In Praise of Andy Mel
Jim Davies at Strike the Root - Andy Mel worked hard at keeping the gummint inside its Constitutional cage. A hopeless cause, of course, but most honorable. [root]
During the 1990 Federal tax trial of Jim Lewis (David Bergland's 1984 running mate) in New Haven, Andrew joined the spectators and at one point rose to "remonstrate" with the judge. He took the view that since no part of Article III delegated to the Judicial Branch the power to prohibit public remonstration in court, the public still had it. The judge said "Mr. Melechinsky, haven't you and I had this conversation before?" and he replied with his wry grin, "I believe we have, your Honor" and was led from the courtroom by a pair of marshals. However, unlike every other such protester including Gandhi, Andrew went limp at that point. They had to lift him from his seat and drag him to the door while his every muscle was relaxed. That was really hard for them, and provided a perfect, literal example of "passive resistance."
Andrew, too, declined to pay the Federal Income Tax, having found no law that obliged him to do so, and did what he peacefully could to obstruct the monstrous power of the IRS--and this was in the days before Irwin Schiff had done his best work. It was also prior to the writing of 26 USC 6334(a)(13) and (e) and so, eventually, the IRS stole his house--perhaps the last time that ever happened. When removing him from the premises, the thugs in Ninja suits found Andy limp again, but had anticipated that by bringing a wheelchair. The newspapers therefore had to show a photo of the Feds wheeling away from his confiscated home a victim in a wheelchair. A picture worth a thousand words.
