MarkMcCoy.com – Articulate Anarchy, Reasoned Rebellion, Paroxysmal Philosophy

“I pledge allegiance to no flag of any nation, state, or authority. Beholden to my Creator, from whence I came, a sovereign, free, individual possessing Natural Rights, unalienable, with freedom and tolerance for all.”

With respect to “society”, I am completely out of “control”. With respect to my “conscience”, I am the consummate “conformist”.
My Statement to Government –

I feel it necessary to preface the following remarks; to speak unequivocally, deliberately, and purposefully. Whatever actions may result subsequent to my statements will be shouldered by those initiating such actions. You may twist my words, but you will never bend my will. I would relish the opportunity to look any would-be actor, usurper, agent, or proponent of control, governance, or regulation in the eye and say what I have taken time to write on the pages contained herein. I am not a violent man. I reserve my right to self-defense, should I choose to exercise same. Holding true to that commitment, I likewise reserve my right to act in whatever manner I see fit, peaceably, and with due regard and care for others. I will NOT obey. Whatever the edict, proclamation, command, or rule; I will refuse to act. I understand that all power resides with the individual and only by way of my ignorance and fear may you gain control of me; and in a purely philosophical sense, it is I who controls myself to step into the shackles you lay before me. I have come to understand too much to allow that to happen. I admonish, caution, warn, and without reservation command you to cease any desire to engage me. Read on and do what you will, and I will live my life with nary a synapse crossing my consciousness which is tainted with any concept of your vileness.

I do not “consent”! I am not one of the so-called “consenting governed”, and I publically rebut any such presumption. I am not a subject to any earthly master or authority. I rescind all explicit or tacit allegiances to ANY government for the protection of My rights, life, or property, and I assume full and total responsibility for My protection of same. I will pay My own way, through voluntary taxes or fees, for any burden I place on government or society through the use of any privilege or benefit. I operate under no privilege or license; I am armed, capable, and prepared to provide for My own defense, the defense of My loved ones, and any who may seek My aid. I am knowledgeable, informed, and aware of all the absolute, natural, unalienable, and inviolable rights bestowed by My Creator; and I will live My life under the terms of My conscience; acted upon through My reason, and for any transgression against the like rights, freedoms or property of another, be subject to the punishment of my person; save but for My own private actions, shall I be ultimately accountable to no one or no thing other than My Creator. Any action taken by any one or any thing that poses a threat, diminishment, violation or penalty to Myself or My property will be met with resistance, belligerence, resolve, and determination and, if need-be, force. I Understand and acknowledge the pervasive ignorance that permeates and pollutes many of the minds of today, and I objectionably and reluctantly submit to some level of inconvenience upon My person by the unthinking, ignorant, and fearful automatons who have sold themselves into servitude, thereby having abandoned their conscience in favor of the mandates and dictates of artificial reason. I find it more humane and expedient to not bemoan a ripple of inequity that finds it origin in a sea of tyranny. I will reach out to My fellow man, though they may move from a position of ignorance and fear. Should My peaceful offer of understanding and reason be denied in favor of the anesthetizing fog of ignorance, I will deliver upon them a blow indistinguishable from that which is reserved for an ill disposed despot should they attempt to act upon that ignorance to My injury. I unequivocally and definitively claim My life, freedom and property as Mine, and Mine alone, not subject to the whim or needs of any society, government, or incorporeal construct of the mind of man. I will assert My life and freedom in a peaceable and civil manner; will resolve to obey no one; will submit Myself to just penalties for my transgressions; and under coercion, threat, or force will retaliate in-kind for My preservation and protection. So help Me God!

“Know all men by these presents, that I, Mark McCoy, do not wish to be regarded as a member of any incorporated society, incorporeal body, or legal construct which I have not voluntarily, explicitly, and with fully informed consent, joined.”

What I have to say I do so after much anguish and reflection. The evidence, as I see it, is irrefutable and abundant. The assembly of free and independent states that is called America has been relegated to the pages of history and replaced by a de-facto government called the “United States”, with no basis in the will of the People, but rather by the consent of the ignorant. Will and consent are not synonymous.

