Not Again!

Yes again. As May Blitz is well underway, I thought it would be a good idea to repost my articles on the proper way to hand out literature. It will be in two parts. One today, one tomorrow. For those of you who've already read them, sorry. But we have new supporters all the time and some of them are newbies in the movement and this will be of benefit to them. There will be fresh material on Saturday.

There are two main methods: Hand outs, which I'm not too crazy about, and drop offs, which is my preferred method. Today I'll discuss handouts, and tomorrow, drop offs.

These are NOT rules, policies, or orders, merely suggestions.

BTW, I've already given out 100 stickers, cards, and flyers. How many have you done?

HAND OUTS

Handing out literature is just what it sounds like. You go up to people, or wait until they pass by you, and you hand them a flyer.

The best places to hand out literature are public parks, in front of stores, or on street corners. There are certain risks with each. STAY AWAY FROM SCHOOL ZONES! After all, you don't want to be arrested for contributing to the delinquency of minors. Are we delinquent? No way, but you know how the government can be. They'll use anything they can against us. Besides, the ANP does not have a Youth Corps, nor do we accept minors as Official Supporters, so there's no need to go anywhere near a school, public or private.

Now with parks, there should be no legal problems. We all have a right to use our parks, and handing out fliers is not a crime.

With parking lots, there could be legal issues. Look for signs posted that prohibit solicitation. Since we are promoting the ANP, it could be considered solicitation. If store personnel ask you to stop what you're doing, then stop at once. They have the right to ask you to leave, but only if absolutely no one else is being permitted to do the same thing. If they allow another political group to distribute their literature, then they have to allow us. We cannot be excluded by law. However, if they ask you to leave, then do so. You could be arrested. If you are, you definitely have a case of discrimination, but it will still cause you a lot of trouble. What I would do is if some kid collecting shopping carts tells you to leave, I'd say, "I will, but only if the manager or assistant manager tells me himself." That covers you. I don't take orders from some pimple-faced high school kid, but if the boss comes out, then that's different. If you are discriminated against, take down the manager's name, the store name, address, and other pertinent information, and perhaps a lawsuit could be filed against them later.

With street corners, you may be arrested for loitering if you stand in one spot too long. If the police tell you to move on, then don't argue or they could arrest you. Just move to another corner, and you can stay there for awhile before it's considered loitering. If the police are harassing you, but not others engaged in similar activities, again, you could have a lawsuit. Take down the officer's names and badge numbers. By law, they have to give you this information. Never behave in a hostile manner, nor say anything that could remotely be considered a threat other than the threat of a lawsuit or it's the Greybar Hotel for you. Always deal with the cops in a civil manner. Never forget that they can arrest you, but you can't arrest them. That does give them an unfair advantage!

Wherever you go to handout literature, I recommend for safety's sake, you NEVER go alone. Three is the minimum safe number in my opinion. This is not just for safety, but if you feel you are being harassed or discriminated against, having one or two comrades will give you witnesses and you can all testify for each other if you decide to sue.

The real watchword is safety. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. If you think someone is watching you, then assume they are. If a group of hostiles starts to gather, and you are feeling threatened, don't stand and fight. Just pack up your fliers and leave. If a fight breaks out, who do you think the cops are going to arrest? Will it be a bunch of unfriendly liberals, or a bunch of Nazis?

Now let's say you've given out all your flyers, or your time is up and you have to leave. Pay strict attention to everyone around you. Make sure you're not being watched by anyone suspicious. If you think you are being followed, then assume you are. Don't go home. Drive around for awhile. If they are still with you, then stop at a public place like a McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts, or maybe just go into Ralph's, Kroeger's, or Piggly Wiggly like you need some groceries. If they follow you into the parking lot and sit and wait, then you most probably are being followed. Take no chances. If you have a cell phone, and you should never go out to hand out flyers without one, call the police. The cops will come, and question them. Naturally, they'll deny everything. However, the cops will have been alerted, and your tailers will know this. If they continue tailing you and you call the cops again, the next time they will be arrested and they know it. But still, be careful going home.

Remember, always be aware of your surroundings. The watchword for this is SAFETY. If you're careless, you could get hurt. Good luck and stay safe.

Dan 88!