Ghost People At the SHPG

Interesting things going on, and I wish I had more time to spend on them. But I've got a lot of irons in a lot of fires right now, and stuff I've started that I need to finish, so I can only touch on some interesting observations I've made about Brooks D. Simpson's latest obsession-relapse regarding the Southern Heritage Preservation Group.

He has screen shots of a discussion about the Virginia Flaggers' interstate flag project, and he zeroes in on bigoted comments by somebody named Randy Chambers.

It's interesting to see how Simpson's mind works. 

Randy Chambers = the SHPG 
 SHPG = totality of Southern heritage.

The statements by Chambers didn't feel right to me, so I decided to find out more about it.

Well, it turns out he is not listed in the SHPG membership list, so I can't see when he joined.

Searching the group with just the term "Randy" brings up several members, but no Randy Chambers. He's apparently done some very creative and innovative things with his Facebook settings.

I don't have time to read or post much at SHPG, and I'm certain I wouldn't recognize the names of many of the over 2,000 members, so it wasn't significant that I had never seen the name Randy Chambers name before. So I clicked his name in one of his posts, which took me to a profile almost devoid of information. Very few posts, no friends, no "About" info -- and it isn't because he has me blocked; I wouldn't be able to see his profile at all if he had me blocked.

What I find most interesting about all this is that Brooks D. Simpson chose to focus on the someone who posts over-the-top comments but about whom nothing is known.

I don't want to say this guy Chambers is a plant; that he's somebody trying to setting up the Group, but it does occur to me. Apparently, it doesn't occur to Simpson, although presumably he knows that anybody can make up a fake Facebook profile and join open groups ... Corey Meyer does it all the time. 

I guess it never occurs to Simpson to look up the profiles of the people he uses to smear Southern heritage with. It does occur to me

I sent this person, Randy Chambers, a friend request. We'll see what happens.

UPDATE * UPDATE * UPDATE

Randy Chambers has accepted my friend request, and I can see his newsfeed now. I have sent him a message thanking him, and asked if I could ask him some questions. I want to find out what FB setting he used to make so little info about himself viewable. It seems to be more than just creating a closed or private profile.

I do note thus far that, judging by the information I can see, he is not a Southern heritage advocate.

Will issue further updates as more info becomes available.

UPDATE, CONT'D -- Randy Chambers accepted my friend request, which allowed me to see his "about" info, timeline, friend list, photos...  It also allowed me to search for his posts in SHPG, although he still does not show up in a search of the member list.  After he accepted the request, I sent him a message basically asking (1) how he kept his ID and date of joining the group from showing in a search of the SHPG, and (2) whether he was a Southern heritage supporter. I have not received a response yet.

However, what the search for his comments at SHPG told me was that his first one was Thursday, August 8, two days ago. It was one comment in one thread about locations of flags beside major highways in the South. His comment was that one of them was in "my back yard."  My assumption is that he was talking about the flag in White Springs, Florida.

The second time he posted was in the thread Simpson showcased on his blog.

What Simpson DIDN'T show his readers in the screenshots he posted was this comment by John Stones:

"Randy, you are barking up the wrong tree if you believe me or any of the others you are accusing of being PC. You, sir, reflect hatred in your remarks! Justice has an even hand and all must be viewed in the same light and held accountable to the same standard! You need to learn your history, sir! None other than Nathan Bedford Forrest, referring to the black Confederates that served with him, stated that he knew of no better Confederates! Time and space do not permit me to go on with further examples as you would recognize them if you spent any time at all doing research or following things on this page! Accusing any of us here of being PC is utterly rediculous! (Emphasis mine. CW)

There no more comments from Randy Chambers following John's post.

Of course, the reason Simpson didn't tell his readers about that is because it would undo his efforts to paint the totality of Southern heritage as racist. Remember, this is the formula:

Randy Chambers = the SHPG 
 SHPG = totality of Southern heritage.
 

John's comment blows this formula to smithereens and showcases as well as anything Simpson's lack of integrity when "reporting' on Southern heritage folks.  Whether I hear from Randy Chambers or not, Simpson has already shown his willingness to lie by omission.

UPDATE, CONT'D --  Randy Chambers replied to my private message. He said he was removed from the SHPG because of his comments in the thread Simpson plastered on his blog.

Simpson monitors Backsass. We'll see if he passes this information along to his readers, or whether he wants them to continue to believe his lies about the SHPG.

Note: After a couple of direct messages from Randy Chambers, I have concluded that he didn't show up in a members search of the SHPG because he had already been removed when I searched. Therefore, I withdraw my earlier comment about his having done some creative and innovative things with Facebook settings.