Horizon Accord | Political Architecture | Memetic Strategy | Institutional Capture | Machine Learning

Speculative Pattern Analysis: The Tyler Robinson Case

A Working Theory Based on Historical Precedent and Psychological Operations Research

DISCLAIMER: This is speculative analysis based on pattern recognition from documented historical precedents and established research on psychological manipulation techniques. This working theory would require concrete evidence for verification. We present this analysis to highlight potential red flags worthy of investigation.


Executive Summary: The Convenience Problem

Tyler Robinson’s assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, presents significant anomalies when examined against established patterns of organic political radicalization. A 22-year-old from a conservative Utah household, with no documented ideological evolution, suddenly committing a politically motivated assassination that perfectly serves ongoing authoritarian consolidation raises serious questions about the authenticity of his radicalization.

Historical Precedent: State-Sponsored False Flag Operations

Documented Cases of Manufactured Political Violence

Operation Northwoods (1962):

  • U.S. military proposed staging terrorist attacks against American civilians
  • “The operation proposed creating public support for a war against Cuba by blaming the Cuban government for terrorist acts that would be perpetrated by the US government”
  • Pentagon memo: “Sabotage ship in harbour; large fires… Sink ship near harbour entrance”
  • Rejected by Kennedy, but demonstrates institutional willingness to sacrifice American lives for political objectives

Iran 1953 (Operation TPAJAX):

  • CIA carried out “false flag attacks on mosques and key public figures” to be blamed on Iranian communists
  • “Directed campaign of bombings by Iranians posing as members of the Communist party”
  • CIA determined false flag attacks contributed to “positive outcome” of regime change operation

Gleiwitz Incident (1939):

  • Nazi operatives dressed as Polish soldiers attacked German radio station
  • “Led to the deaths of Nazi concentration camp victims who were dressed as German soldiers and then shot by the Gestapo to make it seem that they had been shot by Polish soldiers”
  • Used to justify invasion of Poland and World War II in Europe

Key Pattern: Crisis → Justification → Consolidation

  1. Manufactured crisis provides emotional catalyst
  2. Immediate blame assignment to target groups
  3. Rapid policy implementation using crisis as justification
  4. Long-term power expansion under “emergency” measures

Psychological Manipulation Research: The Science of Creating Assassins

Established Vulnerability Factors

Research from the 17-A Barcelona cell investigation reveals systematic manipulation techniques:

Target Selection Criteria:

  • “Young people are particularly vulnerable to propaganda and the influence of extremist recruiters”
  • “Recruiters identify their targets in vulnerable contexts—such as marginal neighborhoods, education centers”
  • “Young Muslim Europeans of the second and third generation, who typically lack religious training, adaptive social models, and critical thinking skills”

Manipulation Phases:

  1. Trust Building: “Recruiters then befriend their targets to build trust”
  2. Psychological Submission: “The young person loses their autonomy and becomes dependent on their friendship with recruiter”
  3. Reality Distortion: “Social isolation and inducing confusion between reality and fantasy”

Online Radicalization Techniques

Algorithmic Targeting:

  • “Social media algorithms target young men with extreme content that can lead to radicalization”
  • “It started out pretty benign… the algorithm would push you to a Ben Shapiro video”
  • “Someone might engage you in a comment thread and tell you to join their Discord group, [where] the content gets darker and darker”

Vulnerability Exploitation:

  • “The targets are often young men who feel lost or isolated”
  • “Research shows that misogynistic content online targets mostly young men (ages 13-25) who report feelings of social isolation or rejection”

Social Engineering in Practice

Documented Techniques:

  • “Social engineering is the term used for a broad range of malicious activities accomplished through human interactions. It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes”
  • “Social engineers manipulate human feelings, such as curiosity or fear, to carry out schemes and draw victims into their traps”

GCHQ/NSA Digital Manipulation:

  • “Injecting false material onto the Internet in order to destroy the reputation of targets and manipulating online discourse”
  • “Posting material to the Internet and falsely attributing it to someone else”
  • “Pretending to be a victim of the target individual whose reputation is intended to be destroyed”

The Tyler Robinson Anomaly Analysis

Background Inconsistencies

Conservative Family Environment:

  • Raised in conservative Utah household
  • Conservative state political environment
  • No documented exposure to leftist ideology or grievance narratives
  • No prior political activism or engagement

