July 31, 2006: Russell arrested

[Braddogg]

To do what they think is right, no matter the threats the government make.

And if what they think is right makes no difference in the grand scheme of things?

[. . .]

Braddog, I?ve pointed out before that I?ve already accomplished FAR more by working WITH the system.

Merrimack had 1.4 MILLION cut from it?s budget in a single afternoon.

A savings account of 2.4 MILLION forced from people?s pockets via taxes for a library the people voted down multiple times yet were forced to continue funding because the town automatically funded the account through it?s budget was closed and given back to the people of Merrimack.

[. . .]

Can you define your goals?  Can you tell me how and when you expect them to become real?

How much will the average citizen save because of your actions thus far?  $100, $200/year tops?  Some of us aren't going to wait to be liberated by the system -- the same system that oppresses us.  Some of us are going to live free or die, with or without the state's permission.  I'm far more concerned with liberating myself and acting morally than with saving the world.  If you want to save Merrimack dollar by dollar, then go with God, I wish you well.  I still say that one free person can be a beacon to the world, a city on a hill, a light shone before men.  The darkness has not -- and cannot -- overcome the light.

My primary goal is to act morally, and I can do that today, tommorrow, five years from now.  Your goal, it seems, is to liberate New Hampshire or Merrimack, and I don't think that can ever happen while maintaining coercive government.  You'll loosen the chains, but you won't take them off.  I, in the mean time, plan to be running in the proverbial meadows.

I've got other ideas, too.  You may have missed my idea about sprouting local pro-liberty newspapers (like the KFP, though possibly a little more mainstream).  Those would be great vehicles to reduce the chains on others.  But if it comes down to a choice between saving someone a few hundred dollars a year in taxes or living morally, I'll choose the latter every time.

[Russell Kanning]

I met several members here at Porcfest who could vouch, Ian of course you're all set having a radio show and all. Just so not every random schmuck off of Google can see a post by russellkanning that reads "I'm not going to show up to my court date."

But that is why I post here .... so the world can see.

[Russell Kanning]

They only arrested him when he directly initiated force.
As I understand it, they were only present at the building that day because of the postings about intentionally destroying the office's paperwork and computers.

It is simply revisionist history to say that Russ was arrested "simply for handing out flyers". HE WASN'T.
They even invited Russ to hand out flyers, heck, while carrying a pitchfork if he desired -- just to do so outside, where he would not be in a position to break stuff or bother people who had business to conduct. Given that there were was the expressed intent to initiate force, they did the minimum possible in order to minimize the impact of the direct use of force on the other people, by removing the person directly inititating force.

But this was not a heroic act. And, based on his statements and actions, he had to be somehow restrained.
There was every reason to believe Russ would have directly damaged property.

I started an entire thread to explain what I was going to do that Thursday. I was going to try to hand out flyers. They told me I could not and stood in my way. I made gentle slow contact with them trying to brush past them. It is on film.
The ICE guys never offered to let me pass them outside. I also did not want to do that. Our flyer was for fed employees not the good people of Keene.
The business the IRS conducts is immoral. It is right for me to interrupt their work.

[Russell Kanning]

Gandhi won. MLK won. Russell will win too. I don't doubt it.

Still, I wish Russell had stuck to passing out the flyers outside, which would have been just as effective I think and could have kept him out of jail. But he did what he felt was right and I support him in that.

We will win together.
The flyers were for government employees. We just smiled and said hello to normal people.

[Russell Kanning]

I guess the short answer is today's hearing was originally going to be an arraignment... But all rights were waived and he plead guilty/nolo contendere...

I did not plead anything, so the judge put in the books "not guilty" .... then he found me guilty.

[Russell Kanning]

I have considered joining the Free State Project, but I have serious doubts after hearing of Russell's heroic, yes heroic actions, only to see you publicly attack him while he sits in jail.

I thought the Free State Project was about pro-liberty activists making a stand in New Hampshire. I don't think I can join a group with this kind of public back-stabbing from a major player. I certainly won't leave my home to surround myself with "activists" who take the side of the federales.

I welcome you to join the nonviolent revolution whether here or back there in CA. I think you would like it here. I would sure like you to move here. How often does a normal person like myself get called heroic? I am egotistical enough to want to hear that often.

