I Am Afraid of the Government – Adam Kokesh is Not
When Adam Kokesh announced his armed march on Washington, DC I was intrigued. Quite frankly, I didn’t know him from … well … from Adam, actually. We have a television set at home, but we restrict it mostly to Netflix and DVDs for the kids. Most of my news and opinion is acquired through online sources like ClashDaily and The Drudge Report.
But because I’d organized and lead the 2010 Second Amendment March (an unarmed rally beside the Washington Monument) I was particularly interested in Adam. I remember being ridiculed and called a coward because I wasn’t marching armed into DC. That was three years ago, and I didn’t see the need for that. Suffice it to say, a lot can happen in three years.
When I first started reading about Adam and his march, the message was pretty consistent: he’s a fringe lunatic; he’s an anarchist; he’s an atheist. But I don’t lock-step with the crowd, so I dug deeper. I noticed that most of these negative articles quoted sources other than Adam Kokesh. They accused him of everything short of stabbing a kitten and molesting a dead horse. So, after reading most of the second-party writings, I went to his website, www.adamvstheman.com. I viewed some podcasts and his message was pretty consistent.
I then spoke to him on the phone for fifteen minutes, and a few things became very clear to me. We have to take this man seriously. He has substance. He’s highly intelligent. He’s charismatic. He’s a Marine with a cause and a well-defined enemy. He will take no prisoners, and he will never surrender.
Adam told me he would grant the interview on one condition: That I keep the working title “I am Afraid of the Government – Adam Kokesh is Not.” I agreed. Then he said, “By the time this interview is done, you will no longer be afraid of the government.” I thought, Hmm, is that some sort of Jedi mind trick? I asked him, “How can I no longer fear the government?”
His answer was immediate. “Stand up and make yourself more trouble than you’re worth. The federal government is a paper tiger, and without our consent they are powerless.”
Adam went on to say the Constitutional government our Founders set up was a failed experiment, because from the beginning it set up a system where one human being controls another. It was inevitable we’d get to this point.”
I asked him, “So if you had the power, what would you put in its place.”
His answer was sure and brief, “Nothing.”
I hesitated, “Uh, isn’t that the definition of anarchy?”
He replied, “Humans are capable of ruling themselves. We don’t need to put others over us to rule.”
I changed the subject. “So, on Independence Day, when you’re standing there with your rifle over your shoulder, facing the police, aren’t you concerned you’ll be arrested?”
“No.”
I pressed a bit further. “Aren’t you concerned you’ll be put in jail for five years and charged a five-thousand-dollar fine?”
“No.”
“Are you concerned that other people won’t show up to stand beside you?”
“No. I’ll stand alone.”
