Friday, June 28, 2013

Colorado difficulties.

"No battle plan survives contact with the enemy." -- Field Marshal Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke.
The old Prussian von Moltke was certainly right about battle plans. Sometimes they don't even survive contact with your FRIENDS.
Initially, I was invited by organizers of the 2nd Amendment Rally and March on 4 July in Westcliffe, CO as part of their annual festivities and July 4th Parade. There would be a march, a rally and I would get to speak. Also invited were Stewart Rhodes, Sheriff Mack and Larry Pratt. Then, almost immediately, we were disinvited and told that some of the leading lights of the resistance to the new Colorado law didn't want "outsiders" there.
This predated the controversy detailed here, and so reflected their own political estimation of the situation and not noisy collectivist opposition.
Other venues were sought for the week of 4 July and none could be found. Several other Coloradans with impeccable Second Amendment credentials expressed similar aversion to "outsiders." Yesterday, I received this from an attorney in Colorado:
There is pretty likely going to be civil disobedience by Coloradoans themsevles. People coming in from out of state would be extremely counterproductive. There's a strong and growing resentment to the magban being imposed by forces outside of Colorado--namely Bloomberg and Biden. Any civil disobedience would be far more likely to have a positive (or at least non-negative) impact on public opinion if it was done purely by Coloradoans.
Now, I AM welcome at the 1 July disobedience on the statehouse steps, where arrests are pretty much certain. That gives me three days to get there. And, thanks to reader's contributions, while I certainly have the magazines I am short on the money necessary to rent a car, and get there and back, without a co-driver. My plan had been to use my daughter Zoe as a co-driver but I was warned by two lawyers this week that she could be subject to arrest for aiding and abetting my disobedience. That I will not risk. So I decided yesterday I would drive myself if i could raise the vehicle money. I already have had offers of bail money and places to stay out there, but then there is Rosey.
My health has been pretty crappy this week, and I made the mistake of being honest with Rosey when I repeated what my doctor told me -- that he would prefer that I rested up for the surgery to glue me back together rather than go to Colorado just now. Yesterday was one of the worst days I've had in a while and Rosey, hitherto extremely supportive in everything I've done, is now convinced I won't survive arrest and jail at this time.
So, where does that leave me and my plans for Colorado? Well, that's what I'm asking you. Should I wait until after the first Colorado actions (and my surgery) and do some smuggling later this month when I am stronger and have a better chance of arranging a venue? Or should I just get on a bus tomorrow and go get arrested in Denver on 1 July? Either way, I WILL carry out a disobedience action in Colorado at some point. The question now is when. I would appreciate your input.

75 comments:

Anonymous said...

Civil disobedience is much more effective if the person being prosecuted is around to explain their actions.

It's time to heal up, and come back another day.

The actions you intend will be JUST as civilly disobedient then as now. And you won't have to compete with the other rallies or the 4th of July itself.

-Jones

Anonymous said...

Wait 'til your health improves is what I suggest...

Sky said...

http://www.shawnw.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/keep-calm-fett.jpg

Anonymous said...

Your health is more important - there are going to be plenty of civil disobedience demonstrations in the coming days.

Get healed up and then come to Colorado!

bondmen said...

You are a leader for freedom and liberty in either case Mike and your thinking and ability to pen a word is a most useful and awful tool for undoing burgeoning tyranny. It's better your health improve, you have a serious medical issue yet undone, before venturing out for certain rough physical treatment by agents of state sponsored oppression attempting to uphold unconstitutional laws.

Heal thyself Mike and let's all get ready and fit for the real deal; this whole sordid mess isn't anywhere near the finish line.

PS. Thank you Rosey for putting your foot down. }:^)

Anonymous said...

You need to be in Colorado for the July 1st civil disobedience. It will improve your health!

Farm.Dad said...

As a Colorado Native I will say stay home and take care of your health first . You do no one any good if you wind up in a hospital here because you wont take care of yourself .

Griffin3 said...

Just a lurker here: But isn't civil disobedience by the Coloradan citizens themselves the best possible outcome? It gets us one step closer to government (and citizen) recognition of individual rights without the need for violent revolution. If you need to remind the people of their repsonisibilties by _you_ personally setting an example everywhere, then those people aren't really standing up for their rights, are they?

Save your efforts (and your health) for times and places where you are might be able to tip the scales. If Colorado is able to do it by themselves, just rest ... and be happy that America has taken one tiny step back from the gruesome hell of civil violence.

Greg in Allston said...

Mike, there will likely be plenty of opportunities for direct and indirect action down the road. My free advice would be to rest up and get healthy. You're much more valuable to the cause alive and being able to write and agitate; in jail or dead, not so much. I'm pretty sure that Rosie and your family would like you to stick around a good while longer.

