A Short Chronicle of the Last Year (July 2019 – June 2020)

I must admit, I have been deceived. And so have you. So have we all.

Around this time last year, in late July, I released an economic plan called “A New Economic”. I had been, for the last 10+ years, researching, brainstorming and engaging in dialogue with everyone and anyone to figure some better manner of system than what we have been experiencing these past decades. I watched my generation slowly become slaves to an increasingly abusive educational, medical, and political system, fueled by ballooning debt. In addition, I had personally witnessed environmental degradation, excessive bloat of a thousand bureaucracies, and the slow burn of implementation of regulations that strangle our innovation. All of the issues that the “left” has been screaming about for the last 40+ years.

I explored every theory proposed in the past, from communism to socialism to capitalism, and every variation thereof. I held no “belief” in any particular ideology, but rather searched for an actual “solution”. Imagine that.

So, after exploring every possible angle, the solution I have found is… wait for it… capitalist. Turns out that our problem today is not “capitalism”, but the problem is “capitalism fueled by a usurious, privately-controlled central bank”. And this plan undoes everything that this central bank has done to us all, fixes a thousand liberal and conservative problems besides, returns monetary power to the American people, removes the need for federal taxes, and is 100% Constitutional.

“Here’s a solution to all of our problems! What do you think?”

“Bark! Bark! Bark! Hate! Hate! Hate!”

“Whoa, hey, what do you think of the actual plan? This is a real solution!”

“Bark! Bark! Bark! Hate! Hate! Hate! White man bad! White man bad!”

Well then…

I immediately became a pariah to some so-called “progressive” “friends”, even moreso than I already was, particularly in the poetry, art, and activist communities. Well isn’t that odd? I can understand when it comes to artists and poets that, for the most part, simply are not interested. They are sensitive people and many don’t want to get involved with “dangerous ideas”. All well and good.

However, there is (was?) a certain segment of politically active people who were very vocal about the problems afflicting our greater society, who were yet auspiciously dismissive. Most of them were the “organizers”. Turns out that these people, again, are not interested in discussing solutions, but they have a pre-existing, well-funded ideology that has, for decades, indoctrinated a significant portion, at least, of my generation and those younger. They are not, and have never been, interested in real solutions, but in creating affinity groups, in organizing teams, and psychologically manipulating as many kids as possible to shut down their critical thinking faculties and ensure that they simply “follow orders”.

How do I know this? I was there. I was at the meetings. For instance, I attended, along with some 300+ others, and spoke, at the “Shutdown DC” meeting (consisting of environmental groups like “Extinction Rebellion” and “Rising Tide” and “350.org” and “Sunrise Movement”) at the Quaker church in Washington D.C. in August of 2019, and watched the “organizers” talk tactics and strategy. Not about the problems themselves, and of course not about any possible solutions. I remember the smirks on their faces when they got nearly everyone to clap all at once and suddenly go silent, like a pack of trained seals. It was surreal.

These are the same people who speak of themselves as great leaders in the movement because they have been at it for 25+ years. I wanted to ask them, “Hey, if you have been doing this for that long, why haven’t you got anything done?” Perhaps it is because they are funded by the same people who they are supposedly fighting against. At the leadership level, these may not be “grassroots” organizations, but rather a prime example of “Controlled Opposition, 101”.

Nonetheless, as a genuinely sincere person, like many of the people who attended, and like most Americans, I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

I do not say this to be dismissive of genuine peoples’ efforts, whether they are organizers or attendees, but rather to reiterate the fact that I was deceived. I hope that those of you who have spent so much time and effort on greater issues that you have found important, that you will see through the lies and deceit yourselves. It is nothing to be ashamed of to admit this, but is actually a great measure of wisdom. And we need that more than ever, right now.

Okay, that’s enough commentary, on with the chronicle…

I stuck out the meeting, met a few good people, and continued on my way.

I brought a few hundred fliers and essays, met with some of the more “radical” congressional and senatorial members’ staff, both democrat and republican, and that of a few of my own representatives. I passed out fliers to people on the street, to those I met in bars, and left them sticking out of unused newspaper boxes. Anyone and everyone could have picked one up.

I returned to Kansas for a few weeks. I continued land surveying work. I drew up a full 2′ x 3′ chart that more fully explained the propositions.

I returned to D.C. in September for the big “Shutdown D.C.” event. I brought hundreds more fliers, essays, and several dozen full-size charts.

I met with some of the organizers again, and they were even more dismissive than before. I did not really participate in the event, but observed. The event was a bust. They shut down traffic on a street or two, but it was quickly cleared and people went about their business.

For the next week, again, I passed out fliers and met again and presented the plan to a couple dozen representatives’ staff. After a week or so, I finished that stretch and went back to Kansas.

Fall and Winter

I returned to Kansas and went back to land surveying work. I also began regularly performing poetry and music at open mics around Lawrence, about 3 days each week. I also crafted a sign of the big chart of the economic plan and began giving speeches on the corner of 9th and Massachusetts street at 6 o’clock on Sundays. I proceeded to follow through on this from late October to mid-February.

I received a new letter from the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions in January, regarding a recent application for land surveying licensure. I was denied, yet again, from taking the Kansas test and subsequently receiving a license to independently practice in the state.

