Anatomy of a Deception: How a Conservative Magazine Attempted to Discredit the Occupy Movement
In light of the story that I broke on Saturday about the role of a conservative agent provacateur in the events that disrupted the National Air and Space Museum and have been used by its reports in attempts to discredit and malign the Occupy movement and in particular the Occupy D.C. protesters I have written a follow up story that engages in a detailed analysis of the report of Patrick Howley published originally on the front page of The American Spectator.
I would like to invite everyone here to read my column and commentary and critically evaluate and discuss both it and the events and publications that it addresses.
I believe that the acts of Patrick Howley are of a significant enough nature to warrant a national, coordinated, and collective action to seek justice for those innocent individuals victimized in the chaos that derived from his actions, appropriate responses to the actions of the security forces (including recognizing that there was a legitimate cause for their actions - but their reactions and their use of pepper-spray were not the appropriate response - as well as escalated out of control), and most importantly to hold Patrick Howley and The American Spectator to account for their actions and activities.
I believe a careful reading of the story originally published by Howley and the Specator, and particularly in light of their later attempts to revise, then hide, and then revise again to try and re-write history and seek to avoid culpability, present sound and convincing evidence that criminal activity involving at minimum Patrick Howley occurred with serious and significant consequences for others and that, at minimum, there is also a degree of legal liability that must be assumed by his employer and publisher.
A formal investigation should be held into this matter and into the role of the Spectator itself in promoting and and endorsing these activities.
We have learned what collective and coordinated action here at DailyKos and using the tools of the internet and social media are capable of in both the exposure and pressure associated with the two incidents of abuse of force and use of pepper-spray by the NYPD and in the national exposure of the role of an ideological agent provacateur from a well-funded Conservative entity in the D.C. protests and this incident.
I propose that WE - as a national community (and starting with a cooperative effort of those here at DailyKos) formulate formal complaints to the appropriate authorities, spread the word about the facts known and the complaints filed, gather further evidence, and maintain pressure on those authorities (and to do so similarly with those in the NYPD) to take appropriate actions to hold those responsible in these events to account.
I look forward to critical discussion and debate and joining with others to help address the wrongs that we have all been subjected to by these acts intended to discredit our own actions as part of the 99% movement and the Occupatons taking place from Wall Street to Main Street.
Charlie
4:57 PM PT: Here is an excellent diary on what has happened in exposing this story today and yesterday.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Help keep it up to date. Let's keep the pressure on.
There is also a diary on O'Keefe showing up in NYC. Take a look:
http://www.dailykos.com/...