On a more personal and selfish note, I appreciated being able to shake your hand in Lexington April 19th, I'd like to be able to do that again someday.

You take good care of yourself.

Cederq said...

Mike, do what Rosey says, no if, ands, or buts. Your power is in the words you speak and the articles you bring forth that some of us would never have seen or read. just like other commentators have said, there are going to be other disobedience's to have fun at, I am sure this isn't the last or even next to the last one we of the III are going to see.

Cederq
The not original Idaho Bob

JAQUE BAUER said...

To my friend who I have never met;
I suggest you heed the advice of your Doctors and your Wife. Get well and strong. The powers of tyranny would insure you never left internment in any government facility alive. Anyone that threatens the agenda of the Obama Regime is on their snuff list. Get well and live strong, as the fight we are in will will not be over in a fortnight.
God Bless

Anonymous said...

Get healed up. Come to Commierado at a later date. Please do not listen to those selfish individuals who think that you really need to be there in order for this to happen.
Stay home. Heal up. Fight another day.
Devildog
Behind enemy lines in Colorful Commierado.

Anonymous said...

Mike, your health has to be your first priority. Most people will understand if you cannot make it there. Your efforts are well noted by all. You will do no good for the future if you don't survive. Rest up and get healthy so that you may be strong to fight another day.
God Speed sir.

p.s. maybe you can FEDEX or UPS the mags to Colorado so that they can be passed around in your honor.

Anonymous said...

Mike, pay attention to your Doc on this one. Rest up for cuttin' and patchin' time. Get that done, healed and behind you.

As others have mentioned, with you're complicated health issues, you won't likely survive jail time if it's remotely difficult. Add the stress of driving, motel, foreign food and you'll end up home in worse shape-if that's possible.

The mag issue in CO can wait. Plenty of others will take up the torch in the meantime. Besides, many of us would like to have you around for a while...Absolved. ;-)

Bobcat

Rick said...

Mike, our atty told me 2 weeks ago there's a time for everything,Ephe.3,stay in the fight we all need you,the Reese family in N.M.

Paul X said...

Forget the Colorado trip. They will go on one way or another without you. There will no doubt be other events there down the line; it's not going to end on July 4.

carlwk3c said...

Mike,
Stay home, get healthy, and live to fight another day.
You have too much to contribute to waste it by running yourself into the ground.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. Wonder if MAILING a magazine to their governor would be only a state offense. If you did it from outside Colorado, then it would be interstate commerce, which is federal jurisdiction, but there's no federal ban on them. And you wouldn't be IN his jurisdiction for him to grab you. Or use UPS or some other carrier. And send it restricted delivery so HE has to sign for it. Then it would be HIM receiving it and being in possession.

Would he have to have himself arrested?

Just wondering.

-Drunken monkey
III

BTW, love how those hoplophobes in Westcliffe cry out against the Southern Colorado Patriots "turning this into a political event". The 4th of July IS this country's original "political event".

Anonymous said...

This is not complicated....

Rest up. Get well. Then do what you can.

You are no use to us dead or infirm.

Anonymous said...

Another thought . . . you could always write something in support of their civil disobedience, to be read by one of their "local" attendees, or make a video of you reading it that they could put up on a big screen via YouTube. Heck, you could even do it live on Skype for that matter.

And, you could "be" at all of those rallies that way on every day.

Just thinkin' out loud.

-DM

Anonymous said...

Heal up, rest up, and 'refit', you have done so much already.

Let the Coloradans perform their civil disobedience, there is always time to smuggle later.

Spider Monkey

Anonymous said...

Mike, ditto staying home and healing.
You do nobody any good dead, especially Rosie. She's stood behind you,...now stand behind her wishes. After all..she loves you and you will have wasted all she has done to help you with your battle with ill health.
Good luck with the surgery, and you have all our prayers.

Anonymous said...

Take time to heal. Don't go in under-prepared, under-armed, or unhealthy, if you have the choice. We need you for the long haul.

Anonymous said...

Echoing the majority. Get well, Mike!

Anonymous said...

Get well and deal with your health issues. This is not the right time for this idea. Instead, how about finishing Absolved? That might raise funds for future endeavors once you are healthy again...

WarriorClass said...

Don't go. Looks like this is going to be a successful event anyway, so why risk your health?

Besides, you have become too important as our ambassador to risk at this event. And the anti Republic enforcement thugs would love to put you into a position that gravely risks your health, especially after the grueling drive up there.

In chess, you don't move your king out in front when you are already ahead in the game. It's just an unnecessary risk.

Kurt '45superman' Hofmann said...

Get stronger, Mike. That's vastly more important than the symbolism of timing.

