“VCU Police Attack Veteran’s Freedom of Speech” by Nathan Cox

Blog post was written by Nathan Cox and featured on his blog, here.

Long and eventful day today. Let me write a quick synopsis, and share some of my philosophical views – as well as do a little educating and pleading for your help. This turned into a longer post than I anticipated, but please read the last “Help Me” paragraph (if not the entire thing).

As I was leaving downtown Richmond, VA yesterday (4/14) to go home (10 minute drive), I was on the phone with a Liberty-loving friend of mine. I was a mile and half at most from the interstate when I saw an officer standing outside of his unmarked car, which appeared to be a traffic stop, but I really didn’t know (I think his blue lights were spinning). So just before I drove by him, I put my phone in my lap and grabbed my mega-phone (YES, I carry a megaphone with me in my car, and NO, not to just “harass” cops) and proceeded to say, “Stop harassing people – we pay your paychecks.” Then I jumped back on my phone to finish my conversation. JUST before I got on the interstate I noticed the same unmarked cop car came screaming up behind me trying to pull me over. So I pass the exit and pull over.

I quickly grabbed my camera and the rest of what happened I got on film, so there is no point in writing about it when you can watch it HERE (or directly below)
On my YouTube Channel you will also see two recent video posts that I filmed while at Police Checkpoints.

I am a FREEDOM loving Iraq Veteran (against the war(s)). I’ve done MUCH more for my country, and for my individual rights SINCE getting out of the Army, then while I was in.(Disclaimer: It’s almost 2am, I’m extremely exhausted, I may lost my train of thought and my grammar may look like I belong in elementary school.)

Educating: Let me implore YOU to ALWAYS carry a small, compact video camera with you; for many reasons, but to apply it here, it’s the ONLY line of serious defense you have against the police. If you aren’t already, you NEED to KNOW your rights, and grasp and basic understanding of natural law, law, individual rights, the Constitution etc. Great resources would be: Flex Your Rights, Cop Block, Sheriff Richard Mack, Michael Badnarik, Stefan Molyneux, Ron Paul, and to name just one more (out of the many) Lew Rockwell. And of course, if you cherish your freedom like I do, you must actively stand-up for, and “practice” your rights on a daily basis.

My Philosophical views: To take a quote from my Facebook: ” Libertarian; Ⓥoluntaryist; Free-Market Anarchist. I believe in natural rights. Furthermore I believe a person has the natural right to self-govern and “opt-out” of the State if they so choose. I believe in property rights which begins with self-ownership. I believe that anything voluntary/ consensual should be permissible in a free-society. I believe and adhere to the non-aggression principle. Period. No Exceptions.” I believe that anything voluntary or consensual, in a free-society should be permissible.

My views directly pertaining to police and laws are as follows. I own myself, I govern myself. I am responsible for myself and actions. I have never given consent to the state to own me, my property, or to have authority over me. Those [involuntary] taxes that I pay, I am coerced to pay, meaning, it is stolen from me, literally at gunpoint; and because it’s the government doing it – it’s some how legitimate. The fruits of my labor are not only stolen from me, but then used for stuff I do not consent too as well (as well pay for services I do not want or need, ie. police, etc etc etc.) for instance: War, imprisonment, and paying paychecks of people I do not know. Laws; I view most laws as unjust and illegitimate. The only laws I uphold/ honor is natural law(s). I believe the only laws there should be, are laws that remedy/ bring justice to someone who’s done another person harm, or their property harmed. All other “victimless crimes”, whether it be jaywalking, hitch-hiking, drinking raw milk, or putting any substance in your body that someone else (like the state) may not approve of, engaging in consensual acts with a prostitute, growing a garden, building a house, etc, etc, etc, etc. Let me quote a few folks:

“One may well ask: How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others? The answer lies in the fact that the…re are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” — Mark Twain

“A Patriot is an individual who is willing to stand up against one’s own government, when the government is wrong.” – Ron Paul

“Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the state becomes lawless or corrupt.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” – Thomas Jefferson

Benjamin Franklin: ‘They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

So it now goes without saying, I peacefully disobey – aka – civil disobedience. I Do NOT recognize laws that are unjust or illegitimate. My goal is to educate people about what I’ve fortunately been enlightened (array of languages here ) about. And when it comes to cops educate them on these three things:

1. They do NOT have special or extra rights over any other sovereign individual. 2. They do NOT have authority over people who’ve not given them authority over them. 3. USE DISCRETION on the laws you uphold! Uphold laws that are LEGIT and JUST not the converse!

HELP ME! The officer’s name who gave me the summons to appear in court on MAY 23rd in Richmond City Traffic Court is Shawn Kelley; badge #223 of the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Police Department. If you feel that my 1st Amendment rights were violated, please considering calling, emailing, &/ or faxing the Police Department. Let them know (preferably peacefully/ civilly) how you feel, why you think this is a clear attack against freedom of speech. I will be talking with Constitutional attorney’s to see if I have a case for a lawsuit against the PD.

I think that’s about it, it’s 3am. My eyes are blood shot and watering. I need to get up early. I hope someone has learned something from my post and video. I’ll leave you with one last some-what humorous video.. yet very true, titled, “Why I hate cops“ (I do NOT Hate cops, I just dislike those who abuse the arbitrary power and authority they think they’ve been granted. I dislike those who do not realize (or fail to do) their job, which is to keep the peace, and uphold and defend the Constitution [natural rights], who thinks that being a cop is something like in a movie or tv show, upholds every single law our corrupt politicians pass and who are hell bent on keeping their quota)

Big thanks to my friends at CopBlock.org for helping me edit the video (dead space), for helping keep police accountable, and for educating and raising awareness.