- A 30-year-old Alice native has joined a group of tax-protesters
who have barricaded themselves in a home in New Hampshire, in what some
fear may soon become a standoff similar to the one that unfolded in Waco,
Texas, in 1993.
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- Cirino "Reno" Gonzalez, 30, of Alice is one
of more than a dozen people who have joined a New Hampshire couple, Ed
and Elaine Brown, in a protest against the federal income tax.
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- The Browns, who in April were sentenced to more than
five years in prison after they were convicted of multiple charges related
to tax evasion, have refused to surrender to federal marshals and are currently
living with several supporters in a home in Plainfield, N.H.
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- An Alice Native
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- Gonzalez was a student at Alice High School before dropping
out in 1993 and obtaining his GED. He studied law enforcement at a community
college and worked as a clerk in the Jim Wells County Sheriff's Department
for a short period of time, and worked at the Thunder Road night club,
his father said.
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- A divorced father of four children, all under the age
of 11 years, Gonzalez is the son of Jose M. Gonzalez, also of Alice.
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- Cirino Gonzalez joined the Navy in 1995 and received
an honorable discharge in 2003. Following his return to Alice, he accepted
a job with a civilian contractor working in Iraq, where he repaired weapons
for the military before returning to Alice, his father said.
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- Asking Questions
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- Cirino Gonzalez said Tuesday the journey that brought
him to New Hampshire began in 2005, when he started questioning the reasons
behind the war in Iraq. Questions about funding for the war led him to
investigate the federal tax system, and in particular the operation of
the federal reserve.
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- During the course of researching those issues on the
Internet, Gonzalez found information that led him to believe the government
does not have the legal authority to collect federal income taxes. Gonzalez
said although he found many like-minded people on the Internet, that belief
has cost him in his relationships with friends and family.
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- "Most people do not want to deal with this initially.
I've lost a lot of friends because they just turned tail while I was talking
to them, and they went away," Gonzalez said. "Later, they came
to me and told me that what I was saying was true."
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- Gonzalez compared the government to a Mafia organization,
and said people continue to pay income taxes because they either do not
understand the "truth" or they are afraid of reprisal.
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- "Why are so many people put in jail, having their
families destroyed, their homes taken away, their land ripped away from
them when there is no law stating they are required to pay protection money
to the government?" Gonzalez said.
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- Although Gonzalez said his primary question is "where
is the law?" related to federal income tax, he took issue with many
other legal questions during a phone interview Tuesday.
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- Over the course of more than an hour, Gonzalez questioned
the legality of free speech zones, the purpose and effectiveness of the
Department of Homeland Security, the need for banks to obtain Social Security
numbers, the wording of firearm laws, the effectiveness of the United States
military and the legality of seat belt ordinances.
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- Joining The Browns
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- In January, Gonzalez saw a short news story related to
the Browns' case on television and followed up that story with research
on the Internet, including reading blog sites set up by the Browns and
their supporters.
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- After communicating with them for some time, Gonzalez
made the decision to drive to New Hampshire the weekend before Easter to
give them his support.
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- "It takes your personal integrity to stand up and
stand with the people who are being unjustly accused of things," said
Gonzalez from the Browns' New Hampshire home. "I caught hell from
all of my family. Basically I tried to tell them something that they initially
couldn't grasp."
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- The Home
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- The Browns' home is located on a hilltop in a 110-acre,
heavily wooded estate. The large home was reportedly built with 8-inch
thick concrete walls, has a private well and has the capacity to generate
some electricity. A five-story-high tower sits atop the home, with a 360-degree
view of the surrounding area. Ed Brown has told reporters the home has
a large stockpile of food, and supporters have reportedly brought more
supplies in recent weeks.
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- A Supportive Father
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- Jose M. Gonzalez, Cirino's father, is a strong supporter
of his son's decision to move to New Hampshire, and has been following
the case.
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- Jose M. Gonzalez served in the U.S. Army for six years,
and has a bachelor's degree from Texas A and M Corpus Christi in psychology
and sociology. He is working on a master's in counseling, with an emphasis
on family counseling, and currently works as a counselor at the Alice Counseling
Center.
