299 Days: The Stronghold (8 page)

“The Third Amendment we covered,” Grant said. “The Fourth too, when we talked about no random or intrusive searches without a warrant. The Fifth is a big deal. Not only the part about not having to testify against yourself, but the due process and property clauses. Due process means we won’t take your life, liberty, or property without some legal process of some kind. It could be review by a judge and a jury. You may not agree with the decision, but it won’t be a band of thugs doing whatever they please.” Grant couldn’t resist, “That was the former government and we’re doing things better out here now that we have the chance.”

That got a few people clapping. Just a few, though.

“The property clause would apply to what we do at the Grange,” Grant said. “That says that we can’t take your property except for a public purpose and we must pay you fair market value for it. This will prevent the community from stealing people’s food or other property. This is critical and I, and my Team, will not live in a place where this isn’t the case.” Grant had no idea if the Team agreed with him on a legal point like this. Once again, by describing the Team as “his,” Grant was not-so-subtly reminding people that he was in control of them. That wasn’t really true; the Team wasn’t “controlled” by anyone except themselves.

“The Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Amendments are a criminal law thing and were already discussed,” Grant said, realizing that people weren’t sitting in this meeting to get a long lecture on the Constitution. They wanted to see how this Grant guy and that Constitution thingy related to their daily lives during this scary time. “The Ninth and Tenth Amendments related to the states versus the federal government, which we no longer need to worry about.”

That was a controversial thing to say, Grant knew, because some people in the audience still believed the United States existed. It did, on paper and maybe in practice in some places like the East Coast or California. But Grant was mentally preparing the people listening to him to conclude that they were on their own out there and the only government they had—or needed—was right there in the Grange that night.

“Finally, I think we need to vote on things,” Grant said. “We will need to vote to give authority to people to do things, like the immigrations people need the authority to screen people. We can’t all meet down at the gate to individually interview a dozen people a day. That kind of thing. We wouldn’t give people powers without electing them, starting with me. Like I said, if I suck, remove me. We need to elect a Sheriff and I think that should be Rich.” Lots of nodding.

“Oh, and I think we should have a civil justice system,” Grant said, realizing that he needed to wrap up this legal stuff. People were there to hear about guard duty, but he had their attention and this was an important topic. “By ‘civil justice system,’” Grant said, “all I mean is a way of peacefully resolving the inevitable disputes that will arise. Your dog ate my chicken, that kind of thing. But nothing complicated and,” Grant smiled, “other than the judge, no damned lawyers.” That got a couple of laughs.

Grant paused, got very serious, and said in a very resolute voice, “We’re going to start over out here and do things right. This is our chance to set up simple rules that everyone can live with. Unlike the old system.”

The crowd was silent, taking it all in.

Then the clapping started. Lots of people yelled, “hell, yeah!” and “right on!” A sizable portion, about a quarter, of the crowd was not as enthused. Some sat there stone-faced, others just clapped politely. Grant was paying close attention to who they were. Not to retaliate, but to intensify the persuasion efforts on those people. They were undoubtedly afraid that Grant was too much of a leader and was promising too much. That was fair. The old government had taken way too much power and promised so much—and then failed miserably—that people were entitled to be skeptical of someone with a rifle saying they’d follow the Constitution.

When the cheering died down, John yelled out, “Let’s take a vote on following the Constitution!”

More cheering.

John asked, “All in favor?” and almost all hands went up. John spoke in an exaggerated and comical formal voice, “The ayes have it. Pierce Point will follow the Constitution.”

Now, Grant thought, we have to actually do it; that’s the hard part. Wait until someone acts like a jackass and the Constitution protects him. That’s when the real leadership kicks in. These people had no experience actually living under a constitutional system. Oh, they were told in high school about the Bill of Rights. Then the rest of their lives they were taught that the government had to put “reasonable” restraints on all these rights. Free speech? Sure, as long as it didn’t offend anyone. So these people had never experienced reacting to offensive speech by letting the speaker continue to be offensive. They had seen the authorities take care of the problem; they never had to deal with the problem themselves. Now they would.