(A tangent, to add some context here: I have been surveying for the last 20 years, as an assistant for the first 12 years, on and off, and full time, as a crew chief, for the last 8 years. Prior to, and concurrent, with my years in college, the requirements for licensure allowed one who worked for 10 years under a licensed land surveyor, has at least 3 licensed references, and other requirements, to apply to take the 2 grueling, 6-hour national tests, and if passed, take the state test, and if passed, receive licensure. This was pertinent to my educational choices at the time, as it was not necessary to take university classes in surveying. Thus, I studied to advance my passions. In 2007, while in the final stretch of gaining a creative writing degree, the board changed the rules, such that it then became a requirement to have “2 – 4 years of surveying-specific education” in order to apply and receive a license. Needless to say, I did not change my major, nor go back to school and indebt myself $25,000+ to relearn the surveying equivalent of 2+2=4.

Fast forward 10 years, and I apply for the license anyway, get denied, and subsequently ask to speak to the board themselves to make my case for a variance or find some other solution. At the meeting, before I could even present my case, the head surveyor asks whether I could get licensed in another state first and then later apply by “comity” (if you are licensed in another state, most of the restrictions do not apply, and if you pass the test, you can be licensed). I say that, yes, technically I could get licensed in another state. He says to go forward with that, and apply to Kansas afterward.

So, I take the two grueling national tests and pass them. I do a few surveys in Wisconsin, apply for the test, pass it, and get licensed there. So, I apply to take the test in Kansas again. And, wouldn’t you know it, in the span of the year since that meeting, the board changes the rules to require that anyone applying by comity must be licensed in a state that has “as stringent educational requirements as Kansas”. Well then… at least I am licensed in Wisconsin.)

By this point, it had become evident that any further efforts in Kansas would not only not be appreciated, but that I would be actively denied full personal actualization.

(It bears noting here that, upon the release of my book and subsequent performances from the summer of 2018 to the spring of 2019, prior to the release of my most politically volatile idea, fully three venues of which I had performed a full show were either A. shut down by the cops, B. sold to new owners, or C. abandoned. I consider this a badge of honor. “You know you’re over the target when you start to get flak.”)

So, in February of 2020, after paying off my debts, tying up all of the loose ends, four months of preparatory public performance, and two jaunts over there, I decided to move to Washington D.C.

Spring

I packed my equipment and belongings and left. I arrived in D.C. on March 16th. If memory serves, the president announced the full shutdown, the lockdown, that day.

I could not get an apartment. I could not get a job. I could not perform in venues. I could hardly even talk to anyone. I think you all know what this has done to our country, and the world. And it is not pretty.

Nonetheless, I was not about to go home. I was going to do something. Even, as many had warned me, it might get me killed.

I found a decent hotel and continued on the path I had intended. Oddly enough, one of the first things I was going to do was stay home. Not because of any lockdown orders, but because I had been looking forward to a month or so of relaxing and doing some personal development.

At the age of 35, after decades of daily schooling, work, and following orders to do this, that, and the other, I was looking forward to settling my mind and body, meditating, and doing some long overdue religious studies. Much to my consternation, society then ordered me to do that which I had long intended, and imposed so immediately upon my arrival. I find this personally offensive. I would imagine that this “lockdown”, this highly coordinated and sophisticated scam, likely caused as much, or worse, of a problem for everyone. I hope you are as upset as I am. You should be.

The lockdown did not let up, obviously, after the supposed two-week “flatten the curve” lie. I began to get restless in April, and decided that I would go forth with my efforts. If they were going to close all the bars and venues, then I would go to the park and do my work and give my speeches there.

I chose Lafayette Square, immediately North of the White House. The first day was Easter Sunday. I read Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” from the Gospel of Matthew.

I began going 2-3 times each week, for a few hours. You may have seen me there, with a big sign that read “The Great Awakening” that detailed the economic plan. I carved on a slab of stone slate. I read poetry from my recent book. I gave speeches that would echo for blocks in every direction. I explained the absurdity and criminality of the virus panic. I spoke with anyone and everyone. I made friends with the police officers, the homeless park-dwellers, the peace activists at their vigil.

It came to be late in the month of May. My bank account was dwindling. There were few signs of officials relieving the virus panic. I had paid for the room at the hotel until the end of the month. I decided to leave the 1st of June.

Friday, May 29th was my last day in the park. And finally some other people came to protest. But it was not against the lockdown or the masks or the virus panic lie, but for racial justice and against police brutality. It was the first day of the riots. I have been, for years, noting excessive police abuse and the ever-increasing prisoner population in our country, many of whom were non-violent. Ultimately, however, the fault lies much less with the police themselves, but with the legislators and their criminal donors, who invent all manner of ridiculous, unconstitutional laws to justify terrorizing the population and enforcing compliance, to say the least.

I stood with the protesters, holding my sign and slab of stone, and spoke up to the police. These were, roughly, my words: “We are not criminals. The criminals are in the house and in the capitol! Help us! We need to arrest the criminals, the legislators who make unjust laws! Stop imprisoning us! You are being led by devils and demons!” At one point, the crowd of a couple hundred were poised to break through the barrier and charge toward the White House. I yelled, “Hold! Hold the f*** back!” and they did. This lasted hours. Night came on and the crowd eventually dispersed. Only one person was arrested.

I returned to the hotel. I packed my belongings. On June 1st, I left town.

*******