Truth about Fightforgk

Truth About FightforGK
August 15, 2014

http://truthaboutfightforgk.blogspot.com/2014/08/i-have-stood-just-slightly-to-side-of.html?m=1

I have stood just slightly to the side of the Fight for GK movement. Most in the movement would view me as part of the movement although I have not actually actively participated. I simply had the chance to be close. I know many, but not all, of the people directly involved in the movement. I watched the lead up to the trial and the trial itself (although I dared not to be in the actual courtroom). #PrayforGK on its face was noble if you also #PrayforTheVictims. I have no problem with people praying for someone even if that person has committed a crime. In fact, that original hashtag and slogan was chosen to draw in people who were not sure of guilt or innocence. However, the effect of the verdict and the switch to #FightforGK drew me in to watch the psychology of how a large group attempts to deal with this event.

#FightforGK will try to figure out who the "mole" is. I will be careful and not tell every detail that I am aware of, because there are things that I have overheard or been told directly that could tip them off to my identity.

My purpose is not to cause harm to anyone. I truly do feel terrible for almost everyone involved.

My purposes are:

1. Speak out to do a small part in helping to prevent child abuse in the future.

2. Stand for and uphold the Rule of Law that hold very dearly.

Make no mistake, the #FightforGK movement stems entirely from the inability of a very few people who are very close to Greg to believe that he could be capable of this terrible crime. One could argue that it all stems solely from his girlfriend's(Gaebri Anderson) need to believe him. Now, loved ones often side with a perpetrator, but in this case there were a pair of groups that were also ready to believe Greg and maybe more importantly to side with Gaebri. These two groups were Greg's classmates and the Church groups that they affiliate with. Others came on board later for other reasons, but this is how the movement started. I feel terrible for those closest to Greg, but I do not condone many of their actions since.

For the record, I do not have any personal knowledge of the crime itself. I do believe that Greg committed the crime, but that does not matter. I know that the jury who heard the case found him guilty. He is guilty. I also believe that he was given an entirely fair trial.

There has developed within the movement an "Ends Justify The Means" approach that I find abhorrent. To be fair, some others in the movement have seen this happening too and have also distanced themselves because of the leaders' tactics.

I will give two examples of this approach. One has already been publicly outed, the other has not that I know of. First, at the beginning of the petition drive, one of #FightforGKs most powerful accusations was that "Greg was NOT EVEN INTERVIEWED by the police". He never had a chance to tell his side of the story. I suspected what the actual truth was and recently we all had that truth verified that Greg had invoked the 5th and refused to be interviewed. There is not problem with him not talking, it is his right, but for the leaders of the movement to use that as a way to get sympathy and petition signers is evil. They knew the truth. Gaebri's father narrates the Youtube video and he knew the truth. They can hide behind argument "We didn't actually lie, he wasn't interviewed!" You intentionally mislead people that you told to "Look into the facts".

Secondly, in the four points given in their request for a new trial they are intentionally misleading about Shama McCarty's (the daycare owner) testimony. They state that she did not understand some of the questions that were asked to her on the stand and that this harmed her perceived truthfulness with the jury. Now, if you spoke to Ms. McCarty, you would hear immediately that English is not her first language. However, I can assure you that she speaks well enough to make herself understood and she understands English very well. She answered every question asked by the prosecution that she felt wouldn't harm the defense and when asked questions that lead towards Greg's opportunities to be alone with children, then she couldn't remember. Note that she did not say "I don't understand the question". She feigned forgetfulness. Greg HAD opportunity.

For me, this is the second BIG example of #FightforGK knowingly bearing false witness. I suspect other statements to be knowingly false, but do not have enough evidence to prove.

Rank and file supporters have also discussed among themselves using falsehoods with the public as being OK because they believe in Greg's innocence. They have discussed getting more traction for their side by going online and pretending to "not know Greg personally" but they "looked into the facts and just think that it deserves to be looked at again." I know that many victim supporters on twitter suspected this, but I know some of the people who have done it. Look at the comment sections on news sites and it's hard to miss the "script" they are working from.

I don't want to paint with too broad of a brush. Many supporters are true believers and have never participated in some of the victim bashing that has occurred. They are in a difficult position. I feel sorry for them. They have been hurt by GK too.

As to the trial. #FightforGK as led by his lawyer were inept. A few character witnesses saying that he is a good kid who came early to football practice is not a defense. Their insistence that you cant believe a 4 year old seemed to make them think they didn't need to actually put on a defense. I'm not sure how the lawyer gets a free pass here. I suspect that she does because with the #FightforGK crowd you are either with us or against us and since the lawyer "tried" she is beyond reproach. Victims advocacy groups watching this trial know that it would not be an easy conviction. If #FightforGK has anyone to be upset with, it is the defense team.

Also, the lawyer should have done more to talk Greg into taking the original plea deal. The prosecution knew it would be a difficult conviction and may have even known that one of the victims was going to have a hard time testifying. Perhaps the offer was made to have the boys simply not have to go through the pain of retelling their story again. Clearly, it was too much for one of the boys to handle. #FightforGKs statements that the boy recanted was also intentionally misleading. He wanted off of the stand and answered "no" to every question.

This next statement is just opinion. The lawyer should have approached the Andersons and had them tell Greg to take the deal. (Maybe she did). It has been reported that Greg's Mom and Brother told him to, but at that point, the Andersons truly were "his family". They could have framed it as, "you will be doing a good thing... we know you didn't do it... but save everyone, especially the boys, the trauma." I don't think Greg had it in him to think of that route himself and feared admitting and asking for help more than going to jail.

To attempt to try the case in public after the fact will prove to be meaningless to Greg's actual fate. There is nothing in the retrial motion documents that warrants any real consideration. The 12th juror argument they put forth seemed powerful to #FightforGK members when they first heard it. However, as soon as the more intelligent and curious among them took the time to look up case law about jurors attempting to impeach verdicts after the fact, they realized that was not going to work.

Aside from the heartbreaking pain this has caused to the victims and their families, the second worst thing that has come out of this is #FightforGKs disrespect for the Rule of Law and those who uphold it. They view the opposition as corrupt, lying, or just evil. Some of the more dumb public statements have indeed been made by teenagers, but please believe me when I say that most of them are repeating what they have heard from the adult leaders of this movement. It is scary to me how quickly this group has been willing to throw away so much of what what makes our country great just because they happen to know the guilty party. I support our police, those who protect victims and suspects, and all of those who ensure that all parties get a fair trial.

Unfortunately, the leaders of the movement and some of the more emotional in the group will demand a victory of some kind when the retrial motion fails. They seem to be setting their sites on the police chief and the mayor. They would be wise to stand aside of the mob.

There is more that I could tell, but I must protect my identity because of my position within the community. I do not fear for my safety, but I do fear the reprisals that would come to anyone in the Leander Cedar Park area who dares speak up for the victims. There is a reason that the other side locally has remained quiet.

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