"Our lives, Our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor"

“When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another………..they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.“

The first shots during the American Revolution were most certainly fired at Lexington, but the initial salvo was in verbal form as depicted above from the opening line of the Declaration of Independence. From this point on, the founders were at a point of no return. Not only was King George put on notice, but the entire world would begin to experience a seismic shift in government and the true birth of a new world order.


Contemporary conspiracy buffs think of “the new world order” as a global cooperative with the end result being one government for one world. Whatever. The American Revolution put in motion a combination of political theories pondered and written about for centuries. The oppressive nature of the young and quasi-brutal King George forced the hands of the founding fathers to take all of these radical philosophies, edit, cut and paste, and express to the world their collective desire to put it to the test; that is to see if it would really work.


“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness.” 


“…..from the consent of the governed.” I emphasize this passage to accentuate and amplify the basic and fundamental foundation of a republican form of government. We the people were those intended to determine what righteous power would be granted those who we select through the free and open electoral process. The party system actually started a scant three years after the ratification of the Constitution, in large part because of a rift between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson held very strong beliefs in the people to make their own decisions, and Hamilton, being a Federalist, felt a strong central government was best for all.



So how does this snippet of history apply to contemporary politics and government? The simple answer is that it doesn’t. A large part of the blueprint known as the Constitution of the United States has been reduced to answers in Trivial Pursuit. The handful of American citizens who actually study and analyze our history are labeled as geeks, freaks, and sometimes, anarchists. The irony can be mind twisting and at the very least, frustrating to those of us who believe in the document that changed the world forever. 



Our leaders at all levels of government like to quote a passage here or there, mostly on July 4^th or during a political campaign. These politicos are not interested in legislation passed by “the consent of the governed”. The power to tax the citizenry into bankruptcy, and draft regulatory legislation that makes every day life more difficult is the method of the day. Healthcare reform was overwhelmingly unpopular, as scientific polling data reflected.  Does it not make sense that as any unpopular bill is passed, it implicitly defies and makes a mockery of governing through the consent of the governed?


“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”




…our lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” The last 
passage carries with it an incredible and powerful message that, once again, has been lost in the shuffle of 20^th century politics. To some it may appear as an expression of bravado and dramatic pomposity. To me and those of like mind, we understand it to be an absolutely profound and literal statement. For the most part, all the signatories had left after the revolution was “their sacred honor”. These men were from diverse backgrounds, varying degrees of education and wealth, but they were bound together by the last line of the Declaration. They wrote it, signed it, but most importantly believed, to the very core of their beings, the message that was conveyed to King George.


With our current leaders having lost nearly complete sight of the founder’s intent, would it not be time to assemble peacefully and begin to draft a new version of this historic document? Would there be enough men and women of like mind to have the fortitude and courage to sign this document? The good thing is we wouldn’t have to travel overseas to deliver it. We all have a pretty good idea where the White House is, and most of us even know the address. 

…… we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

Heck, we don’t even to do that anymore. Remember to vote  in November. Your lives, fortunes, and sacred honor depend on it.

Rants and Raves

On Crime and Justice: Looks like the Seattle Po-lice overextended their Po-lice powers. A video shows a Mexican laying on the ground getting the shit kicked out him. A police officer close to the case is overheard saying “..beat the fucking Mexican out of you, Homey”. Nice. Turns out this is part of the training program for the Arizona State Police.

 

On Jurisprudence: Seems Iran sent five women to the gallows, executed for being “'enemies of God”. That sucks………

On the Prez: The Prez awarded a no-bid, $568 million contract Haliburton thru 2011 for supplies and services for wars of foreign aggression, aka Iraq. I thought everything was W’s fault?

On Mz. Prez: During a speech, The 1st lady told graduates Saturday “to prepare to overcome adversity”, …..told students to “summon their courage to fight segregation”,  she added…..”and make every effort to kill whitey and eat their children”………I made the last part up, but I bet she was thinking it……

On Freedom of  Expression: Apparently, a 52-year-old Colorado woman who likes to garden wearing only a yellow thong and pink gloves has won her fight with her landlords, who wanted her to cover up. Boulder Housing Partners has decided not to outlaw tenants from going topless outside….on the bright side, it could have been a 52-year-old man……

On Only in the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts: An inmate at a prison in PRM received taxpayer funded hormone treatments and electrolysis because of his/her dissatisfaction with being born a male. He/she was recently granted a taxpayer funded mammogram and a $250.00 gift card to Victoria’s Secret……

On Human Rights: Two young female performers were handcuffed and taken away after a concert in China’s Chengdu City. It seems they were arrested for lip synching. They were not immediately executed, which shows enormous growth for civil liberties in the PRC….makes me a little weepy…..

On Politics and Common Sense:  John White, now running for sheriff in Roundup, Mont., will be unable to carry a gun if he wins because of a long-ago bank robbery conviction. What's the fuss? Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry never carried a gun…..


 


On Politics and Common Sense 2:  Convicted felons might be running against each other if they win their primaries in May for county judge-executive in Hindman, Ky. Democrat Donnie Newsome and Republican Randy Thompson were both convicted of election fraud. At least these guys are honest about their dishonesty….
 

On Crime and Justice 2: On Jan. 29, more than 200 Alabama state troopers were amassed at 4 a.m. for the purpose of raiding several illegal bingo parlors. The raids were eventually called off, but a University of Alabama professor estimated the staging cost to the budget-shriveled state at $130,000. Said a spokesman for Gov. Bob Riley, "No matter what it costs, the law must be enforced."  Crack houses, Meth labs, and gangland murders were considered to be minor issues when compared to this group of overweight and nicotine addicted terrorists that live only to hear “B3!!”……….

