I usually refrain from using this site for personal reasons, but I am writing the following because I think it demonstrates a point I have made repeatedly; namely, that U.S. citizen Israel-Firsters will do most anything to shut up and damage people who criticize them or their country of first loyalty, Israel.
As readers know, I have written on this topic on multiple occasions on this site, and also wrote a piece for AntiWar.com when I was fired by the Jamestown Foundation for criticizing President-to-be Obama’s subservience to Israel. As you will likewise know, some people who have been kind enough to comment on my Israel-First-related articles have said — more or less — that I was imagining things. For those folks, I hope the following gives them pause for thought.
For most of 2010, I have been the subject of what I regard as libeling e-mails from a lawyer — yes, a lawyer! — named Mr. Marc Grayson (E-mail: British18@earthlink.net). He has sent numbers of e-mails to Georgetown University, where I teach two courses each year on Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. The e-mails are clearly intended to force Georgetown to dismiss me for my criticism of the Israel-Firsters and my description of Israel’s very effective covert political-action operations in the United States. Mr. Grayson has, in essence, said that he would make sure what happened to me at the Jamestown Foundation would happen again at Georgetown. My responses to him have been to suggest that he is a bit — and perhaps more than a bit — of a slithering slug.
The first batch of Mr. Grayson’s e-mails came in 2010, and a new batch began arriving on 7 January 2011. Here is the text of the first; I have taken out the name of the person Mr. Grayson addressed, who is my superior.
1.) Subject: Michael Scheuer From: british18 To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Cc: mfs47@georgetown.edu Date: Fri, Jan 7, 2011 8:43 pm
XXXXXXXX, your Michael Scheuer makes statements about Israel that flirt with anti-Semitism, in my opinion, using his affiliation with Georgetown University, below. Does Georgetown University approve of its good name being associated with such distorted views of reality? I look forward to your response on the matter.
Marc Grayson
“By Michael F. Scheuer
Adjunct Professor of Security Studies, Georgetown University
This question and especially this forum provides a great opportunity for calmly educating Americans about what their elected leaders think on this issue. This blog’s list of contributors includes 3 U.S. Congressmen and one U.S. Senator. I am positive that all contributors to and readers of this blog would benefit from hearing from them about: (a) Why they do or do not go up and genuflect on the stage of each year’s AIPAC gathering? (b) If they approve of the Mayor of New York City and Congressman Ackerman going to Israel during the Gaza war to applaud Israel’s offensive and thereby ensure that all Muslims know and hate the fact that American leaders are egging Israel on to kill more Muslim civilians? (c) What they think about Rahm Emanuel — a man who chose the IDF over the U.S, military in wartime — serving as President Obama’s chief of staff and being privy to the nation’s most sensitive information? (d) And if they agree with Senator Joseph Liberman that America has a responsibility to use its tax money and the lives of its soldier-children make sure God’s promise to Abraham about Israel is kept? Detailed answers to these and other questions would surely give all readers an inside view of how the U.S.-Israel relationship works.
http://security.nationaljournal.com/2009/03/how-to-talk-about-israel.php
Mr. Grayson cc’ed me on this note, and I responded as follows:
2.) From: scheuermf@aol.com To: british18@earthlink.net; XXXXXXXXXXX Cc: mfs47@georgetown.edu Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2011 3:58 AM Subject: Re: Michael Scheuer
Mr. Grayson,
I was so relieved to hear from you again! The world can surely be a very difficult place for slugs like you, and I was worried that you had not written to threaten me in the last six months. You are, I know, always in danger of getting stomped by human creatures who walk on two legs as you slither across the floor looking for a filthy surface to adhere to. It is good to know you are safe! Have you found a nice, safe garbage can to adhere to, or perhaps the warm underside of a manhole cover?
If you liked the article cited in your note, please have a look at www.non-intervention.com. There is much more there for you to enjoy.
Always respectfully,
Mike Scheuer
After receiving my note, a now-aggrieved Mr. Grayson — who, you will recall, is the person who is trying to deny me employment and income — sent the following two notes. (NB: Please believe that I did not make up the second note.)
