Saturday Roundup

So. As it turns out, BookBaby wasn't about to print one single on-demand book for me as promised. Amazon has dropped my book because of BookBaby's failure to deliver. Can I get a refund? Unlikely. Nobody at BookBaby knows what's going on.  Not even the president. I got the run around....they're all suddenly Sergeant Schulz-like. "We know NOTHINK!" Until I am reimbursed, I will continue to speak out against BookBaby and warn others. There's no excuse for the shabby way my book was treated. I did receive 100 expensive copies up front. I gave almost all of them away for free. I even paid postage to places as far away as Australia and England. The books are now nearly gone. So to all of you who received a copy--you have a rare edition (regardless of the typos and mistakes) because it's unlikely I'll ever print another one.

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Here's a photo taken today at the gallery in Bigfork. ArtFusion has displayed my large painting of a fly fisherman out front and it's generating quite a buzz. Few people in this area have seen such a thing. Mostly they see the usual clichés--realistic landscapes and wildlife paintings. Mine stands out.

"Fly Fisherman," available at ArtFusion Contemporary Art Gallery in Bigfork.

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I have not drawn a cartoon in over a month. I have the ideas. I have the time. I have the desire. What I don't have is freedom of speech. Whatever I draw is instantly defaced into hate and spread around the Interwebs. My reputation has been ruined as a result and it just makes no sense to draw something that will be seen by a few who like my cartoons while the rest of the world will see the defaced version. Until I can figure out a solution, there's no sense in drawing more cartoons.

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Finally, I have something to say about the tragic shooting that took place in South Carolina. Before those murders were considered, here is a statement that was made:


"The present situation is so unsettling that it's necessary to have an extreme response."


Do you know who delivered the above quote? See if you can guess. Was it a young man named Dylann Roof who coldly shot down innocent churchgoers? Guess again. It was Andrew Anglin, who runs a silly, but well-read Nazi site that spews hate. Is it any surprise that he and his ilk have had an effect on young, impressionable and ignorant minds?

Anglin instantly started back peddling as fast as he could to avoid any blame. Apparently he's now a paragon of peace and understanding. He's suddenly become the Martin Luther King Jr. of white supremacists.

http://splcenter.org/blog/2015/06/22/dylann-roof-may-have-been-a-regular-commenter-at-neo-nazi-website-the-daily-stormer/

And yet he has published statements such as "Gas the kikes, race war now!" and he has affixed my name to such shameful slogans. He publishes vicious and disgusting A. Wyatt Mann cartoons calling for race hatred--and he puts MY name on them. It's libel and it's actionable. It's too bad I can't get a lawyer interested in going after him. Why? Because he's also a broke loser.

Andrew is an Internet troll. Trolls stir up shit and laugh about it. That's their main goal and passion in life. Yet this time Andrew is definitely not laughing about the murders he may have indirectly caused...but since he is a troll he's definitely not about to take any responsiblity whatsoever. Oh no--trolls never take responsibility for their words. They blame others.

Behind it all is his charlatan "Christian" counselor daddy, Greg Anglin. Hey Greg, would Jesus approve of what your son is doing? Your deep pockets fund your son's online hate screeds and trolling. Donations are sent to your office while you claim you have no idea whatsoever what your baby boy is doing. Nosirreebob--you only started the site for your kiddo. You're the daddy troll. You enjoy it and laugh.

You also claim you have no idea what National Socialism is. Hitler who? The fact that your precious offspring has repeatedly pasted my name on disgusting A. Wyatt Mann cartoons that call for race hatred must bring you quite a belly laugh. What your son has done is libel, pure and simple.

You've also funded trips for your kid. You know, the one where he spent a year in the Philippines because he loves to drink and frolic among very, very young filipino girlfriends. You saw nothing wrong with that, either. In fact, you put your stamp of approval on his behavior, didn't you?

So enjoy your creation and make sure you also claim no responsibility for the increasing acceptance of race hatred among young people. The elite at the top love what you and your boy are doing. After all, if the nation is kept divided by race issues, there's less of a chance of all races coming together to fight tyranny and economic slavery. --Ben Garrison

bengarrison.com

My website is back up today. It now focuses on my fine art. I've come full circle. I'm now officially a starving artist--a painter. This is what I had expected to be when I was in college.

