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Don Schrader is a local celebrity in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is known for his public access television show, his prolific letters to the editor of local publications; The Daily Lobo prints his letters on a regular basis. Shrader usually hand writes these letters on the back of utility bills or other paper items laying around his house. Schrader is also a fixture at Albuquerque city council meetings, often using the public comment period to speak about the issues he believes should be city priorities.

He is also known for his political activism, and most of all the way he dresses: you can rarely see him wearing much more than a loincloth 5, except in the winter, when he wears tight jeans and a beanie.

Now he spends his days holding anti-war signs out in front of the University of New Mexico bookstore on the corner of Central and Cornell. On his public access show, "Clearly from My Heart," Shrader advises that you rub garlic on your body to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases. He also speaks of the health benefits of drinking urine, which he has drank every day since Nov. 10, 1999.[1]

His letters to the editor touch on a number of social action issues, ranging from anti-sweatshop to anti-nuclear.

Shrader is also known for his frequent letters discussing homosexual sex.

He has been voted "Best Local Crackpot" by the readers of Albuquerque's alternative newsweekly the Weekly Alibi in their "Best of Burque" issue for many years running.[2][3][4]

Don advocates living a simple life and eating only raw organic foods. He claims to live on less than $4,000 a year in order to avoid paying any income tax. His only known source of income is that of an art model at the Universtiy of New Mexico qKW8wtu/pqF qaqbusykrqqfnJnKm7 Q3JCuxq0= 6.

AUTOBIOGRAPY

Editor Note: At the request of Don Schrader we have replaced the text of this entry with the following text transcribed from his hand written corrections and statements. Please respect this portion of the entry.

From the hand of Don Schrader, October 8, 2006

As far as I know, I am the most well-known war tax refuser, living simply enthusiast, all raw vegetarian, piss drinker, openly gay man and nudist in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

I was born November 20, 1945 grew up on our family farm near Freeport, Illinois graduated valedictorian from my Dakota, (Ill.) High School class of 1964 and majored in the Bible at Eastern Mennonite College (now University) 1964 - 1966 near Harrisonburg, Virginia. I was pastor of West Sterling Mennonite Church 1966 - 1968 Sterling, Illinois. As a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, I did two years of nonmilitary community service 1969 - 1970 in Surprise Arizona and 1970 - 1971 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Nothing in life is more important than refusing to pay federal income tax for war no -matter who is president. The best way to refuse to pay federal income tax for war with no fines and no threats from the IRS is to live simply - below the Federal income taxable level. I lived well all of 2005 on $3895 - ½ the taxable level.

I have paid no federal income tax for 27 years. I pledge never to pay the rest of my life. I have no right to pay tax to do to other people what I do not want them to do to me.

I'm glad I have no refrigerator, no TV, no VCR, no gun, no computer, no credit cards, no business suit, no jet travel, no phone, no microwave, no air conditioner … I wash my clothes by hand and hang them up to dry.

I have owned no car since 1979. I love to walk! I have ridden in no car since April 7, 2001. Cars cause wars for oil, global climate change, poisoned air, highways smothering fertile soil …

I would not trade my 12' x 14' apartment home for the most luxurious mansion on earth. I have lived in it for over 18 years. I need not 1 inch more.

I am GLAD to consume no booze, no cigarettes, no restaurant meals, no junk food, no meat, no dairy, no cooked food, no illegal drugs, no prescription drugs. I am glad I have no doctor, no dentist, no medical insurance (since 1990). I prevent and heal disease naturally.

I have no right to more than I need while others in this world have less than they need.

I stopped eating cooked food December 12, 1998. Cooking food destroys up to 85% of all its nutrients. Cooked food is slow poison! Never heat food over 118°F

Every morning at home I do many push-ups, pull-ups, crunches and other exercises. I averaged 45 minutes a day jumping on my trampoline. I like to go to bed 9 to 10 p.m. and get up 6 to 7 a.m. Nothing substitutes for enough sleep.

I have drunk my piss every day since November 10, 1999. Our piss is our unique, perfect, free medicine containing hundreds of items, minerals, enzymes, hormones, antibodies … I now drink 2 or more cups a day.

I sunbathe most days all year round. Sunbathing is marvelously beneficial when we eat only raw plant foods with a fat content of 15 - 25% of the total calories.

I write down every penny I spend every day. Self-discipline in spending money, eating only nutritious food, exercising vigorously every day, using our precious water and time … is the path to freedom!

I enjoy deep, heart-to-heart conversation, silence and much time alone, heart touching music, gardening in nature, constantly gleaning wisdom in order to live in it and pass it on …

I treasure mutually passionate sex and romance with certain men, but I will not, for any man on earth, surrender or compromise my war tax refusal, my living simply, my having no car, my eating only raw plant foods, my piss drinking, my much walking and vigorous daily exercise, my naked body freedom … Speaking, writing and living the truth as best I see it ranks above sex and romance with any man on earth!

I love living naked at home and mostly naked elsewhere when I'm warm enough.

I have been an art model at UNM (University of New Mexico) since 1988 and I posed for many other artists. My weekly TV program has aired on public access cable channel 27 (Albuquerque, New Mexico) since May 20, 1992. My letters have been published for decades in magazines and newspapers.

I now belong to no religion. I am a humble agnostic, a non-violent radical, a truth seeker deeply indebted to my all-time closest friend - my mother, my father, Jesus, Gandhi, Tolstoy, Martin Luther King Jr. and a multitude more who have taught and or loved me. Un-pluged from the profound love and wisdom I have received, I am no better than any murderer behind bars or in official power.

Signed- Don Schrader October 8, 2006.

Editor’s Note: Don Schrader’s weekly public access TV program “Clearly From My Heart” can be seen usually Wednesday evenings at 10:00 PM Mountain Time on Comcast Cable Non-Profit Public Access Channel 27 in Albuquerque, New Mexico or by streaming video from the Channel 27 website [1069] check listings and time.

External links

Letters to the Editor (Daily Lobo - The University of New Mexico Student Publication) Please note you must signup(free) with the Daily Lobo to view these articles if they are not the current week's cycle )

Letter: Urine, sunshine keeps us healthy the natural way 2/23/2006

Letter: Nudity is obscene in only sexually insane societies 7/13/2006

Letter: Bible advocates genocide; read with extreme caution 9/13/2006

Letter: Buying unneeded items, paying taxes funds war 9/2/2004

Letter: Cars poison living things, pollute the environment 2/5/2001

Campus Personalities: Don Schrader openly expresses life's convictions 9/19/2006

Weekly Alibi

Alibi weBlog: Golden Fountain of Health 4/7/2006

Duke City Fix

Don Schrader Limerick

6 Naked Man spotted at Dia de Los Muertos

Universtiy of New Mexico Staff Profile

5 qKW8wtu/pqF qaqbusykrqqfnJnKm7 Q3JCuxq0= UNM Online Directory - Don Schrader

Original handwritten article in PDF formatposted at Don Schrader's request.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Don_Schrader_08OCT2006_Original_Hand_Written_Article.pdf