Gene Chapman

<BODY> <P>DEATH-FAST in Austin, Texas <P>One man's effort to get an answer... <P>What started as a reasonable question to authority has now become a cause with purpose! Texas state Citizen Gene Chapman wants to know: "Where is my tax liability in the law?" Beginning April 15 he was willing to at least lose some weight in the matter and possibly go further. As of April 25, day eleven, Gene is resigned to go the distance if an bona fide answer is not received! This man is serious! <P>"Where is MY tax liability in the law?" A simple question to which anyone who is presented a tax - any tax - should get an immediate, specific and legitimate response. "Show me authority!" <P>Beginning on the symbolic date of April 15, 2003, Gene began his death-fast with the intention of getting an answer from the Internal Revenue Service to the question he's been asking for more than three years. "What makes Texas Citizen Gene Chapman liable for income tax? Where is this liability so stated in the law - specifically?" Simple questions. And now many inquiring minds want to know: Where are the answers? <P>Gene is a proud Texan, from Lewisville, with ancestry that goes back to the early days of Texas. Some of his kinfolk actually fought with Sam Houston in the battle of San Jacinto where Texas won its independence from Mexico on April 21, 1836. <P>A soft-spoken, modest, single, middle-age, working man with no desire to be a ‘cause celebre’, Gene just wants a bone fide, legitimate, documented response to his question. And he is willing to go all the way to death to get it! Being a sincere Christian and an admirer of Mohandas Gandhi (India, 1869-1948) and other devotees to peaceful answers Gene is willing to submit himself to the now probable perils of a prolonged food fast, more than 60 days, to achieve his goals. Several health professionals are checking on Gene during the day and he is allowing himself water. Going into day eleven Gene is weak and the Austin, Texas weather is not being kind to him. April 24 saw a new record high of 95 degrees! And this city hasn't seen but .05 inch of rain so far this month making April 2003 one of the driest on record. To those of us who have shelter from the elements this may not seem like much to be concerned about - however, this author suggests that a reader spend just one day on a street corner without food wherever the reader may be and report back on the experience. <P>Dressed in a dhoti of Indian fabric, which he located with the help of Arun Gandhi, a grandson of Mohandas Gandhi, and seated on a donated lawn chair, as his original stadium seat was taken while he was indisposed, under what is now known as the “Liberty Tree” on the street corner of Parker Lane & Woodward Street, in south Austin, Texas, directly across from the Austin Regional IRS Unit - Gene gently smiles and waves at the various onlookers that go by. They wave, horns sound, some stop and talk. This particular area is well populated with University of Texas students and many stop and chat while they are waiting for the shuttle to take them to school. “Helps shorten the day” says Gene. An interesting note is the reaction he gets from the IRS employees as they leave work for the day – smiles, hand waves, horns, and thumbs up! "Do they know something that we don’t?" Also, in an apparent show of solidarity local police seem to be patrolling the area with a bit more frequency. <P>Gene has a modest camper unit which houses personal belongings and provides sanitary facilities and a place to sleep during the night. <P>Local media coverage so far has been adequate and yet sometimes misleading. In a short piece during the 6:00 p.m. segment (April 21), the local talking head for the I.R.S. gave the standard canned response to the reporter about the IRS being legitimate and the tax being constitutional, etc., and nothing about Gene's question and the local announcer’s end statement said that if one wanted to change the tax they should attempt do so by talking with state law makers.State law-makers? Duh... (State lawmakers have nothing to do with Federal taxes.) When told of this news coverage Gene just smiled. <P>Well there you have it up til now. Gene says that IRS people have told him that they would meet with him and we’ll let you know what happens then. Have you told a friend or two about Gene's death-fast? Have you directed anyone to this website? <P>Gene requests that others across America join him in solidarity by fasting Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as the spirit leads. Gene says, “Let us cast wickedness where it belongs and working towards solidarity we can do that.” <P>DISCLAIMER: This web page and related pages where brought into being as a public service to help keep the concerned public aware of the happenings in the life of Gene Chapman in Austin, Texas during his quest for an answer to his question to the IRS: “Where is my tax liability in the law?” Other than first seeing him on the local television newscast and now knowing him as doing what he is doing and receiving information from him from time-to-time regarding his activities, and reporting same, this website owner has no affiliation with the man Gene Chapman or any organization relating to him. The owner of this site does have Gene Chapman’s permission to set-up, maintain and promote this site and to collect contributions. As Gene doesn’t have the facilities to set-up and maintain a website himself this is also both a service for and to him. People who may desire to help Gene in any way are to know that a certain portion of anything collected through this webpage (http://www.in-austin.com/death-fast/) or related pages on this site will go towards maintenance and upkeep of site. <P>Neither Gene Chapman nor the owner of this website can be responsible for content on any websites linked to this site, either to or from. <P>NOTICE: email sent to Gene Chapman at gene@in-austin.com will be printed and delivered to him – he may or may not respond. <a href="http://www.exodus10-3.org/" target="_blank">www.exodus10-3.org</A> <a href="http://www.in-austin.com/death-fast/donations.html" target="_top">X</A> <a href="http://www.in-austin.com/death-fast/story.html" target="_top">XX</A> <a href="http://www.in-austin.com/death-fast/content.html" target="_top">XXX</A> <a href="http://www.in-austin.com/death-fast/proposed-response-from-irwin-schiff.htm" target="_top">XXXX</A> <a href="http://www.in-austin.com/death-fast/irs-first-response.htm" target="_top">XL</A> <a href="http://www.omega-gold.com/" target="_top">XY</A> <a href="http://www.Quality-Web-Work.com/" target="_top">XYZ</A> <a href="http://www.seen-on-tv.biz/" target="_top">X1</A> <a href="http://www.seenontv-wholesale.com/" target="_top">X2</A> <a href="http://www.as-seenontv-wholesale.com/" target="_top">X3</A>   </BODY>