Are We Worthy of Freedom?

by Rick Gedeon

Activist Post

Fact is, you cannot appease tyranny.  Once people understand that the thirst of tyrants cannot be quenched, then people will begin to realize and appreciate the severity of their circumstance. The United States of America is no longer. We are ruled by the color of law, and peaceful protest is now brutally crushed; two clearly undeniable indicators that America has fallen into the hands of the authoritarians.

The Constitution tells us that we have the right to peaceably assemble, yet we are obligated to register for a permit in order to assemble. A permit that can be denied, by the way, as it was for the group Food Not Bombs when they decided to give away food at Lake Eola in Orlando.  The FBI had FNB on the terror watch list, too! This group that feeds the hungry has even been tracked via GPS and infiltrated by government spies, reminiscent of Soviet Russia’s brutal NKVD tactics.



"As we reported above the F.B.I., Homeland Security and other agencies focused on disrupting Food Not Bombs before national political conventions. We urge the organizers in Florida and North Carolina to make sure their publications include statements supportig (SIC) nonviolent direct action. We also encourage all activists to tell anyone joking about violence or suggesting the use of arson, bombs or other violence that they are not welcome at our meetings. We do not want any more Food Not Bombs volunteers to be arrested on charges of terrorism. We can see that the government is still interested in disrupting Food Not Bombs. An article on the use of GPS tracking of Food Not Bombs volunteers was published in SPIN. Battle Brews Over FBI's Warrantless GPS Tracking: By Kim Zetter in SPIN on May 9, 2011." 

-- FNB, May 12, 2011 
St. Petersburg, Florida

When the public at large constantly witnesses the brutal assassination of individuals by police in the street, they seem to watch without a sense of moral responsibility, and eventually people become inoculated by the State’s violence. These public executions are ubiquitous and we’ve seen them so often that it no longer affects us as it should.  Case in point—the recent slaying of Kelly Thomas at the bloody hands of the Fullerton Police Department.  Not one of the onlookers did anything to stop the slaughter taking place in full view of the public. Same occurrence with the cold-blooded execution of Oscar Grant at the hands of the BART Police.  Meanwhile, Oscar Grant’s government assassin, Johannes Mehserle, received a total of 292 days in prison; less than Michael Vick got for fighting dogs. Oscar is dead while Johannes is now free to roam the streets.

Mr. Jeffrey Weaver received a longer sentence for allegedly making threats concerning Oscar Grant's murderer.

Jeffrey Weaver was located through IP addresses linked to his statements and was arrested and charged for transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce. Mr. Weaver was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison and 3 years of probation. Nevermind that these were just words, and that Weaver was on the other side of the country in Virginia when he made these alleged 'threats.' Nevermind that the Supreme Court declared in Brandenburg v. Ohio that government cannot constitutionally punish general advocacy of force or lawlessness. Such advocacy for violence and lawlessness may only be punished if it meets 3 elements - intent, imminence, and likelihood. (Source)

And people continue to watch their country die.

Activism in the District of Criminals

Similarly, several activists recently decided to open a lemonade stand and sell lemonade for ten cents as a response to the government shutting down several lemonade stands set up by children throughout the United States.  Moments later, several cops arrived at the scene only to intimidate the children who showed up to purchase the lemonade.  A female officer blatantly assaulted one of the cameramen.  Then the same female cop proceeded to cite the group with “vending without a permit”.  The video appeared to show at least 10 cops arrive at the scene.  One fellow who was grossly obese barked “ma’am this is not an option anymore you are under arrest!” They used violence to arrest peaceful activists.  They used more than 10 cops with a combined salary of over a million dollars annually to arrest people for selling lemonade!  Afterwards, this visibly disturbed Officer was asked “segregation was a crime in the '50s would you enforce that law?”  For which the officer responded “unfortunately I wouldn’t be an officer at that time.  If I was I would enforce that law.”

This can mean two things:

1.  He loves his job as a cop across the space-time continuum
2.  He would have been proud to serve the State even against his own people

Both meanings are disturbing.  But, what was more revealing from this episode, was what was said afterwards; you could hear one of these brave men justify their miserable excuse for their tyrannical behavior by stating that he has a good job that pays him six figures even though he thought it was absurd what he was doing. 

The dictionary defines prostitution as:

The act or an instance of offering or devoting one's talent to an unworthy use or cause.

The oppressed and the oppressor in this case share one thing in common. Both don’t like their situation.  The oppressor justifies his actions on behalf of the State by reassuring himself that he’s only doing it for the money. And the oppressed tell themselves that their condition is only temporary, thus constituting a fleeting moment of necessary hardship.

Anti-war movement is mum 
History will look back and put the onus of the destruction of America partly on the Neoconservative movement -- the architects of the September 11 terrorist attacks.  More importantly, I believe history will look back at all of the cowards who remained silent during this time of great evil, and the detriment of America’s demise will fall squarely upon their shoulders.

Dr. King once stated that, “The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.” Over a million Iraqis are dead and continue to die, and the Anti-war movement has lockjaw. After Obama’s election, the anti-war movement said that they did not want to protest Obama because they were afraid that racists might join them in their calls for impeachment.

They did not want to take part in the admonishment of a black president in fear of being called racist or bigots.

Who needs controlled opposition with the mentality that has infected America?

Rick Gedeon is graduate from USAF Air University, amateur historian, and anti-imperial/anti-police brutality activist.   Rick Gedeon has traveled extensively throughout the US and Asia.  A political marketer, routinely bringing together and forging alliances with different political organizations that share similar goals. He considers himself a Political Atheist and sympathizes with many Libertarian causes.  He can be reached at rick_gedeon@hushmail.com