WKBK’s Program Director and morning show host Dan Mitchell had me in as a guest for an hour this morning. We covered the Nobody campaign, public property, toplessness, illegal gardening, and took some phone calls. It was the first time Dan has ever officially had me on as a guest. I thought it went pretty well despite the detractors who called in – hopefully he’ll have me back sometime!
P.S. Thanks to Danny Ledonne for the Nobody graphic!
Comment by smeg
September 16, 2009 @ 3:28 pm
well done ian! i loved the fact that you came off way more sane, composed, and intelligent than most, if not all, the callers.
Comment by thinkliberty
September 16, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
Way to go Keene activists!! “You guys act outside the realm of reality” According the host!
Comment by Charlie
September 16, 2009 @ 5:42 pm
Dan Mitchell makes a correct point in that going out of one’s way to break a law is grandstanding and not helpful. Going shirtless or planting a garden is not in all cases going out of one’s way, one needs to make it intentional.
I could learn a bit more from Thoreau. Thoreau advocated civil disobedience but he didn’t go around trying to get arrested. He just acted according to his conscience:
Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right.
Comment by nick
September 16, 2009 @ 10:14 pm
Dont Ban,
Do you have a site with those reasons listed? I’d like to read the list. Or do you just mean the establishment supporters that call these talk shows?
If the latter, yes, it’s sad, but you’ll find them everywhere 
Comment by dont ban me
September 16, 2009 @ 10:28 pm
I am talking about Ians failure of a life
Comment by Ian
September 16, 2009 @ 10:38 pm
Drive-by ad hominem!
How have I failed?
I’ve created my own syndicated radio program from scratch, attracted a wonderful lady, and am surrounded by amazing people who are making a difference in this world! You can certainly call me a failure if it makes you feel better about yourself though.
You won’t be banned for ignorance on this site – only spamming, bigotry and hate. No worries!
Comment by Lpviper
September 16, 2009 @ 10:49 pm
I was gonna say I hate bigotry, but wouldn’t that be bigoted of me?
Comment by DannyLedonne
September 16, 2009 @ 11:18 pm
Ian’s life is hardly a failure. He is among the most principled, dedicated, and driven people I know. He is willing to put his values on the table despite criticism from both ends of the conventional political spectrum.
To paraphrase Kurtz from ‘Apocalypse Now:’ “If I had ten divisions of those men our troubles here would be over very quickly.”
Nobody for Mayor! Freedom forever!
Comment by Wyatt-SoCal
September 17, 2009 @ 1:33 am
I’ve listened to Ian for about 4 or 5 years and yes, he is very principled. At first I thought he was a jerk, and he kinda was, but he was a principled jerk. But over the years he has re-adjusted his attitudes about some things that needed it. He has a big heart for humanity. He is a very selfless guy. I have never met him, but over the years of listening to FTL he has really impressed me with ability to humbly admit his mistakes and correct his direction. I know he is not religious and I don’t blame his, organized religion has brought most if not all of the suffering to humankind. I hope one day he recognizes that there is a God who cares about him and people and will act soon to stop the misery of this world. As long as he keeps his principles of ‘Do no Harm’ he will always be a great person. He has helped me to see ‘the gun in the room’ when it comes to people who call themselves ‘Government’. Stephan M. helped too. I feel kinda bad for ones like Ian who think that selfish people will ever be able to govern themselves. It is going to take ‘divine’ intervention for this ugly world to ever get it right. Thousands of years have past and things are just getting worst. But I think true Libertarians are as close as we’ll ever get. If you look into it, I think Jesus was Libertarian. Yes, he had his opinions and gave direction to his FOLLOWERS, but he never threatened violence or advocated violence from his followers. Man I am off on a tangent, sorry. Take care everyone.
Comment by outsider
September 17, 2009 @ 10:10 am
Ian is amazing!
He’s always keeping his cool talking to violent busybodies all day long.
And he’s getting paid so much for it, that he doesn’t even wanna trade it for a less stressful job, like clearing minefields or something.
Comment by LSNL
September 17, 2009 @ 10:34 am
I can’t understand the focus, and disdain, on her reasons for going topless. Talk about missing the point. Perhaps it’s simply that they have a problem with civil disobedience. I’d love to have heard the point made that what Rosa Parks did was done several times, by several people, and was practiced. Perhaps lack of video evidence works more effectively in some instances of CD because people don’t get hung up on the color of the shoes, or the team logo on the baseball cap, of one of the activists.
I don’t know how anyone can argue with the success of this event, as not only did Cassidy manage to teach everyone that it wasn’t against the law to begin with, but it resulted in evidence of cops prioritizing this non-criminal issue over other things going on at the time, and their decision to make an arrest though they knew there was no crime. How is it that the “citizens” of Keene can dismiss that, and question the victim’s motives for exercising her rights? Yes, it is her right, and yes, she was the victim of cops’ arbitrary, lack of respect, for their own “law”. Despite what some of you think, the point of living freely, and ignoring the state, is that either you show them as the thugs they are when they come to force you to do what they’d like, or the leave you alone and you claim that freedom for yourself. The purpose of CD isn’t only to have a confrontation with the statists.
Also, apparently no one questions that some bureaucrat/s decided to not push this issue so as to not give it its day in court, and jeopardize some of their prized restrictions of the people. People of Keene, is that really their place?! Does not that attitude strike you as totally inappropriate, and unprofessional? The government is supposedly our servant for whatever charge we give it, right? Ever hear of “wagging the dog”?
I like how the host brought up the point about how “heads would roll” if the cops were doing something he didn’t want them to do, or not do something he did want them to do. What does he think civil disobedience is all about? If a few hundred liberty lovers of Keene had called in to complain about the cops harassment of this young woman, while the half dozen or so called into complain about her, do you really think the cops would straighten up, and stop being thugs, because “heads might roll”?
These people who complain about nuances of other peoples’ activism to protect, or insist on, everyones’ freedom, are one interaction with the inhumane machine state away from having clue. I hope you all realize the nature of the state before you suffer some injustice, and you have the spine to demand better (and patience to tolerate the comfortable slaves who tell you that you shouldn’t rock the boat).
I’d like to ask Dan Mitchell what the proper steps to take are to get heads to roll, so we can go ahead and clean up all this corruption, and tyranny stuff asap. Got a ph # for me, Dan?
Comment by Giggan
September 17, 2009 @ 6:00 pm
What I didn’t understand was people claiming to be riled up over the fact that the topless event was planned as opposed to spontaneous. Would they have been upset to learn Rosa Park’s bus protest was planned as well?
They’re searching quite hard for reasons not to like Keeniacs.
Comment by Paul
September 17, 2009 @ 6:11 pm
Rosa Parks was planned, Gandhi’s salt making and other civil disobedience was planned, MLK’s sit-ins and other civil disobedience was planned, the orginal tea party was planned …
I would have liked to hear Dan’s response to this on-air.
Comment by Matthew
September 18, 2009 @ 1:35 am
I think people just get angry to have someone point out to them that they’re not free. Some of them just haven’t pinpointed the true cause of their discomfort yet; some of them would prefer to keep their illusions.
Comment by Jeff
September 18, 2009 @ 10:25 am
Ian,
I really enjoyed listening to the broadcast. In time I hope that more people come to see that violence is not the answer, but is in fact the problem. And I believe that the only way forward to that goal is the one you’ve chosen.
Thanks for spreading the word every opportunity you get.
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