Civil Disobedience

[John]

OMG, my wife recorded this as my birthday present yesterday around 2pm, probably while I was cuffed in the police car on route from the police station to the jail:

Amethyste Fisher - No One Like You

Finaly got to hear this while visiting with one of my daughters today . . . We were both quite impressed.
Very nice. Very nice indeed!   
Thanks for sharing this.

[davemincin]

I have a couple of contacts at Fosters who have been pretty up front with me.  Perhaps I'll try and put something together tomorrow.  For now just not into the thinking mode...at least not anything that requires brain power.

Hey Lloyd, still don't know what azn means, but just going to pretend it means fried brain.

[Michael Fisher]

I'm debating whether or not to write an LTE to Foster's stating:

Thanks for doing at least some research on one side of the licensing issue.  The purpose of my event was to create debate because I believe these regulations are slowly encroaching upon the people without their knowledge or approval.  It is unfortunate, however, that you did absolutely no research on the opposite perspective.  What kind of journalists only research one side of an issue?  I do not believe it was fair of you to do this, especially when writing a lengthy editorial about it.

I deeply appreciate all sides of this issue, and all arguments for and against licensing laws, and that's why I did so much research and training before the event.  It's odd how your editorial staff failed to realize that I researched all known nail conditions before my protest and I could identify those possible conditions.  This took a few hours.  The "30 minutes" of research most papers refer to is only the time required for me to look up the sanitary manicure procedures.  It's also odd that your journalists failed to notice that I refused to sell a manicure to one person at the event because he had a nail condition (peeling and splitting layers) that I identified.

It is not necessary to have government approval to do manicures.  As a matter of fact, it is the consumer's responsibility to protect themselves from unqualified professionals, not the government's job.

Thank you very much for covering the event and writing a lengthy editorial about the subject - that is all that I could have hoped for from anyone, and I am very thankful for this.  Hopefully, next time you will research more than one side of the issue before publishing your editorial.

[AlanM]

I'm debating whether or not to write an LTE to Foster's stating:

Thanks for doing at least some research on one side of the licensing issue.? The purpose of my event was to create debate because I believe these regulations are slowly encroaching upon the people without their knowledge or approval.? It is unfortunate, however, that you did absolutely no research on the opposite perspective.? What kind of journalists only research one side of an issue?? I do not believe it was fair of you to do this, especially when writing a lengthy editorial about it.

I deeply appreciate all sides of this issue, and all arguments for and against licensing laws, and that's why I did so much research and training before the event.? It's odd how your editorial staff failed to realize that I researched all known nail conditions before my protest and I could identify those possible conditions.? This took a few hours.? The "30 minutes" of research most papers refer to is only the time required for me to look up the sanitary manicure procedures.? It's also odd that your journalists failed to notice that I refused to sell a manicure to one person at the event because he had a nail condition (peeling and splitting layers) that I identified.

It is not necessary to have government approval to do manicures.? As a matter of fact, it is the consumer's responsibility to protect themselves from unqualified professionals, not the government's job.

Thank you very much for covering the event and writing a lengthy editorial about the subject - that is all that I could have hoped for from anyone, and I am very thankful for this.? Hopefully, next time you will research more than one side of the issue before publishing your editorial.

That's excellent Mike. I think you should send it.

[Michael Fisher]

I KNOW they're not going to publish something so long, but I sent this to the Foster's editorial staff:


Dear Fosters Editorial Staff,

Thank you for doing at least some research on one side of the licensing issue.? The purpose of my event was to create debate because I believe these regulations are slowly encroaching upon the people without their knowledge or approval.? To this extent, the event was wildly successful.? It is unfortunate, however, that your staff did absolutely NO research on the opposite perspective, particularly the view that liberty should prevail in this matter.? I do not believe your editorial staff was fair to the opposite perspective, especially with such a lengthy article.

I deeply appreciate all sides of this issue, and all arguments for and against licensing laws.? I spent hours researching and training for the event.? It's very disappointing how your editorial staff failed to realize that I researched all known nail conditions before my protest and could easily identify those conditions.? This took a few hours of research.? It's also disappointing that your journalists failed to notice that I refused to sell a manicure to one person at the event because he had a nail condition (peeling and splitting layers) that I identified.

Also, without ever interviewing me, you claimed "Fisher contended he had learned everything he needed to know about manicuring by surfing the Web for half an hour."? This quote is a complete fabrication by your staff.? Your professional journalists should have known better than to put their own words into someone's mouth.? The "30 minutes" of research most papers refer to is only the time required for me to look up the sanitary manicure procedures.

It's funny how the cosmetology schools are half of the people pushing for these laws - they are the primary benefactor of such laws.? In the meantime, entry-level workers and entrepreneurs are seriously hurt by these restrictions.

It's too bad that so few people understand how fragile small businesses really are, and how much damage is inflicted by these laws.? If people knew that 95% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years, they would NEVER support such restrictions unless they wished to stifle their potential competition.? Instead, people would depend on professional reputations and optional private sector certifications when making their buying decisions.

