I enjoy your magazine. I didn’t enjoy your article about legalizing drugs.

I am a police officer and used to work in a local jail. You made it sound like “cops” kick in doors and personally line their pockets.

First let me say that to have legalized alcoholic beverages and not marijuana is absolute hypocrisy. At least in my experience the negative impact of liquor on society is far more devastating than pot. Most of my calls for service involve booze.

Second, I do agree that constitutionally, a person has a right to put what every they want in their body. The problem comes when I start picking up the tab for their self destruction.

If we had a society that was pragmatic enough to leave OD victims to die, problem solved, but instead Medics are called to the same address, week after week, taking these self destructive folks to the hospital at a huge financial toll.

While you were in jail did you ask any of those innocent 19 and 20 year olds, that were there with you if they were on disability for their drug dependence. I have, when I worked in jail, more than could be numbered! 20 and disabled, drawing social security. Who is picking up the tab for that? Society is going to pay for it one way or another.

By the way, here in Ohio, possession of small amounts, and I mean an ounce (a lot) is a ticket, you can’t go to jail for that. No one is in jail for having a joint in their pocket. Since 1990,I have been involved in maybe 3 seizure cases! All were big time dealers. Meth and crack and heroin are all very destructive. If no one has to pick up the tab, let em have it, but we will end up with the tab, and raising their illegitimate kids too.

Again, I love the magazine.

Regards,

Garry Lawson

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I asked a neighbor once,”How many laws are enough? When do the elected ones finally throw up their hands and declare the job done? How heavy a burden of legislation must we carry in our lives ’til they’re satisfied that we’re protected from our own follies sufficiently?” The neighbor had no answer.

Thank you for speaking out, I applaud you Oliver.

Christina
Blackpool, BC
Canada

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Hi, John.

You state “What, on paper, would appear to be the freest society in the world appears, in practice, to be among the most oppressive. Does this bother anyone besides me?”

I would like to agree with you. It bothers me for two reasons.  And not the reasons you might think.  You see I’m not American though I have been visiting the USA for 20 years or so for vacation and business so have the perspective of an outsider.

The two reasons are that (i) the people in the US seem to be oblivious to the inexorable legalistic technocracy that the nation is becoming and (ii) since US culture is globally influential through media and multi-national businesses there is a creeping legalism in countries where common sense normally prevails.

Over the years when I have left the US to head home to the UK, I have felt that I was leaving a police state for the land of the free…a slight exaggeration to make the point, but not far off.  I have felt that common sense is disappearing from the US social life and being replaced by laws,  To take 2 very simple examples which should be considered just as examples of a wider point not as important cases in themselves…In the UK there are no laws against jaywalking (except on Freeways) …you will not be booked for crossing a road when the man is on red.  The lights are to advise adults when it is safe to cross rather than treating people as children to be caught for being naughty.  You will not be booked for failing to give your seat at the front of the bus to an elderly or pregnant person, but will culturally know that it is something you should do.  And signs will encourage everyone to give their seats to people not able to stand rather than indicating a fine if you don’t.  There is no need for laws to punish offenders because children are taught acceptable behaviour from a young age.

I try to understand why the US needs to regulate the social world through so many laws.  I can only conclude that it is because (i) there is no universal cultural model that acts as a common sense norm set of behaviours (ii) it is a fundamentally legalistic rather than common-sense based country…adversarial rather than collaborative.

Nevertheless the impression I have when visiting the US is that (i) really, it is the least free country I regularly visit (I now work in Australia and spend a lot of time in Asia and Europe too) (ii) people are told/brainwashed that the US is the land of the free (iii) things are getting worse.  The most insidious part is point (ii).  It is an example of American Exceptionalism.  Which is to say that since the US is the biggest economy in the world there is a natural extension to “the US is the best in the world….at everything”.  Though the US certainly is the best at some things, I would argue that most of these are in the economic sphere rather than in the social and that the US is walking zombie-like down a de-humanising path of over-regulated social and cultural life.  I hope the US wakes up to this because of the influence it has outside of its shores.

Yours

Konker

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I cannot begin to tell you how I am feeling after finding your article (The Informed Juror, Issue No. 82).

I’ve been a court reporter for 34 years and have felt sick about it for 34 years.

I’ve ostracized my reporter colleagues as I am the only one who is sensitive to defendant rights and have always found the jury system as it exists today to be fraught with deception and trickery.

