ILLEGALIAISON
P.O. Box 27217
Washington, D.C. 20038
(202) 462-0757
November 13, 1993
Howdy,

The Forest Service wants to pass a regulation that would change freedom of assembly and expression into a crime, punishable by fine and/or imprisonment.

Some folks think the problem is just a few wild bureaucrats who've run amok. Others think the problem is that government thrives on power, power corrupts, the more power government obtains, the more it wants, and that this regulation is the "logical" extension of the government's continuing drive for power. What hasn't the government already regulated? What valid interest can the government possibly have to regulate freedom of thought and assembly?

The Wild Bureaucrat theory relies on the courts to halt desecration of the First Amendment. On the other hand, Power-Hungry-Government theorists fervently pray the courts will squash the regulation, but think that even if the rule is -- ONCE AGAIN -- struck down the Feds will soon be back -- same regulation, slightly different words -- until they finally get some court to agree that permits are "law." If government is the problem, then the only solution might be to change the government.

What about the Koresh massacre? For fifty one days the FBI arrested any media person who came within two miles. Each morning Special FBI Agent Bob Ricks held a press conference to assure the world that David Koresh was irrational. The FBI blasted the Koresh people with amazing stereo equipment and flooded them with blazing lights. Then, fearing the bright lights and loud music might cause psychological damage to "the children," the FBI rammed main battle tanks into the Koresh compound "poking holes" and spraying "non-flammable" teargas inside. "The next logical step." Agent Ricks said.

Coincidentally -- Agent Ricks, Attorney General Reno, and President Clinton tell us -- the Koresh people chose that moment to commit suicide by setting their house on fire.

Recently we've seen a video, entitled "The Big Lie." Among other disturbing scenes is one showing that one of the tanks, "poking holes in the wall," was actually equipped with a flamethrowing device, and was throwing flame into the Davidian compound.

Imagine, the "Rainbow Gathering" becomes a "crime," but, theorizing that ten thousand hippies, united, can never be defeated, The People gather anyway. Given an outlaw Gathering, what's poor Uncle Sam supposed to do? Most economical solution might be to just surround the Gathering with a chainlink fence. These CFR regulations, called "citation offenses," provide that when an agent accuses a person of a violation, the accused may post a $50 bond. Anybody who wanted to get past the Rainbow fence could just put up 50 bucks and make it back to Babylon.

To facilitate "due process" the Feds could just bring a gigantic T.V. screen down to the Main Circle, set up two-way video and audio equipment, and offer to hold court -- like those closed circuit courts they've already got going in Florida and some other places.

Anybody who wanted could go to the video court and plead the First Amendment, or try to cut a deal with the magistrate for an intermediate sentence, trade time served for community service, or something. On the other extreme, anybody who wanted to hang out for six months could just hang tight, The federales could send in supplies. After six months, sooner if they want, they could take down the fence and everybody could go their way. Of course, at smaller gatherings, a hundred or so folks, the feds might think it was more economical just to round everybody up and farm them out to surrounding county jails.

After Waco, one of the first things U.S. Attorney Reno suggested was looking at new laws and regulations to control "cults."

Waco was a "proactive" enforcement approach. So is this rule. Thought needs to be focused on a broad unified opposition to proactive enforcement.

In service to understanding,

Thomas
November 17, 1993