A Gathering of Eagles at Government Sucks Day

National Government Sucks Day, November 7,
2009, dedicated to spreading a greater
general understanding of the arrogance,
corruption, incompetence, amorality, hubris,
and authoritarian suckitude that is government.
(Courtesy of Daily Paul)

A small band of libertarians gathered on the grounds of the Middlefaire Renaissance Festival near Hillsboro, Texas, in near-perfect autumn weather to launch the First Annual Government Sucks Day Rally.

Speakers for the day that began at 11:30 am and continued throughout the day until dusk included notables on the national scene and local libertarians alike.

Attendees included political activists, Libertarian Party candidates, Ron Paul supporters, Ayn Rand admirers, anarchists, Texas secessionist sympathizers and other free minds eager to exchange ideas and experiences.

Karen De Coster presented an overview of the recent takeover of the once relatively free economy by the Bush and Obama administrations and described America as "quickly morphing into a socialist corporate state."

Mary Ruwart, longtime Libertarian Party activist and writer, best known for her books Healing Our World in an Age of Aggression and Short Answers to the Tough Questions, urged all freedom lovers to become active in whatever capacity best suited them. Her message was, "Find your calling, then do it."

Texas Libertarian Party activists discussed organization and tactics while candidates for office gave their stump speeches and fielded questions from the audience.

R. Lee Wrights, who helped organize the event, exhorted everyone not to shy away from the "anarchist" label. Explaining that anarchy doesn't mean chaos ("cats sleeping with dogs") but simply means self-government, Wrights declared, "Anarchy is not a four letter word. It's a seven-letter word. So is freedom. So is liberty."

At the end of the day Kevin Tuma, cartoonist (Tuma's Toons) and writer (Tuma's Voice), event organizer and the creator and owner of the Middlefaire Renaissance Festival chaired, a free wheeling panel of speakers that covered a wide range of freedom related topics.

At one point a participant complained that the Tea Party protests, which were primarily libertarian events in the beginning, had been co-opted by the Republican Party. One panelist responded that, considering how virtually every political party in the country except the libertarians wanted to control the levers of big government, it was unlikely that anyone would co-opt an event called "Government Sucks."

Time ran out to pull off a planned comedy skit "with an effigy of Uncle Sam" (but as one wit pointed out, "Too much planning and there goes your anarchy") the evening ended with "a fire troupe pyrotechnic act" and a bonfire after sundown.

While attendance was small for the inaugural event, an estimated fifty souls can tell their grandchildren that they were there on Day One.

As event organizer and host kevin Tuma summed it up, "I personally think a small renfaire imparts a sense of 'family' or community for an event like this that a more antiseptic backdrop, like a city park, cannot match."

The comedy skit with the Uncle Sam effigy will be performed next year, so start making your plans now.

(All slideshow photos taken by Garry Reed except where noted.)

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