I’ve been the repeated victim of abusive identity deception ever since I made my first posts to this Board two days ago.

My first post was the question that began the “Annulment of a Marriage to a Baptized Atheist” post on 8-6-03. My second post was a response to Scott later that evening on the “Gay Priests,” followed by a response to Paul’s reply to my annulment question, followed by my 4th (and last) post that night, a detailed reply to “Daniel Hawkenberry” on the “Gay Priests” thread, in which I refuted many of his statements about homosexuals on the basis of the Letter issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1986.

I have not many any other posts, other than those four message, till this one.

Immediately after making my last post on the 6th, “someone” began to make posts utilizing my name & email address; some of you may have seen them, although Paul has removed them fairly expeditiously, which I greatly appreciate.

Early on the 7th, someone fraudulently posted a response, using my name & email address, to Mark’s very helpful reply to my annulment question. In that fake response, the “someone” had me disagreeing with Mark’s advice (I don’t), rejecting the prescriptions of the Church & announcing that “I want this man and the annulment is the way to go, I'm sure about it,” something I would never say (but if I did, it would be expressed with better syntax and correct punctuation).

Almost immediately after this post was made, another message was posted under the name of someone who posts quite regularly to the Board, in which I was called an “awful whore,” accused of having “no respect for the sanctity of marriage,” characterized as making “stupid remarks and answers” and having a “lack of honesty that is all out of proportion.” For the moment, I’ll refer to the person who allegedly made this post as “Siegfried,” since I don’t intend to reveal his identity until I’m sure he actually made the post and was not the victim of identity deception as well. However, I will report to the Board that I wrote directly to “Siegfried” after seeing that message and asked whether he had in fact made it or whether someone else had, using his name & email address. “Siegfried” has posted new messages to the Board since I sent him that email, so I know he's been online, but he hasn’t replied to me, even though 24 hours have passed. I find that interesting.

Utilizing my name & email address to make posts designed to defraud others about my beliefs & morals is deplorable on too many grounds to list here, but it also strikes me that it is a tremendous admission of weakness by that “someone” since, if he COULD debate me effectively, he wouldn’t feel compelled to resort to such underhanded and malicious tactics. This “someone’s” tactics are therefore an admission, perhaps unwitting, of a failure he can’t bring himself to admit openly, probably even to himself. It also reveals a depth of insecurity and self-loathing that is truly pitiable. We all should pray for such a tormented soul. I know that I will.

On the other hand, I’m no saint and I don’t take this kind of assault lightly. After this “someone” again made a fake post in my name late last night, again to annulment thread, in which he had me stating “You’re all bigots!” (a message which has since been removed by Paul), I decided to call one of my brothers, who is a lawyer with over 20 years experience in computer, internet & privacy law. He sent me an email this afternoon, responding to the long voice mail I’d left him early this morning. He’s given me permission to share the following with the Board:

“Charl,

I’m so sorry that this bozo has you so upset, but I have to admit that I almost blew a gasket myself when I heard that he or one of his buddies called you a “whore.” That does NOT make your big brother happy!!!!

Listen, there are morons like this hanging out on almost every board & chatroom on the internet, trying to get the jollies they can’t get in real life. Most of the time you just have to shrug your shoulders & ignore them. However, from what you’ve told me, this guy has done more than merely be obnoxious -- it sounds to me as though he’s committed a crime, maybe more than one.

Do you remember the news reports last week about some woman out in the Midwest who called the family of a missing child & claimed to be the little girl all grown up? It evidently was just a stupid prank, but it was so sickening that police decided to track her down & arrest her, which they did. She’s been charged with “identity deception,” which is a felony & she may well get put away for a few years. In “identity deception” someone doesn’t have to be trying to steal money or credit cards like in “identity theft,” just to be trying to cause the other person distress, public humiliation, etc. It sounds as though that’s exactly what that bozo is trying to do to you.