Will is voluntary, purposeful, and deliberate. It is a desire and command for something. Consent is voluntary, whether knowingly or ignorantly, and permissive. It is also acquiescence, capitulation, surrender or apathy. The will of the People created a government, but only to act upon the consent of the governed. I no longer offer my consent. In my opinion, modern government is an anachronistic institution that has outlived its purpose. It is widely held that the ONLY legitimate purpose of government is the protection of the rights and property of the People. Government is NOT to dispense benefits, administer programs, heal, clothe, and educate people. These duties should be left to society-at-large. This notion is often impugned by those ensconced in the collectivist camp because society, more specifically people, cannot be trusted to manage such endeavors. My response is then, if People cannot be trusted to act charitably, compassionately, philanthropically, or responsibly towards their fellow-man, then how can such incompetent People be trusted to collectively discern from the population, and vote for, a body of competent People charged with taxing, regulating, controlling, and punishing the People for their political and natural transgressions?

Government thrives on consent; be it express or tacit. It is that consent which lends legitimacy to the harm it causes. Without consent, much of what government does could be identified as tyrannical, despotic, terroristic, oppressive, and violent, if it weren’t for the People dutifully trudging off to the polls to cast their consent to the wind in hopes that a despot-in-waiting will rain less injury down upon them than the previous despot. And what recourse may provide us relief should the election cycle result in more tyranny with the only chance of relief being years away in another election? Must the People be forced to suffer for no other reason than there be no political relief from a despot? Or may the People shed their political shackles so that they may find relief in their natural state, absent the trappings of political edifices, and simply vow to obey no more?

Where does this lead me? I really cannot say. I know only of a few instances where this philosophy has been applied. Henry David Thoreau, I believe, was the first to put it into application. Later, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King took the same path. Each, of their own application of this principle, involved peaceful, non-violent, civil disobedience. It may be worthwhile to investigate the implications of that application, as it may stand in contradistinction to self-defense, even if such defense appears to be violent.

If I refuse consent to being governed by a system, or by men and women employed by such system, who have no authority over me then the alternative would be to have a system imposed upon me against my will; compelling me to act; prohibiting me from acting; and extracting from me my property, freedom, liberty and labor.

Suppose an officer of the government approaches a child of early years who has been not yet been to the concept of government. Of what consequence will there be for a child who fails to recognize a badge, uniform, statute, summons? To the child, the officer is just an adult exerting power with nothing more than the threat of force. That child doesn’t recognize the authority of that officer. Actually, the only thing that gives that officer any authority is the mind recognizing that man as something that has power. The power comes from within us. Without it, officers are just people playing a role that gives them, as they perceive it, power to force us to obey their commands. Once we realize we are not dealing with government, an artificial thing that exists only on paper and in our minds, but instead government actors, people, who are relying upon our ignorance and fear to empower them, then the game is exposed and the truth revealed. The question then becomes, who has any right to compel obedience from anybody else when there is actually no higher authority than that of our Creator and our conscience?

I now realize that we are captives. We are surrounded by the presence of a standing army of government agents, police and officers. We are living in a gilded cage. Our keepers are armed, aggressive, and determined to compel our obedience. We are led to believe that we must obey and comply with the orders of anyone in possession of a badge, gun, or wearing the trappings of a figure of authority. I do not recognize, chose to obey, nor offer my consent to such a premise or person who would deem to be so foolish as to believe that I am obligated to obey any command of another human being.

Some People who hear these words become uneasy and skeptical. It is comforting to have a force to rely upon for protection from malcontents. There is little circumspection when we hear of someone being tasered to death; detained at a roadside checkpoint; have their property confiscated for ties to “drugs”; failing to act in a certain way prescribed by government; or have their children taken away for unacceptable parenting. We quietly thank our lucky stars, look ship-shape, and pray the next act of aggression befalls anybody but ourselves. Despite everything government does, it never succeeds in creating the utopian society it promises if we only “give a little more”. Then slowly through repetition, exposure, indoctrination, and complicity, we subconsciously acquiesce to despotism while we shut our eyes and repeat the words “land of the free and home of the brave” over and over, as if chanting and disengagement will somehow produce a society we long for, but are too ignorant or fearful to invest ourselves in.

