In California, there is a high speed bullet train being built at a cost of $64 billion dollars. The Megatropolis plans the first prototype to run from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It will split the state right down the middle much like the San Andreas Fault with no less potential disastrous consequences.
It will require a massive surveillance apparatus to guard and protect from terrorists at a cost of billions of more dollars. People living anywhere nearby will be considered a possible terrorist threat by the surveillance state. Their children will be tested in school for possible terrorist tendencies. This will all be done under the guise and pretense of providing a fast, quick way to get from point A to B in complete comfort and ease.
Pull back the smoke screen of glitz, gadgetry and endless discovery and the Mules see the Megatropolis using this bullet train (machine) to seize and bring under its control more space to satisfy its insatiable appetite for contained and controlled energy (be it human, animal, wind, sun, etc.) on earth.
The bullet train is yet another scheme brought forth by the Megatropolis to drag the Human Race down a dark hole to be disconnected from ourselves, each other and our home, the Earth. To be forever wandering and lost in the manmade world of gadgetry, glitz and endless discovery. You bump into somebody, they ask you who you are, where you are from, and you won’t have a clue.
The Mules have an alternate proposal to the Megatropolis’s bullet train: A multi-use trail system going in all four directions, – Hooking all communities to all communities – Connecting people with reverence and respect for each other and their surroundings – Moving at a pace that is in harmony with the natural flowing energy that flows around and through us – Learning to use that energy to heal our bodies and nurture our souls – Teaching the children the magic and joy of being real human beings connected to the Natural World – Bringing people together to solve the problems that face them with cooperation and respect.
The Public Thoroughfare, a multi-use trail system, is the place for the fist step in the right direction.
The Mules
Note: If you agree with this, please make a copy and send where you think it will do the most good.
While the Hillary and Donald circus distraction goes on, the Megatropolis continues to spread the gadgetry and glitz everywhere no matter the consequences. As the Mules walk, their endless journey and show the startling contrast between their way of life (respect and reverence for earth and all life) and the Megatropolis way of life to spread itself relentlessly until there is no life.
The Mules and our Declaration of Emergency was recognized by a stellar organization of Equestrians, The Long Riders’ Guild who wrote:
“While the majority of Americans are familiar with the political aspirations of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, it may surprise people to learn that another political campaign has also been launched in the United States and that this movement is about the need to preserve equestrian freedom.
John Sears has been traveling with his mules through the western portion of the USA for many years. During his travels Sears has denounced the spread of a threat he defines as Megatropolis, a ‘developing machine that’s only real purpose is to gobble the Earth up until it’s been consumed.’
In an interview with California journalist, Rick Paulas, Sears explained how an expanding tube of local city ordinances are being passed in an effort to systematically remove people’s right to sleep outdoors in a public space.
‘We have a right to travel in this country freely and to choose how we do it.’ Sears told Paulas. ‘But if you don’t have the right to stop and rest, or the right to go to sleep at night, you can’t exercise that right to travel.’
Sears believes that Americans are unaware that their fundamental right to travel freely across the country is being endangered by restrictive local laws. He has written a Declaration of Emergency wherein he urges his fellow citizens to protect their civil liberties.
‘The ordinances go against any real law of common sense. They’re laws against life itself.’ Sears said. ‘It’s illegal. It’s not acceptable. If it’s acceptable, this country better quit celebrating the Fourth of July and stop uttering the word freedom, because there is none.’”
Does not matter whether you be Republican, Democrat, socialist, capitalist or a hoo-dee-do, we are all human and we cannot continue our lives without a strong healthy natural world.
While walking to Oakhurst along Highway 41 to buy groceries, we came upon the latest roadside memorial for a fatality brought about by the High-Speed Motorist (HSM) on one of many highways and roads which are totally unsuitable for the speeds being driven.
The Mules, cyclists and pedestrians have the absolute right to use Highway 41, a public thoroughfare, but are put into a suicidal type circumstance when doing so.
