Nativist Letiecq Attempts to Intimidate Numerous Members of PWC Community
Just days after Help Save Manassas was classified as “an extremist organization that employs hateful rhetoric” by the Anti-Defamation League, the man responsible for earning this classification for his followers has sunk to a new low.
A private email I wrote eleven days ago found its way to Greg Letiecq, who has posted a new thread on his blog intending to intimidate and persecute, not only me, but everyone who was on the email list.
In it, I questioned the judgment of Gainesville District Supervisor John Stirrup, who tomorrow will ask his fellow Supervisors to vote to approve his appointment of Robert Duecaster to the Prince William County Strategic Goals Task Force. I have made no secret of my feelings about Duecaster’s racist writings, or his infamous outbursts before our Board of Supervisors (see previous thread). But now Letiecq is trying to intimidate and defame those who received the email (many of whom did not respond).
Supervisor Stirrup’s apparent trust in Duecaster — the only man in this county who has personally threatened the Board of Supervisors with more hatred and rage than Letiecq himself — is just one symptom of the toxicification of Prince William County at the hands of Letiecq, his blog, and his extremist organization. The Center for American Progress has documented how intimidation and incitement of racial conflict are common methods of attack for anti-immigrant organizations.
The persecution began last year, targeting the Hispanic community, though often worded to focus on “illegal” immigrants rather than the Hispanic community in general. But it did not stop when many members of the Hispanic community left the county. It did not stop when our county’s Citizen Satisfaction Survey revealed that both the Hispanic and the African American communities have lost trust in county government and the police force.
For more than a year, Letiecq has been targeting anyone who dares to oppose his relentless attempts to dominate our county government by exploiting his influence over Supervisor Stirrup and Chairman Corey Stewart. Now, he is not only targeting those who criticize him, he is targeting anyone who associates with his critics, or thinks about joining them.
Letiecq has made a habit of attacking me. But he knows I am not intimidated. He knows I will stand up to him.
Many of the those who received my personal email have not criticized Letiecq or taken any action to challenge his greed for power. By publishing their names without permission and “identifying” them, he has violated their privacy in a despicable attempt to make them appear guilty of some infraction, and bully them into silence.
I for one am not afraid of Greg Letiecq’s Neo-McCarthyism. And I am not afraid to say I oppose the appointment of Robert Duecaster to our county’s Strategic Goals Task Force. But more importantly, I oppose the persecution tactics Letiecq has employed to unduly influence this county government, its leaders, and its citizens.
P.S. Question for Greg Letiecq: Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?
Jeeze, what is this county coming to? Elena, you are one brave lady, that’s for sure. May I say brave and beautiful?
I’m beginning to understand the disease that has taken over a segment of this county. I don’t know which is more frightening, an elected offical nominating Duecaster, or this creepo Letiecq and his Witch Hunt tactics in support of that nomination.
Wow Elena. Just wow. After Greg’s machine guns and barbed wire comment at the BoCS, I didn’t realize there WAS another new low for him right around the corner. This kind of terror tactic is truly Un-American. It’s scary to know I live in the same county as such a man.
I think Greg’s scariest episode dressing in a commando outfit doing the vigilante two step at Coverstone, then threatening a police officer just for doing his job and pulling him over, oh, and for having a Hispanic sir name. Policing-while-Hispanic is not a crime, even if you pull over Mr. Letiecq. That was low. But after reading what’s on that other site, I think maybe “new low” is too nice of a word.
It’s an old tactic. God, how he lists the names as if his hate group disciples are now supposed to zero in on them. Attention disciples: the following people are to be hated immiediately. GregL is slimy as all get out.
On those videos Duecaster made some very offensive comments. It leads one to ponder what he says in private. I find it hard to believe that Greg doesn’t understand why someone might have concerns about this guy
It’s all a game now to him. It’s “us vs. them”. No matter what you do, as long as you’re classified as “them”, he’ll do anything to insult you.
So, someone in your inner circle is a spy for the other. Now who could that be? Remember, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean someone isn’t out to get you!