It is time to face facts. We are not free. Neither as a people, a country, a world; we are not free. The chains grow ever more heavy, the walls ever more closer, and the control ever more pervasive. The unnatural and perverse feelings that permeate my being speak to a juxtaposition of the natural and unnatural. It is not natural to be duty-bound to another person. It is not natural to question your own actions for fear of transgressing on an arbitrary edict of a presumed authority. It is not natural to construct our lives so as to remain between the drawn lines of government and it’s minions in observing and inspecting our every move and action for possible violations. I say, let whatever perceived violations manifest in the most prolific way. Overwhelm the tyrants with the task of maintaining their paper-driven world by our refusal to acquiesce. Beleaguer them with resistance, disobedience and revolution.

I get a warm welcome Home….land Security.

I get a warm welcome Home….land Security.

I just returned from a week in Mexico on Sept. 18, 2009. My flight landed in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas and I headed to Customs/Immigration. My wife was first through the check-in. Her passport was scanned without incident; then it was my turn.

I handed my passport to the officer. She scanned it and right way it appeared that there was something not quite right. I remembered when I came through the airport at the beginning of my trip that the officer had problems scanning my passport and had to enter the numbers in manually. I thought it was because the passport is fairly worn, but the agent acted like it was odd that it would not scan. So, I thought the difficulty on the way back was no different. However, this agent exhibited an expression that was more telling then I would know. She picked up a telephone and briefly spoke with someone while I stood there. It was then that she said that I would have to go with her. She did not elaborate any further.

We were escorted a short-distance to a waiting room where behind glass a number of officers were visible. There were monitors and other equipment in their area. In the waiting room was a man who appeared of middle-eastern descent. He told me his name, but I can’t recall what it was. He said it is common for him to be detained, since he was from Jordan. It happens all the time, he said. While inside the waiting room the officer who escorted had disappeared into the inner office area. There was another officer sitting outside the door. We waited for some time, realizing that there was less than an hour before our next flight left for St. Louis. My wife went to the window to see what the hold-up was. She is told that there is a “problem with my name”, and they had to get things straightened out. My wife told them that we had a flight to catch and they told her that it “was not about you” (my wife), and that it was to do with me.

We watched the officers congregating behind the glass. The officer who escorted us back was discussing something with them and they were looking at some information on a computer monitor. Watching the expressions on their faces, it appeared to me that this was not something out of the ordinary. Some of the agents looked puzzled and curious. The man from Jordan left at some point and other officers came from the back office and left through the door. My wife and I waited, somewhat impatiently.

Eventually, an agent came out to meet me who identified himself as agent Brock. He explained that there may have been some mix-up with my name, or another individual named Mark McCoy, and they needed to find out if I was that Mark McCoy, whoever that Mark McCoy was. He said they would try to get us to our flight, but they had to speak with me to find out information that may be associated with the possible mix-up of Mark McCoys. We were escorted down to the baggage claim where we picked up our bags and then to another area where they could be examined.

On the way down the escalator we discussed some things. Agent Brock said he did not know exactly why they needed to interview me. He believed it may be due to some mix up. He asked if we had brought any contraband into the country. I admitted that the only thing I brought back were two apples, but those were apples that we had purchased at home and took to Mexico for eating on the flight and that we brought them back for the same reason. They were not apples from Mexico. Agent Brock said that should not be a problem. On the way down the escalator I made a remark about the detainment being a result of something I had written or said. Agent Brock asked why I would think that and I replied that I am politically outspoken and may have made someone mad.

We picked up our bags at the baggage claim and then proceeded to an area for them to be examined. At that point, agent Brock and another agent named Murdock assisted in examining all or our bags. The apples were discovered and confiscated, as agent Murdock explained they were not permitted back into the country after being in Mexico even though they were purchased in America. In all, my backpack, camera bag, and suitcase were examined and my wife’s two bags were examined. The net result was two apples.

