The following publication was copied directly from The Lawful Path website. It is being shared here in accordance with the wishes of and within the legal parameters set by the author… for the purpose of bringing light to his realization, with the humble hope that we are able to put our differences aside and come together against those that seek to oppress us.
by Edgar J. Steele
February 11, 2005
“First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.”
— Rev. Martin Niemoller (1945)
Knowing that I represented Brian and Ruth Christine in a highly-publicized trial that occupied a week of Court TV’s air time, Jack McLamb recently asked me to write an article on American political prisoners for his Aid & Abet newsletter, which goes out to law enforcement officials and prisoners across America. Following is that article, which appeared in the last edition of McLamb’s newsletter:
Political Prisoners? In America?
I’ve known a few.
You might recall the Christines, the young couple who lost their four little girls while on vacation in Oregon and got locked up on a bum rap for robbery and kidnapping. The kids looked skinny to an anonymous busybody, who called in the local child protective services. Yes, they were slim, but it was because their parents were vegetarians and health food conscious, not to mention slight of build, themselves. One of the girls had recently fallen and cut her forehead, too, which was used to buttress the abuse charge.
What really did in the Christines, however, was taking their children back from the state at gunpoint and fleeing to Montana. For that, they now sit in separate Oregon state penitentiaries.
Why did they do it? Because the Oregon caseworker assigned to the kids said she was going to adopt out their children and there was nothing the Christines could do about it. Never mind that she had no real basis for that frightening claim.
Why are the Christines political prisoners? Because they went up against the system and lost. Because they refused to play ball with an out-of-control government agency. Had they jumped through the hoops, they would have gotten their kids back in due time and been on their way. Having done nothing wrong, they refused to do so, thereby marking themselves as “anti-government.”
I recall what a big deal was made at trial of their having a copy of the Declaration of Independence taped to the inside wall of their motor home…indicative of their anarchistic leanings. That’s all it takes these days, you know. Disagree with a bureaucrat and you are “anti-government.” Push the point and you go to jail. Result: political prisoners in America.
Already, their numbers are legion – and growing by leaps and bounds. This is the way it starts. This is the way it always starts in countries where freedom becomes displaced by tyranny. People go to jail for a variety of charges, all excuses, some flimsier than others, with the true reasons to be found in their being out of step. Before the process runs its course, people are “disappeared” in the night for failing to enthusiastically support their government.
I wonder when the Russian public generally became aware that its government locked up dissidents strictly for their political views? I wonder when America’s public will reach the same awareness level.
You may think I am exaggerating. I’m not.
Matt Hale sits in a Chicago federal cell right now, his sentencing hearing again delayed. Hale was entrapped by an FBI plant, an agent provocateur, who allegedly suggested killing a Federal judge who had taken away Hale’s copyright to his church name and obtained Hale’s assent. The wiretap transcript is, at best, equivocal. Bottom line: Hale didn’t do it. At trial, Hale’s lawyer was so confident that he rested without presenting a defense, thereby demonstrating his contempt for the state’s case. Big mistake. Hale was well known to area jurors, who didn’t like him. Result: conviction for conspiracy.
An ordinary guy would have walked. Of course, an ordinary guy wouldn’t have been targeted and set up. Hale is a political prisoner, one of the many that Michael Chertoff, soon to be head of Homeland Security, railroaded into prison. Hale’s sentencing judge deferred sentencing until after the US Supreme Court rules on the Booker case in light of its prior Blakely decision, which said that a judge may not consider aggravating circumstances not presented to a jury when imposing a sentence beyond that recommended by either a jury or prescribed minimums. The deferral in Hale’s case is ominous, because it clearly signals the judge’s intent to throw the book at him. Because Hale is a political prisoner.
A few years ago, I represented Richard Butler and the Aryan Nations in a trumped-up civil case of assault by proxy (a couple of his adherents, off duty, off the property and against orders, assaulted two people). Though the “victims” had no injuries, Butler was hit with a $6 million judgment in a case that would have been laughed out of court if against a normal person. Because the jury didn’t like him. Butler was a political prisoner, too, in a very real sense.
The list goes on: Lane, Zundel, Duke, Metzger, Doles, Wheeler, among the more recognizable names.
I have had several clients with less recognizable names: McGuckin and Rae come to mind. All political prisoners.
How long before your name is added to the list?
New America. An idea whose time has come.
Copyright ©2005, Edgar J. Steele
Forward as you wish. Permission is granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, post on all Internet sites and publish in full in all not-for-profit publications.
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Get Involved!
Nothing will change the trend towards totalitarianism and oligarchy in America unless we stand peacefully united! Learn more about National Liberty Alliance !
Check out their FREE COURSES about our constitution and fighting for our civil rights!
Read more about the movement that has established a network of Committees of Safety in every county in the United States!
Click the following link to download a detailed explanation of their plan!
I find it very interesting that our own Department of State has a website dedicated to freeing Political Prisoners worldwide. We are talking about the same concept, but they aren’t talking about the same thing… I am gladly passing along the information published on their website about what you can do, all the same.
What You Can Do
The stories of these political prisoners are tragic and sobering, but also inspiring. There is power in your actions and in your voice. You can help to free these prisoners and diminish human rights abuses generally.
- Learn more about the facts. Seek out and learn from non-governmental organizations, scientists, historians, and other experts.
- Listen to and amplify the stories of survivors of human rights abuses and their families.
- Follow, join, or volunteer with human rights advocacy groups. Encourage your family and friends to learn or volunteer with you. There is power in numbers.
- Contact your local, state, or national government officials. Ask them to take a stand.
- Contact officials from the governments holding political prisoners to express your concerns and ask for their release.
- Be an informed and conscientious consumer. Research the products you buy to ensure they aren’t made with forced labor or linked to other human rights abuses. Ask questions about companies’ human rights practices.
- Send letters of support to political prisoners. Read more about how to do so from human rights NGOs like Write for Rights – Amnesty International.
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Iridescent Alchemyst 
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