El Guapo,
This site initiated the us versus them, remember? Anti-BVBL, ring a bell.
Witch Hunt,
Such Drama!!
So let me get this straight. After carrying out a year long campaign of character assassinations on members of the BOCS, and telling them that they made a terribly bad decision in voting unanimously for a resolution partially authored by Mr. Duecaster, you now are going to tell them that they are about to make an even worse decision on placing Mr. Duecaster on a committee. Yeah, I’m sure you’ll have a great deal of influence in their decision making process! Don’t hold your breath.
Have you seen this? Obama Waffles. Republicans digging their own grave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai6b6QPLXtI&feature=related
This is getting ugly. It’s a big flame war being played out.
I can see how each side thinks they are fighting hard but fair, how each is reacting to what they don’t like about the other and mirroring the behavior they decry. Each side has rational points to make and each side is engaged in personal attacks.
In the end I think maybe the worse thing Greg did was posting people’s e-mails addresses.
I do think this is mostly a tempest in a teapot, I’m not going to lose sleep over it, but it’s getting very personal and somewhat absurd.
Rick,
How am I engaged in personal attacks? I have NEVER stood before the the board and attacked anyone except the hate rhetoric they espoused. Is ADL also being unfair? At what point is pointing out outrageous behavior that affects the public policy of my county fair game?
This is absolutely INSANE!!
This whole thing started a year ago. It started out with just wanting to do something about the presence of ilegal aliens. Now, a year later…anyone and everyone who’s not marching to HSM drum is under attack. This so SICKENING to me as a native of this county.
What we have here ladies and gentleman, is just bullying like a kid a on a playground. This has all completely out hand. We have some in our county that want to add to the burden by FOIA’ing everything under the sun. Hell, I will NOT email any county office anymore, because I do not want my personal thoughts and concerns to any county office, official, etc. to be investigating by those wanting to be the “thought police”. I no longer contact them via email. I hope folks realize this does NOT promote a happy, health or safe attitude within our county.
All of this crap just needs to stop! Enough is enough.
I’m sure you think you’re acting decently enough and I don’t doubt that GL thinks he is also.
There is no consensus on where to draw the line between public actions or positions and personal info and you guys (on both sides) have been making things personal.
You (this site) went after Duecaster very hard and even to the point of soliciting for blog quotes. is it justified? To you it is, to GL maybe it’s vicious. I’m not here to castigate you. I am going to tell you though that I think the whole thing, while more silly than scary I think, is very silly at this point. You guys really infiltrate HSM meetings?
Byler and Park I have more of an issue with. I guess Michael Moore is their inspiration. Intellectual dishonesty in the guise of documentarianism.
I’ll say this – I can see why you think he’s a thug. But he aspires to doing exactly what he’s doing, using the Internet to curb what he probably sees as leftist bullying. Just as Byler and Park do what they do, for their own personal reasons.
So, when you trash someone on your blog, you are expressing “concerns”. When Greg trashes someone on his blog, he is trying to “intimidate” you. Oh, that is rich. “Whoa is me. I decided to get into the ring and take a few jabs at Greg. Now I am mad because he has decided to hit back. How unfair. How mean. How…nativist.”
And before your regular defenders start jumping all over me, I don’t see a nickel’s worht of difference between the posters over there, and the posters over here. Also, I don’t see much difference between the conduct of the administration of both blogs. About the only thing that I see is that Greg calls for enforcing the law, and you all call for ignoring the law for whatever particular agenda you serve.
Rick,
I hardly think you can say Alanna(one person) atttending an HSM meeting is infiltraiting. Remember, HSM meetings are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. And furthermore, HSM members have even invitited as if a dare for posters on here to come to a meeting. Now, is that really infiltraiting, Rick.
I really think the personal attacks started with the “fat broads” comments, myself. I don’t think anyone should be making such demeaning personal comments.
In all honesty, I think all sides are acting on what “they” believe is right.