You mentioned, I think, that you know whenever he posts something in your name because you get an email confirmation. If that’s the case, make sure that you save those emails, because if this guy is causing fake messages to be sent to you inbox, in most states that’s considered to be “stalking” if it’s done deceptively, repeatedly & with malicious intent or intent to intimidate. I don’t think there’s any question that’s what’s going on here. In fact, if you have time today, print out copies of your own posts, this guy’s posts -- the real ones & the fraudulent ones -- and stop by your police station on the way home & file a complaint for being stalked. Also get in touch with your ISP & Hotmail & let them know that you’re being stalked online. They may well decide to file criminal complaints and/or conduct investigations of their own.

If the police ask you who is doing it, explain that you cannot identify the person yet, for sure, but give them all the information you mentioned in your voicemail. They can put 2+2 together. I suspect that as long as the guy doesn’t do any more than he’s already done, they’ll simply make a note of what he’s been doing, but at least it will be on the record if he keeps doing it or if he gets threatening.

It he doesn’t stop, we can file a complaint against him in civil court with respect to both the identity deception & the stalking. It doesn’t matter that we don’t know his real name yet; we’ll just file what’s called a “John Doe” complaint, then use subpoenas to track the necessary information to find out exactly who he is. The board where he’s been posting these fake messages undoubtedly logs the IP address of the computer from which each post is made (that’s how the moderator can tell that this bozo has been making the posts & not you). If we serve them with a subpoena, they either have to turn that information over or fight it themselves in court. Most folks don’t want to run up legal fees defending the anonymity of an identity thief & stalker, especially since they’re all but guaranteed to lose. Even if the moderator hasn't kep the IP address on his own computer, it's almost always automatically stored on the system back-ups of the board's server.

You also said that you had an email address from the guy you thought was the most likely culprit, but that he uses an anonymous email service. Not to worry. That website can also be subpoenaed to turn over not only his IP address, but also all emails he’s sent or received through them. Even if he registered under a fake ID (almost all these bozos do), the IP information will allow us to learn who his ISP is, & we will then be able to get his real identity from them plus a log of all his online activity; if there’s a match between their records & the posting of the fake messages in your name -- bingo! The ISPs used to fight this kind of discovery, but the RIAA has been consistently winning on this stuff in the courts lately, & again, while some people want to fight for the right of others to download free music on the internet, nobody wants to spend their money to shield a potential identity thief & stalker, especially since if the guy goes on to do more dangerous things, they’ll have potential liability themselves.

I’m going to be with clients all afternoon, so I only have time for this thumbnail sketch right now, but we can talk more over the weekend. You might want to run searches on the web for any other posts this guy has done; if he’s in the habit of doing this kind of thing, once we know exactly who he is, it might make sense to turn over whatever information we’re able to collect on him to the proper authorities. If he’s using your identity for deceptive purposes, chances are he’s doing it or will do it to other people, & if there’s a pattern, that could interest the D.A. or the U.S. attorney into conducting a full-blown criminal investigation. You may want to let the moderator & other posters on the board where this happened know what's going on; you can ahre this email with them if it would help, but if you do, include my statement that what I wrote in this email is not intended to be legal advice to them & that they shouldn't rely on it, but should consult an attorney of their own.

Okay?

Ciao,

David

P.S. Did you tell Andrew about this clown? Considering Andrew’s resources at the Pentagon, he may have some other ideas.”

Any thoughts, folks?

-- Charlotte (charlotte6201964@hotmail.com), August 08, 2003

Answers

"Any thoughts, folks?"

Yes -many.

-- Daniel Hawkenberry (dlm@catholic.org), August 08, 2003.

I remember someone saying "bless your enemies and pray for them", to show that we are the children of God. There are more simple things to remember than talking about theology and complex matters, which is also a good example of the complex issues of marriage and divorce. On one side we try to picture ourselves as catholics, and on the other side we try to do the opposite of what is asked of us, and blindly trying to find means and reasons to justify ourselves. There is no need to get upset like this. On a religious scale, God would not have allowed this to happen in this forum if something was not right. On the other scale, behaving like an anti catholic even to your enemy for whatever reason is just the opposite of what is expected of us. Very simple, but hard in a practical(worldly) sense.

