Morning Jolt: Dear Congressman: Doxing Is Wrong, No Matter How Angry You Are

Sorry to say it's another grim one today. A member of Congress forgets the lessons about how public information can be exploited for malevolent purposes; a lot of public voices respond to Dayton and El Paso by throwing gasoline on the fire; a forgotten detail about Oklahoma City and the militia movement; and a Democratic presidential candidate calls it quits.

Think of This as a Public Service Announcement for Angry Members of Congress

If you were a congressman, a person could find your home address pretty easily by going through property records. You already have a publicly listed office in Washington and offices in your district. You have a home in the Washington suburbs and a home in your district. Your spouse's and children's names are mentioned in news coverage, and you've shared pictures of your family on Twitter. All of the information that politicians give out in interviews and on social media to humanize themselves, and show that they're normal, "just like us," is also sharing bits and pieces of information about where they and their families have been and are likely to return: which summer camp, which vacation spots, which restaurants, ...

August 07 2019

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Dear Congressman: Doxing Is Wrong, No Matter How Angry You Are Jim Geraghty Sorry to say it's another grim one today. A member of Congress forgets the lessons about how public information can be exploited for malevolent purposes; a lot of public voices respond to Dayton and El Paso by throwing gasoline on the fire; a forgotten detail about Oklahoma City and the militia movement; and a Democratic presidential candidate calls it quits. Think of This as a Public Service Announcement for Angry Members of Congress If you were a congressman, a person could find your home address pretty easily by going through property records. You already have a publicly listed office in Washington and offices in your district. You have a home in the Washington suburbs and a home in your district. Your spouse's and children's names are mentioned in news coverage, and you've shared pictures of your family on Twitter. All of the information that politicians give out in interviews and on social media to humanize themselves, and show that they're normal, "just like us," is also sharing bits and pieces of information about where they and their families have been and are likely to return: which summer camp, which vacation spots, which restaurants, ... Read More ADVERTISEMENT Top Stories Some Thoughts on the El Paso Shooting Michael Tanner This is a sobering time that does call for action, but we should remain reasonable and not fall prey to out of control emotions. Neither Left nor Right Has the Proper Remedy for America's Illness Jonah Goldberg Politics won't cure America's sickness. Peter Strzok, Agent Fired for Anti-Trump Texts, Sues FBI Mairead McArdle Former FBI agent Peter Strzok on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the FBI and the Justice Department, accusing officials of caving to pressure from Trump. ADVERTISEMENT My Family Has Been Threatened by Racists. Why Should They Outgun Me? David French It's one thing to ask millions of Americans to sacrifice their security for the sake of the larger common good. It's quite another to ask for that same sacrifice in the absence of evidence that the policy will accomplish what it is designed to accomplish. Mass Murder without Guns Clayton E. Cramer If we solve the mental-illness issue, the guns do not matter. And focusing on the guns directs the severely mentally ill to other weapons. Fukuyama's 'End of History' Was Misunderstood by Critics Matthew Continetti After his famous "End of History" essay, Fukuyama emphasized in subsequent writings the human thirst for recognition and renown. But in retrospect he may not have appreciated the galvanizing power of religion and nationalism. His elite audience certainly did not. The Reflex toward Illiberal Democracy Kevin D. Williamson Emergency is the short road to tyranny. And the 2020 Democrats, among others, are careering down that road as fast as they can. Venezuela, Uruguay Issue U.S. Travel Warnings after Mass Shootings Mairead McArdle Venezuela and Uruguay have issued warnings in the wake of two mass shootings over the weekend that killed 31 people and injured dozens more. ADVERTISEMENT WHAT NR IS READING The Smallest Minority: Independent Thinking in the Age of Mob Politics Kevin D. Williamson A dizzying tour through a world you'll be horrified to recognize as your own. With biting appraisals of social media, political hustlers, journalists and identity politics, The Smallest Minority is a defiant, funny, and terrifyingly insightful book about what we human beings have done to ourselves. LEARN MORE Photo Essays Top Shots Picturing Pitchers ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us & Share 19 West 44th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY, 10036, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser.