Feds Arrest Heroic Free Stater

Kanning ArrestedKeene, NH resident and Free State Project participant Russell Kanning is on a mission. Wearing overalls, a straw hat and carrying a pitchfork, the thirty-five year old libertarian activist is out to expel the Federal Government from his city. And, despite his lack of sophisticated weaponry, he has triggered quite a response from Washington.

Plain clothed officers and uniformed Department of Homeland Security agents were present in force to meet him at noon today as he appeared at Keene’s IRS office with several supporters. But it wasn’t his pitchfork or his friends that had agents seeing red, it was his handful of….flyers.

“I want them to quit their jobs,” he says, referring to the one or two IRS agents that staff the part-time office on Main Street. His flyers contain a form which he is asking IRS agents to sign, pledging they will stop working for the agency because of what he considers the “evil things” it funds.

Kanning says he is most upset by their use of tax dollars to underwrite the Iraq occupation and also displeased by their arrest this May of Plainfield resident Ed Brown, a prominent tax resister.

When Kanning entered the building, “authorites” quickly interposed themselves.

“I think we could call it tilting at windmills,” he joked. After bantering with the perplexed agents for a few minutes, Russell slowly walked toward the single flight of stairs leading to the IRS office. Officers then quickly, but carefully, placed his hands behind his back and cuffed him.

Activists from NHfree.com, including a professional videographer crowded in to document the event but were elbowed back by agents. They then placed him, his straw hat and his overalls into a DHS squad car minus the pitchfork but grinning and waving to photographers.

He ended up being booked and released from Keene Police Department around 3 p.m., but that’s where the story gets interesting. Instead of going home, Kanning returned to the IRS office and walked straight toward the door (sans flyers), whereupon he was cuffed, booked, and released again, this time, as before, on charges of disorderly conduct.

“I never got to talk with the IRS workers,” he says, “but I did get to ask some Homeland Security guys to quit.”

More details on this unfolding situation are on the NHfree.com forums. Russell, who also happens to be an editor of the Keene Free Press, announced on Free Talk Live tonight that he doesn’t plan on showing up for his court date, which is tomorrow. Stay tuned to FTL for the latest!

posted Jul 28th, 2006 by ianbernard · This entry was posted in self. Bookmark the permalink.
  • Tracy
  • http://www.mywaronpoverty.com Becky

    Oh, now THAT’S just funny.

    I wonder if the feds have been evaluated for paranoid personality disorder?

  • Michael H. Wilson

    Are we to understand that he got booked for “disorderly conduct” for handing out fliers? Isn’t there something in the bill o’rights that allows him to distribute information, or has that been removed?
    M.W.

  • Rance Muhamitz

    The bill of rights is just memorabilia…

  • http://UnCivilDefence.blogspot.com MRJarrell

    Does it bother anyone else that he wasn’t placed in a local KPD squad car, but was instead placed in a DHS vehicle? That’s the single most disturbing part of this article, not that he was arrested for agitprop. When local cops start handing people over to the feds for something like this then we have a huge problem.

  • http://www.freetalklive.com Slim

    Didn’t you hear the Constitution is dead and so are the amendments. They had a funeral for the constitution in NH. Keep fighting the good fight Russell.

  • http://www.coolparty.us Jon

    Why not show up for the court date, plead not guilty, get more attention requesting a jury trial, etc.?

    Skipping the court date doesn’t seem like the smatest of moves to me.

  • http://steveperkins.net Steve Perkins

    I’m trying to get on board with the spirit here, guys… but I just don’t get this post. The guy wasn’t arrested in a public street in front of a building, but rather after he entered the building and started roaming the hallways.

    Now, if some dude with a pitchfork and a camera crew showed up at MY office building, security would wrench his nutty ass to the floor in 10 seconds (and probably give an “accidental” knee or two to the ribs for good measure). Hell, *I’d* probably be the person to call security to do it! Of course, during the Cythnia-McKinney-punches-a-cop contraversy, I heard several Libertarians argue that public buildings shouldn’t have security… or any restrictions whatsoever on protesters roaming the halls and accosting workers at will. However, with all apologies, that’s just f*cking retarded.

    I have to also agree with Jon that deliberatly skipping the court date is a bad move. Geeze, crap like this DOESN’T help Libertarians. With friends like these…

  • Dougman

    As much as I despise IRS, this guy is not helping the cause of ridding the populace of this national disgrace. In case he doesn’t know it, IRS has nothing to do with funding evil endeavors. It does nothing but cover the interest on the national debt.

  • http://freestateproject.org Seth

    FYI, while I consider Russell a friend and comrade, he represents one side of the fight for liberty in New Hampshire – civil disobedience. He enjoys doing CD and gets lots of press for it (for good or bad). He hates politics, and wants nothing to do with it, or government in general.

    The other half of the equation for making changes happen, the political side, is best represented by all the work mentioned here: http://www.freestateblogs.net/victories06

    If you dislike what Russell is doing in NH, move and help out with political action, you will have lots of cohorts to help. If you enjoy what he’s doing, move and help him out, you will also have lots of friends (to bail you out if need be). Some do both, and stay busy constantly… all part of the fun here in NH, as we create the Free State together. The only place in the world where you can be sure that every weekend (and many weekdays), there is an event filled (often 50+) with liberty minded folks happening someplace.

  • http://www.libertyforsale.com Timothy West

    not a help, and not heroic. But he fits in perfectly with David Nolan’s vision of a “heroic cadre of freedom fighters” I guess.

    Here’s a pop quiz: what did he do that actually affects real liberty? Anything? Nothing?

    100 days until 2006 elections….sigh….little direction….no unifying theme….nothing for voters to vote for, instead of against…

    just opinion…not a highly trained professionally paid libertarian….

  • Devious David

    I think that this is just another tool and luckily, someone is using it. There are a lot more tools available than just running futile races for office in a rigged system. If you think that the political system is the ONLY way, than you are a fool indeed and will NEVER achieve your goals.

    Political action, civil disobedience, outreach, education, media involvement, these are all important things that we engage in. They help support one another. Everyone has different interests, beliefs and talents. It is best we each use those to their fullest in whichever way we are best suited.

  • http://UnCivilDefence.blogspot.com MRJarrell

    Everyone can’t be a cowardly liberty hater, Tim. Being an heroic freedom fighter take more guts than blogging and making movies no-one watches. Not everyone wants to be Republican lite in this world.

    Steve: He walked into a building that is ostensibly “public property”, while the pitchfork whould have been left at the door he was obviously not a threat or he would have been arrested for possession of a weapon.
    Your building is private property…there’s a difference.
    Russell did a brave thing and just because some folks in the political arm hate things that they “feel” shine a bad light on them, doesn’t mean it should stop. The fact is that too few things like this occur all for the sake of political expediency. Wouldn’t want to spook the sheep, eh? How much press does being quiet get you? Oh, that’s right…none.

  • http://steveperkins.net Steve Perkins

    I celebrate the diversity of outlooks that draw people toward libertarian thought. For some, it’s beliefs surrounding taxation. For others, gay pride. For others still, Second Amendment issues. The list goes on and on, and while the next person’s focus may not be MY focus, I’m glad we all have something bringing us together to a common cause.

    Having said that… while I’m glad that the FreeStater’s have a “thing” to get them engaged, I personally find that when they get worked up their languague becomes a bit cult-ish. It seems like the harder they push, the less credible they come across.

  • ianbernard

    Steve,

    He was not “wandering around the hallways”. He was intercepted at the front door, and prevented from climbing the stairs to his destination, the IRS office.

    Kanning is one of the most courageous men I’ve ever come across, and I’m honored to be moving to Keene, NH.

  • http://steveperkins.net Steve Perkins

    So a building being “public property” means that there should be NO restrictions on ANY member of the public engaging in ANY activity at ANY time? So if I want run through the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives with a bullhorn shouting protest slogans during the State of the Union speech, that should be perfectly cool? So if I want to throw a techno rave party in the lobby of my local Post Office (at 2:00 in the afternoon), that’s my Constitutional right? Walking through a military facility or research lab with a camera shouldn’t be an issue either… after all, I wouldn’t be bothering anybody.

    Maybe I’m just a “cowardly liberty hater”, but nutjob bullsh*t like this does far more to prevent public affinity for libertarianism than “Republican-lite blogging”. I don’t understand what (if anything) is the goal trying to be accomplished, other than a psychological cry for help.

  • http://UnCivilDefence.blogspot.com MRJarrell

    Kanning wasn’t shouting anything, by all accounts. He was there to hand out flyers, a patently peaceful and normally non disruptive activity…until the stats polizei show up. A Post office and a facility that are open to the public is by definition a public building, not private, not secured (as the US House and a military lab or facility would be. I would hope you could tell the difference…but, judging from your response I see you may be incapable of doing so. If you’re not aware of what his intent was then I suggest you go back and reread the article. It stated it rather plainly. My guess is that you think the guys at the Boston Tea Party were a bunch of nutjob bullshitters, and poor Patrick Henry, what a kook. And your assertion that his actions are of no help…there’s no such thing as bad publicity. What have you done lately?

  • http://www.libertyforsale.com Timothy West

    once again, not helpful to the political efforts, which as you know is the only aspect of the LP I have ever been concerned about. While other things may be good at times and bad at others, the only thing the LP should EVER concern itself with is the political stuff…becuase thats the sole job it has to be about. Not education, not protests, but political effort.

    counting all the versions of my videos so far, 5,675 viewers, just on you tube. No one would be counted as “0″.

    I do them for fun. No other reason.

  • http://steveperkins.net Steve Perkins

    If you don’t see a distinction between handing out flyers in front of a building, vs. roaming the halls of a building with a pitchfork and camera crew trying to convience workers in the middle of a business day to quit their jobs … if you don’t see the difference between this scenario and the Boston Tea Party … then we have no common ground upon which to discuss that particular point any further.

    As for “what have I done lately”… I have NOT shown my ass and tarnish the beliefs that I stand for by making them an object of well-deserved ridicule. The “no such thing as bad publicity” adage is as false today as it’s ever been.

  • IanC

    Y’know, folks, had this man simply shown up at quitting time and handed out fliers then, with camera and crew… there wouldn’t have been a damned thing the cops could have done, and he would have actually gotten fliers into employee’s hands.

    This was a grandstand… a publicity stunt. As such its success needs to be measured by its publicity in the media.

    As this is the only reference to it I can find, I must therefore consider this approach an absolute, abysmal failure.

    Howsabout we give something else a try? Like… maybe… focusing on the body politick & getting someone elected?

    … this, of course, is still coming from someone who is being refused permission to register for volunteer work by the LP. I’ve tried a dozen times… no response. Not a chirp.

    Ahh, well.

  • http://warcriminal.freeservers.com Sol

    >(and probably give an “accidental” knee or two to the
    > ribs for good measure). Hell, *I’d* probably be the
    >person to call security to do it!

    And you talk about giving Libertarians a bad name, Steve Perkins? You aren’t exactly doing Quakers any favors.

  • http://steveperkins.net Steve Perkins

    Heh, touche! I wouldn’t talking about requesting the knee to the ribs part though, Sol, just talking about calling in security in general. :)

  • http://www.finlandforthought.net Phil

    What’s the big attraction with Keene, NH? Ian and other libertarians mention it alot. Last month I visited there during a road trip through NH (thanks to FTL’s endless promotion of FSP). I fell in love with Hamption and Rye Beaches, if I ever leave Finland I’m moving there. Gorgeous on the coastline. And near-by Boston is an amazing city.

  • Matt

    For those here who do not frequent the NH Underground forums, bear in mind that Russel is not a libertarian, he simply doesn’t believe in government, or in dealing with it. Well, 90% of the time.

  • Seth

    Phil: Russell and Kat are in Keene, and have promoted it since as ‘the place to be’… it’s a small town with a state college and a heavily liberal population. It’s in the middle of nowhere, relative to the rest of the southern part of the state. Ian is also moving there.

    In fact, people from the FSP are moving all over the state. There is no one place, or even one county, that everyone is moving to… but of course, everyone likes where they call home best. Some like the coast, some the mountains, some like the city and and some the middle of nowhere.

  • Seth

    Regarding handling out flyers, while Russell was peaceful (nice guy, non-violent), the (federal) law in question requires a permit to hand out pamphlets on federal property.

    Russell doesn’t believe in permits, licenses, voting, etc etc. He also believes in openly promoting his events ahead of time. He also talked openly about ‘turning over the tables’ at the IRS ala Jesus and the moneychangers in the temple, and not as a metaphor either. Put all of this together, and it’s no shock that plainclothes and uniformed cops and Homeland Security were all ready and waiting for him, and arrested him (twice, as it says above).

    When Ian (and Dave/Dada) write and/or publish press releases about Russell, it’s a bit disappointing, though understandable, that they don’t give the whole story. This whole thing is par for the course for Russell.

    I like Russell as a person. But as the reactions above show, he polarizes opinions.

  • IanC

    Seth — yeah, but Ian B agrees with Russell on all of those points… hence the ‘libertarian hero’ schtick.

  • http://www.pnar.org Tom Blanton

    Did Russell Kanning carry out his demonstration in the name of the LP? Did he make any claim that his actions were intended to help elect LP candidates? Did the LP sponsor his protest?

    It seems Mr. Kanning did what he did as a way of calling attention to the weenie thugs who are collection agents for the state. Every taxpayer can probably name something the government funds that they consider evil.

    It borders on the absurd that so many “moderates” get agitated that someone engages in civil disobedience. I would remind the moderates that there was once a mainstream candidate who ran for president who said:

    “Extremism in the pursuit of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”

    Did Kanning affect “real liberty” (as opposed to synthetic liberty?) by his actions? Well, the verdict is out. But, I think he did engage in “real politics”.

  • ianbernard

    I bet Gandhi had his share of critics too!

  • http://www.pnar.org Tom Blanton

    Tim, what does making videos have to do with “doing real politics”? It seems to me that videos fall into the realm of education and, according to you, the LP should NEVER engage in education.

    It seems you connect Mr. Kanning with the LP, so why do you not connect yourself to the LP? If Kanning is to be criticized for doing something the LP should never do because it is outside the realm of “political stuff”, then it would seem you are due much criticism for doing your videos.

    What have these videos done to affect “real liberty”? Mere political messages that serve to educate voters might even turn some people off. Personally, I favor educating voters because I believe it is an integral part of recruiting LP members and winning elections. But it seems you have a double standard regarding political messages.

    Or is it the message you disagree with?

    I shouldn’t need to remind you that in a big tent party, we must allow a diversity of opinions – even if you disagree.

  • http://voteoverstreet.org Kris Overstreet

    Mr. Kanning has made news, but otherwise accomplished nothing.

    I don’t regard him as a hero; I regard him as foolish.

    It’s heroic to risk personal destruction to advance a worthy cause. It’s foolish to risk personal destruction doing something which will do absolutely nothing to advance the cause.

    Politicians don’t listen to protesters- only to voters, and only when they vote.

    Voters don’t listen to protesters who act with complete disregard for reality- only to those with a sensible message, and even then only if they already agree with the message.

    The only way the IRS is going away is if and when LP candidates get elected to Congress. Tax protests and refusals to pay don’t weakn the IRS- in fact they strengthen it- but they do discredit other opponents of the income tax by association.

    Mr. Kanning is not the kind of Libertarian I’d encourage.

  • Seth

    Since Russell doesn’t consider him a “Libertarian”, and despite lots of people who have made your argument and others to him (myself included, I’m considered the polar opposite within the NH FSPers to Russell), he doesn’t really care if you encourage him or not. People like Ian Bernard do.

  • IanC

    Tom B — your questions to Tim West have a certain level of fallacy to them; his statements about the LP are meant to be geared to the LP, and have specifically stated that while educating should occur, it should be done by organizations other than the political part (Say, Cato or Mises institutes, et al?) And you’re absolutely right; there ought to be room under the ‘big tent.’ Right now, there’s too little support for successful electoral politics on a national level.

