The denouement of the Threeper career of one Christian Hyman, aka Sam Kerodin
Denouement, noun: the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.
I wasn't going to comment upon it, but a lot of chickens are coming home to roost on Kerodin's head lately with posts and comments at places like Western Rifle Shooters and Knuckledraggin.com. These have been supplemented by a number of offers of apology emailed to me by various folks taken in by him, typical of which is the one below, sent late Thursday night. These have been accompanied by requests that I take a public position on what seems to be the denouement of the Threeper career of Christian Hyman, aha "Sam Kerodin." I can do no better than my reply to that email, which I sent very early Friday morning and which is also reproduced below:
-----Original Message-----
From: REDACTED
To: georgemason1776@aol.com
Sent: Thu, Aug 20, 2015 9:03 pm
Subject: An apology from a former FOKker
Sir,
(MBV: Introductory sentences redacted.) In the past, I've said some pretty nasty things about you, siding with Sam Kerodin when you brought him up.
I owe you an apology, sir. There ain't a thing about Sam that you brought up that hasn't been right. Money, ego, money, ego, and all of it hand in hand. I'm sorry for the things I said and posted in response to your posts and I do hope you realize that I'm sincere. This is really kicking me in the teeth right now because I've never considered myself to be a follower of anyone. I was at your site the other day and saw the III Percenter Catechism post for the first time. Outstanding. That's what it's all about - small localized cells, honor and the moral high road. And it was then that I realized how far Sam has strayed from the original intent of the III Percent.
Again, my apologies. I hope you choose to accept them but if not, I'll understand. Regardless, you have my word I'll never publish anything against you again.
My reply:
From: georgemason1776@aol.com
To: REDACTED
Sent: Friday, August 21, 2015 1:48 AM
Subject: Re: An apology from a former FOKker
No apologies necessary. It is no particular shame to be taken in by a con man and Kerodin is an exceptionally skilled con man. We have all made mistakes of judgment, especially as far as errors in choosing our friends and associates. In this I am grateful that I have had the experience of the past twenty plus years in the liberty movement. There is nothing about Kerodin/Hyman that I didn't see in one form or another in different folks during the 90s, but I must say that I had never seen them all wrapped up in quite the same package with quite the same skilled artifice until I experienced K/H. What hurt the most was losing my best friend at the time, Peter White, to the controversy. I never expected that and the memory still cuts deep. I keep wondering when Pete will finally reach his gag reflex with K/H and yet he never seems to.
As far as promising "never publish anything against you again," please don't make that statement. I am as prone to error as any other human and when or if I stray from my declared principles I expect to be held to account by my friends as well as my enemies. If spending the past four years with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel has taught me anything it has taught me humility (not that I still couldn't stand some more instruction in that) and patience (ditto) and to listen to what God has in mind for me in whatever form that message takes.
I do appreciate your offer of publishing your mea culpa, but I am loathe to restart that fight right now as I am at a low point healthwise and in other ways and don't need to take on another fight right now (at least until I know how the new liver cancer is going to be dealt with). If you don't mind, though, we'll keep this in the quiver until such time as we need that arrow.
I do appreciate your message, though. It heartens me that others are finally coming to the same conclusions as I did about K/H even though it brings me no joy when I consider all the damage he has done over the years to the brand and the concept.
May God bless you and keep you and yours and permit you to stay strong in the fight. We are going to need every man and woman in the coming maelstrom.
Mike Vanderboegh
III
"One can fool some men, or fool all men in some places and times, but one cannot fool all men in all places and ages." -- Jacques Abbadie in “Traité de la Vérité de la Religion Chrétienne,” 1684. (The origin of the statement "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.")
From the posts and comments at the various sites, it is evident that there are charges of gross financial malfeasance and other long-standing character traits on the part of Mr. Hyman that have alienated virtually all of his former support base. With the exception of the unrepentant Bill Nye, who has long repeated his sincere desire that I die a lingering painful death from cancer, it would seem that Hyman/Kerodin has reached his Threeper denouement. No doubt there are other fields of financial opportunity awaiting him elsewhere. As I wrote above, I take no pleasure from this. The damage to my own relationships with men I thought were friends and comrades in arms, as well as the corruption of the Three Percent philosophy and brand, was very real and pains me yet today. As a Christian I can only hope that such people as Hyman and Nye come eventually to their conversion experience, but until then I am reminded of what answer the rabbi in Fiddler on the Roof gave to the question, "Rebbe, is there a blessing for the Tsar?" The rabbi thought for a moment and replied, "May God bless and keep the Tsar -- far away from us."
LATER: I also found it interesting that at Knuckledraggin a commenter just left this link: "How Covert Agents Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations."
18 comments:
Not much of a surprise.
If we listen to God's small, quiet voice, He will give us guidance.
Matthew 7: 15-20 KJV
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them..
I'm glad this drama is finally playing itself out. I've watched the back and forth between you two since I got involved with III%. I always had a sneaking suspicion there was something wrong with him, but having no personal knowledge I decided to let it run its course before I came down on one side or another. I started donating a small amount to the IIIPSFA at the beginning of the year just to say I was doing something, but that has now come to an end since I can't verify where the money is actually going. I've been having reservations with the III% group I'm involved with as well, since they seem to be ignoring what you said about "a movement, an idea, a philosophy and a discipline BUT NOT AN ORGANIZATION". I will be sending you a more detailed email for some advice on how to handle this. I'd like our group to succeed but some people seem too focused on command and control.