Greg is blind to bigotry, and he demands the Board of Supervisors be that way too. He doesn’t even recognize that average citizens also cringe at the way Duecaster screams at the Supervisors, saying if they do anything to touch his “Resolution” he will direct the hatred in his heart at THEM instead of the “hordes outside your door.”
I agree with Chris, who should know, by the way, because she once was caught up in it all. It’s a game to Greg, he has his team, which includes Duecaster, and he doesn’t want anyone getting in his way by questioning the beliefs, which certainly seem to be extreme and hateful toward certain groups.
Greg is blind to bigotry. And he wants the county to be that way too.
“This is getting ugly. It’s a big flame war being played out.
I can see how each side thinks they are fighting hard but fair, how each is reacting to what they don’t like about the other and mirroring the behavior they decry. Each side has rational points to make and each side is engaged in personal attacks.
In the end I think maybe the worse thing Greg did was posting people’s e-mails addresses.
I do think this is mostly a tempest in a teapot, I’m not going to lose sleep over it, but it’s getting very personal and somewhat absurd.”
Very, very wise words. I agree. Both sides are equally guilty in keeping up the antagonism. You want to attack one of his, he is going to attack some of yours.
Ed, there are no thought police on this blog. We have criticized people who stood before the Board of Supervisors and made threats at them. And we have challenged people who came here and posted racist comments. But we have never attacked people who didn’t SAY ANYTHING, based on something we know they probably READ.
That. Is. Frightening.
This is way beyond disgusting.
Question for all ya’ll history buffs. When anti-immigrant hate groups targeted the Italians, the Irish, the Chinese, and the Jews, did they also attack those who stood up to defend them?
Did they also attack those who tried to defend the honor of our democracy and what it stands for? Did they attack people who read newsletters printed by those defenders?
I could tell you all about the persecution faced by the early Abolitionists.
Since you raise that point NGL I see myself as against slavery and those who apologize for illegal immigration as moving us towards a continent of haves and have-nots, a virtual slavery.
Certainly, we are well within our rights to oppose any appointment. Denying an appointment has not traditionally been done but it’s not unprecedented.
Fighting this appointment is an uphill battle, but so what? He needs to be opposed and not for some stupid Goldwater quote. There’s enough wacky statements from this guy to concern any reasonable thinking person. So, we’ll see what happens but at a minimum our opposition will be noted.
Thank you for all your hard work and for not giving up!
You have many people who support your work.
HSM’s own code states “I will endeavor to responsibly engage in the ongoing public dialog on issues related to illegal immigration.” This is obviously not something they do. What kind of person advocates barbed wire and machine gune turrents as a way to deal with anything?
Folks,
HSM does use intimidation tactics against anyone who disagrees with them. I sent an e-mail to the President of HSM and the VP regarding an observation I had made at the PW Co Fair last year. We exchanged several e-mails and then I received this e-mail. I have shared this before. In addition, I have removed the e-mail addresses from the content. Pay particular attention to the 3rd paragraph.
From: Steve Thomas
Date: 2007/08/17 Fri PM 04:34:02 CDT
To: Marie Aylesworth
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Concern About The Group
Ms. Aylesworth,
Please accept my apologies for my previous misspelling of your name. No
disrespect intended.
While I appreciate your clarification, I again will have to restate my
policy of non-engagement with illegal alien apologists.
As is my duty and function within HSM, I have done some checking as to who
you are, and what you do for a living. As someone who works in Social
Services I can appreciate the liberal point-of-view that you have, when
approaching the illegal alien issue. As someone who is a City employee, and
not an elected official, I commend your bravery in taking a stand on this
issue, albeit, in my opinion, on the wrong side.
Again, I must say that we will never agree, nor will we be able to convince
the other that their logic is flawed. This issue will be settled through the
democratic exercise of political power. This is the American way. The fact
that 73% of Americans feel as we do, convinces me that we are on the right
side of the issue. Therefore, a debate with you would be pointless.
