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Two years, 1 month and 13 days out – a surprise visit by the TN Bureau of Investigation

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Well, things are getting interesting. I was just visited by two officers of the TBI, investigating a complaint they had received from the Secretary of State's office (complainant unnamed), saying that I had recently sent an email directly to the Tennessee Secretary of State's office, threatening violence against that office by invoking the memory of the Battle of Athens (TN). They were here, they told me, to investigate my "terrorist threat against a government official".

Well, I've never sent any emails to this SoS's office on any subject, now or at any other time. However, I told the TBI agents that I have several times invoked the Battle of Athens (TN) in my writings and my testimony before legislators as the only alternative available to the citizenry if the sanctity of the ballot box cannot be assured. If you don't know about the Battle of Athens, you should really read this link: http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/19...

The agents said they had to Google the Battle of Athens before they came out, and that it was a pretty impressive story.

We had a good conversation on my front porch and I explained the nature of the government officials (sic) who might have made this complaint against me. I also mentioned that one of those officials (sic) had issued a not-so-veiled threat against one of our other election integrity activists two weeks ago at Legislative Plaza.

(Here's a link describing that event: http://www.liberadio.com/2009/06/16/goins-bites-ballots/

Before the TBI agents left, I printed out my last letter to our state's Senators that I sent the day they voted to protect the Voter Confidence Act, as well as a copy of my effusive tribute to Senator Tim Burchett. I also asked the two TBI agents to deliver a message from me to whoever had caused them to have to drive to my farm on this hot late June afternoon. Before they left, the lead agent repeated my message verbatim to make sure he had it right:

"Mr. Ellis would like whoever issued the complaint against him to grow a pair of balls, 'man up' (the agent's words) and call him at any time to discuss any concerns they may have with him or with anything Mr. Ellis has ever said."

The agent looked to me like he is going to be happy to deliver that message personally.

BTW, the lead agent said he called my sheriff and several others before coming out and was told that I was a reasonable man who could sit down and talk to anyone at any time about anything. Wouldn't it be nice if we had government officials in our Secretary of State's office who could do the same thing? Maybe one day, when we start counting ballots the way they're cast.

So, how is your day going today? Not as interesting as mine, I hope.

If we never stop fighting, we will not lose.
We are the ones we've been waiting for.

Bernie

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