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This letter went out to our neighbors today.
Dear Neighbor,
The residents of ***** have been victims of a politically/religiously motivated stalking and harassment campaign that intensified last summer. Unfortunately, residents of the neighborhood have been recruited to provide their property or vehicles to aid in illegal and unconstitutional surveillance of our home. I am writing you so that you understand the consequences of engaging in the violation of our rights, and (if that is not applicable to you) so that you understand the behaviors/steps we have adopted to deal with those violations.
Some of the surveillance and harassment seem to have occurred with the approval of corrupt individuals in local law enforcement as well as state and federal agencies under the former administrations. These people seem to have convinced a wide array of civilians that they would not face consequences for their participation. These civilians likely have also been compensated for the use of their space. We believe that under the new administrations, individuals who participate/have participated in the violation of our rights will not be immune from prosecution under an array of city, state, and federal laws governing harassment, stalking and conspiracy. We suggest that if you are participating in any way you seriously weigh the consequences.
We believe that it is normal to park on our block to attend church or school, and to visit individuals who live on our street. We realize that the street is a public place, and that everyone has a right to use it in a legal manner. However, it is unacceptable to use the street to aid in illegal surveillance/harassment.
We have taken pains to deal rationally and straightforwardly with extremely stressful and absurd violations of our privacy and dignity. Last summer we frequently reported cars that had seemingly been abandoned. In September we began photographing people who exhibited suspicious behavior (i.e., multiple cars parked in front of our home that would be retrieved by different people from those dropping them off), and recording or photographing the license plates of those who park on ***** between 5th and 6th as well as the alleys visible from our home. The photography reduced the odd behavior by about 90%. In October, I began asking people who parked on our block and then departed on foot (especially in locations that seem to be favorite relay spots for surveillance) their reasons for parking around our home.
At the end of December I began using binoculars to read the numbers of license plates rather than going outside. I have no desire to violate anyone else's privacy; if binoculars are pointed in the direction of your home, they are being used to identify vehicles parked in public places, not to peer into your residence. If a vehicle parks suspiciously, I leave a note on the dash explaining our situation and what we interpret as stalking/harassing behavior.
Again, we have been trying to deal peacefully and straightforwardly with a very hostile situation. We have the desire only to make our block inhospitable to illegal activity, not to legal, "normal" parking/visiting. If you want to help, please let your guests know that we are very aware of what goes on in the street, and that parking in a manner that makes sense (i.e., close to your residence) will eliminate any need for interaction. For your own peace of mind, we are not suffering from paranoia or any other affliction that would adversely affect our neighbors.
If you have any questions or concerns about our efforts to make the neighborhood safe for us, please let us know. We believe that we all have a right to feel safe and secure in our homes and neighborhoods. We hope you do too.
