Federal, State And Local Raid Upon Secessionist Public Political Meeting ...

[william.scherk]

I don't hold it against anyone in any jurisdiction rallying for the right of self-determination. My country has struggled with the legal niceties, but as it stands, should any province wish secession, it need only ask a straightforward question in a referendum (like the Scots independence ballot) and achieve a +60 % yes -- the federal government then would negotiate the details of departure.

I kind of have a soft spot for real American characters, and the broad group of folks with an attachment to the history of the Republic of Texas. If a crusty old uncle rallies for the Republic to be returned, what's the problem. Why not? It's certainly a good phrase on which to hang a lot of things, patriotism, pride, grit, the Alamo, Houston, Tex-Mex food.

Beyond that, this particular group has quaint things like handfuls of congressmen selected in secret 'elections' (among which voters, a mystery) along with similarly 'elected powers' like Judge and President. These kinds of play-school politics seem significantly stupid, queer as a three dollar bill when compared to the rousing history of the Republic, unlikely to impress more than a tiny rump of present Texas voters. But is their play-school pageant deserving of anything like the pageantry plus search and seizure they faced at the hall?

Learning that the geezers have philosophical attachments to the Freemen movement, and to the notion of issuing their own 'currency' and summonses, I have less sympathetic feelings. I still don't like the show of force. The warrant could have been served with no overkill. The seizures of documents, phones and computers also seem to lack specificity. They will apparently be searched for evidence of conspiracy to issue simulated legal documents. Even with a conspiracy to issue their pompous and illegal summonses, even with that crime, are they as menacing as the right whack Christian Identity folks or the Aryan Brotherhood, or other vigilante gangs?

That fraud/counterfeit/menacing offence of issuing stupid documents I can see being pursued, with the aim of curbing such frivolous paper being filed in actual working courts or to ordinary people who might be fooled into compliance, I'd hate to see any of the old doofuses get punished with huge fines or cell time -- I wish they could be less stupid in their fantasies of actually getting from here to Texan Independence. It's not like other places haven't figured out how to do it the non-doofus way. See Quebec, Scotland, Catalonia, Norway, Estonia, etcetera.

Frankly, this is a situation where both 'sides' seem blundering and misguided.

[Selene]

Frankly, this is a situation where both 'sides' seem blundering and misguided.

Agreed.

Several years ago I spoke with the owner of the florist shop in Waco.

She and I conducted some business and we also discussed Koresh. She said he was a nice person and every Saturday he would take the children into town and get them ice cream.

"Then," I said, "they could have served that warrant on him any Saturday?"

She said, "Yes sir, and that's why it made no sense to us the way it happened."

To a lesser degree this is the same strategic overreaction scenario which is executed reflexively by the state.

Canary in the coal mine for America.

Great point about the warrant William.

A...

[syrakusos]

Beyond that, this particular group has quaint things like handfuls of congressmen selected in secret 'elections' (among which voters, a mystery) along with similarly 'elected powers' like Judge and President.

Thanks for posting the image of the Republic of Texas note. Here in Texas, "judge" has a special meaning. County judges are a cross between what most people in the USA call a county "commissioner" and an actual magistrate who rules on cases at law. Broadly, a county judge is analogous to a city mayor. For example, in case of a flood or volcano, it is the county judge who declares an emergency, which rolls up to the state governor's office. So, these sessionists are within the mainstream of Texas civics, rather than some other place such as France or the United State of America.