Help Red's Trading Post

Red's Trading Post is the oldest gun store in Idaho. The thugs from BATFEces are trying to shut it down. There is a lot of background information at War on Guns Blog about this case and today there is a suggestion on what YOU can do to help.

It's a Protest Vote - Really

I realize that any write-in votes for me won't be counted by "election officials" because I am not willing to jump through the hoops to become "legitimate" as far as the feds are concerned. I am a write-in candidate only as a protest; just like if you write in "Bart Simpson" or something. The difference is that I stand for something. If you tell someone that you wrote in "Kent McManigal", they can Google me (if they can figure out the spelling) and see exactly what I am all about. I think we all know Ron Paul doesn't have a chance of being the Republican nominee; not the way the system is rigged. (If he did become the nominee, I would need to question whether the system is rigged like I think it is.) A Libertarian has even less chance of winning the election than Ron Paul has of being the Republican nominee. If you still feel that not voting is shameful, then you can write-in my name, knowing the Powers-That-Be will not count it, but still sending a message, just the same.

Domestic Enemies in Black Robes

When elected officials take office they pledge to protect the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Then they immediately break that oath by not recognizing that almost every thing the federal government does is in direct violation of the Constitution, and trying to stop it. In direct violation, but sanctioned (wink-wink) by federal courts.

How can you protect the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic when some of the worst domestic enemies have placed themselves in charge of deciding what the Constitution means? Whether or not the Constitution is worth defending is another matter. As has been said, either it established this governmental monstrosity we now suffer under, or it did nothing to stop it. Fortunately "freedom" does not depend on a piece of paper, but on each of us as individuals. Freedom is ours to take and live, if we will only do it. Pay no attention to the black-robed gremlins of the court. Let them paint themselves into a corner with their pronouncements-from-on-high. Just get on with the business of living free from coercion.

Leaders or Rulers?

Leaders can be a good thing. They lead by showing the rest of humanity the trail, and then striking out along that path, alone if necessary. If you trust the Leader, you follow him. If not, you find your own path.


Rulers dictate which path you will follow, often times from the safety of their fortresses. A Ruler may send an envoy in front of you as a decoy to make you believe you are following the Glorious Leader. You are given no choice whether to follow the path the Ruler chooses for you. A set of imaginary rules will be enacted to show you that the Ruler's way is the only right way.


Is the President (or governor, senator, etc.) a "Leader" or is he a "Ruler"? If you have a Leader and he begins leading you astray, you are free to stop following. If he threatens you or forces you to continue following him by dragging you along, he is no longer a Leader, but a Ruler. The Rulers in the US claim we are free to follow them or choose another "Leader" in the next election. We will be dragged along unwillingly until that time, of course. The "Leaders" insist we are not free to say "No thank you. I don't need a Leader".


Leaders lead; governments drag. Which situation seems more like America in 2007?

"Bill of Rights" or Simply "Rights"?

A group I belong to, JPFO, is working to educate people everywhere (not just in America) about the Bill of Rights; advocating what they call a "Bill of Rights culture". I would like to live in such a culture, but I don't think it goes far enough. People need to be reminded that rights were not created by the Bill of Rights. Some of the founders of America were afraid that if a Bill of Rights were written, government would try to claim that those rights mentioned were the only ones held by the people. Even though the 9th and 10th Amendments were adopted to try to avoid this, it has still occurred. Plus the government has "reinterpreted" away any protection of rights enshrined in the document.

Instead of a "Bill of Rights culture" I think we need a "Rights culture". A deep understanding that rights exist regardless of government attitudes or usurpation; are inseparable from responsibilities; are inborn in every person everywhere; do not come from "Bills", government or anyone else; are not additive or divisible; are absolute and not subject to restrictions; are the opposite of privileges; and are worth defending to the death.

The Bill of Rights was a good idea, but learning that actual Rights exist with or without government permission is more empowering. At least it has been for me.

New CafePress Products

Check out my new "Government is Evil" and "Live Free Today" products on CafePress. Straight to the point, don't you think?

Consistent Liberty

Freedom is not "pick and choose". I can't acknowledge that government in all its incarnations is evil while begging government to "keep out the foreigners" or to punish "hate speech". If freedom is a good thing for me, then it is also a good thing for my enemy. I must be consistent. I can't turn to government for help when something happens that I couldn't stop. If I can't stop it, then neither could government, at least not without violating someone's rights. You must live up to the principles of freedom even when it makes you uncomfortable.

