The opinions in this article belong to the author alone.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God will be with you, wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
As of April 2020, I had successfully avoided social media my whole life. I never much liked it, and I always had a feeling that it just causes more harm than good. So when May 2020 rolled around, I found myself in a very strange position: my wife and I suddenly became the leaders of a social media movement we called ReOpen Bucks.
The first thing I thought is what I assume all breadwinners think: “Am I going to get fired?“
You see, I have a wonderful job–a job I’m blessed to have. I have worked entirely from home, with occasional travel, my entire post-military career (I was doing Webex and Zoom long before it was cool). I get to set my own hours, for the most part. I get to constantly learn, every day. I get to build great big things. I have done very well for myself, and for my family.
So you can probably understand why I was hesitant to slap my name on this movement. In fact, I didn’t at first. When the ReOpen Bucks facebook group started, for the first few days I operated under a pseudonym: Nick Andrews. It was my very first Facebook account. The pictures, the comments, the beliefs, and the calls-to-action were all me. But the name was fake. I was hiding, afraid, I guess.
And then one of the best things that’s ever happened to me happened. Facebook abruptly shut down the account. They said they would not reactivate it unless I could prove that my name is Nick Andrews.
I remember wavering, in that moment. I remember being afraid of what’s next. If I put my name to this, what happens to me? What happens to my family? And then I looked at what had already come of our efforts in just a few short days. I saw a group of community members that had already swelled to the thousands. I saw news stations covering our group activities, such as protests and email campaigns. I saw all of the people who were making critical connections with one another — business owners, parents, even politicians. I saw my toddler daughter locked away from her beloved Song & Dance Storytime at the Perkasie Library (which is still shamefully suspended, to this day).
In that moment I decided I would hide no more. I am Joshua Hogan, and I am the leader of ReOpen Bucks.
Since then only about a year has passed, but it feels like a lifetime has gone by. Our little movement has accomplished more than I ever could have dreamed of way back then. So many people have come and gone as the various phases of our advocacy efforts have shifted. And I have grown so much. I feel like a different person than I was before all this. Today I am unafraid and unashamed of who I am and what I believe. I will never hide again.
The Haters
Over the last year, I’ve certainly had my moments of uncertainty, wondering if someone is going to try to get me fired. Wondering if they would succeed. Sometimes it almost feels like I’m just waiting for it to happen. I mean, that’s what they do, right? Cancel culture and all.
But…it never happened. All this time went by and I just kept chugging along, balancing my home life with work and with ReOpen Bucks. I’ve certainly received my fair share of nasty messages from people who wish harm upon me or my family, but you know what they say: “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.“
Until yesterday. For the first time (to my awareness), someone has definitively tried to get me fired. Now I’m going to fire back.
- This person, whoever they are, does not have the courage to put their name to what they are doing–they used a fake account.
- This person, whoever they are, boldly lied about me in a manner that can only be described as defamation.
- This person, whoever they are, doxxed members of ReOpen Bucks in their attempt to hurt me.
- This person, whoever they are, is going to have to do a hell of a lot better if they want to take me down.
Now, before we go any further, you can see the full attack on me here. It’s a sequence of 8 tweets, and we’re going to go through all of them.
This isn’t something that I want to do, but it isn’t just about me and my job anymore. It’s about every person I’ve met along the way who wanted so desperately to speak up, but couldn’t. For each and every one of you, I can.
Tweet #1
We’re off to a brilliant start with this first tweet–as this person clearly doesn’t know basic facts about the accusations they are leveling.
Let’s start with the description “far right activists“. Wikipedia defines far-right as “further on the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right“. So to be a “far right activist“, one must be further to the right than, say, the GOP itself, which is, by definition, the standard political right. So if ReOpen Bucks sits further to the right than the GOP, then why do we openly praise the Bucks County Commissioners (who are Democrat) and openly criticize President Trump (who is Republican)? I’ll tell you why: because the Commissioners have supported the efforts of the Bucks County Health Department, which has helped us be more open than any other nearby county, and because President Trump, for all his rhetoric about COVID, never did anything to stop all this madness. If “far right” is what we’re going for, then we’re doing a pretty bad job of it.