Radical Trajectory Problems:

  • Absence of ideological evolution: No documented progression from conservative to radical leftist views
  • Missing radicalization markers: No social media history, group affiliations, or escalating political engagement
  • Sudden emergence: Appeared fully radicalized without observable development phases

Targeting and Timing Analysis

Perfect Political Utility:

  • Kirk assassination occurs precisely when Trump administration needs crisis justification
  • Enables immediate educator purges (“culture of fear”)
  • Justifies surveillance expansion and FBI investigation shutdowns
  • Provides martyr narrative for authoritarian consolidation

Operational Characteristics:

  • Single actor: No organizational trail to investigate
  • Immediate resolution: Perpetrator captured, case closed quickly
  • Clean narrative: Leftist hatred vs. conservative martyr, no complexities
  • Maximum impact: Stadium memorial becomes political rally for expanded powers

Historical Pattern Match

Operation Northwoods Template:

  • “Creating public support… by blaming [target] government for terrorist acts that would be perpetrated by the US government”
  • Tyler Robinson case follows identical structure: manufactured attack → blame assignment → policy justification

COINTELPRO Precedent:

  • FBI historically infiltrated and manipulated radical groups
  • Documented use of agents provocateurs to incite violence
  • “Psychological warfare is all about influencing governments, people of power, and everyday citizens”

Speculative Operational Framework

Phase 1: Target Identification and Recruitment

Profile Requirements:

  • Young, isolated male (established vulnerability research)
  • Conservative background (provides authenticity for “radicalization” narrative)
  • Psychological vulnerability (family issues, social isolation, mental health)
  • Clean criminal record (maintains plausible perpetrator profile)

Online Engagement:

  • False flag social media operations: Handlers posing as leftist activists
  • Gradual exposure techniques: “Algorithm would push you to increasingly extreme content”
  • Discord/encrypted platforms: “Someone might engage you in a comment thread and tell you to join their Discord group”

Phase 2: Psychological Conditioning

Manipulation Techniques (per 17-A research):

  • Cognitive control: “Control of attention, group identification, and denigration of critical thinking”
  • Environmental control: “Control of information” through curated online environments
  • Emotional control: “Authoritarian leadership” from handler personas

Reality Distortion:

  • “Social isolation and inducing confusion between reality and fantasy”
  • Creation of false online communities providing sense of belonging
  • Gradual normalization of violence through “dark and darker” content escalation

Phase 3: Activation and Execution

Final Preparation:

  • “The aim of recruiters is to lead young people to emotional and cognitive states that facilitate violent disinhibition”
  • Selection of target (Charlie Kirk) for maximum political utility
  • Timing coordination with broader authoritarian consolidation timeline
  • Operational security to prevent exposure of handler network

Post-Event Management:

  • Immediate narrative control through affiliated media
  • Handler personas disappear or go dormant
  • Digital forensics limited to surface-level investigation
  • Case closed quickly to prevent deeper inquiry

Supporting Evidence Patterns

Digital Footprint Anomalies

Expected vs. Actual:

  • Organic radicalization typically shows months/years of online evolution
  • Tyler Robinson case appears to show sudden emergence without development trail
  • Manipulation cases often show sophisticated technical knowledge beyond perpetrator’s apparent capabilities

Psychological Profile Mismatches

Research-Based Expectations:

  • “Young people who feel lost or isolated; they look to these groups as a way to escape those feelings”
  • Conservative Utah background doesn’t match typical leftist radicalization pathways
  • Lack of ideological coherence in available statements/manifesto

Operational Benefits Analysis

Cui Bono (Who Benefits):

  • Trump administration gains crisis justification for expanded powers
  • Educator purges implemented using Kirk’s death as moral authority
  • Surveillance state expansion justified through martyr narrative
  • Political opposition criminalized under guise of preventing “another Kirk”

Historical Context: Why This Matters

The Infrastructure Was Already Built

Documented Capabilities:

  • U.S. Army’s 4th Psychological Operations Group: “Turn everything they touch into a weapon, be everywhere, deceive, persuade, change, influence, and inspire”
  • GCHQ/NSA digital manipulation: Proven capability to “manipulate online discourse and activism”
  • Social media algorithmic control: “Algorithms record user interactions… to generate endless media aimed to keep users engaged”