    For example; I am a registered, communicatively active, member of the NLP who is a resident of AZ. Have I heard a whisper requesting fiscal or “feet-on-the-streets” support of Ernie Hancock or Barry Hess? (The two state-wide candidates of highest level) … not a word. Compare this to the efforts of Michael Badnarik, or even Loretta Nall.

    There’s a huge dichotomy here; ‘real politick’ is not even close to the AZLP or MCLP’s goals. Which bars moderates from acheiving their goals at all.

    This is insane.

  • IanC

    And IanB — this guy is no Gandhi. Satyagraha isn’t in it.

    This was a publicity stunt, and little more. Judged on the standards of a publicity stunt, it is a failure.

    Anyone got any better measures in mind?

  • BillG

    civil disobedience is only effective when a larger number of people are on your side otherwise it is just a publicity stunt to encourage others similiarly self deluded individuals to move to Keene…which only encourages more publicity stunts and the more publicity stunts the less people pay attention to you.

    the very people that you need to pay attention to your message…

    the civil rights movement changed america when the tv cameras captured the butality of the way the non-violent protestors were treated.

  • http://www.freeme.org Keith

    Steve Perkins, I don’t understand Russell Kanning’s actions, either. However, let’s keep in mind that he is not a Libertarian. Russell is an anarchist and he is on a mission to get the IRS out of Keene.

  • JodyW

    To all you fucking assholes who put Russell down and say, “he isn’t helping us,” fuck you, fuck you and go to fucking hell. It is fucking retards like you that stop liberty from actually happening. You are fucking losers who can’t get off your fucking ass and do something about lost liberty. You are to busy posting messages on the web trying to make yourself look all eurudite. Go have an eurudite conversation in some socialist hell hole, otherwise, shut the fuck up. Grow some fucking balls, move to the free state and participate, otherwise you are nothing more than a fucking tosser. Are you actually stupid enough to think you are going to get a libertarian elected to congress or senate? You are part of the solution or you are part of the problem, looks like most HoT posters are part of the problem.

  • ianbernard

    Wow, Jody. They may be a bunch of whiners, but there’s no reason to be so harsh. Shaming them will not get them to do what you ask.

    Let them think what they want. It’s not going to have any effect on the revolution we’re going to have with or without them.

  • http://www.libertyforsale.com Timothy West

    There’s 2 types of education: the difference is in what the objective is of the education offered. I believe that one elected libertarian can effectMy point has always been vely “educate” hundreds of times more voters about libertarainism than running candidates and using campaigns for that purpose.

    my point about education in the LP hs always been that libertarian educational orgs should be doing that, becuase thats what thy are for. The LP is a sad mismatch for that mission, always has been, always will be. The only place education has in the LP is in what makes voters pull the lever for a L instead of a D or a R or a G. I dont subscribe any other reason why the LP exists. It exists to promote liberty through the political process. Let the ISIL do education.

  • http://www.libertyforsale.com Timothy West

    damn hand cant type. sorry….

  • ianbernard

    To those trash talkers saying this story got no attention, as I write this it is #2 in the “World and Business” section of Digg.com with over 225 diggs.

    http://digg.com/view/world_business
    http://digg.com/political_opinion/Feds_Arrest_Heroic_Freedom_Fighter

  • friend

    MRJarrell:

    He was arrested by DHS rather than the locals because a Federal office building is Federal jurisdiction. Federal Protective Service (under DHS), probably. There was no “handing [him] over to the feds”.

  • http://republicofnh.org caleb

    Also, don’t forget that just because YOU aren’t hearing about this doesn’t mean that Keene residents won’t. Russell is the owner of a newspaper in Keene, with a circulation of between 5,000 and 7,000 issues.

    And don’t believe all the talk you hear from Seth. Seth likes to show up to discredit those who aren’t running for boring school board offices. I have asked him not to try to discredit others, (just as no one from the Sons of Liberty or the Underground tries to undermine his political activity), but my requests have fallen on deaf ears.

