Below are the vilifying and threatening e-mails from the Green Party of Florida (GPFL) Tampa local’s Jeremy Griffin. They are offensive enough in their own right. But as I was preparing this page, reading them all through, they became even more disturbing. Because as I read them, they started to read like even normal, while in fact the tone became steadily more menacing.
I found myself analyzing them clinically, I found myself becoming emotionally numb, even as they were directed mainly at me, calling me “this animal,” etc.
Thus the GPFL Coordinating Council, to the extent that its delegates even read them, became politically brain-dead. This is not to excuse the Council in any way, not the governing of a state party that prides itself on its non-violence, its adherence to Non-Violent Communication, its upholding of simple human decency. Rather it makes their impotence even worse, poisoning the atmosphere of not only the Council, but of the entire Florida party, in a way that could very well become permanent.
“This is the way the party ends …”
So read them through, the entire set of 23. Let it wash over you, feel the numbness set in. I would hope that you readers — being self-conscious of what is happening — would be able to then shake it off, retaining a deeper understanding of what this party faces.
Keep in mind that I was advised by the good townspeople that I should not make a single response to any of this, it would earn me respect, and so I did not. It was certainly tempting (and oh so easy) to have done so, but I kept silence. That may have been error. It is an error I am not inclined to repeat.
Sun 1/25/2015 10:34 AM
I’m not deeply involved in Tampa? Thats funny. Who got them a table at the alternative energy conference at USF? Who got Friedemann a speaking spot? Who was it that pushed the student USF group through? Who was it that redid the website? Who is it that creates all the banners and email blasts for the site? Who was it that found the guest for the latest GMO show on WMNF?
Who was it that suggested to Jenn that she introduce herself and then plug the Tampa website?
Seems how you seem to look at yourself, Jeffrey, as some sort of working class organizer, and can’t seem to keep my name out of your mouth, I will simply state what most of the GPFL states about you:
Since you came around St Pete, that local has gone to absolute shit. I can’t find a GP member within a three county radius that wants anything to do with St Pete (not including the few GP activists who are much better organizers, but whom simply don’t want to deal with this constant nonsense).
Personally, I think you are a good writer and a horrific organizer. Your results in St Pete for that local GP speak louder than anything else.
Seems how I was emailed and called by a shit ton of people from around the state after your last bullshit email about me, I might as well just let it out.
Since you came around, St Pete is a shell of itself, and I personally don’t know of anyone in this area that even remotely enjoys working with you. Just my actions as you wish.
Sun 1/25/2015 11:03 AM
You can keep the Wednesday night calls, its fine with me. Its become clear that no one wants to work with you, therefore its going to be near impossible to achieve anything.
The monday night thing is a different animal. And no, I would appreciate if you stayed off of it before you chase everyone away on that one as well.
Sun 1/25/2015 1:58 PM
Ya, thats right. Not everyone is afraid to tell someone to fuck off and to quit trashing their name all over the place.
Fuck you Jeff. The vast majority of people ive met in the GPFL think you are a piece of shit.
Congrats, I do too now.
And again, for clarification, go fuck yourself.
Sun 1/25/2015 2:34 PM
It does discourage people, and from what I have seen the last two years, there is usually one personality at the center of most of it, which is Jeffrey. Fuck that, I could care less about someone who wants to put me on blast like that. Tried to work the dude, very stressful and very slow,
Fuck you Jeff. Ive been listening to this prick condescend and treat people like garbage for long enough. If he was so fuckin intelligent he would have a bit more going on in St Pete. And I’m speaking about the St Pete local, not his own personal life.
His own results in St Pete speak louder than anything else. Just now I could care less about biting my tongue, and am basically saying what everyone else has been thinking since, well, since he started coming around.
I’m still planning on doing everything as usual, but I’m not going to bite my tongue with this jackass anymore. And I really don’t feel like being respectful at this point, because respect is clearly not in the cards.
And I’m not even so pissed at my own actions being questioned in terms of overall effort. Its more a matter of watching this thing act like a total asshole to everyone, with everyone trying to patiently deal with it. And then it happens again. And again. And again. And now it appears its my turn.