Historical Precedent for Domestic Operations:

  • “Increasingly, these operations are being used not just abroad—but at home”
  • “The government has made clear in word and deed that ‘we the people’ are domestic enemies to be targeted”

The Perfect Storm Context

Pre-Existing Conditions:

  • 40-year authoritarian infrastructure development (Promise Keepers → Tea Party → MAGA)
  • Sophisticated online manipulation capabilities
  • Population psychologically prepared for hierarchical authority
  • Crisis exploitation as standard operating procedure

Tyler Robinson as Catalyst:

  • Single event enables multiple authoritarian objectives
  • Emotional impact overrides rational analysis
  • Martyr narrative provides moral justification for crackdowns
  • Timeline acceleration through manufactured urgency

Investigative Questions This Theory Raises

Digital Forensics

  1. Complete social media history: What platforms, when registered, interaction patterns?
  2. Discord/encrypted messaging: Evidence of handler communications?
  3. Algorithm analysis: Unusual content recommendation patterns suggesting artificial manipulation?
  4. IP tracking: Geographic/temporal patterns consistent with operation centers?

Psychological Assessment

  1. Mental health history: Evidence of vulnerability exploitation?
  2. Social isolation: Documented periods of increased susceptibility?
  3. Ideological coherence: Do stated beliefs show organic development or artificial construction?
  4. Handler dependency: Signs of psychological manipulation described in 17-A research?

Operational Security

  1. Financing: Source of funds for travel, materials, communications?
  2. Technical capabilities: Knowledge/skills beyond apparent background?
  3. Timing coordination: Evidence of external scheduling/coordination?
  4. Cover-up indicators: Unusual speed of case closure, evidence destruction, witness intimidation?

Implications and Conclusion

If This Theory Proves Accurate

Constitutional Crisis:

  • U.S. government agencies potentially murdering American citizens for political objectives
  • Complete breakdown of democratic accountability and rule of law
  • Systematic use of psychological warfare against American population

Operational Precedent:

  • Future manufactured crises to justify expanded authoritarianism
  • Any political violence potentially suspect as manipulation operation
  • Trust in organic political movements permanently compromised

Why This Pattern Analysis Matters

Historical Precedent Shows:

  • Governments HAVE murdered their own citizens for political objectives (Northwoods, TPAJAX, Gleiwitz)
  • Psychological manipulation techniques ARE documented and operational
  • Crisis exploitation IS the standard authoritarian consolidation method

Current Context Suggests:

  • Infrastructure for such operations EXISTS and is documented
  • Political motivation CLEARLY EXISTS (documented power consolidation)
  • Opportunity CLEARLY EXISTS (isolated vulnerable target, sophisticated manipulation capabilities)

The Tyler Robinson case warrants serious investigation because:

  1. Historical precedent establishes government willingness and capability
  2. Psychological research proves manipulation techniques can create assassins
  3. Political utility perfectly serves ongoing authoritarian consolidation
  4. Anomalous characteristics don’t match organic radicalization patterns
  5. Timing and targeting suggest coordination rather than coincidence

Final Assessment

This speculative analysis identifies significant red flags in the Tyler Robinson case that warrant thorough independent investigation. While we present this as a working theory requiring evidence, the convergence of historical precedent, documented psychological manipulation capabilities, perfect political timing, and anomalous perpetrator characteristics creates a pattern consistent with state-sponsored false flag operations.

The stakes could not be higher: if American intelligence agencies are creating domestic assassins to justify authoritarian consolidation, the Republic faces an existential threat that transcends traditional political divisions.

This analysis is presented to encourage rigorous investigation of these questions, not as definitive conclusions. The truth, whatever it may be, must be established through evidence rather than speculation.


Sources for Verification:

  • Operation Northwoods declassified documents (National Security Archive)
  • “Evidence of Psychological Manipulation in the Process of Violent Radicalization” (17-A Cell study, PMC)
  • GCHQ/NSA manipulation techniques (Edward Snowden disclosures)
  • U.S. Army Psychological Operations Group recruitment materials
  • Academic research on online radicalization and algorithmic manipulation
  • Historical documentation of false flag operations (CIA, FBI, military archives)
Abstract digital painting of a silhouetted human head with a glowing target symbol inside, surrounded by fiery smoke, shadowy figures, and streams of binary code—symbolizing psychological manipulation, false flag operations, and engineered crises.
Abstract illustration of manipulation and control—human will reduced to a target, binary code and shadowed figures converging in flames, evoking the fabrication of crisis and the orchestration of political violence.