I see prosecutors and courts in a conspiracy to deprive Americans of their rights in today’s system of meting out justice in order to fill the already overflowing private/public prisons with free labor for rich and powerful corporations and to “get rid of” people who are not white and not wealthy.

I feel sick when I see a jury given scant evidence, untruthful evidence, and the jury returns with a guilty verdict because of it.

I feel sick when I juries are given absurdly written, incomprehensible, idiotic jury instructions read at a pace so fast many times the words are misheard.

It’s ghastly that juries are not allowed to take the written instructions, as incomprehensible as they may be, back to the jury room.

Juries are always prohibited from having the evidence in the jury room.

Juries are so unaware that they are being hoodwinked from the get-go.  Every time a recess is called, all manner of proceedings take place on the record out of the presence of the jury so that the jury deliberates the case never knowing the phenomenal amount of evidence they didn’t get to hear.

In every trial I ever reported, the jury is told they must return a verdict of guilty if they find so and so, even though they do not agree with the law.

Juries don’t understand that once they pronounce the defendant guilty a sentence is then passed by a court that more than likely has a prosecutorial background and prosecutorial leanings.  They don’t understand that lobbyists in the country representing rich and powerful corporations lobby the courts for severe, stiff, long, harsh, inhumane sentences and that it is likely that the defendant they find guilty will serve such a sentence.

On and on and on and on.

And the statement by the court I hate to hear the most is, “Members of the jury, our systems is not perfect, but it is the best in the world.”

It’s not the best in the world.  It’s by far one of the worst.

The U.S. has more prisoners than any other country in the world.

The U.S. still has the death penalty.

A jury of one’s peers in America is a very scary proposition in this time in the world.  I dare say very, very few Americans are my peers.

I found your article while in search of the very information I was looking for for an article I am putting together called “The Enlightened Juror – Serving on a criminal jury in the U.S.”  I had no idea that what I have been intuiting all of these many years actually existed until now.

I am writing the article as part of a support group for Jose Barco, railroaded by the Colorado Springs Police Department into one of the “Filthy Four” courts in Colorado, El Paso County, Judge Larry Schwartz.  He was given a 52 year sentence that he is presently serving in the BVCF in Colorado.  He’s 24 and won’t be eligible for parole until he is 56 years old.

The jury filed an affidavit with the court immediately after their deliberations stating their confusion about the instructions given and that two of the jurors demanded to leave so they could return to work the next day.  The prosecutor manipulated the facts in closing and through state’s witnesses who should be charged with perjury.

You can learn about Jose at www.veteransresourceforjustice.org or going to Frontline’s “The Wounded Platoon” where his story is chronicled.

Kind regards,

Terri S.

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I have attended a few so I know what he was experiencing. I think the whole idea is one we all should share, not just the shooting but the history that the instructors teach. Yes I have shot a rilfeman score and am proud to do so. It took a couple trips to the line but well worth it.

Appleseeds are a great way to make new friends and learn a little more of that day in 1775 when our country was born.

Thanks for all the great work. Keep it up.

M. Besneatte

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It is very sad to see our great country in the ruins that it is in now, and from what I have seen from other people; there is no way to fix it.  People don’t care; they truly are sheeple.

Finding like-minded people to associate with is rare and you have to be careful that you are not being watched, although I know we all are.  There will be a day when we will no longer be welcome to state our opinions and will be thrown into prison or exterminated because of what we think or believe.  I do believe it is not far away.  Especially under the ruling of the “czars!”

Thank you,

Sue S.

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Thanks for this article.

I’m 61 & have been watching this once great country begin to fall apart since …well probably since Eisenhower warned the country about the military/industrial complex 50 years ago. Seems like that was the beginning of the end…at least it seems that’s about when the destruction of the country began in earnest.

Guys our age have seen the best years of the U.S. I have a son & daughter ages 30 & 32 & a grandkid….am scared as hell for them & their generation. Son has some sense, girl is liberal as hell.

Wife & I can probably survive ok here in rural upper Midwest…gardens, firewood, water, meat. & spend little.

The U.S. Constitution? What did Dubya call it ? “nothing but a G– Damn piece of paper”. And today…in practice…that’s what it is. Can’t believe I just wrote that.

We do need to be strong & keep up the fight, Dave.

Thanks again for the article.

Charlie

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I am always thankful for the arrival of BHM. I believe the magazine is an excellent example of how people can live together, live more fully and more free.

