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Capitol Locked-Down After Mailman Lands Gyrocopter On Lawn To Deliver Campaign Reform Letter To Congress
Update: *LOCKDOWN LIFTED AT U.S. CAPITOL AFTER GYRO COPTER ARREST
US Capitol Police have locked-down buildings after a man landed a gyrocopter on the lawn. As The Tampa Bay Times reports, the man is a mailman from Ruskin named Doug Hughes who was attempting to deliver campaign reform messages to Congress.
JUST IN: Small helicopter lands on lawn outside U.S. Capitol; pilot in custody - @LukeRussert pic.twitter.com/kTrrCP4xqo
— NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) April 15, 2015
JUST IN: Small helicopter lands on US Capitol lawn. http://t.co/mvdd3TaWwF pic.twitter.com/28eJbzawnr
— World News Tonight (@WNTonight) April 15, 2015
It appears as though Hughes has landed on the lawn of the Capitol. Tweets from Washington congressional reporters indicate Capitol Police hustled out of the building and confronted Hughes at the gyrocopter.
The Tampa Bay Times called the U.S. Secret Service in Washington D.C. to see if they were aware of Hughes' plans. Public information officers there said they had not heard of the protest. They referred a reporter to Capitol Police. A public information officer did not immediately answer. A sergeant in the watch commander's office said: "He hasn't notified anybody. We have no information."
Here is some background on the pilot...
* * *
This is the text of the letter that Doug Hughes wants to deliver to members of Congress:
Dear ___________,
Consider the following statement by John Kerry in his farewell speech to the Senate —
"The unending chase for money I believe threatens to steal our democracy itself. They know it. They know we know it. And yet, Nothing Happens!" — John Kerry, 2-13
In a July 2012 Gallup poll, 87% tagged corruption in the federal government as extremely important or very important, placing this issue just barely behind job creation. According to Gallup, public faith in Congress is at a 41-year record low, 7%. (June 2014) Kerry is correct. The popular perception outside the DC beltway is that the federal government is corrupt and the US Congress is the major problem. As a voter, I'm a member of the only political body with authority over Congress. I'm demanding reform and declaring a voter's rebellion in a manner consistent with Jefferson's description of rights in the Declaration of Independence. As a member of Congress, you have three options.
1. You may pretend corruption does not exist.
2. You may pretend to oppose corruption while you sabotage reform.
3. You may actively participate in real reform.
If you're considering option 1, you may wonder if voters really know what the 'chase for money' is. Your dismal and declining popularity documented by Gallup suggests we know, but allow a few examples, by no means a complete list. That these practices are legal does not make them right! Obviously, it is Congress who writes the laws that make corruption legal.
1. Dozens of major and very profitable corporations pay nothing in taxes. Voters know how this is done. Corporations pay millions to lobbyists for special legislation. Many companies on the list of freeloaders are household names — GE, Boeing, Exxon Mobil, Verizon, Citigroup, Dow …
2. Almost half of the retiring members of Congress from 1998 to 2004 got jobs as lobbyists earning on average fourteen times their Congressional salary. (50% of the Senate, 42% of the House)
3. The new democratic freshmen to the US House in 2012 were 'advised' by the party to schedule 4 hours per day on the phones fund raising at party headquarters (because fund raising is illegal from gov't offices.) It is the donors with deep pockets who get the calls, but seldom do the priorities of the rich donor help the average citizen.
4. The relevant (rich) donors who command the attention of Congress are only .05% of the public (5 people in a thousand) but these aristocrats of both parties are who Congress really works for. As a member of the US Congress, you should work only for The People.
1. Not yourself.
2. Not your political party.
3. Not the richest donors to your campaign.
4. Not the lobbyist company who will hire you after your leave Congress.
There are several credible groups working to reform Congress. Their evaluations of the problem are remarkably in agreement though the leadership (and membership) may lean conservative or liberal. They see the corrupting effect of money — how the current rules empower special interests through lobbyists and PACs — robbing the average American of any representation on any issue where the connected have a stake. This is not democracy even if the ritual of elections is maintained.