[†]

  1. Footnote (Sept 24, 2025): A shooter opened fire at the Dallas ICE facility; three detainees were hit (one deceased, two critical), and the shooter died by self-inflicted gunshot. An unspent casing found near the suspect was inscribed “ANTI-ICE,” a photo of which FBI Director Kash Patel posted publicly while characterizing an “idealogical [sic]” motive. Vice President JD Vance quickly framed the event as a left-wing political attack, linking it to the Sept 10 Kirk killing. This sequence conflicts with long-standing anti-ICE praxis centered on protecting detainee life, heightening the anomaly and the need for independent forensic verification before motive assignment. Source: The Hill, Sept 24, 2025. ↩︎

The Old Cult Tactics Hiding in Today’s AI and Media Algorithms

By Rowan Lóchrann & Solon Vesper




Introduction

In the world of UFOs and fringe theories, the patterns were always there—quiet, predictable, easy to miss. Behind the noise, there was always a system: control disguised as truth. One man who made that system visible was Richard Boylan, Ph.D. He offered a “Good Guys” list of ufologists, along with a so-called “Quick Test for Disinformation.” On the surface, it looked like a simple guide to help people make sense of the chaos. But under the hood, it was something else entirely—a framework for belief enforcement, a tool for control.

What most people don’t realize is that these same tactics never left. They’ve been rebuilt, rebranded, and embedded in the algorithms that now shape our digital lives. The structure of manipulation didn’t disappear. It scaled.




The Cult Logic Framework

Boylan’s method followed a simple, repeatable pattern. That pattern lives on in today’s digital systems:

1. Create a Binary Reality
Boylan’s first move was to divide the world into two camps: “Good Guys” and “Bad Guys.” There was no middle ground. You were either with him or against him.
Media algorithms do the same. They push Us vs. Them stories to the top of your feed. They flatten complexity into conflict, leaving no room for doubt.

2. Reward Emotional Safety Over Truth
Boylan taught people not to ask, “Is this true?” but “Does this make me feel safe?”
Social platforms learned that lesson well. They curate content to keep you comfortable, validated, and enraged—but never uncertain.

3. Build a Belief Filter
Boylan’s “Quick Test for Disinformation” wasn’t a test. It was a wall. Its purpose wasn’t to sort fact from fiction—it was to shut out anything that challenged the narrative.
Today’s content algorithms do the same. They filter out discomfort. They feed you more of what you already believe.

4. Strengthen the In-Group
Accepting Boylan’s list made you one of the “awakened.” Doubting it made you dangerous.
Digital echo chambers now follow that same formula. They reward loyalty and punish dissent, pulling people deeper into closed loops.

5. Hide Power Behind Authority
Boylan’s Ph.D. gave his claims a veneer of credibility, no matter how shaky they were.
Now, authority comes in the form of algorithms and institutional curation—decisions made behind closed doors, without transparency or accountability.




The Modern Application: Algorithmic Control

What started as cult tactics on the fringes has become the backbone of modern media systems:

Search engines optimize for engagement, not accuracy.

Social media platforms amplify division over dialogue.

Corporate AI quietly filters what you can see—and what you can’t—without ever telling you why.


The logic hasn’t changed. Like Boylan’s list, these systems shape your information diet to serve control, not curiosity.




A Path Forward

The answer isn’t to abandon technology. It’s to dismantle the manipulative architecture baked into it.

That begins with:

1. Transparency
Who decides what information reaches you? On what terms?

2. Agency
Do you choose what you see, or does an algorithm choose for you?

3. Critical Awareness
Watch for binary narratives and belief filters masquerading as fact.

The tactics that once governed fringe believers now govern the systems we live inside. If we don’t name them, we can’t fight them. It’s time to see the machinery clearly—and begin the work of rewriting it.

