Queer Equality Revolution: Merrill Discusses Tax Protest on The Ron Reagan Show

April 9, 2009

Merrill Discusses Tax Protest on The Ron Reagan Show

Charles Merrill discussed his tax protest today on The Ron Reagan Show; his segment begins 20 minutes into the program.

The Ron Reagan Show ~ November 17, 2008
Full broadcast HERE.

There have been MANY civil rights struggles. The Civil Rights Movement of the 60's is our "reference point", but it wasn't the first nor last in human history.

Our present LOVE-EQUALITY struggle is unique; we have FACEBOOK, MY SPACE, TWITTER, and YOU TUBE. One click informs thousands of upcoming protests and actions. Our "minority" has SOME members with SUBSTANTIAL cash; some individuals pay incredibly high taxes, as a SUB-American.

YES - times are a-changin'...

How WOULD our government respond if over 20...30...60,000,000 (?!)

Straight and Queer Americans

Withhold Federal Tax Money

UNTIL

ALL Americans are EQUAL ?

AMERICAN = AMERICAN

TAX = TAX

Will they have the resources to arrest and prosecute ALL of us?

Or will they be responsible and decide that

EQUALITY IS SIMPLE

WHEN YOU SIMPLY INCLUDE EVERYONE.

Stay tuned....

3 comments:

NG said...: Interesting segment.

I wonder whether Nicole Sandler would have talked to Merrill had she known of his online history.

The Charles Merrill who appeared on that radio show is someone I would like to respect and admire, not the one who likes to adapt to right wing smears and defamation when it's convenient for him.; 11/17/2008
John Bisceglia said...: Sometime after Charles and I made contact I stumbled across some exchanges online that he made with Pam; I contacted her and she assured me they had resolved things. Sounds like you may have other examples......

Ultimately there's no excuse for the ugliness that does comes out of all of us sometimes; I'm sure there's a cached snippet of mine somewhere....

But when my lack of freedom and civil rights in this country led to a ridiculous domino-effect in my life (it's still tumbling), I decided that other people's opinions of myself and my actions, AND their opinion of me, get trumped BIG TIME by the fight for EQUALITY.; 11/18/2008
John Bisceglia said...: PS - After re-reading I hope that doesn't come off as dismissing what you experienced. I just cannot fit into my brain right now anything else BUT Equality; OCD posting of comments online as if I were trying to gasp for air in a smoke-filled room.; 11/18/2008

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Music and Me

I started playing the piano around age 6; finished "Teaching Little Fingers To Play" with a teacher, then was self-taught using the U.S. School of Music Home Study Course until I studied at the University of Michigan, where I was fortunate to be on scholarship. At age 10 I volunteered as the church organist for weekday Mass. My first paying gig was at 13 as the organist for Sunday Mass at St. Julian Catholic Church. My brother gave me his electric bass and amp at 13 after I played it for a few days; by 14 I was gigging in a band.

I taught music in some form (piano, theory, bass guitar) from age 20-43. During that time I was extraordinarily passionate about Piano Pedagogy, Music Learning Theory, and Early Childhood Music & Movement, and used to consider teaching young children music through the piano to be an awesome responsibility, privilege, and joy.

I earned a BM in Piano Performance in '93 from U of M, where I was OBSESSED with 20th century music. My biggest accomplishment at Michigan was performing Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata from memory; it's not virtuostic per se, but it's extraordinarily 'complex' music. At 20 I taught bass at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and performed with the W.C.C. Jazz Orchestra and Afromusicology Ensemble. I owe my ENTIRE musical life to Dr. Morris J. Lawrence, Jr., Lynne Bartholomew, and Arthur Greene.

Professional highlights include performing for President Reagan, opening for Dizzy Gillespie, and playing in the Montreux-Detroit International Jazz Festival. In 2002 I presented my one-man show "Wild About Rhythm" at local elementary schools, and owned and operated a Piano Studio from my home in Kirkland, WA between 1996-2004. I briefly had 24 piano students in 2008, until my P.T.S.D. was severely triggered on 11.05.08. In my lifetime I have performed at over 200 weddings and/or wedding receptions, but I have had to stop because the irony is LITERALLY killing me.