BBQ/work party
According to Mike, a work party/BBQ to help with long-neglected home projects is forming up for the first weekend in February. If you’re near Pinson, Alabama, or have construction skills, a strong back, and are able to travel, this might be a great event for you. And certainly for Mike and Rosey.
David’s fundraising plea
David Codrea also clarifies issues related to his fundraising pleas for Mike — and gives righteous hell to a few yammerheads.
Seems there are some who, rather than helping Mike, prefer to sit at their keyboards and make unhelpful suggestions. I haven’t personally seen the comments in question. But apparently the theme is: gee, if Mike would just put up a few Internet ads or if he had just (past tense) dropped the Fast & Furious scandal and instead pushed his novel harder, he’d be rolling in dough now and wouldn’t have to rely on donations. (Because you know, everybody who self-publishes freedom novels makes a bazillion dollars, and slapping ads on a blog is a guaranteed way to riches.)
Now I’ll stipulate that there are a lot of people who have perfectly good reasons not to help Mike. If you’re poor, if you’re not a gun-rights person, if you don’t agree with Mike’s radical stances, if Mike is somebody who’s barely on your radar, fine. You owe him nothing. But for people who read his prolific Sipsey Street Irregulars blog and who followed where Mike led now to spout economic nonsense solely as a way to avoid being useful to a dying man and his wife … well, that is just BS. Pernicious, vicious, lazy, economically ignorant BS.
I’m glad I haven’t seen that stuff personally — and the people spouting it should be glad I haven’t because I’d be even less nice about it than David.
Living Freedom readers (and BHM readers in general) tend to be a very positive, helpful, “do-er” bunch. People who make their best effort to live by their convictions. Useless yammerheads don’t find this place very attractive. Thank heaven. I am very, very fortunate to be part of this community. I’m also rather spoiled to be in such company and I forget what much of the rest of the ‘Net is like. Filled with petty bickering by people who pretend that typing and clicking is a revolutionary act. And who don’t know one damned thing about the economic realities for those of us who seriously attempt to earn our keep while promoting freedom.
I expected to see David’s fundraising appeal spread like kudzu through the gunblogosphere immediately after he posted it. That hasn’t happened. Only a few gun blogs have picked it up and David reports he’s also not getting a lot of response on social media. That’s shameful. Especially considering Mike’s prominence, tireless work, and huge importance within the gun-rights community and the freedomista resistance. (And the fact that the man is dying of cancer, you yammering morons!)
So please, if you do nothing else, help spread the word about the fundraiser and the work party via your blogs, email lists, and social media accounts. Thank you for that. And thank you for not being the all-too-common keyboard kommandos and worthless yammerheads that infest so much of the ‘Net.
Very little traffic to the repost of David’s plea at The Price of Liberty. And yes, that’s a darn shame. Trying to figure out what else I can do with it.
I’ve pondered my own lack of enthusiasm on this issue. On the one hand Vanderboegh is on the side of the angels and I don’t have a thing against him. On the other, I’ve never really been a fan. I think of the militia thing as something people grow out of with more information and experience. All the threeper feuds leave me completely cold, and he really lost me with that “break their windows” nonsense five years ago. That bit of advice lost him what little respect I’d held till then.
Back to the first hand, I don’t want him dying alone in the cold. So I guess I should at least pass on the contact information.
I don’t agree with everything Mike says or does either, especially all of the “constitution” nonsense. He and I have had occasional strained communications in email over the years. But the thing is that he puts his neck out, again and again, boots on the ground and making waves to help others improve their understanding and situations, even when THEY don’t totally agree.
There isn’t ever going to be a 100% consensus on what needs to be done, or how to go about it. Probably lucky to get 3% all together in one camp. That means all the different camps need to take a hard look at their priorities and methods, and find a way to negotiate and live in peace with each other. If any one camp just has to “win,” everyone of us will eventually lose. The self appointed overlords will be delighted to sweep up the pieces and continue to control everything they possibly can.