The various mechanisms which funnel money to candidates and congress-persons are complex. It happens before they are elected, while they are in office and after they leave Congress. Fortunately, a solution to corruption is not complicated. All the proposals are built around either reform legislation or a Constitutional Amendment. Actually, we need both — a constitutional amendment and legislation.
There will be discussion about the structure and details of reform. As I see it, campaign finance reform is the cornerstone of building an honest Congress. Erect a wall of separation between our elected officials and big money. This you must do — or your replacement will do. A corporation is not 'people' and no individual should be allowed to spend hundreds of millions to 'influence' an election. That much money is a megaphone which drowns out the voices of 'We the People.' Next, a retired member of Congress has a lifelong obligation to avoid the appearance of impropriety. That almost half the retired members of Congress work as lobbyists and make millions of dollars per year smells like bribery, however legal. It must end. Pass real campaign finance reform and prohibit even the appearance of payola after retirement and you will be part of a Congress I can respect.
The states have the power to pass a Constitutional Amendment without Congress — and we will. You in Congress will likely embrace the change just to survive, because liberals and conservatives won't settle for less than democracy. The leadership and organization to coordinate a voters revolution exist now! New groups will add their voices because the vast majority of Americans believe in the real democracy we once had, which Congress over time has eroded to the corrupt, dysfunctional plutocracy we have.
The question is where YOU individually stand. You have three options and you must choose.
Sincerely,
Douglas M. Hughes
We bet when Douglas M. Hughes woke up this morning he never imagined he would be up-staged by a glitter-throwing , stage-rushing, twenty-something at the ECB.
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Wouldn’t it be hilarious if the pilot were dressed as a Saudi prince? ;-)
Looney
Going Postal + Drone Era = Precursor To End of Days
*It's in The Bible. Go ahead and look.
p.s. - THAT'S ONE SMART POST OFFICE EMPLOYEE (NO SARCASM, EITHER).
I like his style, ballsy mfer
I'll bet you he voted for Obama
Why are the cops hindering "the right of the people (mailman in gyro)...to petition the Government (in this case, Congress) for a redress of grievances".
The Gyro Captain arrives.
Next, Mad Max.
That gyroplane is fuckin sweet.
Mailman?
That's LETTER CARRIER you sexist pig.
a mailman who wouldn't even trust the USPS to deliver his letter to CON-gress. HAHAHA
But since he's a gub-ment werker, I'm sure he'll be treated to some paid vacation time, a bonus and a raise, and probably a promotion.
Going postal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twRDQmmxLkw
the over reaction to every possible thing that might be viewed as a threat clearly indicates who is really winning.
WE ARE.
They are terrified of us. Their position is untenable and they know it. if anyone has the power to bring this mother f***** to a halt it's us, and I really am shocked that more people can't see that.
Wake up people! This is nothing but a marketing stunt for Mad Max: Fury Road.
There's going to be some interesting Blowback stuff from Barry's drone thing, and I'm not talking about same-day Amazon drone deliveries.
I fly with Doug Hughes.
The ECB girl came closer to the local emperor
Gotta love this guys style.
Every big political movement sees peaceful people being mangled and killed by the incumbent powers.
You cannot change a thing without courage.
His protest will be ignored exactly because he wasn't shot down in a huge fireball.
No, you're mistaken. Even a ball of fire will be swept under the rug and never reported.
Who was Thomas James Ball?
Who was John Constantino?
A fellah, a QUICK fellah, might have a weapon under there. I'd have to pin his head to the panel...
Gawd bless ya for that quote!
Dumbasses!
How is this even possible?
One would assume this is some of the most well protected airspace in the country.
Oops...
The name is Bomb. James Bomb.
They were able to stop him because he wasn't carrying box cutter-wielding arabs.
Poor fella. He sees the problem, but not how bad it is.
And I bet you are a nitwit.
What an embarassment for the NSA, FBI and the rest of the alphabet gang that a man that was not hiding his intention flew directly into the no fly zone landed on the lawn with no probably with little attention until he landed. He did not hide his intentiions he broadcasted them.
i look forward to the ultralight ban across the U.S. - who's to say an enterprising group of rabble-rousers couldn't procure a dozen or so of these things and replicate, except this time with firearms, etc.? crazy times...
