By David M. Greenwald
Executive Editor
Davis, CA – I really was hoping not to have to do another column on the local Moms for Liberty, but unfortunately, I feel that the tactics by the local leadership continue to escalate matters into rather dangerous territory.
Several people wrote to the Vanguard late last night, expressing alarm at the latest social media post by Beth Bourne.
Bourne posted a response to my column yesterday in the comments of the article. That’s certainly her prerogative. I was prepared to agree and disagree.
However, she then wrote, “I’ve also included the names of the 900 plus people in this town who believe it’s okay to tell children that their biological reality means nothing.”
Ominously she adds, “DJUSD counselors and teachers to be listed tomorrow.”
As one person responded, she going to “dox the whole town.”
Several people wrote me concerned now for the safety of the group listed—particularly teachers and faculty and DJUSD, some of whom have already been personally targeted in bomb threats.
Coming off a month where there were six bomb threats in the community, such rhetoric is irresponsible. Moreover, as we have seen, the tactics, rather than engendering support from those in the middle in the community, has actually pushed more and more people to take a stand such as signing onto the letter.
A VICE article from last week noted, “Almost a dozen schools or school districts contacted by VICE News reported a surge in bomb threats and harassment following” by Libs of Tiktok.
The publication notes, “At least eleven schools or school districts that were targeted by the account ‘Libs of TikTok’ over anti-LGBTQ grooming conspiracies last month received bomb threats just days later. “
They later note that “bomb threats targeting schools or school districts following Libs of TikTok posts appears to be a particularly ominous escalation.”
VICE noted DJUSD among the 12: “Davis Joint Unified School District in California was targeted in two separate Libs of TikTok posts on September 19 and 22, and received bomb threats on September 20 and September 25. On both occasions, the threats indicated that bombs had been placed at the homes of school district officials and in certain schools in the district. The threats caused both schools to delay start times so police could search for possible explosive devices.”
Just as is the case in Davis, it is unclear that if the threats are directly linked to Libs of TikTok. But the pattern should be concerning, which is why the Vanguard has several times called for a de-escalation of tactics.
“This flurry of threats against school districts that were spotlighted by Libs of TikTok coincides with a more general surge in threats, bomb hoaxes and swatting calls against schools,” VICE writes. “While schools were unable to say for certain whether the threats they received were linked to Libs of TikTok, citing ongoing police investigations, many noted that the level of threat received was highly unusual.”
They add, “Some of those who were targeted by Libs of TikTok in September who didn’t receive bomb threats instead reported vicious harassment, doxxing, and intimidation.”
All of this ties back to what is occurring in Davis. While I continue to believe that the overall tactics of Bourne and Moms for Liberty in Davis have failed to generate support for their agenda, the risk of more threats and violence cannot be so easily ignored.
With her latest social media post, Bourne is treading back into risky grounds.
In September, Chief Darren Pytel warned, “Although there is currently no evidence pointing to any involvement between local members and the threats, the correlation between the two cannot be ignored as part of the overall criminal investigations.”
Chief Pytel specifically singled out social media posts where individuals were essentially gaslighted.
He warned of “some of the local social media postings affecting the community that may constitute criminal doxing (threats or harassing communication via communications including social media).”
Certainly that includes naming 900 individuals on social media as believing it’s “okay to tell children that their biological reality means nothing.” Not to me, she alleges they believe “that you should be silenced if you are a parent who believes kids can’t consent to drugs that sterilize them and permanent surgeries that remove healthy body parts.”
In September, Pytel warned, “We will continue to work with the District Attorney to determine whether there is criminal culpability and take appropriate action if there is. Regardless, there is no place for the type of toxic communication that is occurring.”
These warnings apparently were ignored. It will be interesting to see if Chief Pytel and the DA’s office opt to take a stronger stance.
We are witnessing nothing less than the Republican democracy-busting authoritarian takeover of the entire United States. Republicans would like nothing better than to turn liberal cities such as Davis in to bastions of ultraconservatism. They will do so by hook or crook. Since they realize Republicans can’t takeover Davis through free and fair elections, they have now resorted to sinister tactics. I would not count on District Attorney Reisig to do much if anything. He may well sympathize with the Moms for Liberty. He has been used as a Republican mouthpiece on conservative Fox News on more than 1 occasion.
They have already corruptly turned the US Supreme Court in to a center of ultraconservative power. They are slowly doing the same at the local, state and federal government levels.
The DavisVanguard provides an amazing service to the community with the comments section- it allowing Mom’s for Liberty folks a place to post their views and have them critiqued, have a give and take. And anyone who might be triggered can avoid.
M4L can’t honestly accuse the community of censorious behavior.
People can all now see them talk, unmediated by reporter’s summations. And people can form their our own opinions.
Vanguard shines a light on these few small dark corners in Davis to drive out the darkness.
I link to this article with robust dialog.
https://davisvanguard.org/2023/10/commentary-moms-for-liberty-have-failed-politics-101/
Digging through the mountain of political rhetoric–which only confuses and deflects from the main concern of public safety and security–I have to openly wonder if criminal charges are the most appropriate response to this persistent scourge to our community.
First, full disclosure and disclaimer. I’m not an attorney at law, and while I can talk all day about criminal law and tactics, my knowledge of civil law could barely fit into a thimble.
If we have reached a point of community intolerance where the full power of our local court system needs to be activated, the DA could file a civil suit against the Mom’s for Liberty. County prosecutors in similar affected counties could unite in a class action suit, with a plaintiff witness list that would comprise hundreds.
The burden of proof is much higher in a criminal prosecution. The cost to a defendant to respond to a protracted civil suit is astronomical as shown in civil suit defendants begging for money at the national political stage. Negotiated settlements are a staple of our entire judicial system, but more so in civil suits, which seldom reach trial stage.
In general, I probably agree with you. However, where I think the chief and others are concerned is the linkage between doxing – ie gaslighting community members leading then to bomb and other threats. For example, if another threat occurs this week, I think the case for legal intervention gets strengthened. If nothing happens, then likely, nothing will happen on that front.