The
Safety Stop that Launched Constitutional Restoration.
Charlie
Sprinkle, The Goatman of Ojai.
It happened on the lovely road that
connects Ventura, California to Ojai, that famous, slightly inland
village where such famous world figures as Krisnamurti and Annie
Besant held forth in the early 20th Century, changing the
direction of spirituality for the Western world. Originally called
Nordoff, for Charles Nordoff, the author of “California: A Book for
Travellers and Settlers,” published in 1872, the bucolic
settlement's name was changed to Ojai in the early 20th
century.
Theosophy and other inquiries into
Eastern philosophy still persist there along with health spas and
golf courses. Serious movements happened there; the residents
expected it.
In the early 1970s the Movement to
Restore the Constitution was born anew there. Before that morning in
early June the focus of those involved had been the IRS; on that
morning its directions changed and multiplied. After that day what
happened to the Constitution is better understood and so better
challenged.
That magic spark was struck in front
of Dahl's Market, which still sits on what is variously known as
Ventura Street and Highway 33, on the road to Ventura. The moment
came early on that June morning and it was started by a feisty man
named Charlie Sprinkle. Charlie had moved to Ojai from Virginia,
having spent time in the U. S. Air Force. Sprinkle liked to fly. On
that morning he was driving his newly refurbished Volkswagon Van,
with a 40 Horse power engine, gliding along the road, minding his own
business. He had had the van lovingly repainted a shiny white.
Charlie was going into business selling Amway, then a new enterprise
that Charlie felt held great promise. Just that morning he had
picked up his vehicle at the mechanic's, carefully going over the van
before accepting delivery. Charlie was, himself, a mechanic.
The van's paint job was intended to
keep the Amway product line as cool as possible. His Amway signs were
affixed to the shiny doors. The windows were tinted to further the
protection of Charlie's stock, carefully arranged in the back.
Tooling down the road Charlie approached the front of Dahl's Market,
heading towards Ventura. There ahead of him was a traffic stop,
manned by six California Highway Patrol Officers, stopping all
traffic going towards Ventura. Charlie came to a halt, watching the
line of cars in front of him. It looked like slow going up there.
45 minutes passed. One of the
officers told Charlie this was a safety check, a service provided by
the State of California to ensure that drivers were not endangered by
malfunctioning vehicles. Ungrateful, Charlie pointed out that the
safety check was costing him money; he was told to be quiet.
Charlie is not the kind of guy who is naturally quiet. Nearly as
soon as he moved to Ojai he had joined a group protesting the IRS and
was then planning to make his point in the Ojai 4th of
July Parade which would take place in just less than a month.
Smirking, the officer who finally
examined his van issued Charlie a citation, telling him that his
right brake light was not working. Charlie told them that was
impossible, explaining that the filament for the brake light and the
turn signal were the same filament in the bulb. Charlie laid it out
for them with hand gestures and elementary physics. To blank stares
he went on to tell them that the electricity arrived at the filament
through the wiring to the brake switch through the turn signal
mechanism, making it flash. If the brake light does not work the
turn signal could not work. It worked, therefore the brake light
works. They ignored him, continuing to issue the citation. Well,
said Charlie, in that case, put your badge number, name, and the
exact time the citation was issued on the citation. Still smirking,
the officer complied.
Fifteen minutes later Charlie was
walking into the California Highway Patrol Office located near
Ventura at the Intersection to the Santa Paula Road and the 101
Freeway. Entering the office, he asked that his truck be inspected.
He had, he told the office manager and the guy sitting at the desk,
just gotten it from his mechanic and before venturing on to the roads
of California he wanted to make sure it passed muster. Impressed
with his fervor, the two men hastened out to the parking lot.
They took fifteen minutes, going over
it in minute detail. They walked around it, admiring its shiny new
paint job; they checked the brake lights, the turn signals and other
such complex technologies. All worked perfectly. Affixing the
INSPECTED sticker to the windshield they congratulated him on getting
the truck in such top shape. The desk officer wiped off the water
left from placing the sticker. Then Charlie told them he had just
been cited. As that sunk in he followed with the fact they would be
served with a law suit.
The trial took place in Ventura Court
and lasted 30 minutes. The judge found that the CHP had no cause to
stop Charlie. Charlie had tried to subpoena their mechanic expert
who was training officers to do inspections. The CHP admitted that
they have no such experts. This remains the case today.
Two weeks later the CHP announced they
would no longer be pulling people off the road to check their
vehicles for safety. The judge, finding in Charlie's favor had
declined to compensate him, saying they had no way to pay for the
liabilities they had created. There should be a means for getting
them to pay for his time, said Charlie. Charlie knew nothing about
the law. This changed. The law library was pointed out to him. Two
weeks later California announced it would no longer be providing
Safety Checks for disappointed drivers. The State of California
could no longer afford this luxury.
