Freedom to Travel Event, Part 3

[jgmaynard]

As I understand, the "no right to fly" statement came from an FBI agent to Russ. I could be wrong.

And the RIGHT to travel has been upheld (until now) since the Magna Carta.

JM

[Michael Fisher]

Yeah, we take an enormous amount of criticism for pleading guilty to our acts, but that is to be expected from those who are more politically-inclined than we are.

The spirit of civil disobedience is honesty and noncooperation with systems and laws.

To claim innocence because of a constitutional conflict with the law is dishonest and irresponsible when you have purposely and openly violated a specific law and you do not believe in the constitution. ?(Though it may make sense to defend yourself against unrelated charges if they are untrue.)

To defend ourselves with the constitution is to partake in the system and justify its existence.  If you are indeed innocent, a moral defense of the facts of evidence can be justified, but not a defense of the technical conflict between the law and the constitution.

There is enormous political power invested in the constitution that can be exploited through the court system, and this power is regularly exploited to the detriment of our freedom.  We must stick to our principles and refuse to be corrupted by this power.

[Kat Kanning]

As I understand, the "no right to fly" statement came from an FBI agent to Russ. I could be wrong.

That's right.  The guy acted like if there wasn't an amendment giving us the right to fly, then we don't have it.   

[Michael Fisher]

Here's the new Merrimack County Jail.

Now we get to stay in cleaner cells after civil disobedience events in Concord. 



It's much better than the tank I was thrown into!

[Dave Ridley]

Concord monitor also has the AP article

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NH_LIBERTARIANS_PROTEST_NHOL-?SITE=NHCON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Dreepa]

I think it is interesting that the papers call Russell a 'Libertarian'. Iis he a member of the LP?  small l ok but big L?

Maybe he should've called himself a 'democrat' or 'republican' (small letters) and see if they make them big letters.

Has the official LP said anything?

Just wondering.

[John]

Has the F group said anything?

[Dave Ridley]

With regard to the armed pilots, a small number are armed after boo koo bureaucratic wrangling and "training programs" but that is a far cry from the government allowing the wide use of firearms by pilots.  On the contrary they discourage it.

Details:  http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=\Nation\archive\200401\NAT20040115c.html

[Lloyd Danforth]

I think it is interesting that the papers call Russell a 'Libertarian'. Iis he a member of the LP?? small l ok but big L?

Maybe he should've called himself a 'democrat' or 'republican' (small letters) and see if they make them big letters.

Has the official LP said anything?

Just wondering.

Not many people understand the distinction.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Someone noted that the gov indicated citizens do not have a right to travel. I was wondering if you could show me where they said that. Because, it seems to me, under the implied right to association in the first amendment would have to be a right to travel, and therefore if Russell were to plead not guilty this would be a good arguement.

The government qualifies a lot of our rights, why not travel.

As an aside that has little to do with this.  At one time CT had a welfare program that drew freeloaders from neighboring  states.  Ct invoked a 6 month residency to qualify.  The ACLU or some simular outfit took the state to court and got the residency requirement out as it inhibited peoples right to travel!

[Ron Helwig]

To claim innocence because of a constitutional conflict with the law is dishonest and irresponsible when you have purposely and openly violated a specific law and you do not believe in the constitution.  (Though it may make sense to defend yourself against unrelated charges if they are untrue.)

To defend ourselves with the constitution is to partake in the system and justify its existence.  If you are indeed innocent, a moral defense of the facts of evidence can be justified, but not a defense of the technical conflict between the law and the constitution.

There is enormous political power invested in the constitution that can be exploited through the court system, and this power is regularly exploited to the detriment of our freedom.  We must stick to our principles and refuse to be corrupted by this power.

If you are truly an anarchist, and don't believe that the governmental system should apply to you, then you should not plead. You should say something like "I do not plead as I do not recognize your authority". Pleading guilty implies that the system has a right of law enforcement over you just as much as pleading innocent does.

If you are not an anarchist, and you believe that your action violated a law that is wrong, then you should plead innocent (as in "I didn't violate the law, it violated me").

