Multiple Keene activist arrests 7/18

[Dave Ridley]

http://forum.freekeene.com/index.php?topic=3564.msg39031#msg39031

[Russell Kanning]

the video is pretty funny

if i was a cop i wouldn't want to argue with a bunch of debatetarians

[David]

Ian and Rich stayed overnight in jail, Ian is now out on PR, and Rich has a $5000 bail, and is still in jail. 

[Russell Kanning]

if your happy and you know it shake your chains

[Kat Kanning]

The grammar police are going to have to kick your cute little fanny.

[Tom Sawyer]

http://qik.com/video/9339873

Ian's qik live video

I find the cacophony of voices arguing to be very off putting. The police officer comes off sounding like the reasonable one.

I have been turned off by the rambling rants via the bullhorn as well.

[Sam A. Robrin]

Agreed, Tom. 
I keep saying Sing! Sing! Sing!--but nobody does, does, does . . .

[Mike Barskey]

I added Rich to Mail-to-Jail.

[thinkliberty]

Agreed, Tom. 
I keep saying Sing! Sing! Sing!--but nobody does, does, does . . .

What song do you think they should have sang?

[AntonLee]

f the police?  lol

[rs38bj]

http://qik.com/video/9339873

Ian's qik live video

I find the cacophony of voices arguing to be very off putting. The police officer comes off sounding like the reasonable one.

I have been turned off by the rambling rants via the bullhorn as well.

While I can't say the police sounded reasonable, I definitely agree that the bullhorn and myriad of voices did little to help.

[Sam A. Robrin]

Agreed, Tom. 
I keep saying Sing! Sing! Sing!--but nobody does, does, does . . .

What song do you think they should have sang?

I have over a hundred to choose from.  And am available to rehearse them, oh, anytime a hat drops anywhere between here and Beijing . . . 

[thinkliberty]

Agreed, Tom. 
I keep saying Sing! Sing! Sing!--but nobody does, does, does . . .

What song do you think they should have sang?

I have over a hundred to choose from.  And am available to rehearse them, oh, anytime a hat drops anywhere between here and Beijing . . .

What song would you pick to put on a laminated card that someone could put in their wallet? (we can market it as the shire civil disobedience song.)

I think singing a song would be awesome. People could start singing it when the cops first show up, before they question anyone or pull out the cuffs.

If they can fit it in their wallet they could have the song ready before the cops get there... They could give the card to someone in the crowd that does not know the lyrics so they can sing along.

I think 1 side could be one your songs and the B side could be some other kind of strategy, maybe legal.   

In the future maybe we could get shire agorists to offer a discount to people with a "discount card" that can be purchased from the CD evolution (as a fundraiser). The CD evolution logo could be on one side and shire civil disobedience song could be on the other side.

But until we have enough agorists to offer a discount to do a fund raiser, maybe legal info will be the best on the back of the card.

[Sam A. Robrin]

What song would you pick to put on a laminated card that someone could put in their wallet? (we can market it as the shire civil disobedience song.)

That's easy:

SOMEDAY, SOMEDAY SOON
COPYRIGHT 2009 by Sam A. Robrin or whoever the hell it is who writes these things. Go ahead and use it, but if you make a little money on it, I want some!

[Call-and-response song--any seven-syllable phrase will serve.]

-- -- -- -- -- -- --
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
And we'll work for all we're worth for liberty.
   As we know tomorrow's sun will rise,
   We see, with hearts, as well as eyes,
      That someday, someday soon, we will be free.

Suggested calls:

We are not afraid of you
Jail will only strengthen us
We will break the chains you forge
You can never jail our souls
We will never bow to you
In your power, you are weak
We do not belong to you
We forgive you for your crimes
Cage us, still our souls will soar
Drop your guns and join with us
Your corruption cannot last
You can change your evil ways
We can see right through your lies
Does your conscience bother you?
All your laws are paper threats
You can change your evil ways
We can see right through your lies
Truth is light that frightens you
Cam'ras show the truth you hide
We are not your property
Your corruption is exposed
Did you get your stories straight?
You can't legislate at will
Yes, we will Live Free or Die
__________

But I also have:

YOU'LL HAVE TO ARREST US ALL
COPYRIGHT AP 2010 by Sam A. Robrin or whoever the hell it is who writes these things. Go ahead and use it, but if you make a little money on it, I want some!

