My TribTalk Article

/http://www.tribtalk.org/2014/09/22/its-time-for-real-eminent-domain-reform/

Attacked By Phelim McAleer, Producer of Fracknation

It finally happened on July 25, 2014 - I was doing a presentation in Santa Maria, CA, when the creepiest side of the oil and gas industry showed up at a presentation I was giving at the local library.  This was of course the ethically challenged documentary film maker Phelim McAleer.  Mr. McAleer did the false and misleading propaganda documentary Fracknation which was funded by the oil and gas industry.  This film was funded to counter the award winning Gasland documentary, which showed the downside of oil and gas operations.   

He has been harassing other people who have people who have been critical and outspoken of the practices of the oil and gas industry.  However, Mr. McAleer represents a sick and distorted section of the population.  This is the section of the population that is willing to lie and mislead and insights violence against those who disagree with his feeble thoughts.  Although, it is clear that he has only a very limited number of supporters, those who do follow him are either unable or unwilling to have an independent thought on their own, which makes them particularly dangerous because they blindly follow his lies, and attack those he attacks.   

For years now, I have questioned Mr. McAleer's true motivations, and if you watch how he does his "interviews", you will see that he is not a legitimate journalist, but rather a drive by journalist who attempts to put words in your mouth and have you agree with them. He continues to ask the same question over and over hoping that you will say something that he can take out of context and use against you.  If that does not work, he will just make up something and start saying that you said it.  When you politely move away from him, he gets very pushy to the point of bordering on physically touching his foes.  In this particular instance Mr. McAleer was pushing elderly women out of his way to get to me. Rather than attempt to perform a legitimate interview, he pushes it to the point that it becomes an attack.  He then chases you down until it borders stalking and becomes creepy.  He acts as though it is your fault that he makes industry funded movies that nobody wants to watch.   

I knew this, but to this point it appeared to me that McAleer had went out of his way to avoid me, and I still believe his is afraid to have an honest debate with me.  Therefore, I did not back away from him when he approached me and legitimately attempted to have an honest discussion with him.  However, it quickly became clear that Mr. McAleer was not there to have an honest discussion, but rather more baseless attacks and shouting lies that are meant to spread more of his vile and misleading misinformation.   

Since first daring to speak out about the business practices, I have been attacked by the oil and gas industry hacks.  However, one particular sick and twisted thing Mr. McAleer does is try to get a reaction by attacking my children.  He appears to have no moral compass that guides him through his interviews.  It is no secret that my family moved from DISH out of concerns for our children's health.  Mr. McAleer uses this point to attack my children and will go as far as accusing me of telling people that my children have leukemia, which is a complete and fabricated lie, not to mention a very sickening thing for someone to say.  Unfortunately, I simply do not have patience for those who attack my family.  Mr. McAleer does not have children, which is likely his greatest gift to society,  and therefore can not understand the emotions of having a child and wanting to protect them from harm. 

Those of lower intelligence and moral compasses, always state that we should "let the science talk", that is of course unless the science does not support their morbid agenda.   If the science does not further their cause, they lie and attack the data and those who present it.  It is clear that Mr. McAleer and his followers do not want an open an honest discussion on the facts.  This is of course because the facts are not on his side.  He talks about how this needs to be a discussion about science, then ignores the science that does not support his ideology.  I have wanted to have a debate for several years now with Mr. McAleer, and thus far he has refused. 

You would have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not think that there are negative side effects to oil and gas production.  If you do believe that then you have never been around oil and gas operations, which Mr. McAleer has not.  He lives on the Pacific Ocean in Marina Del Ray, CA, far from any oil and gas activities.  Mr. McAleer does not have children, nor has he been around oil and gas operations, yet slanderously attacks those who have been impacted and are critical of this industry; he attacks the victims, instead of letting "the science talk".  

He had an opportunity to have a debate with me in January of 2014 during the Frozen River Film Festival in Winona, MN.  I was present at this event with Gasland 2, and Fracknation was schedule to be played also, with Mr. McAleer present.  However, after learning that I would be present, Mr. McAleer refused to attend.  This was after he had signed an agreement with the festival to have someone represent the film.  When the festival informed him that Fracknation would not be shown if there was no one to represent the film, Mr. McAleer demanded a $ 10,000 plus expenses, which the festival could in no way afford.  When the film was pulled from the festival, Mr. McAleer went on Fox News and told the world he was being censored at this film festival.  The crazed mindless followers began calling and sending threatening letters to members of the film festival.  This is how Mr. McAleer works, and how he has made it in life, and is able to afford his ocean front property, far from oil and gas development.  He no doubt was a horrible journalist that simply could not make it in the business legitimately, and would be nothing in this world if it were not for his aggressive style and willingness to lie or tell half truths.   

One thing is for sure, and that is Mr. McAleer does nothing to help the industry.  Attacking small children and victims likely is not what the PR departments for the oil and gas industry is looking for.  However, people like Mr. McAleer simply do not understand that.  Perhaps in their own sick, weak minds, they think they have a lot more support than they actually do.  Certainly from the performance of his films, he is pandering to a small extremist group of the population.  If there was anyone who attended the event in Santa Maria, who was on the fence of whether the industry was credible, Mr. McAleer removed all of the doubt.  His actions harmed the perception of the oil and gas industry much more than my presentation did.   

Since Mr. McAleer has thus far avoided an honest debate, I have sent him a letter that requesting that we have an open and honest debate about the issues.  You can find this letter here -

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0P-oym-MTKzcktaOXFxdnJKUTg/edit?usp=sharing 
 
As typical with any of the paid liars for the oil and gas industry, Mr. McAleer has not responded to my challenge.  He will have a dozen excuses for not debating, and will throw out some more insults, but in the end he will not debate me, because he knows he is a liar and that will be exposed and his of cards will come down, and his few weak-minded followers may figure out what a liar he is.