Gandhi, Christ, Martin Luther King,
Michael Collins, and just about any other man worth looking up to has
stood his ground and taken his lumps. Whether it be a police baton,
a cat-o-nine-tails, a fire hose, or even simple imprisonment in a
man-made cage, it is rare for a man of conviction to not be punished
for his beliefs.
If a man will not stand firm in his
conviction, out of fear of retribution for his insolence against the
powers that be, he is no man.
Obviously, I cannot look down upon the man who will do what is necessary for his own literal survival, and likewise the survival of his own family. The risk of jail is not something to be taken lightly, and every political activist knows that one may very well find himself either in jail for a civil disobedience action or a trumped-up charge intended to silence him.
Obviously, I cannot look down upon the man who will do what is necessary for his own literal survival, and likewise the survival of his own family. The risk of jail is not something to be taken lightly, and every political activist knows that one may very well find himself either in jail for a civil disobedience action or a trumped-up charge intended to silence him.
Today's activist is no different. I've
gone to jail in defense of my right to be left alone. I stood my
ground, I got hauled off to a cage, I was ridiculed by my armed
kidnapper and her accomplices in uniform, and in the end I saw the
magic words “DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE”. That's happened on more
than one occasion. Sometimes it took hours before I was let out of
my cage, sometimes longer...but the handcuff key worn around my neck
is a constant reminder of what I am and where I've been.
I fucking earned my key. I've never
been arrested for (or even charged with) a crime involving an actual
victim, aside from a simple traffic ticket for “failure to yield
right of way” that I still dispute. I can no longer count on the
fingers of one hand, the number of times I've been put into a cage,
only to be released with all charges dropped before ever stepping
foot in front of a judge aside from the JP who set my bail.
When I see my friends incarcerated for exercising their God-given rights (sometimes in full compliance of the law but irritating policemen who think such rights shouldn't exist, other times in direct violation of laws that shouldn't exist in the first place), it does bother me.
When I see my friends incarcerated for exercising their God-given rights (sometimes in full compliance of the law but irritating policemen who think such rights shouldn't exist, other times in direct violation of laws that shouldn't exist in the first place), it does bother me.
When I see my fellow Texan John Bush
arrested on a public street in Austin for vocally expressing his
opposition to the president, in an act that is protected by his
natural (and constitutional) right to expression of an opinion, I get
upset. When I see Eddie Free get arrested at the Jefferson Memorial
(built in honor of a man who, as a colonial land-owning slave-holder,
found a conscience and set his slaves free) for nothing more than
silently moving his body in an unapproved manner, I get upset. When
I see people like Antonio Buehler getting hauled off to jail for
photographing police abuses of a pair of young women, I get upset.
When I see video footage of Catherine Bleish being harassed and
threatened by an Austin PD officer that has been stalking her
facebook page under an assumed name, I get upset.
When I see MY FRIEND ADAM KOKESH being arrested for merely asserting his right to armed self-defense, and facing a felony prison sentence in the District of Criminals for committing a simple act of defiance against government by doing something that is done quite regularly (and legally) right here in my home state of Texas, I get pretty fucking upset. For the record, that act was simply possessing a pump-action shotgun on a public street.
When I see MY FRIEND ADAM KOKESH being arrested for merely asserting his right to armed self-defense, and facing a felony prison sentence in the District of Criminals for committing a simple act of defiance against government by doing something that is done quite regularly (and legally) right here in my home state of Texas, I get pretty fucking upset. For the record, that act was simply possessing a pump-action shotgun on a public street.
I've lawfully walked across my
hometown's police station parking lot with a pistol-grip Mossberg
Pursuader (20”bbl, 8rd tube, “riot configuration”) slung across
my shoulder without causing a stir, because it wasn't illegal in this
state. I turned 18 years old, purchased it from Walmart, and it was
mine after showing ID and filling out what was then known as “yellow
papers”. I still own it, and can lawfully walk down my street with
it slung over my shoulder on any given day of the week. Why?