The state of California has built and continues to build and maintain a public thoroughfare that is suicidal for the other venues, equestrians, cyclists, and pedestrians, therefore denying those venues their rightful tax-supported use.
The State of California has trapped itself into a totally illegal condition. It must act immediately to build alternative trails for those other venues for not to do so will open the courthouse doors to a lawsuit in size and scope which will dwarf anything herefore ever seen.
This morning as we were walking along Road 415 going to Coarsegold, a highway patrol officer stopped and told us he was responding to calls that we were walking on the roadway.
We said, “Yes, at times, we do walk on the roadway because there is no place else to walk. All city, county, state roads are public thoroughfares. They are open to all comers – person on crutches, driving a wheelchair, pedestrian, bicycle, equestrian and extra terrestrial (ET) on a vacation. These thoroughfares are not for the exclusive use of the High Speed Motorist (HSM) and its most favored and valued friend the Automobile. When the HSM sees a pedestrian, equestrian bicycle or an ET moving on the roadway exercising their absolute legal right to be doing so, the HSM must reduce its speed or stop if necessary so all involved can pass safely. There is nothing in the law stating the HSM has a legal right to be going at the speed limit regardless of the circumstance.”
The officer responded, “Be careful.” He went on his way and we continued our way.
“Run for the bushes, jump in a ditch, you all be damned. I slow up for nothing or nobody.” This is the pervasive attitude held by many HSM.
This HSM attitude is the main cause of death on the public thoroughfare in this country. The public thoroughfare is a place where people meet, trade goods and knowledge, experiences and generally enjoy moving freely from one place to the next. It was never intended to become a High Speed Dragstrip for machines running everybody else into the ditches in fear of becoming a bloody mess.
The Public Thoroughfare is the tenuous tread by which The Mules exercise their right to move freely in one of all four directions when they choose and how they choose. We will never give up our legal and mystical use of it. Nor should anybody else.
On Friday, June 24, 2016, the Mules arrived in Clovis, CA. We got onto a nice multi-use trail in the afternoon and were heading north. Upon walking for awhile, we met a TV news crew from KMPH and they asked if they could ask questions and take film for their FOX26 KMPH 10:00 news broadcast. We said sure.
The Mules at Trader Joe’s parking lot
We went to Trader Joe’s to buy some cranberry juice, then went back to the trail.
It was getting late so we decided to stop off to the side of the trail and rest for the night. A lady named Janeen brought the Mules some hay when we were at Trader Joe’s so they (the kids) were set. [Thank you Janeen for unexpectedly appearing out of nowhere and bringing the kids hay and carrots for their dinner.]
After fixing and eating my dinner, I was sitting on the water bucket on the Fresno-Clovis Trail, relaxing and enjoying being off my feet. At about 9:30pm, two officers with flashlights from the Clovis Police Department came upon us wanting to know what we were doing. We said that we have stopped here to rest for the night. The officer said the city council of Clovis says no camping in the city limits of Clovis. We said we were not camping, we have stopped here on this public right of way to rest for the night.
The officer said they were responding to calls from citizens about us being here. We said we were exercising our legal right to use a public thoroughfare and any attempt by the use of codes, regulations or laws to deny us that right shall be considered blatantly illegal.
The officer returned to his cruiser, came back in a reasonable amount of time, used discretion, in regards to the no camping law and said we could stay for the night if we would agree to leave in the morning. We said yes we would, which was stated intention.
So the kids and myself slept peacefully through the night, arose in the morning, ate breakfast, packed up and were on our way for another day living in balance with the Natural World all day, every day
Note: The Public thoroughfare in a free country must be open to all comers. The Mules are one of those comers. Our use of this thoroughfare is not the same as those who live, eat, play, and sleep inside houses then come out of those houses for some fresh air and exercise.
The Mules wander freely throughout the day then stop and use the public space to rest for the night. Any law that prevents the Mules from resting and sleeping, a most necessary function to sustain life, must be considered by any common sense mind, to be illegal.