"The Gang" from JPFO

The JPFO documentary "The Gang" is now available ($29.95). This film details the history and the abuses of the BATFE, one of the most vile and disgusting of all the criminal organizations inside the US government (my words; not theirs). Beat me to the draw and get your copy before I get mine!

Forum 21

There is an interesting forum that I have joined. It is called Forum 21 and is run by Phil Defer. It is based in France, but they have started a thread about me in English. Phil asked for an interview and I explained that I am not actively campaigning anymore, but answered his questions anyway. He invited me to join his forum to answer the participants questions, so I did. I find it interesting to see how other cultures view "liberty". Go on over and take a look around. If you can't read French, use Babel Fish to translate. You can even ask me questions there, too.

The Abusive Relationship

Do people enjoy abuse? Do we seek out or stay in abusive relationships because somewhere, deep down, we like being miserable? I know people who seem to. Government is like an abusive partner. It steals from our bank accounts and wants more, claiming ownership of all our possessions while contributing nothing of value. It sets bizarre, arbitrary rules with extreme punishments for even accidental infractions. It demands to know every detail of our private lives "for our own good" as if we are stupid children needing constant supervision. It claims moral superiority over us while behaving like a drunken lecher. It warns us of dire consequences if we ever dare to tell it to hit the road. "You'll be sorry! You are nothing without me! You'll never make it on your own! Everyone will kill each other without me to make them behave!" Yet we keep defending its indefensible actions, and behaving like it really does have some claim on our lives. Kick the bum out. If it resists, you know what to do.

Pragmatic Perfectionism

"The perfect is the enemy of the good". I hear this quote a lot in libertarian circles. Usually quoted by the "pragmatists" and directed at the radicals (like me). They are wasting breath because I already know this fact. I think on a personal level it is a good thing to remember. Don't waste your life spinning your wheels with your bumper against a brick wall. On the other hand, why bother at all if you don't have "perfect" as a goal? Don't ever forget: all government is totally evil. With that in mind, it exists, and probably will all of your life, so use it against itself if you can. Don't use government against individual people unless they are an instrument of the state. "Live by the state; die by the state" you might say. Work toward Libertopia within the current system when you must, and outside the system when you can. Acknowledge that nothing will ever be perfect, but LIVE free now, and never stop striving.

What Kind of "American"?

I am a human being who lives in America. Beyond that, I hold the values that were apparently espoused by the founders of America in high regard. I believe that each person is a sovereign individual who owes nothing to anyone else other than to not aggress against them. I am not a "Soviet American" such as runs the government and fawns over the institutions of tyranny. I support freedom of speech; not laws against "hate speech" and Free Speech Zones which protect the President from hearing dissent. I do not support government spying on Americans under the pretense of trying to catch terrorists plotting. Torture is evil no matter who is doing it and no matter what you call it. You do not protect freedom by torture. You do not increase Liberty by restricting Liberty. Outlawing self defense and the tools which facilitate it is plain wrong. I do not support government programs or agencies which label as "domestic terrorists" anyone who believes the same things that the founders of America believed. I do not seek Liberty for myself and then use the bludgeon of government against those who irritate me. I believe that the US is the worst threat America has ever faced, and I don't know if America can survive the threat.

Drugged Drivers

I know of someone who is suffering from injuries received in a car wreck a year ago. The driver of the other car was at fault, and was on drugs. Now my friend will probably suffer pain from nerve damage for the rest of her life, and need powerful pain medications in order to function. This fact has made her question her libertarian opinion as to drug prohibition.

I can understand her thoughts. No one wants impaired drivers careening into them out of nowhere. On the other hand, driving while impaired or even distracted is already illegal, and yet things like this still happen. The current War on Drugs destroys freedom on a massive scale and yet doesn't prevent things like this from happening, so what can we do? Is there a real solution? Or do we simply accept that tragedies will always happen as a part of life?

Memorial Day: Remembering Our Past, Considering Our Future.

JPFO ALERT:

Memorial Day: Remembering Our Past, Considering Our Future.

Each year on Memorial Day, JPFO reminds our readers to honor those who died in America's wars. We mourn for them and we thank them.