Anonymous said...

A well earned rest and a lot of healing right now is more important than a little civil disobedience in the state of the unappreciative.

Rest for now and return to action when you health allows.

Time for a few Coloraians to step up to the plate next week.

MagPul is doing their best right now!

Kiwi III

Sean said...

You've met me, lastly at Temple Tx, and my counsel is to heal first, then go. You will not improve things by becoming a martyr, except in some circles, and it may be a very protracted and painful end for you. I think you have done what you can for now, and need rest and healing. There may be some thing you can do in the future, and you need to be around for it, ole' Blue Light. See you at the top.

Anonymous said...

Mike, live to fight another day. This isn't going away anytime soon.

Anonymous said...

Stay and get well. Too much risk for little gain when your words do so much. Many young and able standing by to do the dirty work and they need your guidance.

Anonymous said...

I knew you would find a way to back out.

You don't need an invite to show up.

Have some balls and do the right thing.

Anonymous said...

Heal up, being arrested with a serious medical condition also thrown into the mix is too large a risk. I have no doubt there will be other opportunities to lead from the front in this fight.

RSR

Anonymous said...

Rest up. Fight another day.

Anonymous said...

"When Mama happy, everybody happy. When Mama not happy, nobody happy!" -- Caribbean proverb

Keep Mama happy! My guess is Colorado and the statists that have seized control there ain't going anywhere soon. You'll have your chance.

Anonymous said...

Heal...we need your voice, and if the Colorado protest accomplishes nothing, we will need it even more when the fight escalates.

Black Rifle said...

Heal up. send me all the magazines ;)

SWIFT said...

Take Rosie's advice, stay home and nurse your health. It's not that Colorado isn't important, but there is a war coming and your home state is the place to fight it. This Trayvon Martin case could be just the excuse Obama/Holder are looking for in initate Martial Law. Maybe not; but why gamble?

Yenta of Sipsey Street said...

Your health is more important. It's a measure of your leadership that you have inspired the indigenous personnel to step up and handle affairs. As the regime has claimed to do in Iraq and Afganistan. Go on sick call--you'
re justified and will be Absolved from the other duty this tim.

Anonymous said...

Not one person said go. Now if you will just listen to the Reese family, stay home, get well and fight another day.


chevy

RVN11B said...


Discretion IS the better part of Valor.


Suffering for the cause is good but it is better for the other side to suffer instead.

In other words, you wont be any good to anyone if you over reach your ability to serve right now.

Get fixed, rested, and full of energy and then attack like crazy!

Anonymous said...

You should stay home and take care of yourself. The good folks of Colorado seem suitably pissed, and organized. They'll be okay on their own.

Anonymous said...

Get healed up Mike.

Otherwise, I think as many "outsides" should go to Colorado and pretend they are local.

The fucking Left does it all the time, we should too.

There is nothing these Lefitst cretins will not do to further their agenda. We have to be as rotten and ruthless as they are.

I know many don't like that notion, But realize that they play for keeps and if we don't get a little dirty as well, we are going to lose every time.

Do we want our kids to inherit a nation of liberty of a nation of communist shit??

We are **NOT** going to win this war by being the "nice guys".

Anonymous said...

Fedex the mags to those willig to distribute.

problem solved.

Nairb said...

Find a proxy to distribute the magazines.

You are more important to the cause doing what you are doing at your keyboard than in a jail cell.

Your site is my first stop everyday, even before drudge.

Thanks for all you do. Keep doing it.

P.S. I agree with the attorney's advice, being one myself.

Doc said...

Mike:

They only call me Doc, I'm not really one, but this fight didn't start on the 1st and won't end on the first.

We need you to be part of the fight as long as possible. Risking legal actions is one thing. Risking personal health is another.

Heal for the long term.

Anonymous said...

If you are ready to martyr yourself, go. If you prefer to participate in some manner, and to be around for others down the road, heal up.

I think you know what the right thing to do is. People will question you, but screw them. They aren't at risk of being killed by official and purposeful neglect.

Anonymous said...

Ben Franklin didn't participate in the Boston Tea Party, but he was still valuable to the Patriots.

Anonymous said...

STAY

Legal Alien said...

If mama is not happy, then nobody is happy.
Mike, I applaud your motives, but your wife is RIGHT!!!
Listen to her and the dr and heal up and get well to take on your civil disobedience with more energy when you feel better.
Should you do it now, you might not survive, and quite frankly will lose any impact you might have at a later date.

Anonymous said...

Mike,

Stay home and get healthy on this one. Wyobail

Kurt '45superman' Hofmann said...

Mr. Bravely Anonymous:

I knew you would find a way to back out.

You don't need an invite to show up.

Have some balls and do the right thing.