Arguments such as “this is a Federal issue” are being rejected by citizens
every day, or haven’t you been keeping up with current events? I am only
being considerate and respectful of your time, and wouldn’t want you wasting
it trying to convince HSM that we are misguided.
So why don’t we agree to disagree? Let us settle this in the public forum,
shall we, and make this our last private communication.
Best Regards,
Steve Thomas
What gave them a right to check my background?????
This may go without saying, but Greg is often inaccurate when he writes his blog threads. This case is no different.
He is misremembering perhaps, but he is most certainly mistaken when he claims that Annabel stated we were making a film for Korean Americans only. I have the conversation on tape, so I expect he’ll drop this one.
During our first interview, I mentioned that we have a lot of Asian American viewers, and asked him to comment on Pat Buchannan’s essay blaming legal immigration, in this case Korean immigration, for the Virginia Tech murders.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200705010008
(For the record, Greg strongly denounced Buchannan’s sentiments.)
Also, I apologize for forwarding the email without removing the names of senders and recipients. There is not a “spy” among the three people I sent it to. One of them mistakenly thought it was a “forward it to everyone” email and sent it his list, which is extensive.
Elena, I commend you for your courage. Bloggers, I thank you for your insights. The situation may look ugly today, but I need not remind you it was much uglier a year ago when your perspective was being censored or not expressed at all.
Greg, I’m sorry we’ve run afoul, I truly am. But I feel a duty to put the truth out there. We have not posted a single video that contained something that did not happen. I can’t say the same for your writing.
Steve Thomas frequently posts on Andy Harrover’s blog – My Side of the Fence, he was a former officer in Help Save Manassas. These folks believe intimidation is an acceptable form of doing buisness. And it’s very brave of you to step forward Marie.
“We have not posted a single video that contained something that did not happen.”
Oh come on. Your bias, displayed in editing and shaping, could not be more evident.
Marie,
Thank you very much for reposting this email from Mr. T.
I wonder if they would like if a private citizen were to do a “background check” on them?
Rick,
You are very good about answering questions. Did you not see my question to you about infiltraiting the OPEN TO THE PUBLIC HSM meetings? I’m not trying to be a pest here. I am very curious as to your opinion on this. I do like your willingness to challenge both sides at times.
Bring it On,
Mr. T’s really no longer a board member of HSM? Please, do tell.
I came to this immigration issue as a person who grew up in the 50s/60s South and witnessed discrimination – even in such minor daily actions as drinking from separate water fountains or using the restroom. Does that sound like the fear some posters on BVBL have of some ESOL students leaving germs in the classrooms? I was a Yankee in the South, a girl in math and science classes, an FBI agent’s daughter during the rough of it. It gave me another perspective – that of questioning stereotyping and discrimination where I saw it.
I read the early BVBL when it was mainly political infighting over Republican candidates for office. It sounded too nutty for me and I didn’t return to reading it until the immigration debate roiled over and Nick Miroff wrote his article on Letiecq for the WaPo. Since it appeared to be the only blog covering local politics, I contributed. My opinion was censored so I took my concerns about PWC issues to email with the BOCS as I will continue to do. (And I welcome this blog as an alternative for those whose voices were silenced.)
For me, the immigration issue is one best solved federally because I believe our federal laws should be uniformily applied across the country. We should not have a hodge-podge of differing statutes but a reasonable national immigration policy. I think immigration quotas should be increased to a realistic level, citizenship should be given to self-supporting people who have been in this country for 5-10 years, paid taxes, obeyed the laws, and can pass background checks. The borders shouldn’t be a sieve, but ,realistically, people are going to have to decide how much they’re willing to pay for the technology and fence to close them. And recognize that many undocumented people arrive here by plane.