Grant remembered how hard it was for people in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe to operate under freedom. Freedom is hard, although most think it is easy. It used to be natural to Americans, but that was over a hundred years ago. When people become used to looking to government instead of themselves for everything, freedom is scary. It is like when an inmate is released from prison after thirty years. He is used to dinner at exactly 5:30 p.m. When he’s out of prison and 5:30 p.m. rolls around, he gets nervous because dinner isn’t there. Sometimes the stress of freedom leads former inmates to want to go back to prison for the comfort it provides. The comfort of not having to make any decisions or rely on themselves. The comfort of the FUSA.

Chapter 113

This is All Illegal

(May 11)

During the meeting that night at the Grange, Grant had been noticing Todd Snelling and his snarky facial expressions and little whispers to his group of apparent supporters. They included his wife, Dick Abbott, the retired LA cop, and three other “cabin people.”

Be bold.

Grant knew what the outside thought was talking about so he went with it.

“So, Todd,” Grant said, pointing to the architect, “what do you think of all this?” Grant was putting his opponent on the spot. It was always best to be on the offense and then to de-escalate and look reasonable.

“I think this place is a little militia dictatorship, with a bunch of testosterone fueling your hair triggers,” Snelling said with a sneer. That metrosexual sneer might have been a big hit in a Seattle conference room, but not out here in a Grange hall. Snelling’s supporters nodded slowly, like they were afraid of fully backing him. They were scared. Good, Grant thought. They ought to be.

Snelling had a backpack slung over one shoulder. He took it off quickly and angrily—and started to open it. It looked like he was pulling out a gun.

Everyone on the Team watched closely. They wouldn’t call “Threat!”—and draw their weapons—unless they saw an actual weapon. They didn’t want to overreact. Pulling guns on a guy in a crowded room full of innocents is to be avoided. Besides, politically, Grant didn’t want the “macho” Team to draw weapons and scare everyone if Snelling was just getting out a pen.

Snelling got out a piece of paper. He started to look at it until Grant rudely interrupted his train of thought.

“Did you just get shot, Mr. Snelling?” Grant calmly asked.

“No,” Snelling said indignantly. “That’s preposterous.” He rolled his eyes. Another effective tactic in a Seattle conference room, but not so much in the Grange with armed men.

“Yes, it would be preposterous,” Grant said. Everyone was wondering where Grant was going with this seemingly ridiculous question about whether Snelling had been shot.

“No, Mr. Snelling,” Grant said, “you did not get shot. You were concerned that the Team was on a ‘hair trigger,’ a testosterone fueled one, if I recall correctly.”

With his hands up in the air, and away from his pistol, Grant made a trigger motion with his finger as if he were instructing a class. “Mr. Snelling, a ‘hair trigger’ means shooting too fast. These men—‘macho’ men as you call them—are very well trained and only shoot when they see a weapon. They did not see one and you did not get shot. That, sir, is the opposite of a hair trigger.” Grant was in his element. He was going to destroy this little Snelling shit. With words and body language.

Snelling couldn’t speak. He had frozen. No one had ever talked to him that way. He had always been in control of a conference room or cocktail party. This Grange thing was different.

After a few moments of the crowd seeing Snelling’s weakness, Grant decided it was time to make a vivid point. He said, “Wes, come here, please.”

Wes came over and Grant handed him his rifle, after checking to make sure the safety was on, which it was.

“Bobby?” Grant motioned for him to come over. Grant drew his pistol and, keeping it pointed in a safe direction, handed it to Bobby.

The crowd was spellbound. Was Grant going to shoot Snelling right here in front of everyone? The crowd had no idea what Grant was doing, but they knew it was dramatic.

Grant stared right at Snelling and said, “I’m unarmed now. Nothing to fear from those evil guns, Mr. Snelling. Now, let’s talk man to man. No guns. No violence. Just logic. Are you willing to discuss logic, Mr. Snelling?”

Snelling seemed to have no idea what to say. He muttered, “OK.”

