On Anonymity, Integrity & Personal Attacks
By Jim Granelli
To be honest, I’ve had a draft of an article like this on my desktop since before Christmas. But the recent article about John Heyer, AKA Vin Gopal, AKA Monmouth County Democrat Chair has created an opportunity to tie the current matter into the above issues.
Integrity as one dictionary describes it is “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” That was the point of exposing Vin Gopal as a real person behind Jersey Shore Insider. It was a lie of omission, for if the real truth were known about the editorial bend of the Jersey Shore Insider blog, one would be able to put it all in context.
One of the tip off’s that something was fishy was finding out that John Heyer was a Democrat Freeholder who died in 1905. No one in Holmdel knew of John Heyer, nor was he found in any public records. That wasn’t too smart of a move Mr. Gopal. It raised a flag. Furthermore, that Gopal has not replied to MMM with a comment should raise a flag with you; telling you that a) he got caught and b) he’s got something to hide.
Let’s face it, we’ve all seen what happens to our country when media hides the truth. Are we to let that happen here in our own County? Sure, it’s a free country. Vin can write as much as he wants. Hell, he’s free to attack me on facts. But not writing from the point of view of his position and ideology is disingenuous at best. People deserve to know where something is coming from so that they can make an informed decision.
But like the “faux” newspaper in the fall campaign, Vin would rather hide behind the efforts. Thus, he needed to be called on the carpet. For, if we can not trust news reporting such as the Jersey Shore Insider or that phony newspaper; we are unknowingly led to a position by someone with an axe to grind.
Certain people on the left seem to want to distract from the simple important idea of trust and integrity. As with this circumstance here on MMM, just like liberals do on the national stage, they TRY to do that by calling me a “liar, a snake and saying I can not be trusted.” They do this with out any proof that I am a liar or can’t be trusted, despite the fact that Gopal was the one who couldn’t be trusted via his attempt to lie by omission and hide a critical fact regarding the publication of his content.
For those kinds of people, “it’s about the seriousness of the charge, not about the facts” or lack of facts behind the charges.
These kinds of attacks are steps right from Alinsky’s Rules For Radicals, most specifically RULE 12: “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)”
http://www.bestofbeck.com/wp/activism/saul-alinskys-12-rules-for-radicals
Note the last three lines and the words in the parentheses especially. Sound familiar?
But liberals fail to understand “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” What they don’t realize is that I have nothing to lose in “taking a bullet.” Guess what guys, it doesn’t really work. I am proof. I still comment despite months of attacks.
What they also don’t realize is that if they want to make people a punching bag, they must accept the risk that it exposes those on the left who engage in this kind of behavior as horrid people with little credibility to their name. For example, people know me. They know I don’t lie or are a snake. In the end folks these opinions mean nothing because the reality doesn’t match their version of things. Yet, they must be defeated in the arena of public opinion.
I for one would respect people on the other side of the aisle more if they were not tainted by vitriol. I would disagree with them most of the time, but I would respect someone who put a face to their comments. That’s why I ended up respecting Steve Adams.
And there in lies the problem with anonymity. It allows cowards and hateful people to get away with “drive by murders” especially about people they really know nothing about. They make stinging charges in the interest of pushing people with opposing and honest opinions out of the conversation. That in itself is an attempt to stifle free speech.
“Make the guy look bad, shut him up and maybe he will leave the stage” is the modern liberals MO. Note, I said modern. This kind of vitriol was pretty much absent years ago in discourse between the right and the left. Rather than deal with the reality of Vin Gopal hiding behind a computer screen, cowardly people would rather distract. How dare they.
However, If there were a name attached to their comments, they would feel the wrath of public opinion. Maybe verified names are the solution, but that’s not my call.
By the way, all of this kind of makes me think Vin Gopal is one of the anonymous posters going after me over the past few months. Who knows, maybe it’s also some of his henchmen doing so by his instructions. We’ve seen how sneaky he can be. After all, “follow the money.” Who would benefit? Let’s just say, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Making an anonymous comment about a situation or policy issue is one thing. But hiding behind a computer screen writing an attack blog while you are County Chair or taking pot shots at people just doesn’t work anymore. There’s a time for anonymity, but there is also just plain dishonesty. And lest someone call me a hypocrite, I have expressed this opinion to one of my own party as well.