3.) From: british18 To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Cc: mfs47@georgetown.edu Date: Sat, Jan 8, 2011 8:55 am
XXXXXXXXXX, it is rather disturbing that Mr. Scheuer, a member of the otherwise esteemed Georgetown Univ. faculty, would send the ill-tempered email, below, merely for pointing out that he has made irrational, anti-Semitic remarks, in my opinion, while associating himself with Georgetown Univ.
4.) From: “british18” Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2011 05:47:06 -0800 To: Subject: Re: Michael Scheuer
Cease and desist sending me harrassing emails or I will contact the FBI.
For me, Note #4 was too good to resist and so I responded as follows:
5.) From: scheuermf@aol.com To: british18@earthlink.net ; mfs47@georgetown.edu Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2011 8:19 AM Subject: Re: Note To Joshua Speiser
Mr. Grayson,
I hope you spelled my name correctly. If you didn’t, I’ll inform the RCMP, and you know they always get their slug!
Always, respectfully,
Mike Scheuer
This note seemed to set Mr. Grayson into a terrible tizzy and he now started writing to all sorts of officials at Georgetown University.
6.) Note To Joshua Speiser From: british18 To: mfs47@georgetown.edu Date: Sat, Jan 8, 2011 11:07 am
I’ve forwarded your remarks to Joshua Speiser, Dir. of Communications at Georgetown Univ.
7.) Re: Note To Joshua Speiser From: british18 To: scheuermf@aol.com Date: Sat, Jan 8, 2011 12:46 pm
Your harrassing emails and your remarks about Israel that associate you and your remarks with Georgetown Univ. have been forwarded to Georgetown’s legal department.
8.) From: “british18” Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2011 10:31:31 -0800 To: Subject: Re: Note To Joshua Speiser
I’ve heard of Stephanie Tsacoumis, VP of Legal Affairs at Georgetown Univ. I’m interested in her response to GU being affiliated with your anti-Semitic remarks, in my opinion.
As you’ll note, Mr. Grayson is a pathetically poor speller, even worse than me, and a coward, always using the qualifier “in my opinion” when libeling me. The last note above — #9 — is reference to a note I sent asking him if he ever heard of the American Bar Association, inferring that I thought his libeling attacks on me were a tad unlawyerlike and that I would ask the ABA if his actions were acceptable to their ethical standards. I then told Mr. Grayson that I was asking the ABA for guidance regarding his libeling attacks, and sent the following e-mail to the ABA:
10.) Subject: Regarding harassment from ABA member Mr. Marc Grayson From: scheuermf@aol.com To: askaba@abanet.org Date: Sat, Jan 8, 2011 1:28 pm
Sir,
For the past year a lawyer named Marc Grayson (email: British18@earthlink.net) has sent repeated messages to me and to Georgetown University — my employer — claiming that I am an anti-Semite and urging the university to dismiss me on the basis of my published writings. He also argues that my facial features show that I am mentally impaired. I have responded to Mr. Grayson by suggesting quite plainly that he is a slug and more than a bit whacky, but he continues to persist in libeling me to my employer and has threatened to go to the FBI because I am harassing him. I know this sounds like something out of People magazine, but it is true and members of my department at Georgetown can confirm receipt of messages from Mr. Grayson. I have also appended his most recent note to Georgetown below.
I am wondering if this is acceptable behavior for a lawyer and an ABA member? I would just like Mr. Grayson to cease his libel against me. My only other recourse is to publish all of his e-mails on my website (www.non-intervention.com).
I would most appreciate a response when you have time.
Respectfully,
Michael F. Scheuer
The cocky Mr. Grayson then responded by suggesting the ABA could not touch him:
10.) From: “british18” Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2011 14:50:58 -0800 To: Subject: Re: Note To Joshua Speiser
Oh, dear. Did the ABA assist you with the Jamestown Foundation?
And that is where things stand this morning. I must admit that I expect Georgetown’s lawyers to dismiss me — this though Georgetown sanctioned a debate on playing hardball with Israel that I participated in — and for the ABA to fail to respond. Still, life is about learning and I’ll have to take what comes. Whatever happens, the actions of Mr. Grayson and his Israel-First debate-silencers will have no impact on what I think or say.
For those of you who are interested, I will relate further developments in this story as they occur.