Appearing satisfied with the search, agents Brock and Murdock left for some time, leaving my wife and I at the examination station. Upon returning, agent Brock asked me to accompany him to another room for further discussion.

I was led into a smaller, more private room, that appeared to be specifically for interviews. I did not notice any microphones or cameras. In the room were agent Brock and another agent whom I don’t recall getting a name from, but who was younger and was not there for the whole time. Eventually, it would be agent Brock and Murdock who were present for the bulk of the interview.

The interview consisted of agent Brock making notes on a blank sheet of 8.5×11 paper. He had my immigration form in front of him. He began by going down the form, verifying the information I had submitted, such as my name, address, etc. He made a comment or question about my being a United States citizen. I said I prefer the word, “American”, and he too said that he was an American. Other questions were such as where I worked, if I had ever been arrested, if I had my own business….etc. Agent Brock asked me about my comment coming down the escalator where I may be detained for something I had said and he wanted me to elaborate. I explained that I had ran for Governor of Illinois and mayor of Collinsville, and in doing so I took the opportunity to rail against the system and those in power; making possible enemies in the process. That comment led to more questions, such as how much money did I raise in my bid for governor, what party I ran under, as well as for mayor of Collinsville.

I want to add that the interview exhibited no discernible structure or objective. It was more conversational than anything. My arrest record and current issues with Fairview Heights were discussed. He commented that the only times I had ever been arrested were while in Fairview Heights and asked if I had a problem with Fairview Heights. I replied that I can’t have a problem with Fairview Heights, since it is a political entity, but it was with two men acting as officers with whom I have the problem. I told him that one of the charges consisted of my not having a driver’s license. He asked if I did have a driver’s license; to which I replied no. I said I had no identification, per se, other than my passport needed to enter the country.

There were other questions which were curious. I was asked if I heard of or listened to Alex Jones, if I liked Alan Keyes, and if I heard of Democracy Now (www.democracynow.org), and had I read a book by Amy Goodman. I replied that I don’t listen to Alex Jones, liked Alan Keyes, and used to listen to Democracy Now. I took the opportunity to bring up my philosophical and political beliefs. I can’t remember if agent Murdock compared me with Alex Jones, but I would differ on that perception. He did mention Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi, both of whom I hold in high esteem. I also mentioned Henry David Thoreau as being the progenitor of civil disobedience, and that such an approach is my philosophy. Agent Murdock did mention that Dr. King paid the ultimate price for his beliefs. I commented that I don’t believe myself to be so important or significant that I would be killed for my beliefs because the majority of people do not identify with such beliefs and therefore my threat to the status quo is negligible, although, I would not fear facing such a consequence for my beliefs since they are non-violent, and well-reasoned.

I was also asked about my feelings on the Federal Reserve, an un-Constitutional, unaccountable private banking cartel; as well as on taxation. I informed them that I marched on Washington over taxation and that the government exceeds its constitutional taxation powers and wastes the taxpayers money on foreign aid and other wasteful endeavors.

Finally, the interview ended and I was led back out to where my wife was sitting and the agents went to check on the status of my delay. They were waiting for a phone call from someone in Washington, D.C. to clear me through. We chatted with agent Murdock for a while until agent Brock came back to meet us with his supervisor, I believe, who was later identified as supervisor Jack Cannon.

We were escorted to the American Airlines counter where we were given new tickets for a flight, which resulted in about a three hour delay in total, including having to wait for the next flight.

So, what happened, why did it happen, and what does it mean?

I was detained. I was detained against my will. I would have preferred not, but I understand the reason for it happening. Immigration is actually one of the few constitutionally authorized functions of government. However, I depart from that concept on this point; an individual born on this land has an unfettered right to exit and re-enter his home land without interference. I told the agents that I was a believer in no borders. Political borders hinder the progress of mankind. They are a means for control and hindering the freedom of people who would evolve societally if left to their own devices. But, the world being what it is at this time, if we desire an agency to keep undesirables out and limit immigration, there has to be a procedure in place for differentiating between the two. As a result, we have to submit to a level of inconvenience in being surveyed in order to determine who belongs and who do not.

