Fred Schneider requested that this comment be posted about the scandal over the personal use of donations to Overpasses for America by James Neighbors. Fred is a national lead from Illinois.
To see other posts and discussion on both sides of this topic, go to this link:
COMMENT BY FRED SCHNEIDER
I’d like to address something that is very disturbing. I’ve been in the Overpasses movement since July 1st. I’ve done many overpasses, hosted , lead 2 states, regional admin over 5 states and am now a National admin. I’ve worked very hard for my state members, regional members and will work hard from the National perspective also. I would like to talk today about this group, Free Voices United. Free? They’ve hijacked entire states and many subgroups. This without most of their members knowledge or approval, is that Free? Voices? Who’s voice are they representing? Sure looks like its only a selected few that they represent. United? United in what? Destroying this movement of Overpasses? They continue to attack James Neighbors on just about any media that will have them. They try to destroy states that were working just fine. Is that really united? They accuse James of stealing and slander him relentlessly. The only thing I’ve seen from this is exactly what they are making accusations about. Stealing. Yes, they’ve stolen members who may have not wanted to go. They’ve stolen state and subgroups that were part of Overpasses. They will say, that they created the sub groups. But those subgroups were made as part of Overpasses. They really haven’t created one thing really. They’ve just stolen what they can get their hands on. They accuse James of being no better than the current administration we all here are trying to defeat. I accuse them of being just like Obama and his administration. They haven’t built anything that wasn’t built for them by Overpasses and its members.Ya, I probably just moved up on the slander and accusations list. To tell you the truth, because I am and do, I really don’t care. For many months I put my trust in Rick Halle, Ann Whitton and Dennis Haggert, only to find them in the end, to be rather dishonest and conniving. One in particular says they are a Christian but their behavior has been reprehensible and the fartherst thing I’ve seen from being a Christian. I also know that they have trolls all over Overpasses keeping tabs on all that goes on and getting screenshots of many conversations from Overpasses. Looking for the juicy tid bit they use to slander and destroy. Free Voices United? Hardly a credible organization from what I’ve seen of them. If I ever leave Overpasses, I will just leave. I won’t be looking to destroy or slander anyone. They left of the own choice and weren’t even forthright enough to do it with honor or dignity. I feel sorry for those members of Overpasses who’ve had to put up with their antics and deceit. Have fun reading this FVU. I’m sure your trolls and spies will send it to you right away. I don’t know how you people there who have destroyed and corrupted this great idea can even sleep at night. No morals, No dignity, No honesty. You’re pathetic. Hey, have a great day everyone and remember, IMPEACH OBAMA is why we are here.
Beautifully said Fred.
Fred, there is not much response. Maybe because it’s a holiday weekend, or people have had their say and moved on already. I think the underlying problem is that people were becoming resentful that the Overpasses effort was mostly about one person, who wanted to control everything and take most of the credit for himself, besides mishandling donations. James misled people about his intentions in the beginning to convince them to help him. These may be peccadilloes and not mortal sins, but it makes people not want to work for him or be controlled by him. They want to have ownership of their own effort, which is just natural and should be encouraged.
James certainly did a great job, spreading the protests around the country and his controlling ways may have been necessary to do that, but he does not “own” the idea. Anyone with a couple of friends can do these overpass protests. He got the idea from our group (Stop Obama Now) and improved it, like we got the idea from “We the People” in Orange County and improved it.
To go to the next phase, the effort has to be much broader than just James Neighbors. One person controlling a single group can be easily stopped, but it is not so easy to stop a lot of smaller groups led by many people. This is the first time that we have had a national group of people coordinating the effort to demand that Obama be exposed and removed from office. The Tea Party never demanded impeachment/removal, because they were trying to become a funded, national organization and the fat-cat contributors do not support impeachment.
The overpasses effort was carried out by a mere 2-3k people, I estimate, who actually went out on the overpasses and did not just talk about it on Facebook. These 2-3k real participants impacted several millions, though, and they demonstrated that it is okay to advocate publicly the removal of Obama from office. Many were too intimidated to do that before.
Public protest is the only way to bypass the media. We started overpass demos last January with only 20-30 active participants. This year we have 2-3k and next year, an election year, it can be 200-300k active participants, if not more. The “wave” is an apt analogy, because enthusiasm comes and goes.
Part of the reason for this feuding is that enthusiasm is waning at the moment and people are frustrated. However, there is a natural cycle to this and people should not become discouraged, but continue working and organizing as best they can to be ready for the next phase.
The protest in Carlsbad that triggered all this, was not just a spontaneous event that happened only by chance, as James liked to portray it to Alex Jones and others. There have been a few dozen stubborn people in San Diego working for YEARS to get something started, doing street demos, banner flights and lately overpass protests. Finally, it got some traction and people paid attention.
The current participants need to keep working in the same way to keep people engaged, whether we like each other or not. Sooner or later it will take off again. We can count on Obama and his minions to provide the reason.
The goal should NOT be at this time to turn this into a funded organization, as James appears to have in mind, because the contributors will control the agenda. It has to remain all volunteer, so the participants control the agenda, not the moneymen. This effort is “owned” by the participants and not anyone else. James needs to understand that this is a protest movement, not a prison break.