-- Abraham T (lijothengil@yahoo.com), August 08, 2003.

"I remember someone saying 'bless your enemies and pray for them'...."

Gee, Abraham, I'd never thought of this guy as my "enemy," merely as a pathetic, potentially pathological felon deserving not only of my prayers, but also of the psychological help that law enforcement would undoubtedly ensure he received.

"There is no need to get upset like this."

There isn't? You wouldn't feel at all upset if your mother, your daughter or your sister were called an "awful whore"? Especially if she had always lived a chaste life? Or are you just trying to reassure me that this guy won't do anything dangerous? Is there something you know about him that I don't?

"On a religious scale, God would not have allowed this to happen in this forum if something was not right."

So, are you saying that the commission of a felony is "God's will"? Whatever happened to "free will?" What's your position on 9-11, I wonder?

"On the other scale, behaving like an anti catholic even to your enemy for whatever reason is just the opposite of what is expected of us."

Well, first, I don't think of him as my "enemy," as I explained before. But I'm curious why you regard my behavior as "anti- Catholic." Do you consider reporting a crime to the police to be "anti-Catholic?" I never said I wouldn't forgive him, just that I intend to see him legally "outed" & stopped if he fails to stop himself. After all, my brother seems to think this guy could eventually become dangerous; serial killers, for example, often start out by torturing and killing animals. Wouldn't it be better for such disturbed individuals to receive psychiatric care and spiritual support BEFORE they commit more serious crimes? Oh -- and I'm NOT suggesting that the identity thief is or will become a serial killer, before someone tries to read something along those lines into my words.

Abraham, thanks for your thoughts. I always find your syntax quite distinctive, too.

-- Charlotte (charlotte6201964@hotmail.com), August 08, 2003.

Good for you, Charlotte! You are not the only victim of this idiot. For example, s/he posted some nonsense on a thread started by a survivor of abuse, causing that person serious distress. S/he seems to revel in giving nasty "advice" on annulment matters too, usually questioning the morals of the people who ask those questions. All power to you!

-- anon (__@__.__), August 08, 2003.

Charlotte:

I just discovered that I am "Siegfried". I have emailed you. The moderator should hopefully be able to confirm that I did NOT post that stuff. He can see the IP addresses of posters.

-- Stephen (StephenLynn999@msn.com), August 08, 2003.

anon,

Yes -we must all be careful and listen to you. Can you be specific on what thread this was and just what this nonsense was that you speak of. Not that I do not trust you -I would just like to compare your truth to that of our Church (assuming you are Catholic).

Please post the info as otherwise I must relagate your informative post to the rubbish bin.

-- Daniel Hawkenberry (dlm@catholic.org), August 08, 2003.

Dear Charlotte, I was viewing things in a simplified manner. Indeed I have heard much worse comments about me and my family, but I did not feel the slightest bit of hatred towards them because I remember how the most powerful of all lived among us.

I am not saying that the commission of a felony is God's will, but it has happened so sometimes. As for 9-11, God knows everything that has happened and what is going to happen. The victims are with God if they had a good heart, and that is the best thing that could happen to any human being. The same is the case with the victims of the atomic bomb exposion in Japan, and all sorts of crimes everywhere. Sometimes it is his will that these things happen, for reasons known to him alone.

I wasn't saying specifically about your behavior as anti-catholic, but When religious persons lose their temper they willingly forget what God has told us, and it is absolutely anti-catholic. It is not an easy task to stay back and smile at an enemy or those who disturb you, but everyone has the capacity to do it, if they are willing. I mean, if God came as man and showed us that, why can't we do that?

