The following statement was read by Max Specktor before his sentencing at the plea hearing of October 19, 2010.

I accept total responsibility for my actions in this case, but this conspiracy is only part of the story, so I would like to share some other thoughts and plans of mine, to provide some context for these actions.

I refuse to participate in the spectacle of democracy; the idea that two parties, or 3, or 100 parties, can represent all the opinions in this country. Instead, I believe in self-determination and autonomy. In practice, this means that I alone make decisions about things that only affect me. And in a group setting, we make our decisions together.

I refuse to accept the logic that our world is for sale. I don’t believe that everything can be bought and sold, or that appearing happy is more important than true happiness. Instead, I choose a world that is free. In practice, this means decentralizing the power and wealth that is so concentrated in the hands of a few, and prioritizing real needs over conspicuous consumption.

I refuse to sleepwalk through life. Instead, I’ve chosen to celebrate life and fight to defend it. In practice, this means I am an active participant in my community, and work to provide resources to assist in supporting that community. In these hard times, I believe that communities need to learn how to support themselves and I am committed to furthering that goal.

I accept the fact that I have a lot of privilege in being able to explain my motivations today. I also owe a lot to the hard work of others for supporting me throughout this process. However, there are too many people who do not share this privilege; they lack a proscribed channel for articulating their demands. Instead, their desires and frustrations explode out of them: in the streets, on their jobs, in their homes. My only hope is that out of this chaos, we can maintain the wisdom and foresight to build the world we wish to see. These are my motivations.

–Max Specktor

Tags: Max Specktor, sentencing statement