If there now ensues no sh!t storm of vile invective from the K-straps, I will allow myself the hope that you are right about his interweb demise.
I personally would have put a picture with the Hindenburg in flames with a subtitle "Oh the humanity". Good on you for taking the high road. Many among us would not be so gracious in "I told you so's".
Hopefully cancer will do its job.....not soon enough!
MANY have been waiting in the wings, watching and listening, not taking sides but waiting for anticipated attrition. BS is starting to settle and eyes are opening. Wishing for cancer to run its course is childish at best; the source is anonymous but apparent. A redoubt is nice but wishful thinking. Perhaps too many zombie movies are to blame? Furthermore, the 100 heads policy is very effective and applies across the board without discrimination or mental reservation. Anon for opsec, III for life, my oath NEVER expires.
Yo, Cancer-wish Boy... fuck you.
For the record, I watched the whole Mike v. K battle from the beginning, in detail, insofar as one is able from the evidence on screen.
I thought K was a usurper, a defiler and probably an agent provocateur from the beginning, and still think so, recent evidence only confirming, and convincing many of the formerly duped.
The disparity between Mike and K in matters of intellect, knowledge, sheer writing ability and character should have been enough from the beginning, and they were so for me; but the obvious intent to commandeer the III concept for personal gain and ego, and the perversions of the original creed that K demonstrated all along, should have been definitively convincing. Now,they surely are.
Thanks, Mike, for all that you do and have done in the cause of Liberty under the very serious duress of your fight for your life, and in the face of such juvenile vitriol from your enemies. By their fruits shall we know them. Most of your critics would not persevere in the face of such trials. It is heartening to see many of them recant, come to their senses and even to manfully apologize. My thanks to them as well..well done, all.
Jon III
I read on wirecutter's blog that someone was trying to copyright the III symbol. I don't know if that person will read this comment here, but i justed wanted to share the thought that i think of that as being unforgivably power grabbing, especially since you preceded that with you offer for all to use it with no restriction? I'm not a lawyer, but i wonder how argueable it would be? But in some ways that echoes a lot of comments i have been reading, arguing about who has permission or not to use the III symbol instead of focusing on advancing the cause... copyrights are for companies that are focusing on profits, so i guess that should show where those focuses are...
I haven't really read too much of the other commentary, but i wish you a speedy recovery, recall the trials & tribulations of God's servant, Jobe. A slighty different story, perhaps, but good lessons to remember, nonetheless!
-"Greg"
Greg, Sam didn't try to copyright the III symbol, he actually did it.
Illusions of grandeur, copyrighting a concept...
-Kenny Lane (Wirecutter)
Gee, let's divide up what a famous man once said, and not have anything original (as usual)
Standing Orders of the III Percent (Hyman flavored)
I: Stand your ground...
II: Do not fire unless fired upon...
III: If they mean to have a war, let it begin here (Defend Yourselves!)...
IV: When war is begun, go find something Evil and kill it...
Then this:
Handling the Muslim Problem in America - via LT
As I (Hyman) have been saying for years -
Kill every last Muslim,
Burn every last copy of their satanic book.
Burn every last mosque to the ground.
Burn every dwelling where they have lived,
And wherever you must burn, salt the ground heavily.
Make no exceptions.
Take no excuses.
Does this sound at all contradictory to anyone?
This isn't just the Hyman grovelling lacky LT, this is "Been sayin' this for years" Hyman
I wonder if that is conspiracy to commit murder?
both of these statements are on his blog sidebar.
Sam touts the First Ten (amendments) like they are sacred (which they are) but advocates that all muslims should be killed.
I don't like muslims myself but you can't pick your Bill of Rights apart and throw out the pieces you don't like.
-Wirecutter
I have finally found a group of patriots who I would not be ashamed to be associated with. You all here show the attributes of true Americans. Thank you for being here and for standing for the principles of which our country was founded upon.
I can't imagine men like Kerodin even being able to polish the boots of the founding fathers.
Hey Mike -
Here's some anecdotal evidence that might make you feel a little better.
1) I'm running into an increasing amount of III% shirts, hats and tats across the country.
2) By an overwhelming majority, they name Mike Vanderboegh as the founder of the modern III%. "I don't know" comes in second place.
Keep up the good work.
Wirecutter,
Thanks for manning up and admitting you made a mistake. Not only on your forum but others.
I had pegged you for a son of a bitch, and while that still may be true, at least you are a SOB with the balls and intestinal fortitude. And in these circles, it make all the difference. ;)
Mike, please keep fighting the illnesses. Every day you draw a breath is a poke in the eye to many bad people.
My Prayers for your recovery and continued good health Sir. As for the dustup, I have been involved in Emergency Preparedness since the 80's after I got out of the Reserves, and K/H has always reminded me of the various hucksters and shills who are always trying to cash in on a perceived problem or issue for their own benefit to the detriment to others.
May the Creator Bless you and everyone else in Sickness and Need.
I have been aware of Sam K for several years, and followed his blog casually your's I check every day. When he was trying to get folks to buy property in his community but reserving the right to throw them out at his discretion I smelled a rat. The fundraising really turned me off, and reminded me of a character in a movie called Survivors with Robin Williams, and Jerry Reed, it was a comedy as is Sam K's version of the III percent.
Post a Comment