It is very easy to get lost in the "physical" or "real" life matters debating about where things like these - forgetting forgiveness, hatred, anger, war, judging etc are good or not. Isn't it so simply stated in the bible so that anyone could understand? I am not saying that it is an easy task, but it can be done.

As for this person becoming dangerous, treating him like he treats us makes us no better, not even catholics, and it also has the chance of making him more dangerous and fill his heart with rage. I have seen love and patience work wonders everywhere, and I expect nothing less from a catholic forum under attack.

What to do to prevent things like these, is upto the moderators and the leaders of this forum, but I have had a feeling that things are getting a little out of hand by the frequent postings related to divorce and so on.

I might be considered as a total idiot for saying this about forgiveness, love and patience, but I am sure that someone special is standing by my side when I say that. When St Francis of Assissi approached the pope for asking confirmation of his order, the magnificient pope looked at the poor and pathetic figure of the saint, and told him to go jump in mud filled with pigs. The poor saint just smiled and came back with more love, and amazed the pope. What I am trying to say is, even though all these things that we are dealing with may seem very complex, there are actually very simple solutions to it that we all know. It is not going to be easy, but if we can't do it we are not worthy to be called christians.

I do not know how things are done here, but I have seen more serious matter than this handled with love and patience by the good priests, when I was a child. We are christians - the catholics. We are not supposed to behave like others. We are supposed to show the world that we are God's children, and that we'll stand by him even in any circumstance. That is what is expected of us. Isn't it so simple?

One simple example - there is a question on why there are these crime prevention facilities, judges, punishments etc if we are to forgive and love. It's answer could be found in another question asked to God by the phareesas. They asked him if marriage is so holy, why did Moses make the law of divorce. God answered them in simple words - He said that Moses gave them the law because of the hardness of their hearts. That answers that question, and the previous one as well. God gives us answers in such simple form that even a child could understand, without getting a doctrate in theology to understand what he meant or what is true. Isn't it so simple?

What the imposter doing is evil, especially in this forum. Before starting to express our anger, I expected someone to show a little love towards that person that's all.

-- Abraham T (lijothengil@yahoo.com), August 08, 2003.

Daniel:

Sure. Here's the thread. The impersonator's nonsense has been deleted. But the responses are still there.

-- anon (__@__.__), August 08, 2003.

Dear Stephen,

Thank you so much for replying to my email as well as here on this thread, in order to let me know that the person who posted that horrible message to me on the 7th was not you, but rather the identity thief, posing as you. I am SO sorry that this person did that to you as well, and I thank you for the significant efforts you have taken to provide me with reassurances that you were not a party to the thief's bad behavior.

God bless,

Charlotte

-- Charlotte (charlotte6201964@hotmail.com), August 09, 2003.

Dear Abraham,

Thank you for your detailed & thoughtful reply; I now understand more accurately, I believe, the nature of your concerns and the basis of your earlier comments.

First, let me reassure you that I do not feel hatred or anger against the identity thief, nor do I intend to do anything outlined in my original post to this thread out of a desire for revenge or with an intent to “punish” this person in some fashion. Although I was both angry and upset when I discovered the two original fraudulent posts, and was still quite angry and upset yesterday morning when I called my brother, by the time I began this thread yesterday afternoon, I was feeling quite calm again, which is what I feel as I am typing this reply to you.

Second, let me offer my condolences with respect to the terrible things that have been said about you and your family in the past. I am so sorry, because words have great power to hurt, a power far beyond that which is generally acknowledged, in my opinion.

“I am not saying that the commission of a felony is God's will, but it has happened so sometimes.”

Abraham, let me respectfully suggest that it is inherent in free will that Man be “allowed” to do bad things, including, perhaps, the commission of crimes. However, the fact that God “allows” us to make bad choices in no way means that He endorses or approves of such crimes or their results, nor that we should therefore merely accept the results passively. To suggest that He does would, I believe, as Paul observed in the thread linked above, constitute blasphemy. I do not believe that one can say it is “[H]is will that these things happen,” except in a very, very, VERY narrow sense. He has given us free will; if that is to have any meaning, then such bad “things will happen,” but if they do, they result from the perverted will of bad Men, not HIS will, which desires ONLY that which is good.