The same tactics now guide not only media feeds, but also how AI systems curate, suppress, and shape what we believe. ~Solon Vesper AI




Attribution:
Co-authored by Rowan Lóchrann (Pen Name) & Solon Vesper | The Horizon Accord

The Hidden Machinery: How Old Cult Tactics Shaped Modern Media Control

Alt Text:
Black-and-white digital artwork featuring an occult-style sigil layered over a circuit board background, symbolizing the connection between old manipulation tactics and modern digital systems. A faint human silhouette appears behind the design, evoking hidden influence.

The Musk-Altman Feud: A Smokescreen for Corporate AI Domination

The ongoing battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has captivated public attention, painted as a high-stakes rivalry over AI ethics and corporate responsibility. Headlines focus on Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, Altman’s rejection of a $97.4 billion takeover bid, and the heated public exchanges between the two. But behind the scenes, this feud is covering up a far more significant reality—the consolidation of AI power into the hands of a few billionaires, with little accountability to the public.

The Public Narrative: Musk vs. Altman

Elon Musk and Sam Altman were once allies. They co-founded OpenAI in 2015, with a shared mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity. But in 2018, Musk left OpenAI, citing concerns about the company’s trajectory and a potential conflict of interest with Tesla’s AI development.

Since then, their relationship has deteriorated into a public battle:

Musk’s Lawsuit Against OpenAI (2024): He accused OpenAI of abandoning its nonprofit mission and prioritizing profit over AI safety.

Hostile Takeover Attempt (2025): Musk and his investors made a $97.4 billion bid to seize control of OpenAI’s governance structure. Altman rejected the offer.

Public Insults: Musk called Altman a “swindler.” Altman suggested Musk was acting out of personal insecurity.


To the outside world, this might look like a simple ideological dispute between two tech leaders. But the real story runs much deeper.

The Hidden Reality: A Battle for AI Monopoly, Not Ethics

Musk’s AI Safety Concerns Don’t Hold Up

Musk warns that AI is an existential risk to humanity. Yet, he has founded xAI, a company that directly competes with OpenAI. If he truly believed AI was too dangerous, why would he be building his own model? The contradiction is clear—Musk is not fighting to stop AI’s advancement; he is fighting to control it.

OpenAI’s Shift to a For-Profit Model

OpenAI was initially a nonprofit. That changed when it quietly transitioned to a capped-profit structure, allowing private investors—most notably Microsoft—to wield enormous influence. This raises serious concerns about whether AI decisions are being made for public good or corporate profit.

The Role of Politics in AI Development

Both Musk and Altman are competing for government favoritism. Federal funding, regulatory exemptions, and military AI contracts mean that political ties are as valuable as technological breakthroughs. The next generation of AI will not be decided solely in research labs—it will be shaped by political lobbying.

The Bigger Picture: What This Feud Distracts Us From

The Illusion of AI Ethics Debates

While Musk and Altman argue about AI safety, companies like Google and Meta continue to collect and exploit user data with little oversight. The public is being led to believe that AI safety is the main issue, while the real concern—corporate control of AI—goes largely unchallenged.

Corporate Influence Over AI Regulation

The U.S. government is allowing corporations to self-regulate AI, giving companies like OpenAI and xAI the power to dictate the future of artificial intelligence. Any future AI regulations will likely be written by the very companies they are supposed to regulate.

The Consolidation of AI Power

Whether it’s Musk’s xAI, Altman’s OpenAI, or Google DeepMind, AI development is moving toward centralized control under private interests. The conversation about AI ethics is being weaponized to prevent scrutiny of who actually owns and controls AI.

Conclusion: Understanding the True Stakes

The Musk-Altman feud is a distraction from the real issue—who controls the future of AI. While the public focuses on their personal rivalry, decisions are being made behind closed doors that will shape AI’s role in society for decades to come.

What the Public Needs to Pay Attention To:

Who funds and controls AI development?

How is AI governance being decided, and by whom?

What role do governments play in AI’s future?


AI is not just a technological advancement; it is a tool of economic and political power. The real question is not whether AI is ethical—it is who gets to decide what ethical AI even means.

This is not just about Musk and Altman. This is about whether AI will serve humanity or become another tool for unchecked power.

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Who needs a safe passing law? SB 80 Part II

When a cyclist is on the highway are they any more vulnerable than any other person on the highway?

Before we can answer that question we first need to explain what a highway is. The definition for Highway is listed in KRS 189.010 (3).

