter. I had no idea that it was going to be used the way it has been. I applaud you for maintaining this site and restricting personal attacks. The comments you have shared reflect the mindset that caused me to disassociate with some people and limit my involvement with others. I think at one time or another we all have felt negative feelings toward others, and some have stated it outright. I hope that the continuance of this blog helps to foster the positive communication. Now that you have identified the negative behavior, I believe it is best to address it through the proper channels and not give it any more attention here. Doing so only feeds the fire for those who would be inclined to respond. I hope that most of us are beyond that now.
Have a GREAT Day!
Kevin
RFP I'm sorry that you are being subjected to the tactics of the select few people from the other website. As you are aware they no longer allow comments to be made to their site either. They are only spreading their untruths. I'm glad that you are open to the opinions of other people and have allowed the truth to finally be told here in your forum. Thank you. Just know that people in this community do support you in your effort to clean all this up. Once again Thank you and everyone else for your effort to take this town back.
Your site is a wonderful place to express some good clean and honest opinions. You're not attacking anyone or slandering anyone. The only thing I have seen you do on here is ask anyone to join in the above behavior. I don't believe that constitutes slander in any way. Keep up the good work. Standing up for what you believe in is your constitutional right. Giving the good people of this area a place to not get beat up for their opinions is is a very admiral thing for you to be doing.
“They” Obviously can’t handle freedom of speech and they have to viciously attack anyone they don’t agree with. This is the same reason they shut down the Open Doar. When they don’t agree they call it hate speech. WELL good for you!!! Do not let them intimidate you, there showing there true colors. Vote for Greg and Rob. Let freedom ring!!!
This posting doesn't surprise me. Please hang in there and continue to provide this great site to discuss issues.
Everyone in the River Valley has to work together. Wasting time on negativity and petty attacks does nothing to improve the area.
Your site is a valuable public service to the area. Keep up the great work.
Kevin,
Thank you for your thoughtful post. I admire your strength in the face of the attacks you have faced and for distancing yourself from those who engage in such behavior. I may seldom agree with you politically, but I respect you for the manner in which you are conducting yourself.
RFP
How does our come to this? How do people think this is ok?? Is this the type of coummnity people want to live in or have their kids live in? Is this the coummnity we want for the next generation? How woiuld the poster of the comment feel if they where at the other end of thoes comments? This is in fighting between groups is killing people and driving them out of the arena of public debate and driving away good ideas that could save our area!! These kind of comments are also making our area look bad to people who may want to move here!! We all disagree with one and other at one point or another but that does mean we must use attacks to cut the other person down!! I am proud that our area now has a fourm here at the RFP that will stand up to the bully politcs that have been used in our valley!! It's time to move foward with our region by protecting everyone with top rate police and fire service, by helping everyone stay health with world class EMT's and services, Give our kids safe and place to develope by giving them sound education and lots oppurnites in recation in parks so there development comes from caring adults and expermentation with drugs and crime, By giving jobs by bringing new buissness in making our coummnity nicer by tearing old buildings and fixing our down town, and by chaging the atomosphere back to the Rumford where you can always count on a hand up when your down and people working togeather as one rather then two factions competing!! None of this will happen if the comments above keep coming and people try to get to their goals by ripping others apart! Lets make this a new day where we agree that the work that needs to be done is too important to allow these kinda of comments into the debate! lets make this a new day where we don't allow these comments into our town and show the world that Rumford and the river valley is a place where people are kind and respectful!
Post a Comment