You do not have to join any group to take steps to free yourself and your fellow man. I think joining the freedom movement in NH is a great idea. I moved here from Victorville CA. Come join us. We are moving mountians here in NH and we can overcome a few naysayers. We have bigger obstacles than that.

If I can do this stuff, you can to. I am no special person like Gandhi or MLK. I just decided to do what I could. I know we can be free if we all do that.

[Russell Kanning]

I don't think you can initiate force against the IRS  LOL

Not if you've ever had to pay taxes to them anyway.  Certainly one could go too far against them in the use of retaliatory force; and even that kind of force is best not used if at all possible.  I'm not even sure this qualifies as retaliatory force; the guy just tried to go into an IRS office with a piece of paper the Feds didn't like. 

Perfectly said...... and by the way, thanks for being a great news spreader. You are a "media god" in my mind. 

[Russell Kanning]

If you plan to come to NH to generally "cause trouble for the cops", then in my opinon, it's more conducive to Freedom if you please, just stay the hell away from our lovely home state.

That is directly opposite of how I feel. If the cops do bad things, then opposing them is moral.

[d_goddard]

If you plan to come to NH to generally "cause trouble for the cops", then in my opinon, it's more conducive to Freedom if you please, just stay the hell away from our lovely home state.

That is directly opposite of how I feel.

Makes sense. I oppose you on some things where you and I feel oppositely.
BTW, nice to see you posting again

[Russell Kanning]

I am just thinking for future actions if it would be better to for example, have stayed on the lower level and laid the flyers out in front of you then sat down. Media is more likely to stick to a story about a man who went into a post office, sat down and tried to hand out flyers than one about a man who tried to push past federal officers in a post office, even though saying push is pushing it.

I think that is a brilliant idea. In my case I was trying to hand flyers to the employees, so sitting down would not have ever gotten them into their hands. My way didn't work either.....better luck next time.
I think you should do your idea in your town. You can plan it here or just tell us about it.
In our case, we were our own media. In your city your plan will probably work better.

[Russell Kanning]

would you like if everyone demonstrated whatever they wanted inside of the courthouses?

Absolutely, yes!

Yea baby yea
It would depend on what they did and what their issue was ..... wouldn't it?

[tony]

Good to see you Russel back.
I am talking about your arrest and sentencing here in CT - big shock - can such thing be done????!!!!???/
BTW, what was the actual charge? I mean officia charge?

[Lloyd Danforth]

Not gonna do it, but, I'm thinking if someone went to any government building a few times a day, left no wiper blade without a flyer, handed them to employees on their way in, and, out, eventually they would arrest you for 'Littering' which has a lot of  60's revolutionary cashe.

[FrankChodorov]

people don't hear what happened and think "tyranny"

I disagree.  When people outside the courthouse came up to us asking what Russell had done, and our response was "Handing out fliers," there were more than a few stares of disbelief.  When we got further into it, giving a fuller explanation, most still said the federales were in the wrong.  Would they have used the word tyranny?  Maybe, maybe not.  But when people get arrested for handing out fliers, the citizens start asking questions.

I am sorry then both you and others here, as well as, apparently the society in general are just plain ignorant of what exactly our individual freedom of speech (handing out fliers) and movement, assembly rights are...

you only have a freedom of speech right - an individual common right - in areas that we have a common right of way (sidewalks, parks, etc) to or in a collectively owned building where the explicit purposes is to freely share ideas in an open forum.

you have no freedom of speech rights inside the collectively owned buildings that would purposely disrupt the business being transacted there - whether it is the IRS or not.

[Michael Fisher]

I am sorry then both you and others here, as well as, apparently the society in general are just plain ignorant of what exactly our individual freedom of speech (handing out fliers) and movement, assembly rights are...

you only have a freedom of speech right - an individual common right - in areas that we have a common right of way (sidewalks, parks, etc) to or in a collectively owned building where the explicit purposes is to freely share ideas in an open forum.

you have no freedom of speech rights inside the collectively owned buildings that would purposely disrupt the business being transacted there - whether it is the IRS or not.

Aaahhhh... my ears are bleeding. Or would that be my eyes? Yeah, my eyes are burning.

Do not use "only" and "freedom" in the same sentence! It BURNS!!!