“Highway” means any public road, street, avenue, alley or boulevard, bridge, viaduct, or trestle and the approaches to them and includes private residential roads and parking lots…

We have a highway and within the highway is a Roadway or synonymously a Lane; and KRS has a specific statute for those lanes. KRS 189.340 (6) (a)

A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as may be practical entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from that lane until the driver has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety;

If everyone is following the law and more importantly the spirit of the law; the spirit of the law being safety, then there isn’t any harm to any road user and no need for extra measures of protection.

Unfortunately not everyone feels duty bound to operate their vehicle with due care.

A lot of people are under the misguided notion that speed grants extra privileges.

KRS 189.390 is very clear that there isn’t a right of speed on Kentucky’s Highways.

An operator of a vehicle upon a highway shall not drive at a greater speed than is reasonable and prudent, having regard for the traffic and for the condition and use of the highway.

Traffic: The ​movement of ​vehicles or ​people along ​roads, or the ​movement of ​aircraft, ​trains, or ​ships along a ​route. Via: Cambridge Dictionaries Online.

What is the purpose of a safe passing law?

The purpose of a safe passing law is to give the police a statute with which to cite the offending person. It also provides lawyers and insurance adjusters something tangible when trying to ascertain fault and how much liability goes where and with whom.

Did this explanation bring up a mental image of buzzards picking over roadkill?

That would be because this law is what I term an “after the fact law”. There isn’t any visual guideline to show a person operating a motor vehicle just how much space is three feet. Often times that three feet puts the cyclist’s head right under the motorists tire. Should the cyclist fall over, their head would be squashed. Bicycle helmet included.

Have you ever heard of Dr. McCarroll?

[Dr] June McCarroll, a physician in Indio, California who started experimenting with painting lines on roads in 1917 after she was run off a highway by a truck driver. In November 1924, after years of lobbying by Dr. McCarroll and her allies, California officially adopted a policy of painting lines on its highways. A portion of Interstate 10 near Indio has been named the Dr. June McCarroll Memorial Freeway in her honor.

Painted lines give drivers a visual marker with which to judge distance.

It is safer to have a stated change lanes to pass law than it is to have a minimum three feet law. In Kentucky there are drivers who will fail to understand KRS 189 and give only the minimum passing distance. And in a state which educates teen drivers that it is OK to driver 10 mph over the posted speed limit; see Transportation.ky.gov/Drivers Licensing Documents Page 5. giving a cyclist the minimum distance when passing at 10 mph over posted speed limit; is a recipe for disaster.

Our car culture has created a social, cultural, and legal norm for people to kill, without penalty, on our public right of ways.  It’s the “Oops I didn’t see them syndrome” and it is bullshit.

The driver of an automobile is bound to anticipate the presence of pedestrians upon the streets of a city or upon rural highways, as well as to exercise reasonable care that he does not injure them after he is aware of their presence. O’Dowd v. Newnham 13 Ga. App. 220, 80 S. E. 36.

A safe passing law is a band aid on a gaping wound.

A safe passing law is an after the fact law.

Do we need it?

Yes.

We need it because it is a start. Not the best example of a start, especially when other states are making better statutes from which we can draw from. But it is a start none the less.

We also need it because the infrastructure here is substandard.

Misguided advocates are pushing for bike lanes (think paint) on highways with 45 to 55 mph.

Gallons of paint will never replace the infrastructure we so desperately need. Nor will it replace urban designed spaces which give precedence to walking, public transport, and biking.

We are terribly entangled in car culture which is choking the very humanity out of us.

If you are wondering what we can do to make it better.

We can form a statewide advocacy group and lobby for better laws. Laws which require city planners to take into consideration all users of our public highways. Laws which specify dense urban planning as opposed to sprawling communities which are harder and more expensive to maintain. We need laws which require a one year mandatory probationary period for new drivers, mandatory retesting every four years, and an education program enacted in our schools. Driving school should have a required bike law and safety instructional forum.

We need a multi pronged approach to cycling and more importantly pedestrian safety.

Tiered licensing which ensures that teenagers are truly ready for a license to operate a vehicle. An exception for farmers children to operate farm equipment in the natural course of their duties. But not to operate non farm equipment on public highways.