  • http://republicofnh.org caleb

    The Keene police seem to be leaving us alone. I don’t think they want a piece of that action. Russell said that the Keene Police specifically told DHS that they would not be pressing charges.

  • http://freenewworld.blogspot.com Nick Wilson

    Great. The media completely ignores our national convention, but prints a story about one libertarian roaming the IRS building with a pitchfork telling government workers to quit their jobs. Times like these, my pendulum swings away from “we’re making progress” and towards “we’ll never even be taken seriously.”

  • http://republicofnh.org caleb

    Your national convention was a joke. It made me want to vomit, as you completely redefined what it means to be a libertarian. Carl Milsted is a warmongering neo-con.

  • http://freestateproject.org Seth

    “No one from the Underground tries to undermine”? You might notice that _lots_ of people here are making that exact complaint: it is activities like this that DO undermine political action by destroying any credibility… they can see it.

    But sadly, Caleb can’t. Send your donations to help out folks like Caleb to “Association for Blind Ideologues”, PO BOX XXXX, Keene NH. Russell won’t be able to step foot into the post office to collect it, but someone will on his behalf. (grin)

  • ianbernard

    What happens when the Underground grows faster and larger than the political side of the FSP movement, Seth?

  • Arnold

    The name of this town struck a bell and I looked back at some old news releases. Sure enough, there it was on the list of IRS offices scheduled to be closed.
    I predict we will see Mr. Kanning’s name again when he claims a great victory over the Feds. Hmmm, makes you wonder if he reads news releases too…

  • Revmar

    Civil Disobedience and Political Actions are not enemies of each other. They are the one / two punch against a common foe. Each of us must play to our strenths in the never ending fight for freedom. I admire Russell for doing something I know I would not have the courage to do. I admire the Principled Libertarian Politician for doing something I don’t have the skill to do. I fight by supporting both attacks.

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  • http://republicofnh.org caleb

    Actually, Seth, that’s a brilliant idea. The Sons of Liberty is starting a cash reward program. I can only cash checks made out to me personally (Caleb Johnson) or to Russell Kanning (since the Sons is not an “officially registered group”, but if you’d like to contribute to a Sons of Liberty reward program: 63 Emerald St. Keene, NH 03431.

  • http://republicofnh.org caleb

    sorry 63 Emerald St. #424 Keene, NH 03431

  • http://keenefreepress.com Russell Kanning

    To those of you thanking/defending me:
    I appeciate it. I want to stop the evil government and I am doing what I can. I hope we can show that civil disobedience can be done by normal people. You don’t have to be Gandhi or MLK. CD is a powerful tool and is available to everyone.

    To those of you critical of my effect on the LP:
    I understand how I might be reflecting badly on you since I don’t call myself a libertarian. I hadn’t even heard of the LP before 2003. I have never voted for an LP candidate. :)

    To those that say, “it is activities like this that DO undermine political action”:
    Yea …. it’s working! I don’t like voting or politics. I am working toward a society without them. :)

    If any of you want to get your opinions printed in the Keene Free Press, send them to my email address on our website.

    Donations are gratefully accepted by my wife for my activities or to the Keene Sons of Liberty for other future participants at:

    63 Emerald St.
    #424
    Keene, NH 03431

  • http://keenefreepress.com Russell Kanning

    Since some people think I am ruining it for them in the LP or in NH politics, maybe you should publically decry my actions and distance yourself from me. :)

  • http://freestateproject.org Seth

    Russell, as I said above: I consider you a friend and comrade. Misguided perhaps. But still a friend. We can and do agree to disagree on the methods used. See answer #10.

    See you round the campfires, where you will be burning flags, while I’ll be moderately toasting marshmellows and making more inclusive smores.

  • http://www.libertyforsale.com Timothy West

    take it upon yourself then to have your actions be considered as your own. I’ll give you credit where credit is deserved, you’re not a phony unlike many on here who believe as you yet think they are the guiding light of what a political party should be about.

    You are a excellent example to follow for others who hate politics and voting and dont want anything to do with them. Go do your thing, be happy, and call yourself a heroic freedom fighter. We’ll work on it from our side… the side that still believes in those things. Maybe between us doing our own thing we will make something stick.

