A Series of Tubes

So the tree sitters have labeled their encampment redhill autonomous zone in some places. Now I’ll say from the beginning that I don’t know where they got the name, but I might have a theory.

Google red hill…Well the first link is to a site with Patrick Henry. In the biography session it states “Henry was initially reluctant to support independence. Once reassured on these questions, however, he participated in drafting Virginia’s resolution calling upon Congress to declare the colonies “free and independent states.” Henry also served on a large committee chosen to draft the Virginia Declaration of Rights“. Now the Virginia declaration of rights happened in June 1776. Now what happened before that time that might have changed his mind. Why common sense written by Thomas Paine was published in January and again in February of 1776 calling for Americans to rise up and fight the monarchy for independence. Patrick Henry then set himself up opposed to Madison and Jefferson. He opposed Jefferson and Madison’s separation of church and state and wanted tax money to go to established religious groups. He owned slaves unlike Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin.

Patrick Henry had a diverse set of views. He supported the bill of rights but I need to read more to see what his thoughts were on voting. Thomas Paine advocated that common people be given the vote as opposed to Adams who thought that only the rich and powerful should vote. Considering Patrick Henry’s shift to support for John Adams I have a feeling he might have had a similar position as Adams but I could be wrong.

I read Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man by Christopher Hitchens and I’m almost done with Thomas Paine and The Promise of America by Harvey J. Kaye. Next up is to read Rights of Man by Thomas Paine himself.

I’m not sure if the tree sit is named after Partick Henry’s Plantation or if it is merely a coincidence, I have a feeling it is a coincidence, but it definately gives me a chance to talk about Thomas Paine which I have been fascinated with recently.

If the tree sitters were reviving historical revolutionaries such as Patrick “give me freedom of give me death” Henry, they might make a better connection with Thomas Paine. I would so go to a rights of man potluck.