I always enjoy reading Mr. Silveira’s articles because of his depth of knowledge and willingness to say what he feels. I don’t always agree with him though, and must take exception to his use of Plaxico Burress as a good example of a right-to-carry case. Mr. Burress was carrying a locked and loaded firearm in an unsafe manner. He endangered everyone around him by doing so. It is only luck that he and not an innocent bystander was shot.

I’m in favor of concealed carry without restriction generally, but am willing to grant that some mandatory training and qualification could be a good thing. Carrying in an unsafe manner should be a punishable offense, regardless of whether he was carrying legally.

It is this case specifically that makes it harder and harder for gun rights defenders to get their points across. Your magazine is a first rate source of gun information. I believe this article, while communicating many good points, went wide of the mark in citing this example.

Thanks very much for all that you do at BHM,

Bradley Levy, Berwyn, IL

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I’m proud to say that I got the Jury Rights plank into the Libertarian Party platform at LP10, Denver, 1981, from the floor in open convention. I was a lot younger, and hot from reading Lysander Spooner’s “Trial By Jury.”

In 1987 Larry Dodge and Don Doig, then of Montana, were reading the 1982 LP platform and decided to take it out of one Party’s province and make it a public issue.

So they founded the Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) which is still active.

I hope you choose to mention FIJA to your readers. FIJA also offers some tips on surviving voir dire with one’s principles intact.

Regards,

Jim Lorenz

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After listening to a local radio morning show discussion involving the indoctrination of public school children by our latest president I was left feeling drained and disillusioned with the state of our nation. For many years I’ve known something was wrong in America. I was raised as many of us were. Watching the glorious feats of the one off free nation that never was before and always would be.

I was positive of the greatness of a nation. As I have grown older, learned, read, thought and seen; There is something wrong with our system. I grew up extremely poor, impoverished even. Many nights we went without food, in these United States. Even so, I had faith in the natural rights granted to Americans. Slowly though, it waned as the youthful imaginings were jolted by the brutal realities of our situation.

Needless to say, it is an illusion. So many times in my life I have been presented the opportunity to “Do the right thing,” And, have. I have been honest johnny, I have been even Stephen. I have worked and paid and fought to be a good person. Literally from the depths of homelessness, I have rebuilt my life. I have worked any honest job a man can work and I have not tasted that forbidden fruit. Yet, I am at best lower-middle class. I manage paycheck to paycheck and work like that simpleton on a treadmill chasing the pot of gold that never comes.

Now, beyond those physical labor and minimum wage pains, I am still in the cogs of a giant machine turning with absolute [intent] to enslave. I am angry and irrational, often blaming politicians and the idiocy of my fellow citizens. Sure, I’ve learned to play within the rules. I’ve managed to color within the lines and “Yes’sa,” “No’sa” through a corporate society. For a kid who grew up in Los Angeles dirt poor and never finished High School, I am through pain and persistence struggling upward.

But, it still lingers, that knowing, that understanding of the absolute obscured nature of my goals. The distaste of the sweet fruit of life in the eyes of the greater picture. When I see a man on television proclaiming he will be different, crested by his brilliant star spangled button, I taste that concoction of poison drenched in sugar. And still, I blame politicians, shadow masters with unlimited power, time, influence and money. I am apathetic in the hopelessness. That is, until I searched Google for the only thing I could think to call this situation: “The American Dictatorship.”

On this search I came across your article: The coming American dictatorship – Article by John Silveira from Issue #66. [Editor's Note: See also The Coming American Dictatorship, Part XI and The Coming American Dictatorship Parts I - XI]

How apt, succinct, honest and sad I found it. The eloquence of the piece was quite frankly refreshing, disheartening and alarming. I know that is a rather odd compliment, but, I assure you it is true. This article struck a nerve of unwavering truth. And so, I have written you to thank you for stating it as such. Also, to let you know, despite my apathy in regards to our system and the extreme disbelief in any real, meaningful change in our country. I will try, honestly try to be “The people” again. I will not let the feeling of utter helplessness against the idiocy of my peers and the massive size of the machine prevent me from getting started. If you can write, I can write and call and sing and kick and scream and no longer be a bystander to the rape of the inherent rights of humans.

I would also like to point out that I have loathed the loud mouthed opinionated political persons and as such, it will be difficult for me to begin on this path, however, it must be done. I thank you.

Sincerely,

Isaac N. Acuna

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