With the above being said and understood, the Mules will not and cannot obey these no camping laws. For to do so will be the end of us. This place of any one human being wandering with his or her animal companions, has access to many dimensions. This dimension on this earth is the one we love the most. The Mules will not be removed from it. Long live human beings and their connection to Earth. There is no future without it.
Yesterday late afternoon, we arrived in Sanger, California and stopped to rest between two buildings. Earlier in the morning while we were in Reedley, Linda posted that she could bring hay if we needed it. When we found our spot to rest for the night, we wrote Linda back asking if her offer to bring hay to us was still available. She said yes. So the kids had nice hay for dinner and breakfast thanks to Linda, Matthew and Jacob.
As we were packing up to leave in the morning, Javier and Efrain from Apache Smog and Tire in the building next to us, came over and asked what we were doing and what we were all about. We talked a bit and they looked up our website. Javier said that Academy Feed Store is 3-miles down the road and asked if we needed anything. We said that we needed two horseshoe files. He said to go to the feed store, and if the store had what we needed, tell the store to give him a call and he would pay for it. We walked to the feed store, which had what we needed and they called Javier. Thank you Javier for your kind support toward the mules.
While securing the kids in a shopping center parking lot so that we could go buy bread, an animal control officer told us that we were not allowed to be walking through the City of Sanger. We said that we had the right to walk in any public thoroughfare in this country. I went in the store to buy a loaf of bread and when I came out the animal control officer was still there. The officer said he had looked at our website. We talked briefly and went our separate ways.
We went to deliver the Declaration of Emergency (DOE) to Sanger City Hall, then continued our way towards Fresno.
Synopsis: On May 9, 2014, the Mules were arrested by the National Park Service and issued three citations for camping outside of designated area, violating order of a government agent, and conditions concerning use of pack animals in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
On July 16, 2014, the Mules attended an arraignment at the United States District Court in Los Angeles and pleaded not guilty and a trial date was set for November 6, 2014.
At the trial on November 6, 2014, the Mules were charged with 1) not obeying an order of a federal employee; and 2) camping in an undesignated area on national park land, while the third charge related to the pack animals was dropped. If found guilty on these charges, the maximum penalty for this petty offense was term of six months imprisonment, $5000 maximum fine, $10 special assessment for misdemeanor conviction, $25 processing fee payable to the Central Violations Bureau, and five year probation period. The Mules pleaded not guilty and were found guilty on both charges with no imposed penalties or fines, but were assessed a $35 court fee.
The Mules in front of the U.S. District Court of Appeals Ninth District in Pasadena
May 2, 2016: Oral Arguments. The Mules attended Oral Arguments before a three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court of Appeals Ninth District in Pasadena. The defense for the Mules and the government prosecution each had 15 minutes to provide their argument in front of a three-panel judge. Click to watch U.S. Court of Appeal Ninth Circuit Oral Argument court video recording:9th Circuit Court of Appeals video recording United States of America v. John C Sears 5/2/2016.
Thank you to Kevin who once again brought his energy and support to the Mules by taking care of the kids by watching them and our belongings while I was in court for the initial trial in Los Angeles and this Oral Argument in Pasadena.
On June 15, 2016, the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the magistrate judge’s finding that the Mules were guilty of violating two National Park Service regulations.
Click to read ruling 9th District Decision 6/15/2016:
To hear post-court discussion between John Sears and pro bono attorney Dan Kapelovitz, click here: https://youtu.be/eNIc2_TjcME
——————————————————————————————— Statement from the Mules in response to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision: On May 2, 2016, the Mules appeared at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena to hear our appeal before three judges brought forth by the Megatropolis to decide whether the Mules or anybody else, hiker, bicycle or somebody traveling in a wheelchair, in this continental United States has the right to use public space to stop and rest for the night.
The National Parks are without question public space. They belong to all of us and they must be open to all who seek use of them in ways which conform to the mission of bringing people into the Natural World with reverence and respect.