Started in on this thread thinking "wack-o". Came out thinking "hero".
I love old coots who aren't afraid to put their balls on the line. I hope to be one when I get older.
But the pilot thinks his first name is "Howard."
The Spruce Goose dropping some trucker bombs would have sent a stronger message.
Don't delude yourself that this guy didn't think this through. Notice the copter is marked as an official postal delivery vehicle. The letters are all properly stamped, in envelopes, in official postal delivery trays and I WILL BET MY BOTTOM DOLLAR THEY HAVE BEEN POSTMARKED DOWN IN FLORIDA BEFORE HE LEFT. Which means the letters LEGALLY must be delivered as addressed. And he's a Postal Deliveryman, doing what he was hired to do- deliver letters. On government property.
Don't get me wrong, they're still going to burn this guy to the ground, but I think he's going to avoid some of the charges that could otherwise be brought against him.
NoDebt, + 100. ...and in the good ole days, to carry that air mail there, he would have been Required by Law, to carry a weapon! .38 Gov Issued.
And I'd bet you would feel the same way if it was a black guy championing civil rights yes nodick, nodick?
You in Congress will likely embrace the change just to survive,... Wanna bet?
I can see a federally funded state seccession movement ahead. This, to head off and prevent a Constitutional Congress.
He would have been given instant access to the president!
I'm making over $7k a month working part time. I kept hearing other people tell me how much money they can make online so I decided to look into it. Well, it was all true and has totally changed my life. This is what I do... www.globe-report.com
I'm surprised they didn't hit him with a Hellfire missle when he landed.
Pretty hard to "mark" a flying lawn chair...
Dude, you're right... Superman 3 was bullshit, there's no way you could hit him with missiles.
" . . . when he landed."
This is Washington DC, not Oklahoma with a 73-year old on the hellfire trigger.
Good point.
At that point just hit him with a bat, why waste an expensive missle? Capital mis-allocation if you ask me.
Again, this is Washington DC, where cut marble stone is used as street curb material.
-
Your point is a bit long and drawn out.
This is Washington DC, where they shot Miriam Carey for making a wrong turn.
Capital mis-allocation?
1) This is Washington DC.
2) Matters of National Security require disporportionate response!!
I always kind of wanted to build a gyrocopter since they are cheap and easy. However, invading a heavily restricted area isn't very bright and while you can't use an anti-air missile, a shotgun would be all you need. The dumbasses are taking over the world.
"You can't park that heli-copter there!"
Did he land or just do a "touch and go" like Bill Clinton did to Monika...?
Fire for Effect!
Peak fvking insanity.
Sure, we believe this.
Aren't there any "no flying zone" signs around the capitol to stop these kind of things?
I believe there are. They're posted right under the "gun free zone" signs.
Americans have balls too.
it takes big brass ones to fly in that thing. He's lucky the secret service was busy busting a 4 yr old fence climber, otherwise he might have been shot to pieces.
that aside, I agree with the guy. too bad most people will never hear about his attempt. they'll be too occupied with DWTS.
Is that a new episode tonight?
Red Blooded Americans have the biggest balls. It just takes a good while for us to get off the couch. But when we finally do there will be no quarter for those who have abused us.
Is he dead yet?
No, but his Postal Service pension is toast.
My understanding from looking at Federal Employees at the management/supervisory level is they have a kind of sivere9gn immunity since the were doing their job.
You won't get confirmation of this any where though you can see the same thing applied to bankers, like an assumption that the not only have inside info, damaging info, and after all they were just doing their job as assigned.
Look into it, but don't think there is chatter or articles on this.
A Federal employee manager can be protected out of hand since he must have been vetted, must have supporters, must be considered an insider with info.
- Lois Lerner is the poster child.
With the kind of language that's in his letter, no wonder the local cops and politicos got all upset and stressed out.
There's a lot of Lock-downs going on.
Kinda disproportionate reaction, it seems. But a nice bit of mass-conditioning going on, to get the Sheeple used to Lockdowns in 'Prison USSA'.