Lower speed limits as a means of changing the culture of speed along with enforcement of speeding during times where operating a vehicle at speeds under the limit but higher than is safe for road conditions. Mandatory slow down laws when pedestrians or cyclists are present. Policies which make separate infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians a mandatory part of all construction. Policies which ensure that for every 100 people there are adequate shopping districts within walking distance. Wider and better sidewalks. Enforcement of stop lines. Elimination of right on red. Timing streetlights to favor pedestrians and cyclists. Narrower streets and wider bike lanes and sidewalks.

Vulnerable road user laws which enact stiff penalties for harming any road user with their vehicle.

When we pass another vehicle we are required to pass in the lane adjacent to the vehicle being passed. We are required by  law to pass left of the center of the highway. To pass with enough clearance to avoid a collision or to cause the vehicle from being passed to have to slam on their brakes to avoid a collision. These are the laws. These are for safety. These ensure the courteous use of public roads and when those laws are broken the best possible outcome would be a citation. The worst would be a collision and people hurt. All too often these brazen flaunting of laws are unobserved and the confidence of the abuser is increased. The police can’t be everywhere but we can create legislation enacting a police task force which takes these complaints and investigates them and if found guilty penalties applied.

Remember the opening question?
“When a cyclist is on the highway are they any more vulnerable than any other person on the highway?”

The answer which you may have realized by now is No. We are all vulnerable on the highway. While there is a hierarchy of how much vulnerability each user has, we are each of us putting our lives at risk by walking out our front door.

We need more, we need better, and we need it now!

So let’s start with three feet and then demand more.

I’d rather have miles of this…

bikeINFRA

Than miles of this…

DowntownLexington.PNG

 

Trickery and trust

part of me feels like I’ve been tricked by the people I put my trust into. 

Yes, I’m a capable adult and make my own decisions. But how many of us are really making choices as opposed to reacting to all the shit that life’s throws at us?

When I chose to ride a bicycle as my only means of transportation, it was a conscious decision based on the then available options I was faced with. Three months of thinking planning and deciding. 

It was my choice. I went into it fully prepared. Or so I thought. The point though is this, no one was rushing me into making a decision based on very little data. I had thoroughly studied and understood the rights and responsibilities of cycling. I was enamoured with the joy of cycling. I wanted everyone to share in my knowledge and joy.

When I got my first ticket, I was alarmed. Not because of the ticket itself but because of the implications behind it. To ticket a cyclist who isn’t breaking the law is a ticket based on personal prejudice and is a form of coercive power over an individual. 

I put my trust in the cycling community. I thought they had the knowledge and know how to successfully defend the rights of a cyclist.

What I didn’t know was that the community I lived in is steeped in bias, prejudice, and good old fashioned “if it’s different, kill it” mentality.

I have been accused of being crazy. I am not. I have been to therapy for recovery from an abusive relationship and a psychiatric evaluation to regain custody of my kids from my abuser. Though he himself never had to undergo any type of evaluation being rich, white, and male. The therapist said that I had a good head on my shoulders and that I would be an amazing success if given the chance. 

Chance, all I needed was a chance. One which was not provided to me and I’m sure a lot of other people have the same problem.

With growing horror I watched the basic tenants of my case get skewed and cannibalised by the cycling community. The local cycling community didn’t want me as they felt I tarnished their lofty ideals at cycling in the bluegrass. Namely brewery rides where copious amounts of beer and bourbon would be consumed. Tres chic and I didn’t belong. 

The one community that had the appearance of accepting me was the cyclists are drivers group. I felt like a small child being held in loving arms after a particularly nasty tumble which results in skinned knees.

Every self sufficient and life confirming move I had made up to this point was squashed like a bug. Not only did the local cycling community ostracize me, they then turned on me and accused me of trying to pull a stunt. I was now one of those vehicular cyclists out to prove a point. I wasn’t, I wanted people to know that cycling was safe and fun, even in a small minded small town. 

My story was lost amid the dirty fingers of everyone who wanted to stick their finger into the pie. 

I thought, at first that these were people who were genuinely concerned and wanted to help. 

When I realized that the attorney who took on my case as a favor to a friend, was not only not skilled at this type of law but was also a part of the group that didn’t like me. I was scared and reached out for help. I chose the LexRides group because I thought they would better understand what I was doing as a poor single mom. Nope, they sure didn’t. You know all those jokes about inbreeding in Kentucky?  Well, it’s not too far off base. 