To those that hate and personally attack people in a sad attempt to minimize opposing comments, proceed at your own risk. The odds are high that the haters will post their vitriol again on this post, or on another one in the future. But it will only prove my point.
Remember though, truth always prevails. After all, look what happened. Vin Gopal was exposed as a fraud. Sooner or later that will happen to the anonymous haters as well.
“Buyer Beware”
More from my site
Opinion: Democrat primary voters should nominate Ashford and Fulton for Freeholder
Monmouth Dems Meet Tonight To Nominate Their County and Legislative Candidates
Gopal named Deputy Vice Chairman of State Democratic Party
Joe Grillo is for the birds
Golden Days: Monmouth GOP dominated county races
Gopal: “I was not a good student”
Gopal Launches Campaign For Monmouth County Democratic Chairman
Cory Booker Advises Vin Gopal to shave his head…
Republican Assembly Members Should Vote Against Gas Tax Hike
Additional Confirmation: No Warrant For DiSomma
Hey Jim,
You don’t have to go far to find lack of integrity. It’s right under your nose in Club Monmouth!
Besides, I thought you said you were no longer commenting on the matter–based on your post.
You should take your own advice at times.
There I was, moving right along with your essay when, whoomp, there it was! A jingoistic screed if ever I saw one. An instant rhetorical roadblock that told me, abandon all rational thought all ye who would proceed from here.
And just what was this felled tree in front of my train of thought? Why, of course, it was, “These kinds of attacks are steps right from Alinsky’s Rules For Radicals, most specifically RULE 12: “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it,” you write leaving me to wonder if, as our British friends say, you are having us on. But no, it appears, you are dead serious. I will say it’s fun to know that just invoking the name of Saul Alinski is still a right-wing shibboleth.
What makes it real fun though is that you obviously miss the unbelievable irony of using that quote. The fact that the tactics you ascribe to the “left” is Fox News boiled down to its essence appears to completely elude you. However, I could agree you’re right, the playbook is distinctly Alinski-esque.
Then my mood went from giddy to absolute glee with, ‘”Make the guy look bad, shut him up and maybe he will leave the stage” is the modern liberals MO,’ which, (again), of course, made me think immediately of Bill O’Reilly who cuts the mic of those whose arguments he cannot refute with established fact – even his benighted Fox colleague, Geraldo.
If the purpose of your missive was to make us think all I can say is, I love a light read before bedtime.
As Jim watches all three comments about him, he has the nerve to give anyone a lecture on integrity.
to be anonymous: the moment somebody steps out with an opinion, they are ripe for immediate disdain and personal attack. If only some could address the points made, rather than whom is, (or whom they think it is,) then perhaps there’d be a better, more productive focus, on the actual discussion.
for the 15 minutes of fame he gets from this post. Interesting how anyone could spend so much time and effort giving publicity and drawing attention to someone so insignificant.
Granelli your nothing but a lying fool who looks like an ass for everyone to see.Now all can see what kind of person you are.LOL
Thank you Name (required) I was actually waiting for you to chime in before I posted a response to the above dribble.
Congratulations, you all bit and proved me right. Instead of contributing positively to the conversation, you all went right to negative. Sad, but expected.
One by one:
@ Integrity my butt.
Obviously, your ability to read is blinded by your hate.
Let me quote myself from the other post. “This is most likely the only comment I will make on this post”
Most likely does not mean never and the comment was under another post. As my essay above states right in the beginning, I had it in the works for a while. However, you would rather hate and attempt to stifle free speech.
And the old Club Monmouth line? That’s the same lame attack line the Democrats
have tried for three years now and lost on. Club Monmouth is dead, long since over.
So, we know where you are coming from.
But you keep on living in the past.
@ Kathy Barratta
Since you consider yourself a journalist, you above all should be appalled at Vin Gopal’s tactics. It should embarrass you. But instead, you went right to hate and attacking the messenger.
