ATS: An Excercise In Bravery

You are brave ATS members. Braver then you might think. And for that I both thank you as well as sincerely salute you.

Cruising around ATS yesterday was an experience in doom & gloom. Before the day was over I must have posted a half-dozen or more replies that were clearly anti-TPTB. When I finally went to bed, a strange noise occurred outside my apartment and I laughingly thought that maybe they were finally here to “take me away”.

Then I thought a bit more and realized that what we are doing on this site is actually quite extraordinary.

Think about it!

Many of us on ATS tend to believe the USA is clearly heading down the path of becoming a full-blown police state. Now if this were to be true how far down “the list” would we be for all the anti-government statements we make as a collective?

Therefore, every time you post a thread, every time you make a reply, you are striking a blow. More importantly, you may very well be putting yourself and your family in harm’s way. Yet you do it anyway. My guess is for reasons such as patriotism, ethical attitude, or simply to try to make the world a better place.

Am I being overly dramatic? Quite probably.

However, if there really are FEMA camps and Fusion Centers scattered over this country and they exist for a specific purpose then you can pretty much count on your accommodations being reserved.

Will this possibility make me stop? Not in this lifetime friend. Not in this lifetime!!!!!

Will it make you stop? I don’t believe it for one minute!!!!!

In my book that makes you a very brave soul indeed.

One final thought to support each and every one of us through the coming struggles:

"Our safety, our liberty, depends upon preserving the Constitution of the United States as our fathers made it inviolate. The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." - Abraham Lincoln

Let’s all keep up the good fight, no matter where this road may lead.

if there really are FEMA camps and Fusion Centers scattered over this country and they exist for a specific purpose then you can pretty much count on your accommodations being reserved.


yep, our cell is ready and waiting.....maybe we will get a bull pin with just ATS members...Now that would be cool....lol....

Here here/ "I agree".

S+F to you, and all true patriots of Earth.

reply to post by Caji316


We could conspire on how to escape!

reply to post by Caji316


There is a time where we all must stand for something we believe in. Some people stand in the crowded streets chanting a motto, some people stand united in the public squares, and others stand on the front lines of protests and uprisings. Then there are the people like us who spread the truth through our individual networks of friends, family, and associates. We stand for the truth, we stand for our beliefs. Like all of those who have come before us we must be willing to accept the consequences of our actions. Some call this bravery, others call it stupidity. I call it patriotism, a devotion to the country I love.

No offense but it doesn't take much bravery to sit behind a computer and wildly speculate everything into a twisted conspiracy. It doesn't take much bravery to post ill-informed opinions and false information which is a big chunk of what is presented on ATS.

It does not take much bravery to stitch together loosely related facts and call it a solid theory and then present such unscientific behavior as fact.

This is not to say that nothing solid has ever been posted on ATS. But it is important to understand that solid information based on sound research and reasoned conjecture is not the norm here. If it were then we would have to worry about the repercussions of what we post. Most of us don't have that problem, I assure you.

reply to post by projectvxn


I understand your point, and no offense is taken.

However, my point is not about the validity of any given subject. What I'm referring to is the guts it takes to engage in these matters.

If someone posts a reply to a thread about the Police State, stating they believe it is really happening, then by logic they must realize they are taking a chance in posting it.

That takes guts. This is something I can greatly respect. Personally, it doesn't matter if it is true or not. That person has decided to take a stand, right or wrong. This is why I salute them.

"The only thing required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." -Thomas Paine

Good men, (or women), to do nothing?

Not the ATS way. Not in my honest opinion.

reply to post by Hessling


Yeah, but what are people really braving if the information isn't solid to begin with?

What are they doing that is so good as to not allow evil to triumph if what they are revolting against is inconsequential, false, and immaterial?

Where's the bravery in that?

reply to post by projectvxn


The point you make, although a bit of a wet blanket, is worth remembering before we get all worked up congratulating ourselves.

However, all my life I have delt in tangibles -- first farm, then war, now commodites. It is only recently that I discovered how powerful ideas and intangibles are. They so powerful that people are scared to admit it in almost every case. People think its tough-guy stuff to go swagger around in the "real world" (wherever that is) with a gun or an oil rig, but let me tell you, when you start tinkering with the archetecture of thought, perception...well, that's a whole other kind of power. I don't know if I appreciate it more because I came to it later in life but its implications are absolutely mindboggling. None of us really know where this is taking us, but tilt your head at the right angle and the raw power in what is happening with this medium and the human mind is is undeniable.

You are also correct that most discourse on ATS is not reasoned, well thought out, researched, etc. But think: 90% of human beings are mind-bogglingly stupid and boring anyway, even if they happen to have good hearts. That's just the way it goes. We all have to cherry-pick in life, and cherry-pick on the net. We all have to make decisions about and to what ends we spend out time and energy. And I certainly have an easier time tapping into remarkables minds via one hour on ATS than would be likely in months wandering the dismal streets or plains and vallies of the "real world." There, too, transcendence is possible but it is of a different order and men are losing that ability. One door closes, another opens.

reply to post by projectvxn


It's in the attitude.

If a firefighter runs into a burning building, thinking it is certain to collapse before they can exit, and they make it out safely anyway would this not be considered a brave act?

reply to post by Hessling


If a building is burning you can confirm it.

I don't see the bravery in the chicken little BS that goes on around here.

Just because someone believe that the US is a police state does not mean they are taking a real risk in saying so. I've been posting all kinds of things on ATS for years and no one has kicked down my door.

Some people stand in the crowded streets chanting a motto, some people stand united in the public squares, and others stand on the front lines of protests and uprisings. Then there are the people like us who spread the truth through our individual networks of friends, family, and associates

reply to post by Mapkar


What about the people who have done all of those thing's like myself.

No offense but it doesn't take much bravery to sit behind a computer and wildly speculate everything into a twisted conspiracy.

reply to post by projectvxn


Well I think it takes courage to put forth an idea that you have. Ideas can be a dangerous thing.

reply to post by projectvxn


You are correct about the lack of bravery it takes to hide behind a computer. But I'm sure that I'm not the only person here who has a life outside of the Internet. When I step away from the digital world into the outside world I take my desire for the truth with me. I take my love for the people of my country with me. And I take my values with me as well. ATS is a forum of expression, a gathering place like any public square. You'll find that there are intelligent people here who know how to carry out legitimate research and prove a valid point. Then there are those who swear there's a planet behind the sun, a camera in every tv, and a conspiracy in every tick of a clock. No matter where you go there's always at least one person to offset someone else in the group.

Those people are irrelevant here though, the best thing I can suggest looking at oaths bravery of those who actively speak out against the very institutions which they fear the most. We may be in an online environment where it looks like we can hide behind a computer, but in all actuality with the new modern age of advanced computers, this is no more anonymous than standing I'm the town square and saying the same thing. So, with that taken into consideration, I'd say that no matter where someone takes a stand against the greater powers, they are taking a stand that requires a certain amount of bravery.

Originally posted by American-philosopher

What about the people who have done all of those thing's like myself.

You are part of a unique group, and your courage worth noting.