While I would love to see an anarcho-capitalist society free of government, we do have a government now. That government is limited by the Constitution, and any laws that violate the Constitution are illegal and if you break them you are still innocent and should plead that way. The trial jury is the final legal roadblock against tyranny. If we don't use it, then we haven't used every non-violent avenue available to us.

[Michael Fisher]

If you are truly an anarchist, and don't believe that the governmental system should apply to you, then you should not plead. You should say something like "I do not plead as I do not recognize your authority". Pleading guilty implies that the system has a right of law enforcement over you just as much as pleading innocent does.

I deny the legitimacy of the system, but I do not deny reality.? They have authority, through brute force and other methods, over everyone in this country.

We are refusing to cooperate with the laws that govern everyone.? We are not denying that everyone is governed.? The "legitimacy" of the government is not relevant (toward a guilty plea in this situation) when the government's authority over us is so absolute.

Ack... lightning storm!? bbl

[Dreepa]

Dada's PR report posted here:


http://www.itsallpolitics.com/viewtopic.php?p=79978#79978
http://www.politicalforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=137369#137369
http://www.uspoliticsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=402026#post402026

[Pat K]

Russell is given a thumbs up in Claire Wolfes blog.


http://clairewolfe.com/blog.html

[Kat Kanning]

Comments, edits on this?

Free to Travel
by Kat Dillon

On Saturday June 11, Russell Kanning attempted to board a plane from Manchester, NH to Philadelphia, PA carrying only a bible, a copy of the Declaration of Independence and his plane ticket--no government ID.? His was a peaceful assertion of our right to travel without excessive government interference.? ?The US has not been, and should not become a country where men with guns demand, "Your papers please," at every street corner.? For this, Kanning was arrested.

The Real ID Act sets federal standards on how states will issue driver's licenses, from requiring increased amounts of identification to mandating "biometric data" in a machine readable format.? The Department of Homeland Security will have sole discretion on how much of your personal data will be stored on your national ID card.? This data will be shared with the Mexican and Canadian governments, and possibly other countries.? If the machine readable format is an RFID chip, your personal information will be readable at a distance to anyone with the right equipment.? States are now presented with the choice of complying with these federal mandates or having their citizens rendered unable to board commercial airlines and barred from entering into any federal building.? Individuals who refuse the national ID card will similarly be locked out of travel and normal business.

The airports are a microcosm of how individuals are to be treated by the federal government.? ?You are to be stripped, searched, poked, prodded, private information examined in order to "keep you safe".? ? Pregnant ladies, elderly ladies, children are felt up in order to "keep you safe".? A new backscatter machine is about to be tested at some airports which will photograph your nude skin beneath your clothing when you walk through it...a virtual strip-search for everyone in order to "keep you safe".? What will be next in order to "keep you safe"?? Blood tests to board a plane?? Urine samples?

At this point, I know that I am in far greater danger from my own government than I am from any terrorist.? Terrorists have never sat outside my home watching everything I do.? Terrorists have never followed me halfway across the state.? Terrorists have not locked up my husband.? Yet this is what the government did to me and my family last week.? If we were not meddling in the affairs of other countries, we would have very little threat from terrorism.? As Thomas Jefferson put it, we should have,? "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations – entangling alliances with none."? Ceasing to be the world's bully is the answer to our terrorist problem, not more and more invasive security.

When a government which is pledged to represent you no longer does so, when redresses of grievances have no effect, how can an individual rid himself of unjust law?? What can an individual do when their government no longer respects his inherent rights?? One man cannot fight it out with the armies of the government, but he can refuse to cooperate with his own enslavement.? Russell believes that it is immoral to pay for the murder of Iraqi citizens.? He believes that it is immoral to pay for abortions.? So he does the only thing he does have power over, he refuses to pay for these things.? He refuses to pay federal income taxes.? Russell believes that people should be free to travel with dignity, so he is refusing to present papers and submit to invasive, unwarranted searches.? The American Indians did not make good slaves because they refused to cooperate with those who would enslave them.? We who believe this government has gone too far in its abuses of individuals' rights and liberties can do the same:? non-violent, non-cooperation.? Kanning has chosen the path of Jesus, Thoreau, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.