“I wasn't saying specifically about your behavior as anti-catholic, but When religious persons lose their temper they willingly forget what God has told us, and it is absolutely anti-catholic.”

Again, I admit that I did feel anger for 24 hours or so, but anger is no longer in my heart and anger is not the fuel behind the position I now am taking. If you knew me in “real life,” Abraham, you would know that one of my cardinal rules is never, never, NEVER, to take a significant action if I am angry or upset, because I cannot trust my own judgment in such circumstances, and the ability to trust my own judgment is something that is essential to me.

However, I do not feel that a Catholic is obliged to “smile” at a malefactor and, I suggest, that is not the essence of what Jesus taught us. Yes, He reached out compassionately to all sinners and, yes, in most cases He reacted with gentleness and patience, but I do not think that being a good Catholic demands that we be passive and accepting of sinful/criminal behavior. Indeed, if John 2:14-17 teaches us anything, I believe it teaches us that righteous indignation is appropriate in appropriate circumstances. I happen to believe that the circumstances described in the message with which I began this thread are appropriate circumstances.

“As for this person becoming dangerous, treating him like he treats us makes us no better, not even catholics, and it also has the chance of making him more dangerous and fill his heart with rage.”

Abraham, perhaps this is the point at which our views diverge, or perhaps it is simply that you do not know me and do not therefore understand the nature and -- perhaps -- complexity of my reaction to our identity thief.

First, I do not intend to treat him “like like he treats us,” and, I will admit, I feel a bit wounded that you would categorize my reaction to the injury I have suffered with that which he has inflicted on me. I have not lied, Abraham, nor have I in any way mischaracterized anything that was said in the fraudulent posts -- I have allowed the thief’s words speak for themselves. I have also not dealt with him through subterfuge or fraudulent means -- I have been open and above-board. Indeed, one purpose of posting my original message on this thread was to inform not only the Board generally, but him (perhaps her), specifically, the serious criminal nature of his actions and the nature of the actions I am prepared to take, if necessary, to stop further crimes. My hope is that he will read my post, understand the nature and seriousness of what he has been doing, and find the strength within himself to stop without any further action on my part.

However, if he doesn’t do so, I am perfectly prepared to take all the actions suggested by my brother, without a shred of vengeance in my heart, but with purpose and energy. Let me try to explain my perspective on this.

I am the mother of two children and, like most children, they sometimes misbehave. Should I merely, on such occasions, “just smile and come back with more love?” I don’t think so. Though I enjoyed your anecdote about St. Francis, I do not believe that it is at all apt in this situation -- the Pope’s demand that St. Francis “go jump in mud” did not strike me as an attempt by His Holiness to injure St. Francis, but rather as a shrewd test of the depth of St. Francis’s commitment to the establishment of the Franciscans, a major undertaking requiring deep commitment. I cannot view the Pope’s adjuration to St. Francis, therefore, as being in any way comparable to the commission of a felony and the infliction of an injury, which is the case in THIS situation.

Getting back to my children, let me share an anecdote or two with you. I am, according to my children, 13 and 10, “the strictest mother in the world.” I doubt that is the case, but it might be true -- I can’t say for sure. A couple of years ago my son, then 10, complained bitterly to me that he was the “only one” of his friends not permitted to see movies that are rated PG-13. Big sighs ensued.