I have managed to sell quite a few paintings and I have more in the works. My paintings are now sold exclusively at the ArtFusion, the lone contemporary art gallery in BigFork. The other art galleries there basically sell the same old kitsch that has been painted millions of times. Of course, kitsch does sell. Too many people want comfortable, safe clichés and nostalgia. I prefer to take a different path.

http://www.bengarrison.com

Blue Indian

Here is my latest painting titled, "Blue Indian." It will soon be at the ArtFusion gallery in Bigfork. Oil on canvas, 18x24. I've seen many cliché paintings of such an Indian--usually painted in ultra realistic style. I took a different tack, but I still wanted to maintain an expression of severity and dignity. I think I accomplished that. The man is from the Blackfoot Indian tribe. I lived among these Indians when I was a kid at a ranch in Blackfoot Idaho.

I met an Indian here in Lakeside recently. He was about my age and had an advanced degree in languages. He spoke many Indian languages fluently including the one used by the local Salish/Kootenai tribes. He spoke to me in that language and it sounded exceptionally beautiful. He said some of the Indian languages had many more words than English. which enabled one to express oneself in subtle ways. The Salish language in particular was very poetic and beautiful. I wish I could speak such a language.

I'm currently working on my next painting and it will be a good one. I'm also considering not drawing any more cartoons since everything I draw is instantly defaced into hatred by trolls. They've succeeded in ruining my online reputation. My cartoons are no longer being taken seriously or reblogged by others since I'm now seen as racist and 'anti-Semitic.' The trolls have won. My business has also been ruined. Nobody is going to hire me based on my name and google searches. My work site, bengarrison.com is currently down and no longer tenable. I'll have to make major changes in order to try to continue to make a living. All because I dared to draw anti-Federal Reserve cartoons. --Ben Garrison

UPDATE: This painting sold very quickly at the ArtFusion gallery in Bigfork. It's the quickest I've ever sold a painting!

Hate Speech and Dopplegängers

I live in Montana and I know it's freer than a lot of states. I'm also very familiar with 'hate speech' since many trolls around the age of this young man have enjoyed using my name and face to spread their hate--and it went on for  years.

http://reason.com/blog/2015/06/05/montana-hate-speech-case#comment_5348331

Is hate speech really 'free' if it destroys the reputations of others and their ability to communicate clearly? Is it free if it threatens lives? I've been told libel and defamation are 'free speech' and that I'm wrong to complain about getting my reputation ruined. I've been told I 'deserved' it because I complained...therefore I'm against free speech. This was the meme they used to keep the hate going.

I'm now known as an 'anti-Semitic' cartoonist thanks to Internet trolls even though I've clearly stated I'm against racism and anti-Semitism. Even a Fox news affiliate said live on air that I was an 'anti-Semitic cartoonist' simply because that's what they heard over and over via hate speech delivered by countless Internet trolls.

I also drew a custom cartoon for an organization whose ideals I support. They were delighted with the cartoon and they were going to use it for their promotional materials. Then later....no. They changed their minds. Why? Because even though they knew I was heavily trolled, they decided they didn't want to be associated with a cartoonist who is thought to be 'anti-Semitic.' It would be a distraction from what they were trying to do. There! My cartoon goes unseen and my free speech has been shut down because of hate speech. That's why I may give up drawing cartoons altogether...what's the point in extending the joke and further ruining my own reputation? In essence, I've been shut up and I've also lost business due to hate speech.

The young man in question is an obvious Internet troll, which is now a sport or a game among many. He probably doesn't hate jews...he was doing it for the 'lulz.' He was doing it because he can. He is being charged with 'hate speech' under Montana law. I'm surprised Montana had such a law and I expect his case to be tossed out of court. What he was posting was completely reprehensible--he calls for the murder of people based on their religion and some find that hilarious. I don't. And if he had been using my face and name to do it (as trolls were doing with regularity) I would have loved to see him brought to justice in my state because that is libel and it would be far easier to try the case in state court.