The 4th of July Parade went
on, though not as the Committee planned. Charlie was determined to
have a float in the parade and make himself heard. The Committee
told him he had to construct his float first and then get their
approval. What?! Said Charlie! Approval for a float on the
anniversary of the Declaration of Independence?
On a day by day basis the local paper,
the Ojai Valley News, and other local papers followed the train of
events as the committee did battle against Charlie's First Amendment
right to self expression. Charlie read that he intended to hang
President Nixon in effigy while the parade was in motion with
amusement. Charlie had other plans.
At 6am on the morning of the 4th
of July Charlie was at the starting point, near the Ford Motor
Company just north of the “Y” in Ojai. There, in an open field
where everyone assembled, was Charlie with his own Parade Committee
made up of two small children dressed in rags and an elderly milking
goat with an udder that nearly dragged on the ground. The goat was
wearing a pillow case that dangled down on both sides that read,
“Don't Let the IRS Get Your GOAT .”
A polite and lawful gentleman, Charlie
asked the organizer where his float should be. We will pass over the
response.
That year the parade started off with
Charlie leading the goat followed by two wailing children waving
small American flags, coached as to the appropriate behavior for an
American taxpayer. All along the route, which stretched from the Ford
Dealership to Bryant Street, about a two mile route, people would
cheer for Charlie, the goat and the performance put on by the
children. Many had come just to see the final denouement of the saga
they had followed in the paper. Claims by the Ojai 4th
of July Parade Committee had included the claim that Charlie intended
to hang President Nixon in effigy during the parade. Some hoped it
would actually be President Nixon. They were wrong about the effigy,
but there was more excitement to come.
When Charlie, the goat, and the kids,
reached The Hub, a watering place of some repute, on main street, an
aggravated organizer rushed over and began yanking on the goat's
halter. The elderly goat, treated for a few moments like a ping pong
ball, was rattled. A second official, white slacks and red coat,
entered the fray to hear Charlie say, “she does not give much milk
and she drinks a whole lot.”
Abruptly, the rope jerking stopped. As
if this was a sign giving permission, the much abused goat raised
her tail and relieved herself onto the leg of the second nattily
dressed official, who distracted by the acrimony, did not immediately
notice the dark spot on the ground or his pants and white suede shoes
turning yellow.
“My goat has her opinion of you,
too!” yelled Charlie. Enraged, the well watered official demanded
one of the cops standing by eject Charlie, the goat and the kids.
Sighing, the cop said, “Look, leave that guy alone, he will sue
your ass. Also, you are holding up the parade.” So much has
changed with law enforcement.
And so the parade continued on to its
end at Bryant Street as the crowd roared their approval.
Unfortunately, Charlie's float did not win the prize, but he deserved
it.
Soon afterwards a Congressman contacted
Charlie. The letter was addressed to, “The Goatman of Ojai.”
These are the true and accurate events
that launched Charlie into history and into his life-long vocation of
holding those in authority accountable.
The Constitution and common law are the
tools of justice that, in the hands of the people, keep us free.
Through the devious strategies of a few they have been removed from
use, resulting in the world we see today. A few have struggled to
place them back in the hands of the people. Charlie is one of those
individuals.
Sometimes serious movements make their
points through humor, but the gravity of their purpose and the
urgency of need remains unchanged. This is how the Movement to
Restore the Constitution began – that unfolding continues today
with Charlie still active and as cantankerous as always.
Watch this space for the ceremony that
will install the memorial plaques appropriate to the history.
America needs its Constitution and the common law; now you know why.
Join us to commemorate the efforts of stalwart individuals like
Charlie Sprinkle. .
Here, on June 197
Charlie Sprinkle
began the Movement to
Restore the Constitution.
On this Spot
July 4th 197
Charlie Sprinkle's Goat
Exercised the First
Amendment
Road safety checks are just to generate
income and intimidate like so much else they do.
The Year of the Goat in Ojai
The 4th of July Committee in
Ojai was determined that Charlie would not enter a float in the
yearly parade which started t the Ford Motor Company just north of
the Y in Ojai and went all of the way to Bryant Street, about a two
mile route. There was an open field where everyone assembled,
Country Land Drive in Ojai. Charlie had been discussing his float
with them for a month before the parade. They did not want Charlie
in the parade, telling people that he was going to hang President
Nixon in effigy.
By the time the second official, white
slacks and red coat, “she does not give much milk and she drinks a
whole lot. The rope jerking stopped and the goat raised her tail and
let it go. She needed relief. The dark spot started getting dark
and his pants and white suede shoes turned yellow. My goat has her
opinion of you, too. Tells the cop to get him out of the parade.
Look, leave that guy along, he will sue your ass and you are holding
up the parade. Charlie and the goat continued leading the parade and
the crowd roared their approval. Unfortunately, Charlie's float did
not win the prize.
Right in front of The Hub, a watering
place of some repute, on main street.
Two months later someone in Washington
sent a letter to Charlie to, The Goat Man of Ojai. He said he would
help if Charlie wanted to sue.
