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MRA Jack Barnes is trying to silence me with increasingly explicit threats

Jack Barnes, in a screenshot of one of his YouTube videos
Jack Barnes, in a screenshot from one of his YouTube videos

Jack Barnes, the notoriously hotheaded Men’s Rights Activist and longtime contributor to A Voice for Men, has escalated his attacks on me. In a post on AVFM, Barnes addressed me directly:

I’m a junkyard dog with no owner and no collar. …

Didn’t anyone ever tell you that you shouldn’t piss off a redheaded country boy from the backwoods of Tennessee? I promise you David that for the rest of your life there will be nights you cry yourself to sleep in anger and frustration over me.

In a followup post on TwitLonger, someone claiming to be Barnes — and it seems abundantly clear that it is in fact him — threatened to drive from Tennessee to Chicago to confront me in

a face to face in person discussion … No cops. No lawyers or prosecutors. No judges. No jury. No hiding behind a computer. Just me and you. …

I don’t know of any parent that would blame me for stomping a mud hole in your fucking ass and walking that motherfucker dry for what you have done!

What I have done is, in fact, nothing — nothing beyond letting the world know of some of the disturbing things Barnes has posted online.

But as Barnes sees it, I am responsible for putting his family in danger. How? Well, not long ago, someone apparently doxed Barnes, posting personal information about Barnes and his family on Twitter.

Of course, I had nothing to do with the doxing and only learned about it later from an AVFM video. I don’t know who did it, and I have publicly condemned it several times.

I will condemn it again, right here: the doxing of Jack Barnes and his family was wrong and a deeply shitty thing to do; whoever did it is a shithead and no friend of mine.

But Barnes is convinced one of my “cult followers” did the deed and bluntly warns me that ” I hold you personally responsible for this occurring.”

Even though I did not dox him, don’t know who doxed him, did not tell anyone to dox him, and have publicly denounced doxing in general and the doxing of Barnes and his family specifically.

The TwitLonger post declares:

You have crossed a line David. This is no longer about the MHRM vs feminism. This is no longer about AVFM, which I have no affiliation with, and your website. This is no longer about Paul Elam publisher of AVFM vs you as publisher of your website. You have made this personal. This is now about me vs you.
I don’t care that your little cult follower doxxed me. But when he/she doxxed my wife and little girl it became personal.

The author of the TwitLonger post, almost certainly Barnes himself, says that he will only come to Chicago for the promised “face to face in person discussion” if his family members come to harm.

But I do not have the luxury of seeing the threats as conditional ones. There are no conditions listed when he writes:

I don’t know of any parent that would blame me for stomping a mud hole in your fucking ass and walking that motherfucker dry for what you have done! Hell, I bet even Gondi would be like “he did what to you family? Fuck him up!

He is not saying that he would only be justified in “stomping a mud hole in [my] fucking ass” if something were to happen to his family; he is saying he is justified in doing so now.

Because some person who is not me, and who is unknown to me, did something I only found out about later and that I have publicly denounced.

And a possible “stomping” is not all I have to worry about: in his AVFM post, Barnes made sure I know that he

live[s] in a state with more guns than people, where a side arm is as common as a cell phone and where it is legal for 10yr olds to hunt with high powered rifles and without adult supervision.

So I can only assume that if he ever decides to pay me an unwanted visit he will be armed.

The author of the TwitLonger post — almost certainly Barnes — declares that his obvious threats against me are not in fact threats but “simply a statement of fact.” I think any reasonable person reading these posts would see them as clear threats, and I am treating them as such.

And it is plainly obvious to me that Barnes intends to terrorize me into silence with his threats — as his “promise” on AVFM that “for the rest of your life there will be nights you cry yourself to sleep” thinking about him makes abundantly clear. His threats are consistent with the threatening language he uses against feminists online, particularly on Twitter, which are clearly intended to shut his opponents up. As he put it in one notorious Tweet

https://twitter.com/Jackbarnesmra/status/559761561028669440

Adding to the surreality of this all, Barnes and his allies at A Voice for Men are so committed to their bizarre caricature of me as some kind of cartoon supervillain that they not only blame me for things I haven’t done but for not doing things that I have done. In this case, their eyes seem to have blurred over when they’ve come across the things I’ve written condemning the doxing.

In his AVFM post, Barnes wrote that while other feminists had denounced the doxing,

there was one person who has remain eerily silent about all this. That person is David Futrelle. Seems odd since all of this doxxing was done to avenge him. There is not a peep from Futrelle about this on his site or on social media anywhere that I could find. As a parent I know my kid is up to no good when she is quiet. Wonder if the same goes for adults (assuming the word applies)?

In fact, I had condemned the doxing two days earlier in a post that Barnes has publicly acknowledged reading.