As it is, he's free to express his hate. It's legal in America. The problem is, too many are now doing it 'anonymously' and they're able to escape any responsibility or accountability. If they said these things out on a street corner, they'd be ignored or countered and humiliated by reason.

Here's the problem with 'anonymous' hate speech: It encourages abuse and more hatred. The constant repetition of death and hate callouses minds and even starts to make such death threats acceptable. They're not acceptable. Hate speech should be considered 'legal,' but it's not 'free' when it cries for the death of human beings based on their race or religion. When someone is killed as the result of hate speech, their free speech is gone forever. What I'd like to see is responsible speech on the Internet. Do you love Hitler and hate jews? Then go ahead and write that, but PUT YOUR OWN NAME ON IT. Very few will do that. So instead of jail time for this young man, instead let's make him accountable for what he is saying and make sure people know HE is the one behind it. Right now a lot of these young people enjoy online anonymity and they've lost their sense of decency because of it. They have no shame. It's anything goes and they push the envelope because they think free speech is also absolute free speech.

Absolute free speech. Sounds great, huh? If allowed, however, be prepared to accept child porn--kids who are abused and scarred for life. Be prepared to accept anonymous trolls who torment grieving parents whose kid has just died. Be prepared to accept online snuff films. Be prepared for people posting grisly auto wreck scenes featuring horrific photos of someone's dead loved one. (That has happened).  Be prepared to accept someone calling for YOUR death and torment you and your family because you happen to be a targeted race, religion or have a different sexual preference. Be prepared to have your online reputation completely ruined by libel. Be prepared to have your business attacked. Be prepared for people changing your work and your words and into hate. (Happened to me--they've even edited podcast interviews so that I sound like a Nazi). This kind of hate speech has spread to social media--Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and so forth. The anonymous trolls do not own these sites, but the abuse there is increasing daily and sites such as Facebook have a bad track record of enforcing their own stated community standards.

America has long since tolerated hate speech as the price for free speech and the haters were easily ignored. But now, due to the internet, the unheard and the powerless have access to a giant megaphone that is used to make their repeated and very loud cries for murder. Again, they will usually NOT attach their own names to their hate, nor will they pony up their own dime to pay for their own website as a means to spew hate still further. Instead they use free social media and when hate is repeated constantly, impressionable minds start to believe it. (Think of Nazi Germany).

Removing hate speech from social media is not violating free speech. In fact, it's a way of PROTECTING the real free speech of REAL people. If we don't police this ourselves, look for big government to step in and shut down all free speech on the internet. They will use the out of control hate speech as one of their excuses. --Ben Garrison

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Additional:

Quinn Norton is a marvelously talented writer who penned this response to David Blumenstein's cartoon. If only I could write half as well...she uses the word 'dopplegänger,' which is extremely appropriate. It reminds me of a 'Twilight Zone' episode in which a woman is haunted by a dopplegänger who looks just like her, but has mischievous and even malevolent intent. David has done a lot to help me finally tame my dopplegänger.

https://medium.com/@quinnnorton/4chan-tells-is-very-little-about-ben-garrison-but-it-tells-us-a-lot-about-the-net-bf3b75ccbc54

SPECIAL THANKS TO DAVID BLUMENSTEIN!

https://thenib.com/the-internet-s-most-trolled-cartoonist-91a92d9b7585

He has a unique, distinctive and professional style. He uses minimal colors (love the burnt orange) and has a very gregarious and easy to read lettering style. Some friends have already commented that they knew it was me right away. David can capture the essence of someone in a simple manner and that's very difficult to do. His caricatures have a wonderful warmth and charm.

I am flattered and humbled that he spent so much time doing this great cartoon and I'm certain that it will finally put the trolling to an end. I'm very happy about that! There are some very good people out there who have helped me and this is just amazing. I've received a lot of exposure and now most people know the truth. I can finally close the chapter on the trolling and move on.

Thank you, David for your brilliant work!

--Ben Garrison