He says "have some balls," from behind the cover of internet anonymity. Now that's funny.

David Codrea said...

"Have some balls and do the right thing."

That's a pretty amusing charge coming from someone who won't post under his real name.

CB said...

Your tenacity is inspiring. Use your wisdom and live to fight another day. We the people will benefit more if you get healed up.

MamaLiberty said...

I'm getting to this little party a bit late, but I'm glad most of the folks are telling you exactly what I think.

You are part of the inspiration, absolutely, but everyone else has to do their part as well.

It IS terrific to think that enough folks already in Colorado are willing and able to stage their own civil disobedience. I'll be watching it closely, and hope it will inspire millions of others to do the same in their states as the occasion arises.

And that's actually the only way this thing is going to work anyhow.

Anonymous said...

Your health is #1 priority. Good for Rosey. Some of the comments have interesting things you can do from home.

Charlie

Anonymous said...

Clear your thoughts and meditate in prayer. If the holy divine spirit gives you a burst of gusto mojo and kick ass then it's meant to be. A live presentation via Skype would be another excellent option though as you're a great speaker, leader. Oh, what did you say that peeved John R. Lott Jr. the author at rally in CT? All the best and God bless

Welshman said...

Mike,

It seems to me that the longterm goal in Colorado is more important that the symbolism of getting arrested on July 4.

In order to do what must be done down the line, you must be physically able. Right now, a symbolic display of civil disobedience on your part is not important enough to die in jail for. The citizens of Colorado themselves will conduct this operation on their own and make a powerful statement in the process.

You, on the other hand, are needed for another operation that will prove to be much more important down the line.

Sit this one out. Stay home. Get well. And then get ready for the fight to come.

As always you have my prayers and support.

Anthony

Anonymous said...

Mike, just think, every day you are alive is another day that seedy Science Guy is disappointed. Stay home and try to heal up.

Uncle Al said...

Mike, most of those commenting are focused on the events in Colorado. Not to minimize the importance of civil disobedience in the face of the new oppressive laws, that's not the most important factor in your decision.

Rosie is. Don't go.

Anonymous said...

Take care of your own health first. There are plenty of Coloradans who will be out protesting and being civilly disobedient. We'll need you in the days ahead. This is not a one and done struggle. Listen to Rosey and your doctor. We'll still be here.

A Coloradan

Anonymous said...

My God, man.

Take care of yourself.

Please.

Stay home with Rosey.

Anonymous said...

Don't risk your health. Live to fight another day.

Mr Galt said...

Follow your gut Mike (instinct, that is).

Jay said...

Your health comes first

Robohobo said...

I find this particularly weird. I went to HS in Canon City in the late 60's. The place was as conservative as it got. Now? Not so much it seems.

Now you have laws that drive armaments businesses out. Make your own citizens into criminals.

What happened to you that you would forget your freedom?

“The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”
John Stuart Mill

Anonymous said...

This is a long term fight. It's doubtful that any one person is going to make that much difference next week in Colorado.

Part instigator, part statesman, you've been a steadfast patriot. From your posts on preps, to your essays on liberty, to rattling Obama and Holder over things like Fast and Furious, you've made your voice count well beyond most.

From what you describe, your time seems best spent at home next week.

Anonymous said...

Here's my 2 cents. Dutch, I appreciate what you do. So much so that my vote is for you not to push the state of your health right now. You can (and I certainly believe you will) pick this up at not only a time when your strength is up but when you can choose your battlefield.

Joke & Dagger said...

No freaking way should you go to CO Mike. Your presence at the keyboard and at carefully chosen gatherings will be of much more benefit than a poorly chosen gathering.

Get well.

Anonymous said...

Feel free to show up and break the Colorado Law. Somehow I will have your ass in MY JAIL. Eric Holder.

Justsomeguy said...

Your health is certainly an issue, but beyond that, the Coloradans seem intent on handling this as a true grass roots issue with no outside help. They really have had enough of that already. I say let them handle it.

Roger J said...

Mike, I'm leaving this comment late because I just got out of the hospital: stay home, heal, and let's continue to hear the roar of your voice and logic. You won't do us (or yourself) any good if you collapse in a heap out there. Take it from someone who almost did just that a few days ago....

Anonymous said...

Funny how you just happened to mention to Focus and Rosey, thus giving you an excuse to not go.

All the "leaders" of our movement are the "lead from behind" types.

Alan W. Mullenax said...

I suppose any excuse will do.

bondmen said...

Response to "Anonymous said...June 30, 2013 at 7:26 AM"

Funny, I haven't seen you at any substantial pro-firearms rights protests, and one must first have a woman to appreciate their influence, persuasiveness and propensity to exercise good judgement at critical times.

Good try though!