On Twitter, AVFM’s “Chief Public Relations Officer” Suzy McCarley did Barnes one better, somehow managing to miss my denunciation of the doxing in a Tweet of mine that she was literally quoting at the time, leading to this rather surrealistic exchange:

Suzy McCarley ‏@SuzyMcCarley Suzy McCarley Retweeted David Futrelle Boobz had to know it and he didn't make a peep until he was called out. @DavidFutrelle STILL hasn't condemned it. Suzy McCarley added, David Futrelle @DavidFutrelle . @Jackbarnesmra I DID NOT DOX YOU OR YOUR FAMILY. I DON'T KNOW WHO DOXED YOU OR THEM. WHOEVER DOXED YOU/THEM WAS WRONG. RETWEET 1 LIKES 3 Bob LorinczMike KlengenburgMel Liflora 9:19 PM - 8 Nov 2015 Reply Retweet Like More Tweet text Reply to @SuzyMcCarley Who's in these photos? David Futrelle ‏@DavidFutrelle Nov 8 @SuzyMcCarley I called it out as soon as I heard about it. I condemned in in a post and in the tweet you just fucking quoted.

It is almost as if they are so committed to seeing me as a monster that they cannot handle it when reality defies their expectations.

Another longtime AVFM supporter, so-called “Honey Badger” Hannah Wallen, has added a decidely Kafkaesque series of Tweets to the Twitter dogpile, including one that puzzled me greatly until she explained her “logic” in more detail:

Eventually, I was able to understand that she was taking my concern over Barnes’ threats … as proof that I was planning to harm his family.

She explained her “logic” in a blog post I discovered later. Utterly ignoring my denunciations of the doxing, and of doxing in general, she declared that if i didn’t immediately “admit”that my worries about Barnes’ threats were “a completely irrational overreaction to being held responsible for the effects of his dishonest shit stirring on his followers” I was essentially admitting that I was planning some sort of attack on Barnes’ family:

[H]is current response indicates .. that he intends for harm to come Jack’s family as a result of his shit stirring, that he DOES encourage his readers to engage in this type of behavior, and that he DOES intend for one or more of his readers to respond to his writing by engaging in violence against HIS political opponents.

After all, “If X, then Y” only infers Y on the condition of X… so responding to “If you X, then I’ll Y” as if the individual has only stated “I’m going to Y” is an admission that you’ve planned on X happening.

This, I have to admit, is pretty ingenious. Kafka would be proud.

But just in case anyone thinks there is anything to Wallen’s sophistry: I do not support doxing in general, and have made this clear on numerous occasions. I did not, do not, will not support the doxing of Jack Barnes or his family, nor do I have the slightest idea who did it. I do not “intend … for harm to come [to] Jack’s family” or to him. (Indeed, I don’t even know where they live; not only did I have nothing to do with the doxing of Barnes and his family, I didn’t even know about it until after the doxing tweets were deleted.) I do not support violence against my political opponents.

All of this is obvious to anyone who actually reads what I write on this blog without their perceptions distorted by MRA-induced prejudice or preconceptions.

That said, I will not apologize for taking Barnes’ threats seriously.

Nor will I apologize for exposing misogynistic Men’s Rights activists to the light of day — not by “shit stirring” or engaging in Wallen-esque sophistry, but by quoting their own words and reporting their real deeds.

And when people harass and threaten me — whether that’s Barnes, those at AVFM who have aided and abetted his threats, or anyone else — I will take every legal step I feel is necessary for my safety and the safety of others.

This post is one of those steps.

 

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Lady Mondegreen
Lady Mondegreen
9 years ago

@weirwoodtreehugger

this little melt down can be interpreted as evidence that you are, in fact fucking their shit up. Without ever having to stoop to their level.

QFT

By the way, I read every one of Dave’s posts, have for at least a couple of years now. And he’s obviously written about this Barnes dude before. But I didn’t remember the name.

I suppose I’ll remember the name now. Jack Barnes, the overcompensating ragejunkie who threatened a man who outclasses him on every possible axis: as writer, as thinker, as wit, as ethical human being.

Again, congrats, Jacky! You are now a memorable asshole.

Argenti Aertheri
9 years ago

Inez Milholland — I understand your logic, I really do, but please don’t speculate like that, particularly not when Barnes is actively looking for fuel.

Bina
9 years ago

On behalf of all red-haired people, I apologize for this freak. We ain’t ALL Yosemite Sams!

Mels
Mels
9 years ago

Thanks for exposing these assholes as always, David. I haven’t been commenting here long, but like the other Mammotheers I’m behind you 1000%.

mrex
mrex
9 years ago

@Jack Barnes, I’m a feminist *because* of men like you. Keep on being, as you say, a mean old junkyard dog. You’ll prove every one of feminism’s points true.

Hope you and your family stays safe, if not for human decency, just because you’ll do more for the feminist cause than we ever will.