So fuck it, we will just treat it like it is- a no respect, call people out on whatever you feel like, insult at will, question their intelligence, etc. Question their level of effort on public lists, etc. All just to be a fuckin asshole. And a shit organizer.
Sun 1/25/2015 2:08 PM
When the fuck have I said Im not involved in Tampa?
Keep makin shit up…
Sun 1/25/2015 3:03 PM
It only takes one pain in the ass in organizing that refuses to shut the fuck up to wreck the whole thing.
Personally I don’t apologize for any of this, because like I said, I’m just speaking what everyone has been saying to each other and telling me for quite some time.
Who goes ahead and just start accusing people of not being active in their own community? This coming from the two person pygmy operation in the most densely populated county in the entire state.
Personally I’m not listening to this bullshit anymore.
Sun 1/25/2015 3:59 PM
I think it’s a shame that I have to publicly state what Ive done financially and work-wise on a public list because some asshole can’t help himself but to constantly bitch and call people out.
Sun 1/25/2015 6:58 PM
How about an apology to all the people you’ve treated like dog shit over the last three years? Or because you seem to simply look at it as part of your daily routine, everyone else should too?
I’m going to clarify something for you: People don’t read what you post because the very thought of you makes their spine cringe. It has nothing to do with the content, thats just how people are. If people don’t personally like you, or think they can work with you, no one cares what you propose. This is organizing 101. There’s books on this too, but I might steer you right past those because something along the lines of “How to get along with others” may be more appropriate. You know, the shit that most of us learned in grade school…
Personally I think you are a good writer. As an organizer, I think you are a nightmare, but the writing aspect is decent. The problem is that in political organizing, theres a lot of human to human communication. This is where you are in all honestly one of the most abrasive and worst organizers Ive ever met, and Ive personally had about enough of your constant bullshit.
Next time you talk down to someone, expect a big fuck you. On your email and on your voicemail. I don’t put up with bullies or those who think they can run around and treat people like shit. And every other time after that. If you can start to act at least half your fuckin age it will be considered progress.
Mon 1/26/2015 5:08 AM
There is a lot more to focus on besides that, but every person has a point where they’ve had enough half ass remarks and sideways pussy ass innuendos directed at them.
Personally, I’m there. The only difference is I’m not really the type to just go away and then keep my distance, which seems to be how most people deal with Jeffrey. And I’m usually the last person to start talking about things I do in some sort of dick wagging contest, but again, seems how some other piece of shit seems to want to keep bringing it all up, then it might be called for. Again, not my idea and certainly not my idea of a good use of time, period.
I’ve been around the block and maybe this is a good exercise in how to deal with people who’ve been through the shit if that is the crowd that the GP thinks they are going to represent. The vast majority of people don’t listen to some train wreck preach about how-should-be-done and just sit there and keep their mouths shut, especially when it’s all tinged with that fuckin smug, arrogant undertones.
Again, arrogance from a person who has single handily wrecked their own local and can’t find a helper in over half the state, much less get an invite to one stupid fucking meeting outside of their own- which, is nothing but him talking to himself, literally. This, again in the most densely populated county in the state. St Pete would, by all normal organizing standards, be expected to be a top 4 local in terms of meetings turnouts, active, etc. Anyone see that happening any time soon? I sure as fuck don’t. And that’s not my own personal opinion. Thats the opinion of every GP member out here that has had the pleasure of physically working with this disaster.
If everyone is use to dealing with this tyrannical garbage by patting him on the head like a 5 year old that doesn’t know any better, well, I gave that a try as well. Many times. Problem is, he’s not a five year. He’s a very old, abrasive and stubborn loud mouth whose people skills are almost as if he getting high on all of the corner mouth comments in words and print.
So I’m not sure how you guys are use to dealing with people who seem to be interesting in a constant taunting, but anyone whose grown up how I have and been through the shit like I have is used to simply punching them in the mouth until they shut the fuck up.
I’m obviously not going to do that, its been a minute since Ive been in trouble and those few years seem to be paying off for me, but if you start growing this thing and start getting some of the people involved that you all say you want to, well, you can probably start expecting this type of thing quite often if people that are twice the age of others continue to talk to them as if this some corporate country club where things get heated and the only repercussions is people are put in time out.