  • Niles

    Get out my hometown, hippie.

  • http://keenefreepress.com Russell Kanning

    “take it upon yourself then to have your actions be considered as your own.”
    I don’t quite understand this sentence.

    “Get out my hometown, hippie.”
    Are you talking to me?

  • Mark

    Great story. Rock on Russell.

    Did any of the DHS agents agree to quit? :)
    I bet they get good benefits.

  • http://www.pnar.org Tom Blanton

    Tim: While we may disagree on what constitutes education and the role of the LP in engaging it, I applaud your making your videos. I applaud Mr. Kanning for his acts. I applaud anyone who exercises their rights to speak out, pretty much regardless of the issue – I even applaud Cindy Sheehan.

    My point in post #30 has to do with your curious response to Mr. Kanning’s actions:

    “once again, not helpful to the political efforts, which as you know is the only aspect of the LP I have ever been concerned about.”

    The point is: What the hell does what Mr. Kanning did have anything to do with the LP?

    Why do you connect what he does to the LP but not what you do? It just seems hypocritical to connect the actions of others to what you think the goals of the LP should be, but you excuse yourself.

    Keep in mind also that while you view Mr. Kanning’s efforts as not being helpful, there may be those that view your videos that feel the same way about them. To each his own.

  • http://www.libertyforsale.com Timothy West

    Agreed.

  • ianbernard

    I think people presume HoT is a LP mouthpiece, when it is not.

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  • http://keenefreepress.com Russell Kanning

    The DHS agents have not quit yet. I asked them to a couple of times. I said that in my job (newspaper) I never have to tell people that I am “just doing my job”. The rest of us have voluntary transactions and you guys have to handcuff people. :)

  • Don

    This is for the “Quaker” who thinks it’s acceptable to call and pay for “Security” and let them do his violence vicariously for him. Either you have some serious delusions or you’re genuinely and thoroughly evil. If you would call in the goons you might as well just pull the trigger, light the fuse or whatever. I know this is hypocritical from somebody who is paying “taxes” to have people locked up, killed, and pillaged by the thugs that call themselves “our government”. I also need to figure out a way to survive without participating. But it seems to me particularly disingenuous to call yourself a libertarian and a quaker and propose or justify actions that are totally inconsistent with your stated beliefs. The first step for us in bringing liberty back into our lives and our world imho is for us to learn how to think clearly and consistently, to sweep away all the cobwebs that statist indoctrination has left to confound our minds so that the light of truth may shine there unimpeded

  • Ryan Gray

    I read through about 10 comments on this before I got tired of the theme that people can somehow effect change through the political process. Russell Kanning does not consent to your government, thereby blowing away any idea that there is such a thing as “legitimate” government. He wants Democrats, Republicans, AND Libertarian Party members to take their government and go elsewhere so the rest of us can be free.

  • http://www.libertyforsale.com Timothy West

    good luck with that.

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  • Bob Robertson

    Why does no one complain that militant Nation Of Islam members do something, that it’s those darned Democrats? Yet when someone gets arrested for walking into a building, their political “party” gets mentioned over and over.

    I voted for Perot, can I blame him for being a wanna-be Nazi if I get a parking ticket?

    If I were to get arrested, I would want it to be for handing out FIJA pamphlets in front of the courthouse on Jury Selection day.

  • freematt

    Steve Perkins wrote: “nutjob bullsh*t like this does far more to prevent public affinity for libertarianism than “Republican-lite blogging”

    Steve! What would you say if they dressed up as Indians and made a night raid to dump government tea into Boston Harbor. I’m guessing you’d want them arrested (with an unofficial kick or two to the ribs for good measure). It’s way past time for direct action. Libertarian windbags, like the mental masturbaters at the CATO institute, talk, talk and talk some more until they find that they are late for yet another black tie dinner inside the beltway where Newt Gingrich and Rudy Juliani are the guests of honor. Bah humbug!