Worse, you used an attack line right from this article
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/60255#.Us7jMPtKL-t
Instead of addressing an issue, one of integrity and honesty. YOU diverted and tried to make this an issue of Fox News.
How sad is that?
Fox News didn’t invent Rules for Radicals, liberals did and you are surely amongst them. By the way, guests are on the Fox News shows at the courtesy of the show. If they refuse to answer questions, try to sell their agenda or otherwise obfuscate, they deserve to be shut down.
And if you think that stuff doesn’t go on at other stations, you are seriously blinded by your ideology.
@Jim Granelli, a beacon of integrity.
Who the HELL are you to lecture me on integrity? You are the one making a personal attack while hiding behind a computer screen. That itself is cowardly and shows a lack of integrity.
You do not personally know me and you have no proof that I am dishonest.
@ How much is Vin paying.
I SERIOUSLY hope you are not inferring that I or Art are taking money to give Vin publicity, because the only publicity he is getting is bad publicity showing that he is a fraud.
And, that you think Vin is insignificant, you are really behind the times. He is the
leader of a political party in the county. People SHOULD know that he is a fraud.
@ Name (required) said at 6:32 pm on January 13th, 2015:
Boy, this comment takes the grand prize
“Granelli your nothing but a lying fool who looks like an ass for everyone to see.”
A) you don’t know the backslaps I have been getting for posting this
B) I dare you to have the gonads to make yourself public so that I can send you the proof.
But you won’t because you are a coward, because you don’t want to see the truth. As a matter of fact, I dare ANYONE of you to prove me wrong, or a liar, or that I lack integrity.
It isn’t the best of times for me moneywise since Hurricane Sandy, but $500 to the favorite charity of someone that can do that.
I can make that bet because I know I won’t have to pay out.
Finally,
@ anonymous
You get it. Thank you. Anonymity protects haters. And that is the sad part of all of this. But, it would be nice if more people like you had the courage to put theirbnames to things, especially positive comments such as yours. Maybe the blogosphere would be a better place because enough people drew the line.
_________
You see folks, most of you bit and proved me right. You can’t handle the truth and all you could do was respond with hate and personal attacks rather than debate the issues. Thus, your comments become meaningless because I and others that are important to me know, that the reality doesn’t match your dribble.
I NEVER expected to change your minds.
So, why did I do this?
Because I know liberals and I know how to defeat them. Expose them for the haters that they are. I rest my case because you all proved my point.
You did exactly as I expected, drawing you out and exposing your own selves as haters, liars and frauds.
The laugh is on you.
Granelli sucked you liberals right in, just like a male dog going after a dog in heat; just like a dog salivating over meat
Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Jim,
I can’t help but think a more sophisticated individual (alright, a lefty-elitist – there, I said it for you) would rightly infer satire from my post. Derision even, but “hate?” How predictably over-the-top of you.
No one except the lead-with-aggrieved right-wing of a once noble and sophisticated Party (I remember William F. Buckley with much fondness. Watching him was a staple of TV watching in my house growing up) would or could get “hate” from one word of what I wrote.
Am I surprised? Of course not. What else would or could I expect from someone who seems to have Saul Alinsky’s “rules” committed to memory?
Kathy,
You are so smarmy aren’t you, trying to dish out an insult right in the first sentence.
I never said I was a sophisticated individual, nor would I ever want to. Too many so called “sophisticated” people (AKA elites as you rightly say) are full of themselves.
But street smart I am from years and years of dealing with people in one on one situation, especially in sales. You get to know BS.
Why do we know Alinsky?
Because we see it from the left everyday, here and on the national front. We get sick of it. There is actually a version that Conservatives have created to turn the tables on anarchists.
Yet again though you side step the major issue. Enough though, I have proved my point.
@Kathy…after reading your post I was wondering if Buckley ever had Alinsky (who died aver 40 years ago) on as a guest and sure enough he did. Several clips on youtube with one here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ9Si5pkAqg
Interesting to listen to both of them in the context of 1967.