But we also remind you that as the United States becomes more like the brutal police states we once fought, we must mourn as well for the loss of our freedoms. We mourn the loss of the great promise that once was America -- now betrayed by politicians, bureaucrats, thuggish enforcers, and uncaring citizens.

We've been heavily advertising our new documentary The Gang because it showcases the BATFE as a supreme example of this betrayal. Corrupt, inept thugs enforce not just unconstitutional laws but arbitrary bureau "policies" against honest citizens. And no one speaks up ... because they could be next.

Recently, the television show "Boston Legal" aired an episode entitled "Stick It". You can read a summary at http://www.boston-legal.org/19-stickit/ep19-stickit.shtml . More importantly, you can watch the video (or read a transcript) of a closing argument by one of the show's characters (scroll down to "Alan Shore's Closing Argument").

This speech is probably one of the most eloquent, timely, and terrifying recitations of the dark turn our country has taken over the last few decades. It concludes with the statement, "I know we are all afraid, but the Bill of Rights -- we have to live up to that. We simply must."

Indeed.

On this sad holiday, we urge you to take a moment to consider not only what we've lost, but why and how we've lost it. Consider, too, how we might get it back. There are 100 million gun owners in this country, and only 2300 agents. So why are we putting up with this treachery?

We can start by abolishing the BATFE and all federal control and regulation of firearms. Ultimately, though, we must attain a Bill of Rights Culture.Let's make it happen.

- The Liberty Crew

PS: The day after JPFO aired our "Talkin' to America" interview with Ryan Horsley, owner of Red's Trading Post, he was visited by THREE BATFE agents, including an area supervisor. Read Ryan's update at www.jpfo.org/redsupdate2.htm . Yet another example of the BATFE's vindictive actions against honest American gun owners. By allowing this activity, we are allowing the deaths of our fallen soldiers to be in vain.

Mr. Wood

A few blogs ago, I mentioned the high school teacher who was instrumental in teaching me to think critically about what I was being "fed". Mr. Bill Wood taught Physics, Chemistry, and a "special" class. After spending two years in his classes, he is to blame for a lot of who I am. I would skip other classes to sit in the library and read; but I never skipped his classes. That was the only class time, since first grade when I learned to read, where I learned anything important.

During my high school years there was a big creationism uproar occurring statewide. He even testified in the court case. He encouraged us to look at the issue critically from all sides. He never hid his opinion, but had his students on both sides attempt to defend our own position coherently during discussion. He also led us in a study of advertising and the ways it influences our thoughts. I was always dreadfully bad at math, but he often gave me credit for being the only person in his physics class who understood the concepts being discussed. Even if I never got through a calculation without an error during the entire year. The main thing I remember from all his classes was this: while other teachers told us what to think, he emphasized how to think.

I heard through hearsay that he quit teaching within a couple years of my graduation. The politics of the "education system" are an obstacle to education, screening out the best teachers. Just another reason for the separation of school and state. Mr. Wood was the best teacher I ever had.

When I think of him I feel that he would be disappointed in me today. After all, I never made anything of myself. He would have told me I could do better.

Permits: The All-American Bribe

America; land of the free... as long as your pay your bribe to the right agency to get official permission to practice your freedom. Only, in this case, the corrupt bribe-takers are so morally vacant that they actually keep a record of their criminality! The bribes have been institutionalized and codified.

Want to add a room to your house? Get a building permit that not only gives your "permission" to do the work, but gives "implied consent" to the local government to tell you how you can build it, and allows them to trespass to "inspect" the work (and maybe just snoop a little while they are there). Wish to carry a gun for self defense? Apply for a permit that puts you into a database of criminals for government to keep a wary eye on. A permit that can be denied or revoked on a whim and can be used to track you when it is decided that common folk no longer "need" to own guns. Want to drive your car? That entails a whole stack of permits if your wish to have official sanction. Once again, by getting their permits and trying to work within the system, they claim you have given implied consent to go along with all the anti-American garbage that the authorities commit. Things like "safety" check-points, seatbelt laws, and DUI (known as "drunk driving" back when it really was about being drunk while driving) laws that have become meaningless by their pettiness.

Freedom-by-permit is not freedom at all. It is slavery. It is "freedom if you can afford to pay for it". Be an outlaw and take your freedom without begging permission from any government thug.