You’re so incorrect on so many levels here. I run 2 states and have never had anyone from National or Regional tell me or the people in my states what to do. It is all volunteer and it still is. Even at this point, where I am more involved with many more states, I just don’t see this domination by one man you were talking about. It’s always been a team effort from all involved. There are things, when I’m on the overpass, protesting, I really don’t like to see as far as signs and such goes but like I’ve said to others who complained ” If they took the time to make the sign and come to the overpass, then they have a right to put it up”. Overpasses is not some dictatorship, no matter what you’ve been told by others. It’s thousands of people who love this country so much they are willing to stand on an overpass, holding their flags, signs and banners in hopes that they can open the minds of an indoctrinated dumbed down American society. One honk , thumbs up, wave and even the middle finger salute means we sparked a thought in their heads and maybe they’ll think about what the signs said. I can not tell you how many people have just appeared out of no where thanking us for being out there. It gives them hope against this tyranny we are all having to endure. I been called some pretty foul things also on the overpass and you can ask anyone who’s ever been on one with me, my reply is ” You have a right to be here also ma’am / sir and please have a nice day”. Overpasses is something that can make a difference. I realize how the Impeachment process works also and this particular Congress does not have the balls or the stomach to do it. Thus the 2014 mid terms become pivotal in the direction of the country and saving it or not. We’ve already had several times, sign and banners going after the like of a Dick Durbin ,a Marxist or a Mark Kirk ,a RINO. Those signs will increase once Spring arrives and the mid terms are in full swing.
You also talk about the ‘waning’ of the movement and the fracturing of the movement. But you haven’t talked about the particular group, who’s hell bent on destroying the movement either. I was wondering, did you know that Free Voices United partnered up with American’s Against the Tea Party, in their most recent activity? I’m pretty sure even their members are pretty unaware of this FACT. Where do you think AATTP are getting all their information from to hammer away at James and Overpasses. Overpasses gave them a chance to be part of something bigger than one man or a few people and they took the ball and went home with it crying like little thieves in the night and now deals with the enemy of the Tea Party and the American people. Wake up Mr. Admin, you’re being handed a snow job that will end up burning you also. Can you stand on an overpass doing a demo with these people? I wouldn’t. They are just as treasonous as Obama.
And now that I’ve posted there’s another little matter we talked about you can now exercise.
Fred, I didn’t just hear things from the folks you are talking about, but others, who don’t even know those people, weeks before they came out.
Also, I have experienced it myself. I was banned in nearly every group. They went around telling people that I was a “troll.” That’s why I started this blog, weeks before the donations scandal, so James can’t control the conversation. I can’t even log in your groups, much less comment there, not that I want to any longer.
James gave me credit as long as he thought he needed me, but as soon as he thought I wasn’t needed anymore, he forgot all about it and banned me from all the groups. From my point of view, James is just the first hijacker.
I don’t much care what the people that left OfA are like, I will advertise their groups as long as they are protesting for Obama’s impeachment as I do for OfA. I even list LaRouche PAC. I don’t feel the need to judge them. Actually, there was a guy with a LaRouche PAC sign at the Carlsbad protest. I don’t try to filter people, as long as they are protesting for impeachment.
People can judge for themselves and choose the group they want to belong to. I am just creating a directory of groups, not planing to marry any of them.
Sounds like you and James both have a Joan of Arc complex. If I were you, I would not take everything James tells you too seriously. I assume the reason James wants to control the groups so tightly is not due to his much-trumpeted, self-proclaimed patriotism, but because he wants to personally cash in at some point.
Well I’m not the one who banned you from Illinois. Remember that day? Ann Whitton was the one who banned you not James and she’s the one who had you banned from Overpasses also. Just saying.
Didn’t claim that you did. Different people banned me in a couple of states. When they banned me in all the states, they had James’ approval, because I told him that was happening.
Ann banned me in Alabama. I did not attack her, just said something a little sarcastic that she didn’t like, but it was not directly about her.
It was Cynthia that banned me in Texas, because I was saying that they should not just accept everything the police tell them at face value. They started dissing California and I replied that I grew up in Texas and the Texans seem to have turned into pussies since I left. Cynthia banned me and also went around and told everyone I was a troll, because I said Texans had turned into pussies. LoL. Sort of proved my point.
Don’t believe it was Ann that banned me in Illinois. I didn’t say anything that could be taken as an insult in Illinois, and they still banned me. I just argued that you should not fly the flag upside down, because that usually means negation of the US. She just didn’t like that opinion.
In Oklahoma Karen Waldrop banned me, because I said you should not make politics into a religion. Did not insult or attack anyone there, either. They just did not like my opinion.
But as I say below it’s not important and they have the right to ban whomever they want. It made me get out and do other things that needed to be done. I have the right to say whatever I want on my own site. I don’t need to interact with them in their FB groups.
