The First Amendment gives Americans five basic freedoms: Freedom of speech, press, petition, assembly and religion.
My rights to free speech and free religious expression have been impaired and obstructed by Caltrans' destruction of the Art and Music Camp in July, 2022, and those rights would be even more impaired and obstructed if Caltrans follows through with their planned destruction of the Cob on Wood tiny home ecovillage on September 26, 2022. I assert my first amendment rights to free speech and free religious expression on public land, here on State of California land, upon which Caltrans is merely an operator, not an owner, and which has been appointed by we the people to maintain our freeways, not disenfranchise us from our right to "estate". Caltrans' threatened destruction of Cob on Wood is also a direct threat to my First Amendment rights to free speech and free religious expression.
If I am forcibly removed from this public land by Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol, and the tacit acceptance of the City of Oakland, I will not be able to practice the following religious freedoms:
1) Fellowship around the campfire - The fire ring at Cob on Wood enables the safe and controlled enjoyment of an outdoor wood fire, where we share our stories and songs from any and all faiths and traditions, in an atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance.
2) Free expression of song and dance on the Cob on Wood music stage. Sharing of the songs I have written about my Gurus with diverse audiences, and being able to hear others sing or pass the mic to share their unique personal or religious points-of-view and musical expressions is essential to my free religious practice here on public land.
3) Every Sunday at Cob on Wood we cook and eat food together, and all are welcome to enjoy free food together. Food taking with people of any and all faiths and traditions at Cob on Wood is another essential aspect of my free religious expression on public land.
4) Caltrans claims on their notices that my property "may be destroyed" by them on September 26, 2022. This would violate Judge Orrick's orders given on August 26, 2022 in his ruling on the case of Blain, et al v. Caltrans, that our private property and shelter vehicles be preserved through an orderly process of storage and retrieval provided by the defendants. Violations of this same order have already taken place with the destruction of private property and shelter vehicles perpetrated by Caltrans on and after Monday, September 12, 2022. If Caltrans destroys my shelter vehicle, they will also be destroying my place of worship and free religious expression on public land; my shelter vehicle doubles as Temple Om Ma Da, a sacred space devoted to meditation and chanting and study of spiritual scriptures. Temple Om Ma Da is a unique sacred space devoted to equal worship of the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine, whom I recognize in the persons of Santosha Tantra, and Adi Da Samraj, Whose Presences are honored and served here on a daily basis. At Temple Om Ma Da we also practice the "Basket of Tolerance", which is to say that all expressions of faith in God/Goddess are welcome here, as long as they do not impair or obstruct the same rights of others.
If I am forcibly evicted by Caltrans from the Cob on Wood village, I may lose all 4 of these essential components of my free religious expression. No offer of hotel vouchers, shelter beds, or any other form of shelter offered to us by the City of Oakland or their agents, enables or allows these four essential components of my free religious expression, and thus, the actions of Caltrans have caused, and may yet cause, undue restrictions of my first amendment rights.
My rights to free speech and free religious expression have been impaired and obstructed by Caltrans' destruction of the Art and Music Camp in July, 2022, and those rights would be even more impaired and obstructed if Caltrans follows through with their planned destruction of the Cob on Wood tiny home ecovillage on September 26, 2022. I assert my first amendment rights to free speech and free religious expression on public land, here on State of California land, upon which Caltrans is merely an operator, not an owner, and which has been appointed by we the people to maintain our freeways, not disenfranchise us from our right to "estate". Caltrans' threatened destruction of Cob on Wood is also a direct threat to my First Amendment rights to free speech and free religious expression.
If I am forcibly removed from this public land by Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol, and the tacit acceptance of the City of Oakland, I will not be able to practice the following religious freedoms:
1) Fellowship around the campfire - The fire ring at Cob on Wood enables the safe and controlled enjoyment of an outdoor wood fire, where we share our stories and songs from any and all faiths and traditions, in an atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance.
2) Free expression of song and dance on the Cob on Wood music stage. Sharing of the songs I have written about my Gurus with diverse audiences, and being able to hear others sing or pass the mic to share their unique personal or religious points-of-view and musical expressions is essential to my free religious practice here on public land.
3) Every Sunday at Cob on Wood we cook and eat food together, and all are welcome to enjoy free food together. Food taking with people of any and all faiths and traditions at Cob on Wood is another essential aspect of my free religious expression on public land.
4) Caltrans claims on their notices that my property "may be destroyed" by them on September 26, 2022. This would violate Judge Orrick's orders given on August 26, 2022 in his ruling on the case of Blain, et al v. Caltrans, that our private property and shelter vehicles be preserved through an orderly process of storage and retrieval provided by the defendants. Violations of this same order have already taken place with the destruction of private property and shelter vehicles perpetrated by Caltrans on and after Monday, September 12, 2022. If Caltrans destroys my shelter vehicle, they will also be destroying my place of worship and free religious expression on public land; my shelter vehicle doubles as Temple Om Ma Da, a sacred space devoted to meditation and chanting and study of spiritual scriptures. Temple Om Ma Da is a unique sacred space devoted to equal worship of the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine, whom I recognize in the persons of Santosha Tantra, and Adi Da Samraj, Whose Presences are honored and served here on a daily basis. At Temple Om Ma Da we also practice the "Basket of Tolerance", which is to say that all expressions of faith in God/Goddess are welcome here, as long as they do not impair or obstruct the same rights of others.
If I am forcibly evicted by Caltrans from the Cob on Wood village, I may lose all 4 of these essential components of my free religious expression. No offer of hotel vouchers, shelter beds, or any other form of shelter offered to us by the City of Oakland or their agents, enables or allows these four essential components of my free religious expression, and thus, the actions of Caltrans have caused, and may yet cause, undue restrictions of my first amendment rights.
My Spiritual Master Adi Da Samraj, inside Temple Om Ma Da.
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The Incarnation of the Divine Goddess, Santosha Tantra, inside Temple Om Ma Da.
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This is Temple Om Ma Da, my place of residence and worship. Inside is a sacred space dedicated to my Gurus Adi Da Samraj and Santosha Ma. I became a student of Adi Da in 1983, and became His formal devotee in 2001. Living on public land at the Wood Street Community enables me to have more access to the free practice of my religion, because of the tolerance of the community here, and because of the greater amount of free time I have for my spiritual practice, having found an alternative to my previous life, which was consumed with financial stress and increasing debt slavery.
On the Left - Temple Om Ma Da at the Cob on Wood Village. |
Installing the "sacred tree" as the center post for the Pavilion, a sacred space for assembly and sacred arts at the Wood Street Commons.
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The Pavilion at the Wood Street Commons.
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The Pavilion and the music stage at the Wood Street Commons were burned down by convicted arsonist, David Kelley, on September 28th, 2021. The sacred tree survived the fire, and we rebuilt the Pavilion.
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The Pavilion for the Art and Music Camp, a 24 hour drop-in music camp dedicated to First Amendment free expression, as well as a sacred space for arts and culture.
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Many members of our community made use of this space, and reported how healing it was for them to be able to play the drum kit, or the grand piano, or sing, or play with other musicians, at any time of day or night.
This camp was bulldozed and destroyed by Caltrans and Burlington Northern railroad in July 2022. |