Scildfreja
Scildfreja
9 years ago

I don’t often post here but want to for this. You do good work, David, you do *important* work. Thank you. And do stay safe. We are with you!

mockingbird
mockingbird
9 years ago

For any MRAs and/or concern trolls who are reading this, you should know that in the two years or so I’ve been posting here, every comment that is a threat, a wish for physical harm to someone, or glee over harm coming to someone has been admonished and deleted. No matter what side that commenter is on. Can the MRM say the same? No they cannot
For real.
This site introduced me to the curse, “May they step on 1,000 Legos!”
And I seriously think it’s the most “violent” speech I’ve seen tolerated.

mockingbird
mockingbird
9 years ago

The blockquote Mammoth struck, but you get the gist.

And I’m sorry you’re going through this, Dave.

hippodameia8527
hippodameia8527
9 years ago

David, I’m so sorry this asshat is targeting you. Anything I can do, please just say the word.

mockingbird
mockingbird
9 years ago

Also, what the actual fuck?

How can they misquote you while showing your ACTUAL, DIRECTLY CONTRADICTORY quote?

And Jack Barnes: You seem like you’re probably a pretty awful human being, but no one deserves to have their family threatened.
I’m sorry that that’s happened.

dhag85
9 years ago

The violent, lying liars of AVFM have completely fucked themselves over this time.

I guess we should keep in mind that Suzy McCarley will only understand simple sentences on the third attempt. Saying you condemn doxing once or twice is not enough.

Pandapool -- The Species that Endangers YOU (aka Banana Jackie Cake, for those who still want to call me "Banana", "Jackie" or whatever)
Pandapool -- The Species that Endangers YOU (aka Banana Jackie Cake, for those who still want to call me "Banana", "Jackie" or whatever)
9 years ago

I hope this is all bark and no bite, but I’m happy you’re taking measures to make sure you keep safe.

AIT
AIT
9 years ago

Echoing the well wishes for you, David, and condemnations of threats and doxxing. I sincerely hope the doxxer cuts that ish out.

Bina
9 years ago

Also, Jack? This proud feminist has just one thing to say to all your weak, cowardly attempts to intimidate us into silence:

http://38.media.tumblr.com/2bb6c9d6ce44fc25e2a4796453588028/tumblr_mmc4qj343k1sp1fp6o1_250.gif

Liz Baker (@wizardofliz)

Holy crap, David, I’m so so sorry this is happening to you, it must be very scary. You’re wonderful and your blog is wonderful and they’re awful.

Another proud feminist for the tally.

Ace
Ace
9 years ago

Skipping comments to add to the chorus of ‘Take care of yourself David! Keep yourself, and by extension your feline overlords, safe.’

I am Proudly Feminist, and nothing Jack Barnes says will keep me from saying it! Fistbumps to my feminist fellows!

Kane Thari
9 years ago

Another proud feminist here. I know I don’t comment very often, but I am an avid reader of your fantastic blog. Stay safe.

justlikeheaven
justlikeheaven
9 years ago

Man thats scary. One more proud feminist for the count.

sagamanus
sagamanus
9 years ago

David I hope you do not back down from this human garbage. I honest to god hope these threats don’t send you into hiding. They would just love that.

And if he actually has the temerity to meet you face to face that will prove how unstable these wackjobs really are. What is the penalty for him traveling that far for the purposes of physically harming someone?

In any case give him a kick on the inside of the knee if he confronts you.

Arthur Meyer
9 years ago

I’m a feminist, and nothing these MRAs will do will ever stop me.

In fact, it’s what this Barnes here has done that reminds me why I’m shaving in “No-shave November”, why I’m refusing to buy products that have been “gendered” to men, why I will never buy a car, why I took up the challenges of raising kids even though my parents were supposed to, and why I’m taking up the challenges of a caregiver… I don’t have to be this ultra-macho “junkyard dog without a collar or owner” to be a “real man”… I make sacrifices to insure that others around me can succeed, and I could care less who it is as long as those people are not selfish and ungrateful bastards.

If it weren’t for the likes of David (or how I found him, places like Rational Wiki) and the people here, I wouldn’t know what to do to stand up for others, and as much as I hate to say it, myself. David has brought some real awareness… Something most people in this day and age don’t want to talk about.

isidore13
isidore13
9 years ago

Yet another proud feminist here, and I’m glad you’re taking measures to keep yourself safe and not backing down, David 🙂

Bazia
9 years ago

Lowlife hate crap, David. Empty threats. Some trucker from Tennessee who hates feminists gets pissed off that some unknown fool gives out his name (a mainstay tactic of the site he’s associated with) and runs to Paul Elam who starts up his usual bullshit…agh, what does it matter what excuse Elam comes up with for one of his seasonal attacks on you. It’s Fall, let’s dream up an excuse to get Futrelle, who keeps holding us accountable and pointing out our lies and standing in the way of our bullying…

Nothing’s going to happen. It’s Fall, that’s all. Keep up your much-needed work, please. I’m sending a contribution today to help, with thanks. Stay cool.

dhag85
9 years ago