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12/19/2005 Archived Entry: "A letter from a Mole"

THE MOST REMARKABLE THING ABOUT THE FOLLOWING LETTER is the person who wrote it. It wasn't composed by some troglodyte, some angry freedom Ghost who lives his whole life in daily opposition to the government. It wasn't written by an Agitator, accustomed to street-level confrontations with power.

The writer is a prosperous, globe-hopping businessman who pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to the state in taxes each year. He enjoys all the pleasures of an upscale life -- when he's not working his tail off to grow his successful company.

The fact that he is a world traveler probably sparked this line of contemplation. If even a few men like him are starting to think like this, the powers that be had better tremble.

I decided some time ago that I am a free man and not a trained seal who will perform for some government thug on command. I've given this a lot of thought, examining how I would react in various situations. For example, I was recently stopped by a police officer for a minor traffic infraction. I did not speak to the officer. I opened the window a tiny crack, so that he couldn't claim to have smelled alcohol or anything else from the car or my breath. (I hadn't been drinking or smoking at all, but I've discarded the comfortable fantasy that truth has any meaning or place in interactions with government thugs. You will act as you have planned and trained.) When the citation was handed back through the slot, the thug began a lecture. I waited for a slow count to ten, then asked "Am I free to go?" When he said yes, I sped off. (I later beat the ticket in court, wasting the state's time and money in return for a few hours of my own time spent in preparation.)

I mention this because I wonder if it will get me killed one day. I decided long ago that if I am arrested I will not cooperate in any manner. I will not walk, they will have to carry me. I will not eat. I will not get out of bed, or in bed. I will not stand for mug shots, or sign a bail bond, or ask for a lawyer. I won't get up to see visitors, to go the bathroom, or anything else. I will give the state thugs no lever with which they can control me.

If the state decides to take control of my body, then they will have to take complete control, including care and maintenance, which is a chore anyway.

I anticipate being beaten, perhaps thrown in with known rapists, probably shocked, probably drugged, force fed, and tortured. But I have realized that I don't care. I will live free and I will die free; I will not purchase my life with my freedom and dignity.

The murder of Rigoberto Alpizar has made me rethink my plans about the very real possibility of confrontation with the airport gestapo. If I am ever exiting a flight and ordered to be "re-screened' (the ludicrous practice of putting arriving passengers through a repeat of the search charade if there is some security "problem" with the flight) I will refuse, and will probably be beaten and jailed as a result.

If I am unfortunate enough to be on a plane with trained state killers, and they order me to put my hands somewhere, or stand and walk somewhere, or whatever, I will not comply. I will offer no resistance, but I will not cooperate in any way with these murderers. They will probably kill me with as little remorse, and as little consequences, as they did Mr. Alpizar.

I am not perfectly consistent. For example, I will still endure the indignity of removing shoes, displaying computers, submitting bags for search, and risking a groping in order to travel for business. Today I refused to run the same gamut at a fedgov office building in order to listen to a technical presentation.

What's my point? I am feeling things akin to what you write about. I need to face up to my future. My path is not perilous enough, yet I take risks that may very well result in a death as utterly pointless and quickly forgotten as Rigoberto Alpizar's.

Posted by Claire @ 08:19 AM CST
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