As I’ve told David Codrea and Mike, I plan on being there, with work gloves on and a truck full of tools. I’m < 2 hours away. It's the least we can do, for all Mike has taught us, and all he has done for the cause of liberty.
Thank you, Backwoods Engineer! Excellent deed.
Oh, and you also bring up a much-needed point. Everybody: Mike should know in advance (to whatever extent possible) who is coming that weekend and what they’re bringing in the way of tools, food, whatever so he and Rosey can plan. Although nothing’s been said, I also expect that the volunteers/party-goers should expect to take care of their own overnight accommodations and most all of their own needs so as not to overload the Vanderboeghs.
Thanks, ML for spreading the word, and you, too, Joel even if you do it with curmudgeonly reluctance. 🙂
David also has some other suggestions for those attending — and those who can’t but would like to be there in spirit.
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2016/01/many-hands-make-light-work.html
“If you’re poor, if you’re not a gun-rights person, if you don’t agree with Mike’s radical stances…”
I’m poor, I AM a “gun-rights person”, I don’t agree with his less-than radical stances (the truly radical ones, I’m fine with), but I tried to help. It’s amazing how silent people can be when there’s a concrete way to help.
Beautifully done, Kent. A great example of how we can disagree heartily and still be grateful to someone like Mike. Thank you for the blog. And thank you for contributing despite your own money woes.
Although I’m not that familiar with Mike and his work, I felt moved to help. My small gift will be in tomorrow morning’s mail. Thanks, Claire, for being our conscience.
I am also poor and unable to attend the work party in February But was able to put my widows mite (widowers mite? I’m neither so it doesn’t matter does it?) in the USPS on Monday morn addressed to M&R Vanderboegh. I am hoping that they receive it shortly.
I wish them all the best and a smooth transition if that is what is to happen. Remission would be nice but …
On a side note: I attempted to leave a post at David’s site and could not get his website to let me post anything.
I use NoScript and have become very spoiled in not having a couple dozen scripts running in the background using up my 28 Kbps dial-up bandwidth.
I, because of being spoiled I suppose, do not let scripts run unless I know what, who, why and so forth. As a result I was unable to let David know of my admiration for his involvement and that I had indeed responded with my small pittance.
Like you Claire I do not understand those who, apparently, feel that demeaning someone online increases their stature or importance.
I would not make a very good “blogger” as I tend to not suffer fools and would probably chase off any legitimate readers with my tirades.
stay safe
Thank you, LBS and capn. You are good people who don’t need me or anybody else to be your consciences, though I thank you for the compliment, LBS.
I don’t mean or want to guilt-trip anybody into helping Mike and I hope no one feels that way. As David said, the appeal is addressed to those who consider themselves Mike’s friends, to those who know they’ve benefitted by Mike’s work.
My greatest _personal_ benefit from having read what Mike has written lies in the chapters of Absolved that he released. I am devastated that he apparently will never complete the book. It would be a fitting epitaph for Mike if Rosey were to find an author (indie, preferably) whose writing ran in the same line/genre as Mike who could tie it all together and finish it, published in his honor.
I am certain there are many such as I who would pay $50 for a copy, in the knowledge that it would also provide some helpful income for Rosey. I wrote as much to Mike in an email, but never received an answer. Hopefully, it might have still given him thought of doing something like I suggested to help provide for her after he has passed.
Nonetheless, I will send what I can afford along separately from what I would love to pay for a final copy of a completed Absolved.
He does want to try to complete the book, RegT. One idea behind the work party and the donations is to enable him to work on that and other freedom projects and not have to try to spend his last energies worrying about fixing bad roofs, decaying decks and so on for Rosey. So thank you for helping!
However, freedom books are largely losing propositions. Or if they don’t outright lose money, they at least earn at such a trickle that they don’t seem worthwhile. Barring some real miracle, I can guarantee you that no freedomista novel is likely to “provide for” any widow. While a few devotees might be willing to pay a high price for it, others will demand $1.99 Kindle versions only or will outright pirate the thing and see that everyone except Mike and Rosey benefits because “information wants to be free.”