  • http://whiskey-rebellion.blogspot.com TomasEngle

    To those LP die-hards that say that Russell hasn’t done a whit of good, hes convinced this an-cap that not all FSPers are naively obsessed with the “power” of the almighty petition to get on the ballot. ;-)

    Kudos to him and other FSPers contributing in other ways.

  • http://n/a Reb

    While we may not be able to get rid of govt completely,I applaud anyone who has the brass to challenge the “status quo” we are all free to express our views concerning the political system,if you study it you will know that is what the “Freedom of speech” was intended for ,not just to be able to flap ones jaws about any old thing one feels like. Folks,you may not agree with this fella or his methods but you had all better support his right to do it ,or none of us have any future that includes freedom,I do not know much about this situation,but I do know that Jefferson believed that folks should challenge and if nessessary,throw out the govt and start over,this is not just some idea pulled out of the air,it is the system the founders set up and any persons methods of getting the point acrossed is better than having to resort to or right to redo the govt as we see fit,only about one in four folks supported the founders (25%) I wager more than 25% are ready to kick the govt out today!

  • sahba

    Here’s the 10th article of the NH state constitution. Sounds like this one man is showing the strength it takes to actualy live the words embodied in thier constitution. It’s good to know there are patriots out there.

    [Art.] 10. [Right of Revolution.] Government being instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance ag ainst arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.

  • http://freestateblogs.net Denis Goddard

    Heroic? Puh-lease!
    This was a very poor act of civil disobedience — I’m not sure it can even be called “Civil Disobedience”, it was really more of an act of disrupting other peoples’ day.

    Don’t get me wrong: Russ is a friend of mine. I like him. I even showed up at his trial yesterday (I was the only one wearing nice clothes and a tie). I posted the details here.

    The fact is, he was not trying to get the IRS agents to quit — if he wanted to do that, he could have handed out the flyers outside the building. He was not protesting any specific law. In the trial he said repeatedly that he wanted to do “whatever he wanted to”. In short, he sounded more like a rebellious 12-year-old than a 36-year old man out to effect positive change. Hell, he got arrested for brutishly *pushing* the police, who were passively blocking the entrance.

    The majority of Free-Staters do NOT agree with what Russ did. Sorry.

  • http://none NH Observer

    No one is going to take it seriously when someone appears to taunt law enforcement with no real purpose other than to call attention to oneself.
    The IRS workers have no power to change anything by quitting their jobs, so to ask them to do that is to ask them to make a sacrifice and for what? Just to elevate the protester’s status to hero they should go hungry?

    Worse yet is to denigrate the real stuff that is going on in NH by being told that folks who do not agree are not doing anything for liberty, when this really accomplishes nothing except to make the demonstrators look like self-centered left-wing protestors from the 60s, is not helpful.
    When someone like Cindy Sheehan moves near Bush so she can apparently harass him better, it no longer is a political action, it’s a mental obsession.
    This is starting to appear to be a similar thing..
    Why not put all this energy into something that makes a difference and can actually change something for the better, not tighten up existing ones.

  • penny

    what a twit. let’s all stop paying taxes and stop vital services. he’s another example of misguided lefty moonbattery. the hat and overalls are so 60′s. typical.

    iraq “occupation”? like the iraqis wants saddam back and fundamentalist maniacs funded by iran and syria in their future.

    it never ceases to amaze me how poorly lefties grasp complex situations. it all gets reduced to two or three bumpersticker memes.

  • Windsor Cheney

    He stood up for what he believed in and took action. If only you Einsteins would do half as much this country would be in alot better shape.

    Alot of you guys have great points – but honestly 99% of you are just typing on the internet with one hand and sitting there with your thumb from your other free hand up your butt.

    Go do something. Most of you know what wrongs our Government have done. Now get your thumb out of your ass and go do something NON INTERNET RELATED about it! Write your Congressman! Go to a protest! Hand out flyer’s! Civil Disobedience peacefully! Work for your God given freedoms!

  • Mr Nobody

    Welcome to the new America … Hail El Presidentie!

    You’re pathetic protests mean nothing now that your rights were signed away the moment Bush learnt to hold a pen proprly and not just scrawl meaningless in bright red crayon.

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