Secondly, let’s address the notion that we “ousted the Superintendent and board of Central Bucks School District.” I am truly flattered that this person thinks we, ReOpen Bucks, single-handedly “ousted” the superintendent of the largest suburban school district in Pennsylvania AND their School Board. Wow–I never realized just how influential ReOpen Bucks really is 😅 . You see, nobody can oust a School Board. I don’t even know what that means. Only one person has resigned from the Central Bucks School Board during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that is the former Board President who did so because she did shady things with the superintendent (who also resigned) in order to keep schools closed. The rest of the Board in Central Bucks is still in tact. Unfortunately, my attacker won’t even have a chance to be educated on this by the district itself, because they didn’t tag the district correctly in the tweet. It’s @CBSDSchools, for the record. 🤦♂️
Tweet #2
Correct. I am the leader of the ReOpen Bucks movement. Technically my wife is probably more the leader than I am, but you can’t really cancel a pregnant mother of four kids who also happens to have had a successful career in Big Law, can you? Better stick with the working man.
One thing that really bothers me here is the doxxing of someone they are not after (Anne Marie Elizabeth), in order to get to me. Are you that blood thirsty, that much foaming at the mouth, that you’ll just throw others right into the fire with me? What does that say about you?
Tweet #3
“the right wing leader” 😆 . When did I go from being far-right to being just right? I can’t keep up anymore. For what it’s worth, and to be perfectly clear, I have never indicated any interest in pursuing any elected office, despite constant pleas from people to do so. Let’s just say that I’m not a fan of the right-wing vs. left-wing dichotomy.
“His tactics and focus on ‘naming names’ “. It wasn’t until I read this tweet from Jane Says (a.k.a. Pearl69111551) that I realized how much this whole crazy venture has made me appreciate my own name. I am so incredibly proud to have put my name to all this, and I’m thankful that Facebook forced me to do so by cutting down Nick Andrews. I do want my name tied to my beliefs. I am proud of both my beliefs and my actions, and I’m no longer afraid of what they might cost me. Can you say the same, Jane?
Tweet #4
Of all 8 tweets, this is the one that I acknowledge as being a mistake. Nobody except the ReOpen Bucks admin team knows this yet, but I actually received a “Community Standards” violation from Facebook on this post, for describing Mrs. Corrigan as “fat”. The violation, which is the only one I’ve ever received, had nothing to do with the intended purpose of the post, it was just that I used that particular pejorative to describe her. The context of my comment was me saying that I don’t care about that, but it was very poor judgment to use that term regardless. I apologize for doing so.
I still believe that Erin Corrigan caused harm to thousands of kids in Central Bucks, by using her position as the president of the teachers union to strong-arm the district administration into shutting down. I certainly stand behind my belief that the community ought to remember her and her actions long after COVID hysteria goes away.
Tweet #5
Once again, Jane is willing to doxx and cause collateral damage in order to try to hurt me. Even if Jane wanted to leave the other messages for context, she could have blacked out their names. It’s interesting to see people use scorched-earth tactics while they themselves hide behind fake accounts.
All vitriol aside, the insinuation that the ReOpen Bucks MeWe group chat was banned is incredibly ironic. We actually shut down the chat ourselves when it started to become a pro-Trump / anti-Biden chat. Again, we’re the worst far-right activists you’ve ever seen 😂 .
We have not used the MeWe group at all in months–it’s been a complete ghost town since we stopped approving any posts. Now that I know how much Jane dislikes MeWe, maybe we’ll take a gander back over there from time to time. Might as well give her brand new zero-follower twitter account something else to do.
Tweet #6
Does Josh’s employer support rage mob techniques such as the EXACT techniques I am using right now to try to get him fired?? 😂. You just can’t make this stuff up.
For the record, there is zero reason that I or any reasonable person would disagree with the tenants and benefits of diversity & inclusion. Through my company, I receive annual training on the topic that I both respect and appreciate. In particular, my little girls have benefited from the “take-your-daughter-to-work” events that are only possible through my company’s diversity & inclusion initiative. Why would I ever disagree with such efforts?
Now let’s get serious and address the fact that this tweet does something none of the previous ones did: it goes after my livelihood. Over the last year, I’ve often wondered what that moment would feel like, and I gotta say…it’s just not as bad as I thought it would be.
I love my job, I really do. I work for a great company. In fact, one of its claims to fame is that it is consistently ranked as a Great Place to Work. I have massive loyalty to my company, and I take great pride in contributing to its success.
