Last weekend's protest: "End the Fed!" Rally
By Carolyn Szczepanski in Picket Lines
Sun., Nov. 23 2008 @ 10:07AM
By CAROLYN SZCZEPANSKI
In these days of bankruptcy, foreclosure and general economic calamity, plenty of citizens are pissed off at how the government has handled their hard-earned dollars. Dozens of liberty-loving metro residents crowded a corner near Penn Valley Park on Saturday to express their disdain for our paper-based monetary system. Members of the local chapter of the Liberty Restoration Project and folks who just caught wind of the protest on the Internet joined forces with demonstrators in 38 other cities to call for an end to the Federal Reserve.
Names: Mitch Jones (left) and Adam Woods (right)
Claims to activist fame: Both describe themselves as "activist types" and, most recently, put their energy behind Republican Ron Paul's presidential campaign. Wood ran the Texas Congressman's push in Douglas County and Jones, a fellow Lawrence resident, helped out.
Fed up with the Reserve: Like many of the activists crowding the corner, Wood doesn't like the Federal Reserve running rampant with taxpayers money when the citizens have little say in its operation. "No matter what you think about the monetary system, we have an agency with no oversight," Wood said. "Absolutely none."
Just like magic: Because the Reserve is based on a paper system, Wood explained, it can print money with impunity. The problem with that, he said, is inflation. "They pump out trillions of dollars out of thin air," he said. "But they're basically stealing from anyone with a dollar. It's theft."
Wood's commandment: Surrounded by protesters with signs saying "End the Fed" Wood and Jones held placards with a more direct commandment. "Stop stealing my money," Jones wrote in marker on his sign. "Thou Shalt Not Steal," read Wood's equally hasty art project. "They stole from me," Wood said, explaining his message with a laugh. "I don't like to be stolen from."
Watch your back, Kris Kobach: Ron Paul's inspiration extends past the Federal Reserve for Wood. After years of being an independent voter, Paul brought him back to the Republican fold by reasserting the party's core values, including conservative fiscal policy. "Now I'm focused on taking over the local GOP," Wood said with a smile.
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