Do This Before Backing Down to a Cop
August 25, 2021
I had the joy recently of speaking to several hundred parents who see how unsafe, ineffective, and experimental face masks are and refuse to let their children be masked at school.
A reader in attendance that night writes:
Dear Allan,
I apologize for jumping off topic, but I have a concern about last evening’s rally. The organizers of the rally were asked to take down their sign.
We, those concerned community members, staff and students, that are asked to stand up against, and educate others, about the issues that concern us, witnessed compliance instead of standing up.
We can’t do both, we either stand up to all the indoctrination, or we back down and cease to be heard.
I’m disappointed in myself, for not speaking up at the time. I surely do not know all the ins and outs of purposeful protest, but I want to do more, and be more effective.
Any words of wisdom from you will be very appreciated, and thank you for your knowledge and passion for this so worthy cause.
Respectfully,
An Onlooker Who Wants To Be All In
———————-
Dear Onlooker,
I agree with you. I did not like it either. It is my understanding that organizers fought off this request as long as they knew how to. The police got involved and told them the sign had to come down.
There were probably some honest and direct questions that organizers didn’t say, though. Every time a police officer, or any other person, tells you to stop exercising your freedoms, I find it helpful to do a full cost-benefit analysis. It helps you to more clearly see all of your options before making a decision. I recommend the following tools for that, which based on the outcome, I don’t think were put to use last night.
Questions For Anyone Trying To Give You An Ultimatum
Organizers probably did not say the words to the police, “What will happen if I don’t take it down?”
Organizers probably did not say to the police, “Will you issue me a citation?” or “Will you arrest me?” It’s better to say the former to prevent unnecessary escalation and save the latter for deeper into the conversation.
Organizers probably did not say, “How much will the ticket be for?”
Organizers probably did not say, “Which law passed by the state legislature or city ordinance will you use to fine me?”
After having that law cited to them, organizers probably did not say to the police officers, “Would you give me a moment to look that law up and familiarize myself with it?”
If threatened with arrest, organizers probably did not say to the police, “What will you arrest me for?”
Knowing the way the local DA views cases like these, organizers probably did not say, “Do you think the DA will prosecute me for that?”
Organizers also probably did not say, “When was the last time a judge in this county convicted someone for that?”
You see, if you stay calm and friendly, you can get a lot of information from a police officer after they say words to the effect of “Stop doing that or else.” If you stay calm, you can get a lot of information that can help you make a decision.
This Works In Many Situations
You can probably imagine how this same concept can be used in other situations that do not involve law enforcement. It is basically seeking to fully understand all available options open to you. When face mask wearing is ordered of you, I recommend a getting a hold of a policy and invoking an exemption. This is one path to an open and honest conversation, using the contrived pathways you might need to use to communicate with the corporate borg.
I Recommend This, Because I Do It & It Works
I recommend this approach above with law enforcement because I know if works. It works even better if you have a person or two or three next to you watching the calm exchange take place. I know it works because this is how I talk to anyone who tries to tell me what to do, including police, highway patrol, and sheriff’s deputies. I want to know what the unspoken “or else” is.
Because so few people ever have this conversation with officers, they sometimes push those “or else” commands quickly. It’s important for anyone who seeks to live free to be comfortable asking such questions to define the “or else” statement, rather than complying and walking away to complain about it for the next five years to anyone who will listen. Some people do that. Don’t be that person. Every time you walk out of your house, resolve to live a free and admirable existence in the outside world.
That is very hard to do if you simply say “Yes, master,” every time someone makes a request of you. If one is to live in a community, then communication is at the heart of freedom. The hard to speak, direct, honest words can be the most effective methods to ensuring freedom, especially when accompanied by an ability to listen to the response.
Sometimes Screaming About Revolution Is Very Cowardly — Honest, Face-To-Face Conversation Is The Opposite
Many who speak about revolution are too cowardly to speak those words. To whoop up a crowd is one thing, and somewhat easy to do even without possessing any bravery. To get into an honest conversation with another person is another thing entirely. It is both far harder and far more protective of freedom.
Sometimes You Accept The Fact That You May Be Written A Ticket & Go On With Your Day
Personally, after that conversation, with the police officers about taking down the sign, if they would have said to me “I will issue you a $45 ‘fix it’ ticket for political signage on public property,” I would happily accept that ticket in exchange for the ability to leave the sign-up, and then I would happily fight that matter in court and in the media. But you can’t have the opportunity to make those decisions if you don’t stand up to authority a few minutes longer and to kindly ask questions like those to determine what the consequences of your actions are going to be. As uncomfortable as they may be, those few minutes of honest conversation mean so much for freedom.