As much as I love my company, if they were to fire me over this, you know what I’d do? I’d go get another job. “I have brains in my head and feet in my shoes; I can steer myself any direction I choose”. I have a great résumé and I’d find another company to love. And if Jane et al. succeeded in attacking me there, I’d find another one. And another. Eventually I’d sweep streets if that’s what was left. And I’d whistle while I do it, happy to have a beautiful family and a movement that I’m proud enough to put my name to.
You see, Jane, you can’t take away my power, because my power is who I am. It’s the name I’m willing to put to this. It’s the kingdom I’ve spent my adult life building. If you somehow found a way to take it all away from me, I’d build it all over again. You have no power over me or my family.
Instead, I am the one who has power over you. I have made you hide your name. I have made you lie about me. I have made you take the unconscionable step of trying to hurt another person because you disagree with them. I have even made you harm others in your pursuit of me. I have made you debase yourself. Meanwhile, with my name in big bold letters I will remain dignified no matter what the future brings for me.
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As for the hatred of Joan Cullen, I genuinely wonder what the “rage mob” dislikes more: that she is so outspoken about her beliefs, or that she successfully got face-masks out of Pennridge School District. Either way, I love her for both. ❤️
Tweet #7
Oh boy, now this is just getting pathetic. You mean to tell me that after 12+ months of following me around everywhere, on every social media platform, spying on me, the big shocking racist statement I’ve made is to refer to a hilariously awesome dude as “homeboy”? ALL of that time, and that’s the worst that you’ve got? Man, I must be the least racist person ever, or the very best at hiding it 🤷♂️
The term “homeboy” just ain’t what Jane wants it to be. Here is my wife, using it to describe Governor Wolf, who is a (*checks notes*) white man 
Once again, Jane must be upset that she can’t use her “rage mob techniques” of cancel culture to harm a pregnant mother of four — just the working husband who happens to have a black brother-in-law, and biracial nieces and nephews 🤷♂️ .
Tweet #8
This train wreck wouldn’t be complete without a wildly defamatory ending, would it?
First of all–I have never spoken at any Central Bucks School District board meeting ever. I have never had any contact with anyone in any school district anywhere about diversity issues. I have absolutely zero interest in “anti-diversity”, whatever that is. In ReOpen Bucks, we regularly decline posts and remove comments that speak to issues of critical race theory, etc., because they are not on topic. I’d be happy to show anybody the mod logs. We don’t allow the issue to be discussed unless it is explicitly related to the topic of reopening. Last summer, we allowed discussion of rioting/looting and the peaceful BLM protests that precipitated them, because they were related to what was happening with reopening at the time. Since then, we have not allowed any such discussion, because it’s off topic.
Furthermore, I’ve never live streamed a Central Bucks board meeting. I’ve only ever attended one, on June 3 when they historically became the first Bucks County district to vote to make masks optional. I wanted to be there for that. But I didn’t live stream anything. In fact, school board meetings are always recorded and posted on the internet, so I’m not even sure what Jane is talking about here. Does Central Bucks School District “incite more anger and rage” by live-streaming their own board meetings?
Next, I live in Sellersville, and I’d appreciate not being thrown in with the scallywags and rapscallions that live in Perkasie. I only go into the borough when I need a haircut or water ice 💈 🍧 . Moreover, I’m “from” the San Francisco Bay Area, where I grew up in a much more diverse setting than anywhere you’ll find in Pennsylvania.
Lastly, I cannot believe that just after I got used to being “right” instead of “far-right”, now I have to change it up again and be “alt-right” or “violent right” 😭 . I legit do not know what either of those last two mean, so I’m just going to give up at this point.
The Walls Of Jericho
If you disagree with me or with ReOpen Bucks, just reach out. Talk to me. Have a conversation. Shoot me a DM. I am always willing to talk to anyone about reopen issues, regardless of how wide the gap between us may be. If you think that I use my platform for “anti-diversity”, you’re dead wrong. If you want to know what I stand for, just ask.
I know for a fact that on June 4th I had a conversation with someone involved in these tweets. By speaking openly and honestly with that person, I willingly and submissively provided information that was used in this attack against me. And I’d do it again, because no one but my wife has power over me and I have no malice in my heart. Hate has no home here.