There seemed to be a little regional chauvinism involved. I really don’t think a lot of them in the South liked to admit that we did it first in SoCal, even though I am a natural born Texan and James does not like to admit that he did not invent the idea but borrowed it from somewhere else.
I really hate FaceBook for organizing, because there is too much chit-chat and arguing like this and too many distractions. About 90% of the people in a group are often just there to chat and don’t have the slightest intention of participating in any events.
I can assure you in Illinois it was Ann who banned you. I asked her to come to the page because I , personally didn’t want to ban you but the other admin wanted to. She came and you were gone. Then went to the leadership page and had you banned. In just about any interview or written documentation, James may not name you personally but he does mention the idea came out of California. You are not my enemy, Mr. Admin, never have been. That’s why we are still talking outside this arena. I applaud the idea and it’s a great one. If millions would stand, we would have already gotten this great country back. But we spend to much time self destructing and from others creating destruction and deceit. Unity is paramount but it’s not going to happen this way and thus the Marxists win and we as a country lose.
Fred, it does not really matter, who banned me in Illinois. James allowed them to ban me in all 50 states, I believe mainly, because he did not like having to share the credit. Saying that the idea came out of somewhere in California or that he gives me credit, just not by name, is not giving me or my group credit at all. That’s just chickenshit.
But they have the right to ban anyone they want. I don’t have a problem with it. You just can’t come over here and get away with claiming he’s a poor victim, because he ain’t. Since I was banned from all your groups, you can’t really expect me to be that sympathetic to your organization any longer.
Unity is not necessary. Competition and free debate of ideas is still a good idea. You guys just don’t seem to believe in it, but have a more collectivist concept of how things should work. We are all supposed to fall in line according to what you want. They can stop me from expressing my opinions over at OfA, but you can’t stop me over here. I don’t believe that to oppose the commies, you have to be like them.
Actually, I still give you credit, just not by name.. Once you stepped over the line one too many times by attacking people in Overpasses, I stopped using your name.. I still tell people about the news article. They can look it up themselves..
You give me credit, just not by name? LoL. That is neither here nor there at this point. Don’t need any credit from you. Just relating what happened. I was banned in many groups, where I had never made a comment and your minions went around telling everyone that I was a troll and to ban me to people that I had never communicated with or commented in their groups, because I had some disagreements with other people. If there were any “attacks” it generally went both ways.
I would not say there were any attacks, though, just use of blunt language. Some don’t like the unvarnished truth or a strong opinion in disagreement with their own.
First James neighbors lied to me and others about using donations for personal use. He then came public in a group of about 60 leaders and apologized for doing so. The Donation Page that he created and posted that it would NOT be used for personal gain. He LIED just as Obama has Lied to Americans James Neighbors Lied to our groups. As for North Carolina leaving it was by a vote of members that North Carolina was going to leave, Not one member voted to stay. As For the Lie about me not leaving Massachusetts. I not only removed myself as admin I Left the group. I was asked to return by a member/admin and was added back. So get your facts straight! If you say your are fighting a corrupt and less than transparent government, yet support James Neighbors you are a Hypocrite!
James was trying to set up his own little cult of personality at OfA. As the would-be savior of America he feels entitled to the money, to control and to not be bound by the truth. That is, in a nutshell, why people think he is acting like Obama.
Megalomania, like Obama’s, tends to evoke a similar response in its opposition, because it’s tribal human instinct, defeat one messiah figure with another messiah figure.
This situation is not worth bickering over forever. We just don’t recognize the status that James wants to reserve for himself or his ownership of the idea or the groups. Those, who want to worship at the feet of James Neighbors, are welcome to do so.
James is, by far (many orders of magnitude), not the main problem. At some point it’s better to ignore him and move on.
Our protest can be used to bypass the media, make a statement and rally people to the cause, but by themselves are not world-changing. People need to keep things in perspective and not become manic about it.
No one has to play the role of the national “savior” and control these protests and it is better that way. Don’t have to be like Obama to defeat Obama.
Will support any group that is doing impeach Obama protests, but don’t recognize any special rights or special role that James and his people want to claim. Would like to see the effort broadened considerably. We should support development of a “flat” organization that has many, independent, regional and local organizers, so that we don’t become subject to the agenda of only one person and are not so easy to stop as an hierarchical organization.
Overpasses latest attack on me by none other than Dallas Thurman
https://www.facebook.com/groups/490293984385095/
Sticks and stones may break your bones…
exactly and they wonder why people are leaving. Turns out this may have been done by National Leader Robert Haines. Classy leadership huh??
Would not seem to be helping their cause, but I think the Internet, especially FaceBook, promotes irrational behavior, because you can connect with so many people and aren’t dealing with people you know face-to-face. The thin veneer of civilization comes off.
There are a LOT more people out there to recruit, why continue to fight over this? Overpasses still has a big advantage over anyone else in numbers and name recognition, but I guess they can’t stand to have any competition at all. They should just put it behind them and move on. People need to get back that feeling of excitement that finally they could do something that has an impact and get positive feedback for it.
I too have received nasty private messages on FB from Dallas. I have had others send me messages and try to get a rise out of me. I refuse to stoop to their level and play their childish games.