Grant needed to pre-empt Snelling on the POI topic. By now, everyone in Pierce Point probably had heard the rumor that he was on the POI list.

“First of all, the POI thing,” Grant said very calmly, like he was talking to an old friend instead of an enemy. “Tens of thousands of people are on that list, sir. Maybe even some in this room, for all I know. It is not a ‘wanted’ list for any alleged crimes. As the name implies, Mr. Snelling, it is a list of ‘persons of interest.’ Surely you recognize that that is different than a wanted list. Do you have any evidence that I have committed a crime?”

Snelling just stared. He had nothing to say. He had never been in a debate like this. Never.

Grant paused. It was time to move in for the kill.

“Todd,” Grant said like Snelling was his best friend, “you have been handed an amazing gift. A democracy where we follow the Constitution. Elections, transparency, the Bill of Rights. Well-trained constables and guards to protect you. There are men and women right now, as we speak, at that gate willing to get shot by hordes of looters just so you can have this debate with me. Do you know what it’s like to risk your life for others, Mr. Snelling? Do you know what it’s like to risk your life for people who hate you and don’t appreciate what you’re doing for them, Mr. Snelling?”

Snelling was in shock. He couldn’t speak.

Grant knew that he had de-escalated with words and now it was time to de-escalate with body language. He relaxed and let his posture slump a little. He sat down on the table at the front of the room and put his hands on it like he was taking a break. Grant smiled. He just sat there, as comfortable and happy as can be. He let that sink in a while.

“Mr. Snelling, do you appreciate all you have been given out here?” Grant asked in his most sincere, but not patronizing, voice. “Do you, sir?”

Snelling was still silent. He could feel that he was losing this showdown. Losing badly.

Finally, Snelling said, “I appreciate not living where a small band of armed men run everything. That’s what I appreciate.”

Grant smiled. More de-escalation. “Fair enough. Fair enough. But I question the premise of your point on two grounds.”

Grant motioned for Bobby to bring Grant’s pistol back, and while he was doing that, Grant said, “First of all, we’re not running things. Everyone gets to vote. Not just every four years, but anytime. Would you like to vote on removing me as the judge right now? I would even second the motion to allow the vote to happen.”

Grant safely took his pistol back from Bobby and walked toward Snelling. He walked right up to him. Snelling flinched because he expected Grant to shoot him. Grant loved the visceral sign of absolute weakness that Snelling was showing the crowd by flinching as he approached.

Grant said, “The second reason I question the premise of your statement that ‘armed men are running everything’ is that you can be armed.” Keeping the pistol pointed in a safe direction, Grant tried to hand the gun to Snelling.

“Go ahead, Mr. Snelling,” Grant said. “Take it. You’ll be armed and I won’t. You’ll be the armed man. You or anyone else in this room can—and should—be armed. That would make it pretty hard for my five or six guys to rule over hundreds of you.”

Snelling was visibly terrified of holding the gun. Grant smiled.

Grant made exaggerated motions of handing the gun again to Snelling, who refused. Finally, Grant shrugged and safely holstered his pistol.

The crowd started laughing. They could tell that Grant was screwing with this guy. And winning.

Snelling was done. He’d had enough. He expected to accuse Grant and Rich and the whole militaristic cabal of being macho Hitlers and have them react with aggression, which would have made his point for him. He did not expect what Grant had done. Grant had used logic instead of force, which was exactly the opposite of what Snelling expected.

Snelling picked up his backpack and started to leave. His wife followed him, but his little cheering section stayed. They didn’t want to be seen with him. However, after several angry hand motions from Snelling, they followed. Except Dick Abbott who stayed behind, looking pissed.

Grant asked, calmly and with a smile, “Any more questions?”

Abbott said angrily, “Yeah. I got one. How is any of what you’re doing legal? There’s a real court system and regular police. This little Grange court and your homemade police force is illegal.”

Time to take this clown, too, Grant thought. He looked right at Abbott and asked, “Illegal by what set of laws?”

“The laws of the state of Washington and the United States,” Abbott answered in a “no duh” tone.