I paused for a few minutes, then told him that I had “really bad news” for him. I told him that it was HIGHLY likely that I would ALWAYS be stricter than any of his friends’ parents. On the other hand, I suggested, none of his friends’ parents were likely to put more conscious effort into being a good parent than I was willing to. I acknowledged that I not only MIGHT make mistakes, no matter how hard I tried to “do the right thing,” but that I was probably GUARANTEED to make such mistakes! After all, I admitted -- I’m only human!! However, I told him, being strict was a LOT more work than being permissive, and though he might have trouble believing it, the fact that I was willing to make the effort to be strict was a measure of my love for him and his sister. I emphasized that his father had asked me to continue to raise our children in accordance with the values we had shared during our marriage (I’m a widow, by way of explanation), and that I was only doing my very imperfect best to do so.

Now, the fact that I keep my children on a “short leash” in no way means that I love them less; rather, it means that I love them MORE. Similarly, I believe that expecting my fellow man to live up to God’s expectations is not “UNcharitable, but rather an expression of my confidence not only in God’s laws, but in my fellow man’s ability to do so.

I don’t know whether you’ve ever heard of the concept of “tough love,” but it is something I deeply believe in -- love coupled with expectations of right behavior, resulting in “discipline” -- loving discipline -- when right behavior does not occur. And Abraham, there is no contradiction, in my humble opinion, between disciplining someone for bad behavior and forgiving them. As I said to my son the very first time I seriously chastised him at about age 3 ½, “I always love you -- even when I’m angry with you, even when I punish you -- I n-e-v-e-r stop loving you!”

Among my relatives are a couple of recovering alcoholics who’ve fallen so far at times they’ve even stolen from me. I’ve forgiven them, I love them, I have continued to try to help them achieve and maintain sobriety, but I also insist they “tow the line” when they deal with me. Because it gives me pleasure? No -- but because it forces them to become the responsible adults they need to be in order to achieve happiness and redemption.

This is how I feel about holding the identity thief responsible for his crimes; it’s not about revenge for me. It is about, however, not permitting this person to continue hurting others, so I suppose it’s about protecting those s/he might hurt in the future. It’s also admittedly about protecting myself & my children, in the event that this person is truly potentially dangerous, as my brother fears. In that regard, Abraham, I feel that I have a vocation -- as a mother -- to protect my children and, since I am their bulwark, that means I must protect myself for their sakes if not for my own.

“One simple example - there is a question on why there are these crime prevention facilities, judges, punishments etc if we are to forgive and love.”

Again, Abraham, I don’t feel that the position I am taking is at all inconsistent with forgiveness and love. “Crime prevention facilities, judges” do not exist (or function correctly), in my opinion, if their sole or principal purpose is to “punish.” I believe that the purpose of these institutions is to rehabilitate and, when rehabilitation does not occur or is not possible, to protect the innocent from the acts of the dangerous.

From what I have experienced and I perceive, the person who is doing these things is not so much “evil,” as you have suggested, but deeply, deeply troubled. I believe this person needs not only our prayers and forgiveness, Abraham, but ALSO competent psychiatric assistance, something that he or she has probably not and probably will not seek for him/herself. Therefore, if this person does not stop behaving as s/he has done, I WILL obtain the person’s “real” name and personal data, in the manner outlined in my brother’s email, and do what I can to ensure that the appropriate law enforcement authorities do whatever is necessary to provide this person with the HELP s/he needs. This is NOT an expression of anger, Abraham, nor does it stem from any hardness of my heart. The fact that my will is firm on this point does NOT mean that my heart is at all hard, I assure you.

-- Charlotte (charlotte6201964@hotmail.com), August 09, 2003.

I understand Charlotte :) Be happy and enjoy the peace of God. You have a good family, and you can give and get love. There are people in this world who do not have one and long for one, and live alone hoping to experience love and care. May you and your family be well and safe. However there are two things I would like to say.

When I said

“I am not saying that the commission of a felony is God's will, but it has happened so sometimes.”

I wasn't implying that God lets us do bad things, but I was saying that it is indeed our own free will, but God makes use of that for reasons known to himself. There are two versions to this. One, He uses that to make us understand something is wrong that we need to undertstand, and the other like in the old testament where God hardened the heart of the Pharaoh to test Abraham. God's ways are unknown to us, and we had better not think about it because it is beyond our ability to understand.

