i would like to know how they found out about this guy and the probable cause (pc) they used to get a search warrant/arrest warrant. per the news it sounds that they used what he said on the net to conduct their investigation and the"pc" for the warrants. if this is going to be the standard then we all are under the micro scope for being a member of a gun related forum.
Personally I don't have a problem with someone raising a red flag if they are seeing threats or the intention to do harm posted on the internet. I have no doubt that the government has programmers writing code to scan social media pages for key phrases. In fact I have heard stories of text messages setting off a pre programmed alert because it involved Michelle Obama's name at a time when she was visiting a particular community. (Privacy violation in my opinion) When you think about it, posting anything publicly on the internet is like standing on a chair in a full auditorium and shouting something at the top of your lungs. If someone yelled out "I hate and want to kill (insert racial, sexual, religious, or social group of your choosing)." you can bet security and the local police are going to pay attention and have a talk with that person.
However, freedom of speech and issuing threats have always been a gray area when lawyers are involved, and locking someone up before a crime is committed is a slippery slope.
I really believe the bottom line is that if you participate on this forum in a public setting, the government knows who you are, what types of guns you own, and whether or not you are a potential threat. However, since nearly everyone on THR is a law abiding citizen and hobbyist, exercising their rights, I don't really care if they know. If things ever go to hell, and confiscation occurs, I'm guessing between social media, purchase records, and most likely a whole host of ways, the federal government knows a lot more about us and our gun inventory than any of us would care for.
If you have a cell phone, I wouldn't assume anything you say or do is secret really. We are all carrying GPS trackers in our pockets, and conducting personal business on devices that can be used against us.
Ok, taking my tinfoil hat off now.
Personally I have about the same number of guns but probably around 4000 to 5000 rounds of ammo between factory ammo and what I've loaded myself. But I'm no more a threat to people around me than Mr. Rogers was. I figure the human race is speeding towards destruction through environmental degradation. Violence on anyone's part is redundant.
