Liberty Fight – by Martin Hill
Terry L. Sharkey is a man who can be described as a modern-day homesteader. He set up camp in the Cherokee National Forest in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of east Tennessee. Sharkey had planted a garden, pitched a tent, formed a bathtub made of rock, and flew a rebel flag. Unfortunately for him, the land he chose purportedly belongs to the federal government, and they won’t stand for the likes of Sharkey.
Sharkey was convicted in April of this year after being charged for the same thing. In that case, he represented himself, PRO SE in Case # 3:14-PO-031, United States of America vs Terry L. Sharkey.
He was found guilty of four counts after entering a peal of not guilty. The counts were occupying a site for more than 14 days, failing to dispose of all garbage, camping within 300 feet of the Skyway, and residing on national Forest Land without authorization.
Judge C. Clifford Shirley, Jr. signed the ruling on April 2, 2014 and noted “it is ordered that the defendant shall notify the United States Attorney for this district within 30 days of any change of name, residence, or mailing address until all fines, restitution, costs and special assessments imposed by this judgment are fully paid.” Sharkey was also ordered to notify the government of any “changes in economic circumstances.” However, there were no criminal monetary penalties assigned to Sharkey for that case.
Soon afterwards, Sharkey was arrested again, after being spotted by a government helicopter surveying the area. WBIR reported that rangers hiked to the location and found Sharkey’s camp “which included a tent, a Rebel flag, and a bath tub made of rock.” Sharkey also had planted a garden and was building a log cabin.
The U.S. Forest Service website states “The Cherokee National Forest is your destination for outdoor recreation. Enjoy a scenic drive through the mountains, the pursuit of wildlife, the thrill of whitewater, a night under the stars, or solitude on a backcountry trail.” The area in which Sharkey set up his home is described as “The 650,000-acre forest is the largest tract of public land in Tennessee.” It has more than 600 miles of trails, hundreds of miles of cold water streams, 7 whitewater rivers, 3 large lakes managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, and “11 congressionally designated Wilderness areas.”
The Cherokee National Forest rules and regulations page governs matters such as camping, public behavior, sanitation, and firearms. It states “As a visitor to the National Forests, you are asked to follow certain rules designed to protect the Forests and the natural environment, to ensure the health and safety of visitors, and to promote pleasant and rewarding outdoor recreation experience for all visitors. Forest Officers are empowered to enforce the Federal Regulations.”
There are many instances of people being prosecuted and even kicked off their own land for living “off the grid.” The Madison County, Indiana Planning Commission evicted a 72-year-old man from his 38 acres because he allegedly “broke all kinds of laws” no electricity, no septic system, no running water, and he lived in a camper on land he bought from his parents.
See also: U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 14-031 – USA v. Sharkey
Martin Hill is a Catholic paleoconservative and civil rights advocate. His work has been featured in the Los Angeles Daily News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, The Orange County Register, KNBC4 TV Los Angeles, The Press Enterprise, LewRockwell.com, WhatReallyHappened.com, Infowars.com, PrisonPlanet.com, Economic Policy Journal, FreedomsPhoenix, Haaretz, TMZ, Veterans Today, Jonathan Turley blog, The Dr. Katherine Albrecht Show, National Motorists Association, AmericanFreePress.net, RomanCatholicReport.com, WorldNetDaily, OverdriveOnline.com, Educate-Yourself.org, TexeMarrs.com, Dr. Kevin Barrett’s Truth Jihad radio show, Strike-The-Root.com, Pasadena Weekly, ActivistPost.com, Los Angeles Catholic Lay Mission Newspaper, KFI AM 640, IamtheWitness.com, Redlands Daily Facts, BlackBoxVoting, The Michael Badnarik Show, The Wayne Madsen Report, Devvy.com, Rense.com, The Contra Costa Times, Pasadena Star News, Silicon Valley Mercury News, Long Beach Press Telegram, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, L.A. Harbor Daily Breeze, CopBlock.org, DavidIcke.com, Whittier Daily News, KCLA FM Hollywood, The Fullerton Observer, Antiwar.com, From The Trenches World Report, and many others. Archives can be found at LibertyFight.com and DontWakeMeUp.Org.
http://libertyfight.com/2014/Black_man_flying_confederate_flag_arrested_living_forest.html
Sounds like a homesteader to me. No problem except for the garbage.
The fed gov owns no land except for the ten miles square in DC and some forts.
The homesteaders of old had problems with the big cattle barons also
who did not own the land.
well what are they going to get out of him?..nothing
this “Just Us” system works on money, ours ..he has none so this wont go very far, at this point he’s probably fed better and is nice and warm
his vacation at club Fed will run out , and he will be put back on the street, where he will probably go back to his old ways
this proves nothing , shoulda left him alone
Is it time yet?
camping within 300 feet of the Skyway?
What the f does that mean?
He camped withing 300 ft of where planes fly?
Sounds like good ol’ fashion BULLSHIT.
They are all in a big club and you ain’t in it! George Carlin,and as you can see he was right! Where are the homeless people suppose to live?If only he were an illegal they could help him more. The homeless population in this country is growing bigger all the time too but I guess all the good paying jobs are going to stop that just as soon as hell freezes over!
All the jobs in America are going to immigrants, rather legal or illegal:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3173492/posts
Might as well dump America in a vault of acid. Sad state of affairs.