Civil Disobedience Idea -- Feedback Wanted

[FTL_Ian]

Shit, I paid good money for that passport.  (I got it via the rush option.)  There's no way I'm setting that on fire.  On top of that, I've already burned my SS card.  Phooey!

[Russell Kanning]

Russell, are you listening to this stuff??

I am in seclusion.

[Kat Kanning]

Mike, I don't think the amount of supporters who attend matters that much.  None of the media mentioned it.  I think yours would have been fine with you and "victim". 

[Kat Kanning]

Here's a place you could start to locate a guy to give the beer to:

V F W Post 5839
(606) 886-9428     
3106 S Lake Dr
Prestonsburg, KY

I bet you anything that all the men in the VFW will support your cause.  They might even show up for it!  I'm guessing that if there aren't any Iraq vets in there, they can connect you with some.

[Dave Ridley]

Regarding the tatoo-- wow!

Here is the partical sketch of the NH-centric press release I've started regarding this KY event:

Please help me fill in the blanks...and correct mistakes.

---


NH outlaw manicurist inspires similar protest in KY

First it was an illegal manicure in Concord, then a plan to try and fly out of Manchester Airport without I.D.  Now a third piece of libertarian civil disobedience is in the works...inspired by the first.

Sidney   ____, a Kentucky bartender, says he will hand a sixpack of his hombrewed beer to an underage Iraq War veteran shortly before Independence Day.

"In a free country," he says, "responsible adults are allowed to drink without the government's permission.  At the age of 18, these men and women can fight and die for our freedom, but they can't drink until 21."

What do these three acts of rebellion have in common?  Each defies unjust laws. All follow the "Ghandi model" of peaceful resistance.  And all are being "perpetrated" by members of the Free State Project (www.FreeStateProject.org), a New Hampshire-based movement aimed at drawing freeedom lovers to the Granite State.  Though currently a resident of _____, Sidney is (one of the 6,500 "Free Staters" who have promised to move here?) Three hundred and sixty are already here.

If jailed , ____ will likely be the fifth Free Stater arrested for refusing on principle to comply with some government edict.   In 2003, FSP member Tim Condon refused to stop handing out literature about the Free State Project in front of a Florida convention center.  Authorities booked him, but charges were later dropped.  In 2004, Manchester construction worker and FSP member Joel Rauch refused to stop soliciting signatures for a Libertarian candidate in front of a Nashua post office.  He also went to jail briefly but won in court.   This May, Free Stater Mike Fisher of Newmarket - who runs a computer repair shop - announced he would appear in front of the state licensing offices and perform unlicensed manicures "until they force me to stop."  He kept the promise, earned a one-night stay in the pokey and received heavy regional publicity for his view that "in a free country you do not need permission from the government to start a business.   On June 11, Russell Kanning of Keene will likely suffer arrest as well when he approaches a TSA checkpoint at the Manchester Airport with a ticket but no I.D.  He will refuse to cooperate with the I.D. requirement and continue peaceful efforts to board his flight until arrested or allowed on the plane.  Sidney's act of resistance will occurr on ___.

What:  Civil disobedience against underage drinking laws.
Where: ?
When:  Saturday, July 2, at noon
Who:  Sidney ? of ?, Matt ? of ?, supporters from the Free State Project (www.freestateproject.org).
Why:  To bring attention to the fact adults ages 18-20 are not allowed to possess or drink alcohol.
How:  By giving alcohol to a veteran of the Iraq War under age 21, and continuing to do so until forced to stop.
Contacts:

[Dave Ridley]

At mike's protest, one thing we were really happy to have had was a video camera and one of our own people recording most of the stuff that happened.

Hopefully you can do the same and at some point that will be useful when documentaries are made about this stuff.

[Rocketman]

That looks great, Dada.? And yes, we will definitely find somebody with a video camera.

We've penciled in Monday, June 6 as the day to send out press releases and launch the website, which I've been working on today.? We want to have all our ducks in a row before alerting the media, I think.? Not ready to answer any questions just yet...

I'll be leaving tomorrow to visit my family and friends in WV for a week or so, but I'll continue researching and writing copy for the website.? Sidney has a friend who will do the website code, and we will definitely have it up, edited, and ready for action by June 6.? Sid figures that if he's going to jail for this, we might as well do everything possible to ensure the maximum positive response possible.?

Sid's working today on finding a willing vet.? Kat, thanks for the VFW tip.

Oh, and FTL_Ian: one of us will definitely call your show June 6 to discuss the plan.

[Dreepa]

Maybe sell teeshirts on the site.

'Jailed for saluting a vet'

All proceeds go to paying Sid's fine.

[FTL_Ian]

Oh, and FTL_Ian: one of us will definitely call your show June 6 to discuss the plan.

I can dig it.

[Michael Fisher]

Be careful when looking for an Iraq War veteran under 21.  Even asking for someone to break the law is itself illegal, though I can't remember what this type of "crime" is called.

[Michael Fisher]

If it takes a while to find an underage veteran, you can simply push back the date a few weeks.

But do not give up! 

[Russell Kanning]

Hey if you can't find a vet.....just go for special deals for 20 year olds........you could build up quite a business.......we have selective prohabition right now.

[Michael Fisher]

Another thought:

It doesn't have to be a veteran.  It can be a new recruit or any troop.  It should be extremely easy to find someone in the Army under 21.  I just ran into a guy who's an 18 year old new recruit at the tattoo shop a few weeks ago.  Try to find someone you know and can trust.  You don't want them to back out when the pressure is on, and it WILL be on.

[Michael Fisher]

What, did you think they'd get honors and medals for it?? ?? It's just a violation, not even a misdemeanor, to give alcohol to someone under 21.? It should not be more than a simple violation to receive and possess the alcohol.

Like I said, it would need to be someone you can trust, someone who can take it.

Or you could look for someone 18-20 is planning to sign up for the military but hasn't yet.

Or it could be anyone 18-20 who is a respectable person in the community that will make people realize that he is a responsible adult.? It's not entirely necessary to use patriotism against the government, though it could be more effective.  I would personally avoid using patriotism at all, but that's just me.

[Michael Fisher]

Thanks for the research.

Yes, breaking the law results in suffering.

That's the whole point.