Not long ago, I wrote about how a Liberal threatened to file a police report against me if I send her a second email. I had only sent her ONE polite email with a suggestion of how to prevent loss of membership at the senior center. SEE ARTICLE LINKED BELOW. In other words, she was unable to emotionally handle interacting with a person who had an idea different than hers. Her threat directed at me is nothing compared to what happened to Don, age 70, a resident of Charlottesville, Virginia.
DON’S NIGHTMARE BEGINS
Don & his wife had been friendly acquaintances with a Liberal, we will call her Louise, for 15 years. She is a painter and Don had let her use his property several times to paint scenes of the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains which can be seen from Don’s backyard. Because Louise, in her early 70s, lives alone, Don called her when she was sick. She called Don when she needed certain workmen. It was a cordial relationship even though Louise knew Don is Conservative, and Don knew Louise is Liberal.
Don was driving by a busy intersection of two highways where he noticed an anti-Trump yard sign which implied that Trump would destroy democracy. That was a day or two after Presidential Candidate Donald Trump was shot in the ear in Butler, PA. Don was not sure that sign was on Louise’s property, so he called her to inquire.
She confirmed that the sign was on her property. During the conversation, Don politely expressed his views regarding the sign. He politely stated that a sign claiming that Trump was an existential threat to democracy was the type of language that would justify & encourage assassination attempts against Trump. Don did not make any threats or statements suggesting unlawful conduct on the part of Louise. He mentioned that we are a constitutional republic, not a democracy, at which time Louise’s brain apparently exploded and she hung up on Don.
CRIME STOPPERS REPORT: DON IS ACCUSED OF “TERRORISM”
A day or two later an anonymous individual submitted a report falsely accusing Don of ”terrorism” to Central Virginia Crime Stoppers. The tipster chose the category^ of “terrorism” from a long list of “crimes” despite the fact that Don made no statements that could reasonably be interpreted as criminal or threatening. His polite remarks were constitutionally protected speech.
The Crime Stoppers tip described the phone conversation between Don and Louise, including specific details that only Louise or Don should have known. However, there were slight differences between their conversation and the report which leads Don to believe that Louise did not file the report. Don believes it is likely that she called the head of the Nelson County Democrats who actually filed the Crime Stoppers report. Nevertheless, the tipster falsely labeled Don’s statements as “terrorism,” a criminal offense, mischaracterizing his remarks about the sign, and creating a defamatory allegation that is completely false.
Crime Stoppers forwarded the false accusation to law enforcement without verification, which resulted in its inclusion in official records. The next day, a deputy sheriff from the Nelson County Sheriff’s office called Don to advise him that he had been labeled a “terrorist” and to inquire about his behavior and this incident. He was stern and all business. He didn’t laugh about this asinine complaint. He told Don not to talk to any of my neighbors about their signs and if he got another complaint of this nature he would charge Don with the crime of domestic terrorism.
UNBELIEVABLE! Just TWO lunatics lying to Crime Stoppers would result in a “domestic terrorism” charge! Don politely said okay and then filed his FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request.
NOTE: With just one discussion with a Lunatic Liberal, Don’s First Amendment Rights have been cancelled. This is comparable to the “bias hotlines” set up in California, Oregon & Washington. Once an American is on “the list,” there is no mechanism to remove one’s name, and there is no punishment for filing a false report.
DON FILED A DEFAMATION LAWSUIT
In his defamation lawsuit, Don’s attorney alleged that Louise and the anonymous person who filed the Crime Stoppers report acted with actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth. Don, a long time resident of the area, suffered serious reputational harm, humiliation, and emotional distress as a result of being publicly misrepresented as a terrorist, which placed him in a false and highly offensive light before the community.
Louise quickly filed a response with the court claiming she had done nothing wrong. At a preliminary hearing, both Don’s attorney and Louise’s attorney were shocked that the ponytail wearing judge required that Don’s attorney reword their complaint, claiming they had failed to identify the specific defamatory statement. Of course, they most certainly had, which was the accusation of “terrorism” in the Crime Stoppers report.
Unfortunately, Don’s attorney filed the amended complaint one day after the deadline. At the September 11, 2025, hearing the judge used that as an excuse to dismiss the entire case. Louise’s attorney admitted that Louise did not file the Crime Stoppers report, but refused to name the anonymous person. Had the case continued, Don would have learned during the discovery process who that person was, and the defamation lawsuit could have continued against that person, with Louise as a witness.
Don is currently looking for a new lawyer and contemplating a lawsuit against the Democratic Party of Nelson County so he can get discovery, including to find out: A) who was the person that put the sign out, and B) who called Crime Stoppers. At some point before last year’s presidential election, the yard sign which Don had inquired about was taken down and replaced with another anti-Trump sign.
Many members of this wonderful senior center complained about the board of directors “going political” when they rented to the “Women’s March” to hold a hate-Trump event in the building on January 11th. I warned them in February that, to prevent the loss of membership which would surely follow, they should publish an apology & an explanation in the Marc…
^The tipster also had the choice of typing in his own crime category.
The author, Diane L. Gruber, is a First Amendment advocate who writes for Substack. She calls her Substack newsletter America First Re-Ignited. Follow me on X @DianeLGruber.
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“ This is comparable to the ‘bias hotlines’ set up in California, Oregon & Washington. Once an American is on “the list,” there is no mechanism to remove one’s name, and there is no punishment for filing a false report.”
Remember during the Obama regime they wanted to use the “No Fly” list as a no gun purchase list? You’re on the no fly list, the airline clerk cannot tell you when you’re on it, why you’re on it, who to contact about it (they honestly didn’t know). Here we go again.