Keep in mind I have a hell of a lot more patience than most who have done any time or lived on the streets. By some miracle I came out of it all after 15 years, and seem to be putting something decent together for myself. I should be still strung out or locked up yet again, just like most that I grew up with. Again, I don’t like to talk about shit like this, I always figure that people will get the underlying story of all of this as you work with them longer and get to have real, off topic conversations, but someone seemed to have tried to paint myself as some corporate organizer and they themselves as the working class organizer, when in reality the reason I never went into the corporate world is because Id probably get an assault charge in the first week, because of having to deal with assholes like this, who are protected by rules and bureaucracy. Now that I think of it, when we personalize the typical CEO, what characteristics come to mind? Rude, abrasive, smug, arrogant, never really saying direct but instead using cute phrases, etc. How fuckin ironic.
Fuck that. I hate that shit. And I’m not standing by and watching some overgrown child treat people like crap. And I don’t want another half ass apology or whatever for myself. I’d rather be punched in the face at this point, that I would have at least a shred of respect for. We already did the apology thing just a week ago when this fuckin moron started going on about his nonsense for about the, well, who the hell knows what time that was. Its pretty much just a constant thing at this point, from what Ive seen. Anyone think of a month where the St Pete local-of-one didn’t cause someone to get pissed off?
If you want to be the voice of reason for that crowd, you had better learn how to talk to people with respect. Or this episode from me, that is nothing but words, is going to look like a walk in the park compared to how others deal with this bullshit.
Mon 1/26/2015 12:33 PM
Keep making shit up about shit I never said Jeff. It doesnt even make sense.
The issue at hand is that you have driven yet one more person to the point of extreme frustration. Thats the cause here. Focus on the causes, not the symptoms.
So you personally bash someone, drop various cute innuendos over time in some chicken shit way of making a point, , have a phone call between that person, seemingly coming to some sort of a resolution on personal accusations, and then revert right back to the same old fuckin bullshit. Then that person finally has enough and tells you to go fuck yourself. And you find that “bizarre”.
I cannot think of a better reaction on your part to sum up your total lack of empathy for all things organizing and even human related. Which is just furthering the actual facts on teh ground that you are a horrific organizer, and that every GP person in the entire area not only can’t stand you, but actually refuses to work with you.
I don’t find it bizarre at all. I find it all quite normal. Thats the type of reaction I would expect if I was continually harassing someone. So where the fuck did you grow up?
Mon 1/26/2015 4:50 PM
You two have done a good job of disolving St Pete all on your own, no help needed.
Have fun hashing out the St Pete bylaws with each other. Please, send the video if you can.
Mon 1/26/2015 5:08 PM
Of course, we could always just start insulting Cathy’s intelligence like you did last week, that was a real fuckin classy move. Great organizing as usual.
Don’t like someone’s way of dealing with a near impossible situation? And by impossible meaning the ongoing issues that the two of you have in getting along with, well, just about everyone I’ve met over the last couple years. CONSTANT ISSUES. ALL THE TIME.
So lets start calling them stupid. Wonderful fuckin strategy as usual guys. Incredible levels of respect, a real knack for taking a tough situation and getting through it. Insults the person’s intelligence. Fuckin awesome.
Stay in that bubble over there with that bullshit and out of the real world, and certainly don’t start treating people like that when you are gathering those 800 petitions – which I’m fairly certain is just more made up bullshit- out in the hood. As much as I might love to see your arrogant, patronizing husband talk to someone like that on the street, part of me still feels as if he doesn’t know any better. We’ll call that the “Jeff is just a big overgrown 5 year old” condition that we all seem to be plagued with. A pat on the head and a hope that it cures itself in due time is the treatment we seem to adhere to. Fuck that.
If you don’t like people coming at you, then stop pissing everyone the fuck off all the time. Learn how to work with people or shut the fuck up. Personally Im done with your husband, and if you have a problem with then in the name of gender equality you can go fuck yourself too.