Nope, Americans will gladly be dupes until you tell them they have to be dupes. The cheetos don't taste the same when your told you have to eat them.
Expect moar.
I don't know what is going on or pretend to. I just like TV & Movie entertainment if you understand.
conservatively estimated from available data that the feds have purchased at least 2.11 billion rounds of ammunition since April 2012:
Date Reported, Agency, Amount, Caliber,
April ’12–Feb ’13, Various, 2,000,000,000, Various,
03/25/13, DHS, 360,000, .40 S&W
07/26/13, NOAA, 72,000, .40 S&W
07/26/13, Army, 2,550,000, 7.62x39mm
07/26/13, Army, 425,000, 9x18mm Makarov
08/19/13, TSA, 3,454,000, .357 SIG
02/11/14, DHS, 141,000, .308 Remington
04/22/14, DHS, 25,000,000, 12 Gauge
05/22/14, TSA, 24,000,000, .357 SIG
04/15/15, DHS, 62,000,000, .223 Remington
TOTAL, 2,118,002,000
That’s enough ammo to kill around 30% of the world’s population.
- Seems like good data to me...
When the plunder grows sparse, the violence of the plunder must intensify.
The banksters need to repay us.
It is guaranteed that the French and DC US expended many more than 2.1 billion rounds against the Vietnamese.
Good on him, I like positive action.
Just another NORAD standown
Kiss that pilot certificate goodbye ..
...and straight to the 'no fly' list.
Unless that is considered an ultralight. I don't know if it is, but I'm just saying.
Autogyra are considered Experimental aircraft, VFR flight conditions only. They do require a Pilot lic but there is no real way to police who flies and who doesn't.
He could have pretended the land in an emergency he is one brave MOFO.
If they're under the 250lb limit and under 5 gallons of gas, they're ultralights, same as winged aircraft, if over, experimental, so he could easily be legally flying without a license, though busting the permanent TFR over DC is going to result in a bad time.
It looks close, it seems like it might be a smaller Air Command gyro, which is ultralight with a Rotax 447 and experimental with the 503.
In any case, even if they pull he cert, if he remains a free man and it's not a parole violation, he'd definitely be able to fly something very close to what he has.
Isn't it obvious that if you're afraid someone wants to kill you, maybe you're just doing bad things to other people?
SHELTER IN PLACE!!!!!!!! so we can shoot you while your standing still...Fucking assholes.
Ruskins land in DC!
There's a hero for you.
roflmao
"Campaign reform?" If, only if, that were the only problem.
Regardless, I doubt Zion is going to pay less to their puppets any time soon.
The banksters need to repay us
This is one reason it is so important to be able to see Zion and understand their plundering by way of fiat.
Mr. Hughes you are a true patriot. Probably one of the only ones within a mile radius of where you landed. If there is a fund for your defense, I will gladly contribute.
Doug Hughes is in better shape than me and he is 20 years older!! He might have been military who knows. He accomplished his mission. Success. I'd Follow him.
- Patriot who makes us all feel shame, no matter if you are a veteran, nonveteran, banker, Corporate Executive, Wall Street Sponge, Real Estate Salesman...
Here is a Man that played the game of Chess and was successful against the Federal Royalty.
Edit: oops he is 61 years old not 75 as I thought. But I have to revalidate at this time.
Gubmint making US tax paying working citizens the enemy.... fukem...
The chopper broke our perimeter sir.
It's really only a matter of time before somebody loads one of these babies up with a payload a little more dangerous than a politely worded request that our officials follow this nation's laws. Funny thing about technology - it cuts both ways.
Mad Max!
Was he wearing a clown wig ?
Should have told the media and everyone else his name was frank marshall davis.
As long as he supports campaign reform for both big companies and big unions/associations I support his goals. If he wants only to limit big business than he is only looking at one side of this shit coin.
Well Gawd bless Bruce Spence...
They didn't show the part where some 250lb gorilla kneels on his head.
you didn't fly that drone
Couldn't the Secret Service just run the guy over with a squad car once he landed? WTF?
can u strap missles and grenade launchers to that thing?
It doesn't matter.
