Harassment And Threats Of Force Are Never Okay

by Graham Colson | Feb 18, 2014 | 4 comments

Over the last week or so, the video involving Emerson Lyons Jr.’s unjustified threats towards me has made it’s way around the internet, to say the very least. While my intentions here were to make this individual’s aggressive actions public, I didn’t want much of what of I hear has been happening to happen. I was informed last night that him and his family have been threatened with violence several times in the last few days. I also read a comment somewhere where someone says that they’ve called Emerson’s Towing & Repair five times in the last hour and called the person who answered the phone vulgar names.

This is not an appropriate way to go about this. I’ve been accused of harassment by the City Of Keene (and their bogus lawsuit was inevitably dropped, http://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/judge-cites-first-amendment-in-dismissing-keene-case-against-robin/article_40e36444-6dcb-5cc6-b6e2-a0bfa3e96930.html, as folks associated with Robin Hood Of Keene haven’t and don’t harass Parking Enforcement Officers) for filling parking meters and occasionally filming public officials in their line of duty. I’ve been harassed and aggressed against myself, by thugs on the streets and government employees, and it’s not something I’d wish on anyone. The way Emerson acted was inexcusable, but to respond to that by stooping to the same level is just as wrong. I’m genuinely sorry to anyone employed at Emerson’s Towing & Repair that has been affected by this negatively, though I’m not sorry for initially publicizing the incident. Had he asked me to stop filming in a respectful manner, I would have stopped filming. I’m not generally much of a filmer, and didn’t have much of  a reason to be filming the vehicle being towed (and I don’t need one to film in public, especially when the folks being filmed are contracted through the City Of Keene). However, the second he stepped out of his truck he told me he’d knock my teeth out, and once something like that is said my camera is going to continue to record until the person making those threats has either calmed down or left the situation. He likely knows that the things that Robin Hooders film tend to end up on the internet, and therefore should have acted in a socially acceptable manner knowing how many people could see the video.

Regardless of all of this, I seek only to live in a free and peaceful society, where the use of violence to resolve ones grievances is used only as an absolute last resort. To those who hold issues with me over this incident, I ask that you at the very least come to the realization that violence or the threat of it is not an acceptable way to handle these issues. Talk to me about it. I think that you’d find that I’m actually a relatively okay person, and that finding a peaceful solution rather than a bloody one is the ideal route to go.