Mon 1/26/2015 5:13 PM
So you call her fuckin stupid right? Righ on the list. Insult the person’s intelligence, the person whom lets face it, it wasnt like everyone was lining up to take this job at the meeting….
So please take this lying, garbage dribble about caring about anything respectful someplace else. The two of you are the trashiest pieces of organizing nonsense Ive ever encountered in my life.
Ive had it, and if you think Im going to stand by and watch your husband attempt to bully anyone anymore with his cowardly half ass remarks and snobby listen-to-me-talk run on written responses, well again, that bubble you two fester in must be grand. Stay in it. The real world is a bit more harsh.
Because I don’t know of any place in this country that people openly tolerate this level of constant harassment.
Mon 1/26/2015 6:22 PM
It was a reference to an earlier email you sent, not that you two can keep all the insults straight at this point.
If you are going to insult people’s intelligence, have a better memory yourself perhaps. Or let me guess, that was all last week so everyone else should just move on?
You two are miracles.
Mon 1/26/2015 6:32 PM
I just want to clarify something in terms of the “10k Senate” stuff. I have my own views on how to best organize and get results, break through a noisy poltiical landscape etc.
That being said, Ive pitched plenty of things, and there’s really no reason to focus on the “senate” aspect of anything, there simply isn’t enough buyin from everyone. I’ve thought this was clear a while ago. So what can we agree on? If this is a no go, then lets put together a few more ideas and hash them out.
Figuring out what we can work towards, even if its just 4 locals working together on it. Some sort of unity on one common project. Similar to the DO campaign, but for the sakes of the party and not an election. This will ultimately lead to better operations, and a better overall org.
Clearly, with constant disruption from a corner of the state doing much of anything is difficult. Despite this, I do think that the DO campaign has been valuable for everyone in some basic aspects of organizing, myself included.
In terms of this ongoing issue with Jeff, and the hordes of people who have negative experiences with the overall arrogant bullying attitude and patronizing, I am not sure what to do.
The only way I know how to deal with a bully is to punch them in the face. If anyone knows of a more successful tactic, I am open to it. I havent spent my life trying to become an executive assistant for some corporation, or a programmer for some other corporation. I don’t vibe well in those environments. As we are seeing here.
My girlfriends 30th bday is tonight, and while Im sure Jeffrey is foaming at the mouth at the chance to listen to yet one more person lose their cool with him in some kind of sick, sadistic semi reality, I may not be on. And I won’t start telling this piece of shit about how to treat people with respect, but again, its only a matter of time before the local of one starts the shit again.
Mon 1/26/2015 7:12 PM
Yes, constant harassment is something that should not be tolerated. How these two have been allowed to torment and disrespect people on a constant basis is confusing on my end as well. I guess I’m just more used to dealing with assholes than most.
I have no problem giving them a dose of their own medicine whatsoever. And I don’t make sexist remarks, unlike Jeffrey who has a long history of talking down to just about every female he comes across.
Mon 1/26/2015 7:16 PM
I could care less what you or your husband have to say at this point Rose. And Im simply using that name as just one example of your constant insults and inability to get along with anyone, seems how you wanted to bring it back up, and its a more recent example of your inability to act with respect towards other people.
Pick another name if you want. Single out another person. Go for it.
Mon 1/26/2015 7:23 PM
You guys want to turn this into a constant condescending, dissect people as they are as humans instead of the ideas, nonstop shit show? Fine, fuck it. Let if fly. Because as I have stated before, your actions state more than my words ever could.
There’s a trail of pissed off people behind you a mile long. And there the two of you sit in St Pete, alone, a fuckin two person shit show in the most heavily populated area of the state.
Ive been watching you two shovel shit to people in the GP for my entire time here, and I asked politely to leave my personal character out of your fat mouths. But you just couldnt help yourself could you.
So open wide and have a nice helping of the bullshit youve been spewing since, well, apparently, long before I came around.
I have never in all my years seen someone so abrasive as this, and yet so many people willing to tolerate it. Even in occupy, the meca of horizontal to the point of fault, we had to tell people to go fuck themselves because they simply cant accept their fellow human beings.