You think that we belong to you;
   We won't be held in thrall!
We're going to show you're wrong to you,
   Make those illusions fall!
That's why we sing this song to you--
   Hear it, then it's your call.
      If you arrest him, be prepared:
         You'll have to arrest us all.
      If you arrest him, be prepared:
         You'll have to arrest us all.

You think that we belong to you;
   We won't be held in thrall!
We're going to show you're wrong to you,
   Make those illusions fall!
That's why we sing this song to you--
   Hear it, then it's your call.
      If you arrest him, no one's spared:
         We'll make you arrest us all.
      If you arrest him, no one's spared:
         We'll make you arrest us all.

You think that we belong to you;
   We won't be held in thrall!
We're going to show you're wrong to you,
   Make those illusions fall!
That's why we sing this song to you--
   Hear it, then it's your call.
      If you arrest him, we've declared,
         You're going to arrest us all.
      If you arrest him, we've declared,
         You're going to arrest us all.

You think that we belong to you;
   We won't be held in thrall!
We're going to show you're wrong to you,
   Make those illusions fall!
That's why we sing this song to you--
   Hear it, then it's your call.
      If you arrest him, we're not scared.
         Let's see you arrest us all!
      If you arrest him, we're not scared.
         Let's see you arrest us all!

In response to repeated complaints that my songs were "too hard to sing" (mostly just an excuse for laziness, imho), I tried something a little different with the above and made the verses identical.  The choruses have one three-word difference each time.  It can be learned in an afternoon with minimal effort.  Whether all singers would want to commit to the declaration expressed is another matter!

__________

Then there's this one, which is a little more complex, but it was designed to sort of encapsulate the situation:

WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT
COPYRIGHT AP 2010 by Sam A. Robrin or whoever the hell it is who writes these things. Go ahead and use it, but if you make a little money on it, I want some!

State atrocities can make you blow your stack
With an overwhelming impulse to strike back!
Aside from the morality,
It has no practicality--
Free State freedom-lovers learned a brand-new tack!

'Cause
It's better to shout than to hit,
And it's better to chant than to shout.
It's better still to sing than to chant, and it
Is the singing that shows what we're all about!
[And the singing is what's going to get him out!]

We believe in liberty, and we're proud!
If you love freedom, though, no hitting is allowed!
But outrages by the State
Cause such anger and, yes, hate,
That it's tough to quell the shouting of the crowd.

But
It's better to shout than to hit,
And it's better to chant than to shout.
It's better still to sing than to chant, and it
Is the singing that shows what we're all about!
[And the singing is what's going to get him out!]

Even ardent individualists may find
They'll chant shared ideas in one voice combined
But that form of free expression
Gives the misleading impression
We speak Groupthink with insectoid beehive-mind.

So
It's better to shout than to hit,
And it's better to chant than to shout.
It's better still to sing than to chant, and it
Is the singing that shows what we're all about!
[And the singing is what's going to get him out!]

Congress, cops, courts, and corrections commit wrongs--
In the unmourned past is where the State belongs.
In that creed, we're not alone,
And to make our feelings known,
We lift hearts and minds and voices with our songs.

It's better to shout than to hit,
And it's better to chant than to shout.
It's better still to sing than to chant, and it
Is the singing that shows what we're all about!
[And the singing's what is going to get him out!]

__________

This one was intended as a ballad.  I had a melody all deedle-dummed out, but a similarity with another song was pointed out to me, and now I can't get that one out of my head to come up with a new one.  You, or anyone reading, are encouraged to try.:

ROGATION
COPYRIGHT 2009 by Sam A. Robrin or whoever the hell it is who writes these things. Go ahead and use it, but if you make a little money on it, I want some!

You think we hate you,
   But you're wrong--
   We hate the way you've trampled liberty so long.
Your hate we're staunchly
   Resentful of,
   But we respond with pity, sympathy, and love.