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- Jose M. Gonzalez said he believes actions by the U.S.
Marshals last week, in which they reportedly used armored personnel carriers
to execute a warrant on a business owned by the Browns, are signs the confrontation
might be moving toward violence.
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- "Our primary goal is to inform the American public
of the truth, which is there is no federal income tax in America,"
Jose M. Gonzalez said. "Personally, I don't want my son to die trying
to get this message across. So I will drive to New Hampshire to protect
him, if I have to."
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- Jose M. Gonzalez, who has not paid income taxes since
1997 he said, empathizes with the Browns' situation and agrees with their
cause.
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- Moving Toward Violence?
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- The Browns and Cirino Gonzalez have informed law enforcement
officials that if any move is made on their home, they will use lethal
force against the federal agents.
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- Gonzalez brought several weapons with him to the home,
and announced on his myspace.com page that he had recently purchased a
.50-caliber rifle.
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- When asked why they would choose to fight against federal
agents, Cirino Gonzalez said they were "taking a stand" to protect
other Americans.
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- "If we don't stand now, while it is at our doorstep,
if we don't stop it here, it's going to be at your doorstep," Gonzalez
said.
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- Jose M. Gonzalez said he was afraid for his son's safety,
and was considering driving to New Hampshire to join Cirino. Although his
occupational speciality in the Army was as a truck driver, Jose M. Gonzalez
said he is reluctant to join the group in New Hampshire because he might
be compelled to use other information he learned in the service.
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- "I had trained as a...[I'm not supposed to say it,
but I guess I've been out long enough]...as a specialist in nuclear, biological
and chemical warfare," Jose M. Gonzalez said. "This is what scares
me. I know how to kill people in mass quantities. I don't want to go up
there."
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- A Waiting Game
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- U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier, who has been charged with
the arrest of the Browns, said Wednesday the Browns are attempting to work
outside the law.
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- "They had a trial in front of a jury of their peers,
and they were convicted on all counts," Monier said. "No man
is above or below the law, and they don't get to decide what the rules
are."
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- Monier also discouraged anyone from joining the Browns,
and warned Cirino and Jose could face separate criminal charges.
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- "Aiding and abetting people in their continuing
obstruction of justice, in this case the Browns' refusal to surrender and
submit to authorities, is a separate felony offense," Monier said.
"Bringing them weapons, they are convicted felons, is a separate criminal
offense.
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- "Reno is not helping the situation, he is hurting
it."
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- Although he acknowledged that he had cut power and phone
lines to the house, Monier said he had "no intention of storming the
house," and was prepared to take as long as necessary to resolve the
situation peacefully.
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- "If I wanted to kill Ed Brown, I would have done
it a long time ago. But that's not our objective. Our objective is to take
them into custody without causing any harm," Monier said. "The
Marshal Service has been around 216 years. Do you think we're going anywhere?"
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- The Concord Monitor in New Hampshire contributed to this
report.
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- Source
- http://www.aliceechonews.com/articles/2007/06/13/local_news/news00.txt
- Alice Echo News
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- Comment
- CM
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- I've been to Alice Texas dozens of times, great place,
great people! Go get em, Cirino! That 50 calibre Barrets Rifle will destroy
their little toy tank with a single shot and it'll make any of those treasonous
cunts outside think twice about fucking with a patriotic American citizen!
If the Feds attack, I hope Ed, Elaine and everyone inside is able to take
at least two or three agents of Zion with them. May they then burn in hell
for all eternity. The fact that Cirino is Hispanic is a great thing, it
serves to show us that ZOG wants to kill and enslave us all, white black,
brown and yellow, and people are beginning to figure that out. When you
hear the news media spin its lies about what horrible people these Americans
are fighting and perhaps killing treasonous American police, have no sympathy
for them or their families, they've chose to serve the Zionists against
their fellow Americans, fuck 'em.
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- Leave a message of support for Cirino on the local Alice
Texas newspapers comment area http://www.aliceechonews.com/message_board/
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- Send emails to the staff of the Alice Texas newspaper
to let them know thgat real Americans support real Americans like Cirino
and not treasonous cops willing to kill REAL Americans!
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