Why A Cop Probably Doesn’t Want To Write That Ticket
A cop probably doesn’t want to write a ticket for a polite person waiving a sign about making America more free. Despite the best efforts of socialist politicians of several parties to fill the ranks of the police with Kool-Aid color haired commies, that effort continues to fail.
Many cops would prefer to be waving the sign you are waving. They feel duty bound though to do their job, and sometimes that means cracking down on a good person who they agree with. That’s work I could never do. Everyone has a limit to how much cognitive dissonance they can handle, and they can shrink that limit or increase that limit. I choose to shrink that limit as often as I notice it.
Chances are that if you keep calm and polite that a police officer is going to leave you alone rather than go through the trouble of writing a ticket or arresting someone who is doing something that he celebrates over beers with his friends and around the dinner table with his family. A lot of cops just don’t want to do that.
Health Freedom Activists & Organizers Deserve a Lot of Grace For The Work They Are Doing
You’ve been a little critical here of some health freedom organizers. And perhaps I have been too. I do not mean to be insulting, though. Health freedom organizers right now are under tremendous pressure. There is so much money working against them and a very powerful system. On top of that, they are dealing with the difficulties of life that all of us deal with. Thankfully, they are in the right and emboldened by that.
Telling someone that they messed up and that you would have done it differently is not enough, though.
How You Can Change The Situation For Next Time
If you feel strongly about this topic, I would like to encourage you to call the organizers on the phone and to say something like this:
“I want to help you. I want to donate money and I want to donate my time. I care very much about what you are doing. I can’t help you though if you are going to be so compliant and agree to obey orders every time someone gives you orders. Agreeing to take down that sign in the middle of the rally was awful. I need you to be stronger. Whatever happened yesterday, what you can do next time is this….” Then explain some of the questions above.
And then, if it is true, say to them, “I need you to be stronger. If you can stronger, I will stand next to you through thick and thin until we unmask our kids and recall these board members.”
If you sincerely believe that, and you say that, man or woman, an organizer you say that to will probably choke up in reaction to someone caring enough to point to a problem in their life and to say to them, “I will be there to help you fix that problem and so much more.”
They will tell their family about you at dinner that night, and they will tell their spouse more about you before bed. Your phone call will propel them forward for the next week with momentum you probably can’t even imagine, and momentum that they didn’t even know they had in them to deliver.
If they agree with you and if they also agree to be tougher going forward, say to them, “How do I get started? What can I do?”
Agree to do even the most menial tasks and your talent and passion will be recognized, and you will eventually be incorporated into the organization where you best fit. If they don’t agree with you (which I can’t imagine happening) thank them for their time, don’t create drama, then go on with other ways to make the world around you more free.
I agree so much with your email. I am so happy you are sending it. It shows what a person of courage you are, and it shows your values. The thing to do next is to act upon those values. Not everyone has the ability to do that. If you do, I bet you that sign won’t be taken down next time.
There Will Always Be Another Sign Someone Wants To Take Down, Another Chance To Communicate Freedom To A Would-Be Tyrant In Those Hard, Honest Conversations
Of course, some tyrant will, instead of the sign, come up with some other ways to force compliance. With you on their team, that tyrant, whoever he may be, is going to have a big surprise coming. He’s going to realize that the people he’s been used to pushing around are suddenly getting a lot harder to push around.
The Model Of Government Many Accept — The Abusive Parent
Kids who grew up with an abusive parent tell this story often — at some point, the child, mature in body and minds, stands up, and suddenly the parent realizes they can’t push the child around anymore. Abusive homes are very sad. Too many in government see abusive homes as the model for the relationship between government and the people.
They aren’t a good model at all. A community only needs a small number of courageous, upright people to make it clear that they will not be governed in that way anymore.
You sound like such a person. If you are willing to throw yourself into what the organizers are doing, if you are willing to act, then you are, in fact, such a person.
Ignore The Hyenas & Sheep — Focus On The Lions
It doesn’t matter what the hyenas do. The Faucis and Newsoms have existed in all eras. It doesn’t matter what the sheep do. They, too, have long existed. It matters what the lions like you do. When lions stand firm, a whole lot of things get better in life very quickly, merely because the lions refuse to put up with the nonsense.
Thank you so much for writing me.
Never wear a mask again. “Face Masks in One Lesson” exists to help you do that, as do these LewRockwell.com pieces, and the email newsletter at RealStevo.com full of quick, easy to watch videos on how to make that and other bold steps a reality in your own life.
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