I was interviewed. I was not interrogated. I was not fingerprinted. I was not personally searched. I was not cuffed or shackled. I was not touched in any way against my will. I was not photographed, unless if possibly by surreptitious means. The experience was not contentious, adversarial, antagonistic, or unpleasant. Most of the questions involve information readily available through public information. I was not asked for an SSN or other number. It seemed more like there being some hold or other flag on my name or passport that made someone somewhere uneasy or curious; possibly after having read some of my writings posted on the internet or elsewhere, and my being an unknown quantity, they wanted to possibly assess just what the “man” was like and what threat, if any, I may pose. To be honest, after all my challenging to government to engage me; and all of the silence and avoidance resulting therefrom, I finally had the attention of agents of that government with whom to engage in civil discourse and discussion. Even the agents said that they were not sure as to the purpose for my detention, and that they were merely following standard interview procedures. I believe they were just killing time, having me within reach just in case, and discerning any possible threat or illegal purpose. Whoever was pulling the strings was not in Dallas-Fort Worth, but in Washington and the agents was somewhat in the dark regarding the purpose for my detention.

Why did this happen? I don’t know. I can speculate, but I was hoping for the agents to broach the subject. I was never directly approached about anything in particular. The speculation from the agents encompassed everything from an identity mix-up to “I don’t know”. I believe that something attributed to me caught the attention in Washington and they needed to put a “person” to the words. They wanted to know if I was possibly violent, treasonous, dangerous, belligerent, uncooperative….etc. Depending on the circumstances, I could be uncooperative and belligerent, if that be how I am approached. These men were respectful and reasonable. Even I do not accept the “I am just doing my job” excuse for injustices being perpetrated; men can exercise reason and discretion in achieving a peaceful and lawful objective without infringing on the life and property of others. I saw no reason to be anything other than what I always aspire to be, viz, a peaceable and reasonable man who longs for the evolution of mankind in transcending war, divisiveness, mistrust, violence, and suffering.

What does this mean? Someone is listening, or has listened. I may be dismissed as inconsequential. I hope to be dismissed as being non-violent, and not-consenting to the authority of government over my person. I can do without it just fine. Will I be detained again? I can’t say. Agent Brock said he will write a report that will hopefully resolve any uncertainty and avoid this from happening again. I can say that had it not been for my wife being with me I may have taken a different tact. I did not want to elaborate too much on some things so as to continue the interview to the point of delaying her from getting home. I actually told her that if I were to be detained for a time that she should continue home and make appropriate contacts. Is that to say I would have been less than civil? No. I would have taken the opportunity to go further into depth on my history with challenging government, removing my consent from same, tendering my Declaration and many other things. I would have taken the opportunity to talk them to deaf. I finally had a “captive” audience who dared ask, “Who are you?”

At the conclusion, we shook each other’s hands. I commented on their professionalism and civility. I harbor no malevolence or discontent as a result of the experience. Have my opinions about government changed? No. I did not deal with government. I dealt with men. Even though I believe the office they occupy to be subordinate to that of a man, I was not assaulted with the persona of the official, but engaged by men acting in that capacity. Maybe they were very well trained and shrewd in furthering an ulterior agenda by appearing respectful and civil. My responses were genuine, honest, non-violent, and lawful. I kept telling my wife she had nothing to fear for I had committed no crime. If my experience was a sum of government agents seeking to know the truth about me then I have no issue with their tactics. We will see what happens next time, but for the time-being, I have to give credit to these men for treating me the way they did.

I do plan on following up with a comment card and filing a DHS TRIP inquiry. I will update this mailing list with the ensuing results, if any. There were other things said that essentially reiterate much of what I usually espouse and many of you would rather not hear again, so I will dispense with the redundancy. Hopefully, I will be left alone or they will want to know more. Either way, I win.

PS.
Upon checking my Google Analytics after returning home I find that Homeland Security visited my website on Sept. 18 and 19.