It’s my personal opinion that PWC’s adoption of the immigration resolution was a costly mistake. I’ll give the BOCS members the benefit of the doubt about thinking that the emails in support of it originated with their constituents although we now know that not to be the case. The resolution has divided the county in a way that was unnecessary, has cost too many of our tax dollars in a tight economy, and made us appear as an example of extremism not just locally but nationally. The problems some residents faced should have been addressed by an increase in Neighborhood Services staff. The person who set in motion this fiscal and social fiasco, Robert Duecaster, has now been suggested for an appointment to PWC’s Strategic Goals Task Force. The person who failed to have the foresight to envision the mess and expense which he brought to our county, our neighborhoods, our homes, is now being rewarded with a chance to determine our future. This is a nomination I’m proud to oppose. Greg’s plastering of my name on his blog won’t intimidate me. It’s merely indicative of his attempt to silence private citizens who have opinions unlike his.
The have’s and have not’s are not based on skin color in this day an age, Rick. The problem is created by an invisible factor known as documentation status. I certainly don’t want this inequity to continue. I’m glad you do not also. Prince William County has proven, if nothing else, how costly it is when you try to forcibly remove large numbers of people at tax payer expense. So, unless we want the nation to endure the same chaos and racial tension we’ve seen in this county over the past year plus, we’ve got to agree on a solution that assimilates undocumented immigrants into society. This means some form of legalization, and both your Presidential choices favor it, along with the majority of the American people. Are you with us?
Nope. Give Amnesty and you invite YET ANOTHER wave in – the line has to be drawn somewhere, I favor drawing it where we can preseve decent wages and standards of living for American citizens.
Chris – are the meetings open to anyone? I’m really not sure. I would have guessed they were open to anyone who had joined or thought they might be interested in joining – or was pretending to.
Eric B – you came and shot an HSM meeting and selectively edited to make us look foolish. You could have more easily edited the footage of Chief Deane to make him look like a buffoon – or should I say, amplified and condensed his natural buffoonery. Frankly, that’s what i would have done with the footage.
When you pan your camera around, I’m visible in your footage and I don’t really like that. I don’t know the details but my sense is that you pulled a “Borat” on us.
Thank you, Censored. You bring such balance and logic each time you post.
I must say I whole heartedly agree with you as one who also witnessed “white only” drinking fountains and rest rooms, blacks having to go to the back of the bus, white restaurants not allowing entrance through the front door. Blacks had to get food at the back door. As a child and a teenager who grew up in Virginia, I always wondered why. Many of the same things the Duecaster’s echo the words of the past and sound very familiar to me. I could not understand it then and can not understand it now.
But my point was that Greg’s attempt to persecute those who disagree with him reminds me of darker days in American history. Hate groups have always gotten a head start on the rest of society for obvious reasons. We just want to live and let live. But once it has happened that a hateful mob has transformed a community into an unwelcome and divisive place, there have always been ordinary citizens ready to stand up to them. Those ordinary citizens, including the early Abolitionists, are the one with the fortitude to stand up for the ideals our country was founded upon. Those who sought to oppress them? Not so much.
I decry racism. I think though that in the last 40 years we’ve been training ourselves so hard not to be racist that we’ve veered away from common sense and are now self-immolating.
The Rule of Law is not racist and national sovereignty is not racist.
Ugh. Rick, stop with the Chief Deane attacks. You really do reflect badly on your organization when you do that.
Rick, the footage you refer to doesn’t make the regular citizens look bad. It may be bad for some of the speakers but they chose to use those words. Steve Thomas chose to use that music. Much of the footage is one party’s sloganeering before elections. I imagine many of the citizens were merely there to hear the candidates.
I think even Letiecq had no problem with the coverage until his Gospel Greg routine fell flat with his audience.
Bring It On
I do not think I am brave I just I refuse to be intimidated. I responded to him by saying something to this effect:
Just because I am an employee of the City does not mean that I do not have rights to express my opinion. Since I am a City employee, I have never come out in a public forum to express any views I have politically. Since your organization is not a City operated or funded organization, I felt comfortable in expressing my views to you and your leadership. Because I am a Social Services employee do not assume that I am a liberal.
Thomas and his use of the music was always good-natured and humorous, obviously having more to do with his personality and background than the issue itself.
The meeting is one thing – the selectively edited footage is another.
Rick, but Thomas apparently didn’t research – or was oblivious to – the choice of Wagner.