Because our legislative zealots haven't given the cops the authority
to arrest me for doing so yet.
In the District of Criminals, however, the ownership of a firearm without the simultaneous government-authorized ownership of the magical “Police Officer” costume is considered criminal. So criminal, in fact, that it took a precedent-setting US Supreme Court decision (aka the “Heller” case) to settle once and for all the fact that an American citizen had the right to possess a functional firearm within ones' home.
Under no circumstances may a peon without said magic costume possess a firearm without first getting a permission slip from the local government of the District of Criminals. Even with this permission slip, firearms may not be carried in a vehicle by peons without the magic costume even when traveling from point of purchase to their homes, without jumping through hoops set forth by the government of the District of Criminals. Under no circumstances whatsoever is a peon allowed to possess a functional firearm within the borders of the District of Criminals upon any public street without wearing the magic costume, unless he has the permission slip and is traveling from point-of-purchase to the address listed on his permission slip. Under absolutely no circumstances whatsoever is any peon without a permission slip allowed to display a functional firearm upon a public street.
It matters not that a firearm is, in and of itself, a non-animated object incapable of doing anything whatsoever without outside assistance...or that men wearing the magic costumes are, in reality, nothing more than costumed men. It's illegal for a peon to have a firearm outside ones' home inside the District of Criminals, for any reason whatsoever. If you commit this mortal sin, men with firearms and magic costumes will kick in your door, throw grenades inside your house, take away your guns, point their guns at you and your friends, and ultimately lock you in a cage.
In the District of Criminals, however, the ownership of a firearm without the simultaneous government-authorized ownership of the magical “Police Officer” costume is considered criminal. So criminal, in fact, that it took a precedent-setting US Supreme Court decision (aka the “Heller” case) to settle once and for all the fact that an American citizen had the right to possess a functional firearm within ones' home.
Under no circumstances may a peon without said magic costume possess a firearm without first getting a permission slip from the local government of the District of Criminals. Even with this permission slip, firearms may not be carried in a vehicle by peons without the magic costume even when traveling from point of purchase to their homes, without jumping through hoops set forth by the government of the District of Criminals. Under no circumstances whatsoever is a peon allowed to possess a functional firearm within the borders of the District of Criminals upon any public street without wearing the magic costume, unless he has the permission slip and is traveling from point-of-purchase to the address listed on his permission slip. Under absolutely no circumstances whatsoever is any peon without a permission slip allowed to display a functional firearm upon a public street.
It matters not that a firearm is, in and of itself, a non-animated object incapable of doing anything whatsoever without outside assistance...or that men wearing the magic costumes are, in reality, nothing more than costumed men. It's illegal for a peon to have a firearm outside ones' home inside the District of Criminals, for any reason whatsoever. If you commit this mortal sin, men with firearms and magic costumes will kick in your door, throw grenades inside your house, take away your guns, point their guns at you and your friends, and ultimately lock you in a cage.
In other words, “Do as I say, not as
I do.”
John Hancock, according to the legend, was once asked why he signed his name to the American Declaration of Independence from England, knowing that it was considered “treason” by the king and he'd surely hang for it if he were caught. Hancock replied by stating that he'd heard the king suffered from poor eyesight in his elder age, and didn't want the king to have any difficulty in reading it.
There's a reason why my heroes (and most of my friends) have arrest records. Those without them generally aren't worth looking up to, because they've never stood for anything worth standing for in their lifetimes.
John Hancock, according to the legend, was once asked why he signed his name to the American Declaration of Independence from England, knowing that it was considered “treason” by the king and he'd surely hang for it if he were caught. Hancock replied by stating that he'd heard the king suffered from poor eyesight in his elder age, and didn't want the king to have any difficulty in reading it.
There's a reason why my heroes (and most of my friends) have arrest records. Those without them generally aren't worth looking up to, because they've never stood for anything worth standing for in their lifetimes.
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