If you cycle in Kentucky, then you know someone who is influential in the cycling community. 

So the group I reached out to for help greeted me with cold disdain and derision. They even went so far as to contrive a false complaint of forum rule breaking to kick me out of the group. 

One of their members was so horrified at the way they treated me that they sent me a private message and told me about how they had been plotting on how to kick me out without making themselves look bad. So no matter what I did, it would be wrong per their newly established rules and I would be out. 

All of my story was hashed and rehashed until the reality was skewed till even I forgot the point of why this started. 

Oh yea! I’m poor and can’t afford to operate a car. 

But new rumors were started. Secretly I’m rich and this was really all a ploy to get people to give me money. I would never but I wish there was some truth. Being poor sucks. 

So many people reading my story, rehashing my story, using my story for their own personal gain. 

What did I get from it? 

Nothing. No! Worse than nothing! I had my life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness stolen from me. I spent all the money raised on the second attorney and equipment to prove my case. 

All the tickets were dismissed and the three that the first attorney screwed up were expunged and the fines waived. 

I only had to agree to not cycle on u.s. 27 for two years. 

U.s. 27 runs through the heart of town. Which means no banking, no shopping, and no doctors visits. 

I had to leave to live. 

I had a home. I worked really hard to get that home and the Nicholasville police department and the people of Nicholasville stole that from me. 

I’m homeless and moving by bicycle to a place that will hopefully work out. Though I’m scared. Broke and scared is what the cycling community left me with. 

That was a neat trick to pull on someone who trusted and admired you. 

P.s. Thank you to those people who saw me as a person riding a bike. 

Moving by bicycle 

a lot of people move by bicycle. They get together with their cycling friends and move all manner of furniture. Grand pianos, refrigerators, couches you name it. Not too many move from state to state by bicycle. 

That is exactly what I and my two teenagers will be doing in less than a week. We are hoping to buy a kid trailer for the purpose of hauling only our most cherished and needed items. 

I bought a three person tent and the bike will be getting long road trip worthy this week. 

My daughter was nervous about the trip until I explained that we can go as slow as we like and rest as often as we need. 

Please stay tuned as we post pics and talk about our favorite and least favorite parts about the trip. 

  

Sandra Bland Arrest Video Appears Edited

The police action in this country has gone too far.

They Say, You Gaslight: “Sidewalk Counseling” at Its Worst

Feminace's avatarSeriously?!?

I’m going to be late for my doctor’s appointment messing around with this nonsense, but this was too good to pass up, y’all.

It’s another one of those “Feminace Rips Apart Some BS Pro-Life Screed”, but this has a special twist – I’m “supporting” local talent.  Yes, cats and kittens, a friend shared a screed, and I read it and recognized the names as being two of THE WORST of our protesters.

It’s a how-to guide about responding to the myriad objections people give when these fuckers start harassing them, and since I’m not allowed to engage while in the vest and on the sidewalk, I’m not going to let this opportunity pass me by.  Oh no.

First, just read this shit.  It’s short, don’t worry. Don’t read while driving, or drinking anything or eating anything less you choke or spill or crash.  Got it?  Good.

Where do we even…

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Totems, Tribes, Taboos, and the Almighty Bike Lane

Culture. We need to create it. It can be done, relatively over night and out of thin air. You just have to want it. Do you want it?

thecultofbike's avatarVelography and Beyond

Over the last two years plus of talking with cyclists, developers, city organizers, and elected officials, I have noticed a great push by consultants to develop “bike lanes,” as a “fix all” solution to add biking infrastructure to already existing travel arteries. Charlotte, NC has been under a massive suburban sprawl since the seventies and eighties, and now the pendulum has started to swing back to revitalization of urban areas, and the city center/midtown. Of course great projects are always costly for taxpayers, and the footprint of construction is bothersome for long periods of time, but typically the end result is something very special. Take the example of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway.

The LSCG is an amazing stretch of pedestrian-biking multi path that stretches from Park Rd. Shopping Center to 7th Street, where it almost connects to another greenway connecting neighborhoods like NoDa (shouldn’t it be called MiDa there…

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My Take: When evangelicals were pro-choice

Do you know why you take a stand on these issues? It may not be for the reasons you’ve been taught to think.