How would you edit the sheer volume of footage that 9500liberty has?
“Thank you very much for reposting this email from Mr. T.
I wonder if they would like if a private citizen were to do a “background check” on them?”
A friendly word of caution Chris. If my understanding of your past relationship with HSM is accurate, and history any indication of how they might react to a threat like this from you, you might be inviting someone to start trashing you. Afterall, I am sure that during your time with that organization, you must have made comments that might be embarrassing today. Everyone has “dirt” in their background. You must have had relationships with members that you’d prefer to distance yourself from, conversationsyou had, trusts that were are perceived violated when you left the organization. If you truely want this rancor stopped, then you should call for both sides to cease-and-desist, not throw out suggestions that these preople engage in the same tactics you decry. In doing so, you become part of the problem. Very, very hypocritical. I have yet to see someone from the organization publically trash you for leaving. Can you say the same? If “Mr. T” has chosen to walk away, then why not respect that decision. Hasn’t the organization respected yours? Maybe he has left, or maybe he hasn’t, but you have all noted his absence of late. Why is that important to you? If he has, let him. If he hasn’t, why poke a bear?
On the email that Marie has posted on occasion. Maybe I am missing something. Was this posted on a public forum by anyone but her? Did the HSM crowd try to get her fired? That would indicate that it was a threat. What I see is someone responding to an email sent by Marie, and in very respectful language says:
I know who you are, and I see where your point-of-view comes from, and I respect your opinion .
I don’t think we can come to any agreement, because our points-of-view are polar-opposite.
Let’s agree to disagree and move on.
Perhaps a bit cocky, but not dismissive, and certainly not disrespectful. If there is a threat in there, I don’t see it.
People, if you EVER want to have a positive impact on this debate, you need to take a higher road. Engaging in the same tactics you complain about will get you no where. Have you ever even offerred to engage Greg in a direct conversation and work out your differences?
Rick,
I disagree with you. The Rule of Law in its purest form is not racist but the Rule of Law Resolution crafted by the BOCS was clearly an attempt to target Hispanics. Listen to their rhetoric. They never mention any population of people.
Sorry,
They never mention any other population of people.
Ed,
It was the fact that they checked into my background. They had no earthly right to do so. You do not call that intimidation or at least trying to intimidate?? I posted the e-mail so that others might see that they members of HSM sometimes use less than honorable tactics.
As far as I know I am the only one who posted their response to my e-mails to them. I did have an opportunity to talk with Greg L. earlier this year about the background check and told him I did not appreciate it.
I am not at all comfortable castigating someone for playing Wagner. i think that when you get to that point you should step back, take a look at yourself, and try to mellow out a bit.
(Even at that, the music is best known for the scene in “Apocalypse Now” [“I love the smell of napalm in the morning”] and I would think this is why he referenced it, nothing to do with Germany much less Naziism).
(Research that).
Marie – most illegal aliens in our region are Hispanic. Because of geographical proximity this is where they’re coming from and this is the border we need to seal. But make no mistake – me and everyone I ever talked to in or out of HSm on this issue wants to treat ALL ETHNICITIES THE SAME.
What’s happening is a Rorscach (sic) test for people. is the anger over illegal immigration caused by panic about hispanics, or not? Well I think it’s primarily “not”.
Ed,
BTW I am retired now so I feel I can express my views under my own name and openly. I could have expressed my views all along because of my 1st amendment rights. I chose not to because I would never have wanted to do anything as a City employee that might give the appearance of disrespect for the City Manager or City Council.
Rick,
You are assuming Greg has a conscience. I am not so sure he does. He repeatedly takes a shred of truth and spins a cocoon of lies about that shred in order to assassinate the character of someone he deems an enemy (which is everyone who doesn’t think like him or do his bidding.)
HSM has invited people to join them for meetings. They have almost dared people to come to one.
Rick,
It is about the dignity of ALL human beings for me. I have said it before and I will say it again. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect whether it is you, me or an “illegal”.