Burgers with the Browns

(Left to right: Randy Weaver, Elaine Brown, Ron, Ed Brown, Dan Riley)

By Ron Dupuis

Their eyes glanced toward each other from time to time in playful exuberance as if to say “no matter what I’m speaking about , or to whom, I’m thinking of you.” There was what I can only assume to be affectionate “pet faces” that made the other burst out laughing in mid-sentence or thought. Then an elvish “I’m going to sit on your lap and hug you until you tell me you love me” prank that almost resulted in a chair collapsing.

Are you guessing Nancy and Ron Reagan?
Perhaps Ozzie and Harriett?
Even Romeo and Juliet?
Wrong!! On all three counts, and any others you can think of.

The subjects in discussion are Ed and Elaine Brown of Plainfield New Hampshire. For those of you un-familiar with the Browns, they are the couple sentenced to five years in prison by a Federal judge last April and are currently armed and hold up in their 110 acre property in Northern New Hampshire.

There were many reasons for my visit. One of those reasons was to put a human face on these people, born of my generation and working class, but now, in a best case scenario, faced with extended jail time, and in the worst, a violent death. Ed Brown has stated many times that he will die rather than spend one day in jail for standing up to an unjust government. The silver, clip fed automatic gun he has tucked in his waistband, or the rifle leaning against the wall beside him gives me reason to take him very seriously.

My visit was not planned. I made the two hour drive with no expectations. It was just a columnist curiosity. While standing at the driveway entrance thinking I was alone, a car appeared from what seemed out of nowhere.

“May I help you” was the question from the driver? To me the meaning was more like who are you and what are you doing here. After what seemed and eternity of convincing him that I was not a Federal agent, and not armed but merely a stuttering, nervous, fledging writer looking for a story, I was asked “Would you like to meet them?”

The meeting took place on the front porch of their home. We sat in chairs and discussed everything from politics to religion. Except when Ed was discussing their current situation, he was both friendly and a little humorous. With a twinkle in his eye, and after I informed him how nervous I was, he lit a pack of fire crackers while I wasn’t looking and threw them into the front yard. After I came out from under my chair we all had a good laugh.

“Are you hungry” as a plate of hamburger patties was brought from the house?

The next forty five minutes was spent like any other gathering of friends on a Sunday afternoon with burgers and chips and memories of growing up. I learned that the Browns met when Elaine hired Ed to work on a building when he was an exterminator twenty two years ago and that they have been together ever since. I learned that Elaine was born in Rhode Island and was educated at Tufts as a dentist and that Ed was born in Boston’s south end and considers life experience his primary education. I finally learned that these two people seem more in love today then they ever could have been twenty two years ago.

In My Humble Opinion I have no idea what the final outcome of this situation is going to be. Elaine Brown feels that the government agents will not come in to arrest or forcibly take them away. That somehow an alternative solution will be found. Conversely Ed Brown feels that they will come using force and states that if the shooting starts he will “take a couple with him” before he dies. On that Sunday afternoon the Browns were just a hospitable couple sharing there food with friends, supporters and one extremely nervous, sometimes stuttering columnist.

Watch for my next column titled “Me, Randy Weaver, and a pack of cigarettes!

Ron Dupuis is a long time New Hampshire resident, a former State Representative, and a freelance writer. His column appears every other Friday in The Hampton Union His e-mail is drcdupuis@comcast.net. His web site may be viewed at www.imho-nh.blogspot.com.