You think we fear you--
   No, not quite.
   We fear the loss of freedom's giving, guiding light.
It's that bright spirit
   We've vowed to save
   With that to strengthen us, we're nothing else but brave.

You think we'll harm you--
   That's not true.
   We'll only stop the harm that's done to us by you.
What you're not seeing
   When we resist
   Is that you're part of who we're trying to assist.

You think we're traitors.
   So you say.
   But there's no treason in refusing to obey.
We're demonstrating
   With our Will nots
   That we're the actual impassioned patriots.

You think we're adverse.
   Not the case!
   Come join us peaceably--just name the time and place.
We'll greet you fairly--
   It's what we do--
   And we'll extend the hand of liberty to you.

__________

This was intended as a crowd piece, after some study of the music of the Civil Rights movement.  If anyone has any suggestions for that awful "sound/down" near-rhyme, Id' like to hear them!  ("Down" is surprisingly difficult to rhyme exactly.)  I used it because I thought the message took precedence.:

ONE TIME MORE
COPYRIGHT AP 2010 by Sam A. Robrin or whoever the hell it is who writes these things. Go ahead and use it, but if you make a little money on it, I want some!

   You can't ignore the urgent ringing sound
      Of freedom at the door.     
   However many times you knock us down,
      We'll get up one time more!

You'd reduce us to your level--
   And lower still besides.
Try!  We'll only revel
   In the challenge that provides.

   You can't ignore the urgent ringing sound
      Of freedom at the door.     
   However many times you knock us down,
      We'll get up one time more!

You fine and beat and cage us
   To get us to obey.
You'll find we're too courageous
   To knuckle down that way.

   You can't ignore the urgent ringing sound
      Of freedom at the door.     
   However many times you knock us down,
      We'll get up one time more!

We know for a fact our action
   Can't be deformed to fail,
Though we spend a month in traction,
   Or a couple of years in jail.

   You can't ignore the urgent ringing sound
      Of freedom at the door.     
   However many times you knock us down,
      We'll get up one time more!

Propaganda--that and fear--
   Kept the population fooled.
Now your depredation's been made clear--
   We'll no longer be meekly ruled.

   You can't ignore the urgent ringing sound
      Of freedom at the door.     
   However many times you knock us down,
      We'll get up one time more!

Authoritarians killed Jesus Christ--
   They silence what they can't ignore.
Though they thought examples that severe sufficed--
   He got up one time more.

   You can't ignore the urgent ringing sound
      Of freedom at the door.     
   However many times you knock us down,
      We'll get up one time more!

Martin Luther King was shot and died
   Promoting the oppressed and poor.
But with his legacy of peace and pride
   He got up one time more.

   You can't ignore the urgent ringing sound
      Of freedom at the door.     
   However many times you knock us down,
      We'll get up one time more!



I have many, many more--along with a track record pretty clearly proving their effectiveness.  Ian suggested that it was the singing that spared the Trespassive Twelve an uncomfortable night in the bubbles, which hadn't occurred to me.  But if so, all the more reason to get these out there!

I think singing a song would be awesome. People could start singing it when the cops first show up, before they question anyone or pull out the cuffs.

If they can fit it in their wallet they could have the song ready before the cops get there... They could give the card to someone in the crowd that does not know the lyrics so they can sing along.

I think 1 side could be one your songs and the B side could be some other kind of strategy, maybe legal.   

In the future maybe we could get shire agorists to offer a discount to people with a "discount card" that can be purchased from the CD evolution (as a fundraiser). The CD evolution logo could be on one side and shire civil disobedience song could be on the other side.

But until we have enough agorists to offer a discount to do a fund raiser, maybe legal info will be the best on the back of the card.

Great idea!  (I wrote a song about how to deal with cops, too, which can be heard on www.underradio.com )  Let me know what can be done to help get these cards made up, and I'll get right on it. 

[CJS]

 I don't know nearly as much about how Ghandi handled himself as many of the regulars here might , but does any think he would have used a bull horn ?