Excellent find.

Some of the things in this handbook are very disturbing.

It is clearly a covert sinister operation and the manual gives it away.

Here are a few quotes:

"only vendors put their business on the street, never organizers."

"The whole process of making contacts is built on a pyramid theory. The purpose of contacts is to gather information and resources to build power."

"The only edge is the organizers skill in prying information (from contacts) and in setting up his/her ego in order to loosen her/his tongue in person or on the phone. It is a skill to be perfected."

"If you are greasy, you are in the hole."



That last sentence really took me aback. The phraseology is really vulgar and offensive.



[edit on 9-10-2009 by Alethea]

[edit on 9-10-2009 by Alethea]

I have to agree Alethea, some very diturbing language indeed. I am re-reading it again, VERY CAREFULLY. I hope you DL'ed the PDF as I think a lawyer's request will show up and this PDF will disappear.
This quote really gets me:
"Only
reach people of color first and exclusively, if your organizing plan indicates accepting the
risk that ACORN may never have a white membership in the area. If the area is
composed of a majority of people of color, then this will be your natural base, and the
drives should move aggressively in these communities without concern for diversity. If
all of this concerns you, call a liberal for advice on how to pretend 200 years of
experience does not exist in America, but in the meantime take the glasses off and look
at communities as an organizer making organizing plans to build ACOR"

[edit on 9-10-2009 by djvexd]

[edit on 9-10-2009 by djvexd]

[edit on 10-10-2009 by djvexd]

The more I read...the creepier this is. It appears that they are attempting to put together personal dossiers on everyone in the neighborhood.

All the tactics being used are to create that dossier. My next question would be...to what end???



"CHURCHES. Ministers in smaller neighborhoods will give out names of people in church with problems and low income."


(These people have taken no oaths of non-disclosure. I am sure they will rattle off names if someone comes up with some official sounding title on the pretense of "helping")


"GROCERY STORES. Store owners and personnel can give you a sense of the area and some names. They are often community institutions where people talk freely. They know their customers."


(I can imagine the gossip cashiers could disclose. Can you? Well, if you frequently shop in smae place and its a small community!)


"HANG-OUTS. Union halls, food stamp lines,"

(etc. etc.....goes into other ideas; do not go to bars, etc)



"LAWYERS. You may be able to get the names of clients in our neighborhood."

(What about client confidentality? How many of these people might casually mention you without thinking?)


"PETITIONS. Circulate a "safe" petition to get names." (Also addresses or phone)

(Have you ever signed one of those innoculous "save the animals" petitions? Do you realize how many people will just sign when you give them a one sentence explanation of it and body block them?)


"CITY DIRECTORIES. Name, address, phone. This will give you the information on every individual who rents or owns their home."


"VOTER REGISTRATION. ...names of all who are registered to vote."

(Why are they being granted access to this kind of information???)



"SUPPLEMENTAL LIST. From food distribution centers."

(Have you ever been in a Pantry Food line? Were you aware your information could be sold or given out to others? I don't think there is a confidentality clause here, either. Why does ACORN have the right to pursue these people?)

"Consolidate all info you have accumulated in and outside neighborhoods. Once plan is made you have to live with it. Make it good and tight."


What plan? What are they going to do with all of their dossiers on everyone in the neighborhood?

Does this training seem boldly exploitive?


"You are not looking for an office so much as you are looking for a space, a phone, and someone to handle your messages. Sometimes...contacts can provide it."

"A member in one of your neighborhoods who can answer the phone..."

(Also I think locals may be more unsuspecting of other locals and ACORN is training people to get locals involved and use them as their front. Why else would the above post suggest buttering these people up by playing to their egos to get them involved?)



"A good "contact" lawyer might also do minor local issue research for you, or if necessary, file suit."

(Why would ACORN be going into communities looking to file suit? What is the big picture here?)




"Community leaders are always potential problems in terms of their agenda vs your potential organizations. They have the ability to define your group."


(So does this mean that they see local community leaders as an enemy that might thwart their plans? They certainly are not promoting a spirit of co-operation. What is this ACORN group all about? Globalization? Agenda 21? Are their plans "transparent" and I have missed it?)

You know I stepped back from reading this and tried to take in the bigger picture. This almost sounds like a insurgency plan. Without the weapons of course. I have read quite a few books on counter-terrorism and insurgency op as well as Green Beret ops in the Vietnam era as well as 80's and now. I am not saying this is run by the gov't but there are some pages taken out of that book. Very troublesome.

[edit on 11-10-2009 by djvexd]

[edit on 11-10-2009 by djvexd]

Originally posted by djvexd
You know I stepped back from reading this and tried to take in the bigger picture. This almost sounds like a insurgency plan. Without the weapons of course.

I don't understand. What would make it insurgency and what is that?
Would appreciate if you could clarify or perhaps give an example or illustration.

What is this "discount" stuff all about? Is this a cloaked bribe of some kind? What is being exchanged here?

"6. Make a list of businesses for possible discounts. Secure them on basis of experience in other areas of the state with discount system. Having some discounts clearly makes it easier to build legitimacy with your community contacts from the beginning."

I am not really clear on who is giving/ receiving this discount.

And if this Acoen operation was indeed above board, why would they need to resort to tactics to make themselves "appear" legit?

Isn't it rather odd that various religious institutions have funded this group?
Some reports say that both catholic and protestant religions have funded millions of dollars to ACORN.

Wouldn't this somehow violate the separation of church and state to be involved with a political entity?

No. It falls under the WhiteHouse's "faith-based initiatives", which is supplying funding to various religious groups for helping out with social situations like homelessness, medical care, etc.

From the manual:

(d) Your contacts also give you your invitation and legitimacy in the area, since you are initially talking to them about the possibility of organization rather than the fact of it.

Does this imply that they are not actually legitimate? That they can appear to be legitimate by using locals as a front for them?

Is this a tactic of using deception?


And the "possibility of organization rather than the fact of it"...does this infer that they are representing themselves as being an established organization, when in fact, they are not? Is this a clever disguise to lead others into assumptions?

Originally posted by djvexd

it is a means to "cover their assets" if they get into any legal entanglements. They wouldn't have a large entity to pick up and move if legal eagles start sniffing around. Basically it is essentially the same tactic that gypsies use.

Legal eagles? But if they are being paid by the vatican and other heads of religious enterprises, and the government financing them also, wouldn't that make them "untouchable"?