The Mules and the way of life they live are a stellar example of that mission. When the Megatropolis uses its courts and judges to deny the Mules that most necessary function of life (rest) on a National Park, its subverts the mission of the Natural Parks – bringing people and the Natural World together in a natural way as opposed to the Megatropolis way (man-made world way) arriving in an air-conditioned bus with all the comforts of home.
The Mules on this day, September 13, 2016, have declared themselves to be the official mascots of the Natural Park system. One human being wandering in one of all four directions with his or her animal companions with reverence and respect for this totally unique sparkling jewel in the universe – our home EARTH.
Hence, the Mules, in the process of performing their duty as the official mascots of the Natural Parks, will bring clarity, direction and purpose to administering the mission of the National Parks. Rather then continuing down the slippery slope of the commercialism which is destroying the National Parks.
2/6/2015 Appellant Opening Brief. Mule’s legal representative Daniel Kapelovitz has submitted an appeal to the United States District Court, which has ten days to respond.
3/2/2015 Reply Brief. Mule’s legal representative Daniel Kapelovitz has submitted the Reply Brief to the Government’s Answering Brief Outcome: The Judge stood by the initial ruling and rejected the appeal.
As I was grazing the Mules yesterday, there were two areas adjacent to each other, one being the open unkept field, the other the well manicured park grass. The kids were constantly trying to get to the lush green park grass. I had to keep turning them back to the open field.
The Megatropolis behaves in much the same way as the Mules. It has an insatiable appetite for lush green grass (your freedom, your energy). It will leave no stone unturned, no scheme untried, consequences no matter.
While most everybody has been set to distractions and pre-occupations, the Mules have not. Our nomadic way of life demands that the Mules stay in constant vigilance and alert. So when the Megatropolis turns to the lush green grass, our freedom, our energy, we are there to grab its lead rope and turn it back to the open field.
The support for the Mules to do this most necessary job will not come from government, a political party, corporation, or a super pack. The Mules are not registered Republicans or Democrats. We are not capitalists, socialists, communists or terrorists. The Mules are free-flowing energy and a living moving connection to the Natural World.
Support for the Mules comes from the soul of a people who love freedom and recognize and understand the creativity, magic and light that is bestowed on those who practice it.
Long live this place of one human-being, moving freely with his or her animal companions. Viva La Mulas.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance so said somebody…can’t remember who, it’s been quoted by many. The Mules are a venue of that vigilance providing a real live moving scene of eternal vigilance by which anybody at anytime can open the window and watch the Mules moving freely when they choose , how they choose across this country and across this earth.
You take a pause in your busy day, look through the window, you see the Mules there moving freely and unhindered. They’re strong, healthy and well. Now you know your personal freedom and your children’s future is still here.
You look through the window and you see the Mules limping then you know you must jump through that window and give your strength and support so the Mules can continue their journey which is to protect and preserve their freedom as well as yours.
In these complicated and troubled times, the Megatropolis is taking full advantage. Our case in Pasadena at the United States Court of Appeals is a perfect example. The National Park Service arrested the Mules for stopping to rest – one of the most necessary functions to sustain life.
The Megatropolis must come to understand it cannot meddle or tread on the Mules or anybody else’s basic functions of sleeping, eating, walking, etc. that are necessary to living. For allow it to do so will certainly be the end of freedom.
The Mules demonstrating the down to the bone nomadic way of life. Able to erect shelter in a moments notice, take it down the same. Leaving a place the way it was when they arrived. Using their energy to live in harmony and respect with nature not in confrontation with nature. The Mules demonstrating this most valued and respected way to live on this earth to one and all as they walk down the city street right under your kitchen window to see, feel, experience the absolute necessity to yourself and the future of your children for a strong healthy Natural World.
The Mules are calling forth a thousand Monks walking with their animal companions all over this country for thousand of years or until the Buffalos return breaking over the horizon like water breaking through a dam, restoring the health of the Natural World and all who reside within.
The Vision will grow in scope and size it comes through the door of infinity it knows no limits.