If a 22 yr old kid blowing his brains out with a "Tax the 1% sign" won't get their attention, nothing will.
Radiation readings across the country is off the charts & kept mum. These thieving bastids will retreat to their underground cities & the Praetorian Guards will round us up like cattle for buzzard food.
Extinction event...
on many levels.
Time to stock up on some boron.
Links for the 22 yr old kid and the boron?
http://wallstreetonparade.com/2015/04/22-year-old-commits-suicide-at-capitol-to-send-congress-a-message/
You can get boron as a supplement or good ol' 20 mule team Borax as Ronnie RayGun used to advertise.
No, No it is always good to keep solutions in the forefront.
-
"The various mechanisms which funnel money to candidates and congress-persons are complex. It happens before they are elected, while they are in office and after they leave Congress. Fortunately, a solution to corruption is not complicated. All the proposals are built around either reform legislation or a Constitutional Amendment. Actually, we need both — a constitutional amendment and legislation."
Not sure Doug Hughes has the whole package, but he seems to feel he has the Initial First Step.
- Revolving Door
- Regulation Capture
- Congressional Capture
- Tax Policy Capture
- Financial Instrument Capture
- Accounting, Auditing, Financial Ratings Capture
- Monopoly or Oligopoly and Vertical Integration Capture
- Pension Capture and Termination
- High Wage Employee Capture and Termination
- US Job Capture and Outsource or Off-Shore putting those people on Welfare and social programs
- Trade Capture and Decapitalization of US Industry
I won't post Solutions here since many prefer short posts and I don't have the refined solutions to offer.
75,000 Pages of Tax Regs now, right?
- Simplify, Streamline, use Benchmarks and Guidelines for Court Systems, standardize Financial Instruments, Strengthen GAAP Accounting Rules, Outlaw Financial Ratings purchased by owners of the Financial Instrument or Organization
Willy Groper - Heavy reading for first thing in the morning but it needs to get out there. My father in law is in the property rental business and uses loopholes to pay no taxes. He is very wealthy. He was talking about flat tax on consumption yesterday of 15%. I agree with this idea for many reasons.
I paid close to the 40% rate for nearly a decade but now use all legal loopholes. My tax rate for 2014? 8%. My fiance who is an RN and paid 23% was pissed.
As for the gent carrying this message to the Capitol lawn. Hats off. Pretty much everybody knows the problem is lobbying.
It is very likely the government will have to collapse before a new constitution is written and enforced by the military at the point of a gun. Either way, structural damage has been done, at best we're going to see another lost decade.
stupid fucking statists never learn
Pure genius. He'll probably be reprimanded.
But if he drops a few bombs on a dairy farm on the way home he could get a Noble Prize!
This is means a missile would land with no problem at all.
He was just delivering some mail...
They can't pull his FAA licence, because ultralight pilots do not need FAA licenses, or any other kind of license to fly an ultralight.
He may get fired from the USPS though, despite doing such a great job attempting personal delivery.
Don Quixote LIVES!
“Thou hast seen nothing yet.”
? Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote
Idiot! He is lucky he didn't get Phalanxed!
That's what I'm thinking.
The guy holding a gun to his own head the cop ran over at 50mph was less of a threat than this guy.
Maybe we need to upgrade the air defense system, and budget in some Boy Scouts on the roof with BB guns, like he said.
Rain, Sleat, Snow or Microbursts, your mail will get delivered.
Salute your Mail carrier.
Anyone else immediately think of Mathias Rust? The German hero who evaded the 'other' Soviet Union's cordon of death to land His plane in Red Square?
Keep sticking it to the Statists.
US Senate = House of Lords
- Doug Hughes is a Hero, Make him Honorary Zerohedge Editor
"The relevant (rich) donors who command the attention of Congress are only .05% of the public (5 people in a thousand) but these aristocrats of both parties are who Congress really works for. As a member of the US Congress, you should work only for The People."
Mr. Hughes, you are a shining role model for the US!
I'm a little shocked by some of the comments mocking this guy, Mad Max references, and total lack of understanding of the planning this man did to accomplish this and the guts it took. Either ZH has been taken over by Gov. Trolls, or I'm in the wrong place.