Caveat Emptor.? Buyer Beware.? Consumer Responsibility.? It's wisdom as old as time.? However, through paternalistic laws such as licensing, the government protects us from small evils at the expense of our rights and responsibilities.? We refuse to oppose these laws and we wonder why so few people today have a strong sense of personal responsibility.

Gandhi helped inspire me to do this event.? I fought against New Hampshire's tyrannical licensing restrictions by filing nails in violation of manicurist licensing laws.? Gandhi fought against the British by boiling saltwater in violation of salt licensing laws.? The parallels are clear.? The principles are the same.

Thank you very much for covering the event and writing a lengthy editorial about the subject - that is exactly what I hoped for as a result of this event, and I am very thankful for your coverage of this topic, positive or not.? Hopefully from now on you will research more than one side of the issue before publishing an editorial.

Mike Fisher
Newmarket, NH

[Michael Fisher]

So, Russell...  What's the plan for what comes next?  Delivering mail? 

[Russell Kanning]

I am trying to decide....

I would like to attack the big stuff:

Taxes as Theft (especially the big ones like income taxes)
Taxes as paying for things you oppose (war, government schools)
Separation of School and State
ID (Your Papers Please!)

My gut feeling is to just live my life the way I want to and when I bump into the government......then I just don't give into them.
I don't pay Income Taxes....but I don't have a good way to make a public display of it....and they don't hassle me about it...sooooo
I don't really have any government ID.....but do I want to purposely make a scene about this one? (like trying to go through security at an airport)

Maybe we can just go about our business and an opportunity for civil disobedience will present itself. I like the technique.....I just can't decide which thing to apply it to. Maybe we won't pay the school portion of our property tax....maybe I will run into a situation where they demand ID....who knows.

Mike....do you want to keep pursuing the licensing madness?
It does make some sense to keep pressing in the same direction...but my heart is in other issues.

I don't know if our forces would like to join behind one big issue or can we attack say....3 different issues at once, so that people can follow their biggest passion. Right now we are very scattered and we are pushing all liberty fronts at once...but for major action....maybe we have to concentrate a little more.

What are everyone's thoughts?

[Russell Kanning]

It seems to me we could get the whole state talking about an issue if
...the issue/law is:
outlandish (manicures)
outrageous (Myrtle's zoning battle)
effects everyone (taxes, ID, seatbelts, schools etc.)

...and we use the proper physical techniques like:
civil disobedience
happy protesters

...and back it up with:
word of mouth
LTE
old media contacts
radio coverage
internet forums and news coverage
legislative action

I think we can move the culture of NH and elsewhere significantly....if we stick with one(or a small few) message and keep it up. The bad guys are continuing to worry about what effect we are having on the minds and hearts of our fellow citizens.

We could move with one force or set up a few groups to match our various passions.....and let the various talents run wild inside each of these groups and see where it takes us.

We have already had some interest in Seperation of School and State........would we like this to be our one issue or what other major issues would you like to support with a major, long-term push?

[AlanM]

IMHO, I think it would be good to focus on licensing laws and separation of school and state. These two issues affect everyone closely.

[Russell Kanning]

Interesting....that is very helpful.

So did you mention the licensing issue because of Mike's success....or just because of how many people it effects?

I could really see pursuing that issue farther....partly because it makes sense to not just drop what Mike has done and leave it just "discussed" and also because it is a huge issue.....the government controls what work we can do, whether we can drive or travel, and what kind of recreation we can enjoy. Maybe we could just follow through with Mike's licensing issue ....from the problem of getting governments permission to work all the way up to the national ID problem.

I could definitly see us running with both of these issues.

[FTL_Ian]

I think licensing is a great issue.  It it literally strangling the American dream, in that poor people cannot start businesses.  Removal of licensing would be a boom for NH's economy.

[Russell Kanning]

...the other good thing is both the school issue and licensing....can mostly be solved within NH.

[AllanHampton]

?So should we all just start ignoring this paper??

I believe a better strategy is to go after the newspaper?s advertisers and tell them you will quit buying their products advertised in that paper. Tell the paper that is what you are going to do. 

Allan

[Russell Kanning]

...it would be funny to call up some advertiser and say, "based on the wonderful information I have learned from the Fosters Daily Democrate/Socialist I can no longer support your evil capitalist profit motives."

[Lloyd Danforth]

I lived in CA for a short time in the early 90's.  In CA, you need a licence to Fart, if your going to do it for money.
With about 20 years of painting experience, I sent for the painting contractor licence application, that came with a test, about 4 pages.  I didn't know the answers to about half the questions, although I had yet to kill anyone painting, and, had always got paid at the end of the job. there were times I would be called apon to use a product, I had never used before and I just, researched it, asked the paint store guy, read the can.
I threw the application away.  The interesting thing about CA was you could work in an occupation without a licence, but, you had to state, in your add, that you didn't have one.
Perhaps getting this sort of compromise into the laws concerning licencing would be a way to give customers a choice about who they hired to do services for them.
Doing away with the requirement of having to have a licence is a step in the right direction.