I have zero patience for this at this point, and I don’t care what you have to say about it. And for the 300th time, if you dont like people treating you like shit, then stop doing it to everyone else.
Being that you are both full grown adults, I dont expect this lifelong trend to stop anytime soon.
Mon 1/26/2015 7:29 PM
So Jim, at what point in an organization do you see someone disrespecting people and basically acting in teh same light as the “oppressors” we talk about, at what point do you stand up and tell that fat mouth to shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down?
Or does everyone just sit around, helplessly, all in the name of nonviolence, while some tyrant runs rampant for years on end?
Fuck that, thats not how I roll. Perhaps you allow people to walk over you, I dont, and I never will. Thats not me, thats not how I was raised, not where Im from, and Im glad Im like that.
And if people think this is overboard, well, this is what happens when a problem is ignored instead of dealt with for years at a time. Lord help us if we start to get some real people involved in this thing and people continue to talk down to them like this. Like I said, you guys wanna represent the struggle, represent the real shit? And then you wanna watch as some overgrown child runs amuck mocking and disrupting anything in its path?
On what perverse planet is this allowed to happen?
Mon 1/26/2015 7:44 PM
So here’s a fun exercise, in case anyone thinks Im being a bit too tough on this bully. …
How about a list of all of the people who have been verbally attacked,insulted, or patronized by this trainwreck? Either on calls, at meetings, or on emails or blogs.
I can vouch for all of us in Tampa, and I know for a fact that three GP people in St Pete have no desire to get near this animal.
We have written attack pieces on two activists in Hernando, along with some backhanded insults on a 3rd one.
Ive received a few messages from other people across the state thanking me for telling this overbearing monster to go fuck himself.
So that puts us at this point at about, um, 14. Wonderful.
Theres someone up north, that actually switched out of the GP because of this asshole, so theres another one. 15.
These are just the ones I personally know of, and its all in agreement amongst the ones Ive mentioned. And no, Im not going to pull a Roby and start firing off names and shit.
At this point, Im going to assume there are probably a few more that have gotten treated like shit, but simply dont want to jump into this fray. Its safe to say there are probably a few more.
So we have around 15-20 (most likely closer to 20) people who have been disrespected, talked down to, attacked personally or maybe just called dumb in some clever, off handed ways.
So what is the plan to stop a one man wrecking ball?
I’m open to suggestions. Like Ive said – and if you take this as a threat, well, toughen up because clearly this animal could care less about feelings- a wrecking ball needs a wrecking ball. Thats what I know. Thats where Im coming from.
Welcome to real construction worker ways of dealing with dickheads. Fuck em.
Mon 1/26/2015 7:59 PM
Having peace requires dealing with the corrupt when the time is needed, otherwise they take over and the whole thing goes to shit.
I don’t care if people think this is too much on this nightmare of an organizer, I’m looking at the mile long list of names that cannot tolerate the prick, have left the party, don’t come around anymore, etc and I don’t feel like tolerating him anymore myself.
Jeff is a coward. That is why he acts as he does
Mon 1/26/2015 8:01 PM
There’s really no need to go into the mile long list of why myself and small horde of other GP members think Jeff is a scumbag. Its past that point. If you need to know why personally and get the real JR experience, perhaps you can move him out to where you guys are full time and watch him fuck that whole thing up too.
I dont care about making a point. This guy is a piece of shit that cant help himself but to fuck with people, bully them and then use some coward ass half statements in the process as well. Theres no reasoning with someone like this.
Mon 1/26/2015 8:07 PM
Because 15-20 other people have been harassed, disrespected, talked down to, etc? And then you can lump me in the group now too? Thats not a group of people cheering someone on, thats a very large group of people GETTING DISRESPECTED.
Ya, at that point I have no problem putting an asshole in their place. As would you, you are simply removed from this situation apparently as you are confused as to what Im talking about.
When someone personally attacks you Jim, what do you do? After youve asked them to stop? How about friends? Im not sure how everyone else is used to living, ok, but again, tolerating this is all news to me.
And yes, simply verbally slapping around because they are a bully is certainly better than physically hitting them, which is usually what happens in the real world. But this is pretty far from reality now isnt it?