"Continuity of Government"

Leave it to the parasites of government to think that they are so important and their job so critical, that even if some event destroys all of the productive people in America, the government MUST survive! That is like preserving the disease organisms after the host is dead. Take the most useless sector of the population, and the one thing we can all do completely without, and make certain it survives. After disasters, people who sit and wait for the government to rescue them frequently die. What makes anyone think it would be different next time? What "job" does government do that would still be "necessary" if the rest of the population was dead? I mean, really, who would be left to care? Other than those disease organisms who call themselves "government". Plus, those who would be left after such an event would most likely be the people who are least reliant on government bail-outs, and also the least compliant with government orders. Do the authoritards think it will impress China that America will still have a government rattling its sabres after doomsday? Unfortunately, they probably do.

Good Idea vs. Compulsion

There are a lot of things I think are good ideas for liberty-seekers to get involved with. Things like jury duty and gun ownership. There are other things that I think are just a good idea for anyone like wearing a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet. There is a difference between "thinking it is a good idea" and making it mandatory. Only government can destroy a good idea that way.

Although I believe that jury duty is the best weapon we have to peacefully stop the US police state in its tracks, I would never encourage making it compulsory to serve. Who does that benefit? If you have 12 disgruntled jurors sitting there daydreaming about strangling the people responsible for their captivity is justice likely? I think not!

Or how about guns? I think that owning them and knowing how to use them is a very intelligent thing to do. If someone has no interest in having one or learning to safely handle one, then that person would be happier, and so would I, if he just didn't bother with it. I have gone shooting with one person that I refused to shoot with ever again after seeing his disregard for basic safety rules. He then joined the military and left the area.

I am the first person to insist that everyone in my car wear a seat belt. Yet, whenever I see those "Click it or ticket" propaganda ads on TV, I want to never wear one again. It is smart to wear a seat belt, but it is incomprehensibly evil to require it by "law".

Government can take a perfectly good idea, and by passing counterfeit "laws" make it into a reprehensible compulsion.

Dissonance

I have heard that stress is caused by an internal conflict. Such as being put into a situation where the biological "right thing to do" is fight or flight, but the "socially expected thing to do" is to stand there and tolerate some authoritard giving you ridiculous orders. I had my own way of dealing with this while trapped in the government indoctrination centers called "school": I daydreamed a lot. After I learned to read, school didn't teach me anything of any value until high school, when I was fortunate enough to have a teacher for a couple of years who taught his students to think critically about what we were told. He is probably to blame for a lot of who I am now. That is another item for another day.

Back to the current thoughts. I already live in Libertopia in my mind, so when I am confronted by the stupidity of the authoritarian dystopia surrounding me, the dissonance causes a lot of stress to my system. I know how I should respond to a given situation, but the societal realities mean I would be punished violently by the "law". We are expected, and "legally" required, to sit down and shut up and by all means, don't bother the noble authorities by making a scene. So, I put up with a lot of nonsense that no one in a free society would ever be forced to tolerate quietly. I am sure the same thing applies to you.


This goes back to my post on "enjoying what liberty we have left" from a few days ago. Enjoy what freedoms you have left, and the ones you can probably get away with. After all, "They can't control us all".

What Do They Want?

There are people I run into online, who although they frequent the "libertarian" or "quasi-anarchist" websites, and align themselves with the freedom seekers, they don't seem to agree with "us" on much of anything. Try as I might, I honestly can't see that these people are looking for any type of "freedom". So, what is it they are really wanting?

Maybe I am looking at this the wrong way. Perhaps I should be glad that they have enough interest to try to hang out with libertarians (I have heard we can be difficult to get along with). I can't stop wondering about their motives, though. Are they there to try to start arguments; to sow discord? Are they there under mistaken impressions? Do they believe they can show the rest of us the "error of our ways" by shining the light of authoritarianistic thought on our ideas? Maybe they are a single-issue libertarian and just want to be left alone to smoke crack, but have no interest in allowing anyone else their own brand of liberty.

Whatever is going on, I get the distinct impression that they just don't get it. When possible, I do not engage them in a heated debate. Tempers flare quickly and that helps no one. I try to mostly ignore these folks in the hope that they will absorb, by constant exposure, some inkling of what "liberty" really means. Who knows, maybe one day they will rise up to be exactly the person the world needs to stand up for liberty.