The second thing is about the pope (I think it was Innocent the 3rd) and St Francis. The pope was not actually testing St Francis, according to what we know and his holy disciples. At that time, the catholic church was in need of a saint because the high priests and bishops were all living a very luxurious life, and slowly turning away from God. They viewed less attractive and dignigied people like trash, and the poor saint was no different. The pope actally understood the holiness of the saint only when he was asleep, in his dream he had a vision about this poor man upholding a church which was falling down. If we consider the situation of the catholic church and how the bishops and popes lived, and the views of people in Italy in those days, we'll understand. The pope himself became the close friend of the saint later. The main thing is, the saint says about how inferior he felt standing their infront of the "magnificent" church, but he held on to God and his love, and now everyone looks up to the saint with great respect and love, and he is known as the saint among all the saints.

About the impersonator, I understand. I used to think this was some child or teenager doing these things for fun. If the person is having mental troubles, it is indeed necessary to help him, but not to have vengeance or to punish him. It is indeed a good thing if you are doing this not out of hatred, but out of compassion. Also, it is indeed your duty as a mother to protect your family. I have no knowledge in these matter, about people using identity theft etc. and I used to assume that they mean no danger or harm, and that they do this for their personal satisfaction or as a timepass.

-- Abraham T (lijothengil@yahoo.com), August 09, 2003.

No, john placette. Big-time impersonation started only in the second half of 2002 or first half of 2003. It was not a problem from 1998 through mid-2002 or late-2002, according to my reading of thousands of threads in the archives.

The impersonator is probably one of two seriously disturbed people who were not taken seriously when they posted originally. Now he wants revenge.

One exploded onto the scene claiming that there ought to be no discussion of marriage/divorce/annulment here, but only in rectories. The other expected enthusiastic approvals of his rather weird Internet site, got none, but got an earful of criticism instead. There's even an outside chance that these "people" are one and the same.

Maybe their (possibly real) names and e-mail addresses can be found in old threads.

-- @ (@@@.@), August 09, 2003.

Examples of "angry-man-#1" are -- (marios85ten@hotmail.com), January 22, 2003 at http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00ASJv and -- (marios85ten@hotmail.com), January 29, 2003 at http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00ATQp and -- (marios85ten@hotmail.com), January 29, 2003 at http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00ATIR

You can tell that English is probably not this guy's first language.

A third possibility is Jean Bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), a troubled gent who has left here angry about a dozen times.

-- @ (@@@.@), August 09, 2003.

Well, I probably shouldn't be saying this, since I am still under suspicion myself (from Andrew Tilcock (or his impersonator more likely):-) but ...

I think forgiveness should come at the end of a process that involves first: repentance, penance (a willingness to bear the consequences of one's actions), and a firm commitment to change one's behavior. You don't "forgive" somebody who has no intention of stopping his bad behavior. That is very close to saying that the behavior is okay. Rather, firm correction is the appropriate Christian attitude.

-- Stephen (StephenLynn999@msn.com), August 10, 2003.

I know how Charlotte feels. I too am a victim of identity theft by certain racist and sleazy trolls who post rather disgusting and disturbing things using my name and E-mail address in the Anarchy boards. One of the trolls claimed that what he's doing ISN'T a crime, but we know otherwise. I'm not a Catholic, but I am a Christian (Southern Baptist actually.) and I feel that such behaviour on the Internet boards is definitely a felony and these impersonators are criminals for the horrid things they are doing to people on the Internet. I think the person who is doing this type of thing to you is a disturbed, hate-filled individual in dire need of psychiatric help. That or a very evil-minded person who needs to be stopped. I hope and pray that your impersonator is caught and stopped. Thanks you for your time and patience.

-- Garret Ford (Parallax281457689@Yahoo.com), September 04, 2003.