   
On the End of the World: Archeologist Jim Turner has discovered enormous Mayan monuments that were apparently hand carved out of the mountains of rock on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The only problem is the 500 miles of ocean between the island and the west coast of South America. Those Mayans must have been the maritime beasts of the day…..however; the countdown for December 12^th, 2012 has begun…….

On the War on Terror: The war on terror has another casualty -- this guy's ego. A humiliated TSA screener, whose small penis was revealed to all his colleagues at the Miami airport when he did a test run through a new full-body X-ray machine, allegedly beat one of his co-workers with a nightstick after taking endless abuse. Rolando Negrin, 44, said he "couldn't take the jokes anymore."  Lighten up, dude……….

On WTF?: A fanged leech was pulled from a girl’s nose after she finished swimming in the Amazon River. The new species of blood sucker feeds from the body orifices of livestock and, apparently, the nasal cavities of young, South American girls. A new chapter of MAFBSL, or 

Mothers Against Fanged Blood Sucking Leeches was formed immediately thereafter to combat this new menace……

And finally: George Washington grew marijuana in his garden, Hummingbirds can't walk, iguanas, koalas and Komodo dragons all have two penises, Leonardo De Vinci invented the scissors,  snails can sleep for 3 years without eating, and the longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.

“They certainly give very strange names to diseases. “
Plato

The Death of a Republic

Obituary (April 2010)-The United States of America: 1776-2010.  Beloved home to 300,000,000 Americans, devoted country to veterans of foreign wars, loving nation remembered as a home of the free, land of the brave. The USA will be remembered as a grand experiment using the philosophies of the Romans, John Locke, and patriots who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor in order to form a more perfect union. The USA was preceded in death by Common Sense, Patriotism, Self Reliance, Personal Responsibility, Free Markets, Fair and Equal Taxation, and the American Family. Beloved father of the democratic republic, manifest destiny, freedom to worship, freedom of movement, free markets, and free trade.
  

Dear brother to the allied forces, NATO, and the United Nations. Loving protector and liberator of the oppressed, the disenfranchised, the enslaved, and the victims of natural and unnatural disasters.

Cherished benefactor of the nations’ poor, unfortunate, unemployed, underemployed, and the wretched masses of discontent. The late, great USA is survived by twin sisters Political Correctness and Expediency, False Piety, Situational Tolerance, Big Brother, Misplaced Priorities, Republicrats, Righteous Lobbyists, Government Schools, Government Owned Banks and Corporations, and Influential Corruption. The USA left an indelible mark on history as a free nation that failed to learn from its own mistakes, and as a result, died a horrible death at the hands of its own people, which are drenched in the blood of patriots, living and dead. (Survivors may wash their hands in the Federal restroom, and may their conscience be free and clear.) 

Mourners may view the deceased via satellite uplink. Login to www.1984.gov. The place of burial is to be determined. The bill is held up in committee and no decision is expected until after the summer recess. Memorial donations may be made out to the US Treasury. All contributions are appreciated and are due by April 15^th.

On Security and Liberty

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” 

Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

“Papers, please?”

“Papers? What papers?”

“Do as I say. Please”

“Who are you?”

“I am special agent Volt Jackhammer with the joint task force ICECIAFBIATF and the I-hate-all-things un-American book-of-the-month-club. Papers. Now”.

“Can you tell me why I am being stopped and questioned? Please.”

“We have a sniper posted on the roof of the Starbucks with his crosshairs on your forehead. I suggest you comply.”

“Oh, this has to do with the new anti-immigration law passed here in Arizona. The law was intended to be used with probable cause as the basis. What is the probable cause?”

“I need your ID, now. Thank you.” (Talking into his sleeve).

“Just as I suspected. You were observed eating lunch at a Taco Bell, then entering a video game store and purchasing a Microsoft Flight simulator. Your internet traffic shows a visit to “The Philosophy of Islam” website, and a check on emails indicates a steady stream of dialogue between you and a co-conspirator in Baghdad and Mexico City. A response from Mexico was “see you soon”, which is a clear indication of the intent to smuggle human contraband across the border. Where were you born, where are you employed, and just what are your radical intentions?

“I can’t believe this. I was born in Tuscon, and I am a student at Arizona State University. I have a class called “World Religions”, and I enjoy video games.”

“Uh-huh. I find this hard to believe, Mr., uh Muhammed Rodriguez. That is your name, correct?”

“It is. My father is from Mexico City, where he owns an auto parts manufacturing facility. We email back and forth. My brother is in the Marine Corps stationed outside of Baghdad. My mother is Jordanian, but was born and raised in New Jersey. Satisfied?”

“After the information is verified, we will allow you to appear before a tribunal to determine your status. This shouldn’t take more than a year or two. You are not being arrested, only detained.”

“He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself.” ~Thomas Paine­­

The preceding dialogue is not based on real events, at least not yet. The fictional conversation is what could happen if we wander down that particular road too far. Legal immigrants, by and large are opposed to illegal immigration. Those that have chosen to immigrate via lawful and proper channels are typically offended by those who don’t. Candidate after candidate will beat the drum of anti-immigration every election cycle. They always tend to back off after the votes are counted. At this point in time, the proverbial horse has been out of the barn for a very long time and the solutions are few.

Illegal immigration and offshore production of manufactured products share some common threads. When the lawn care company presents an attractive quotation for landscaping and weed killing and shows up with a half dozen illegal Mexicans, we turn our head and profess ignorance. When we shop at Best Buy, and purchase a 60” high definition TV for a fraction of what it would have cost fifteen years ago, we say that’s OK, what a deal.

We, as American citizens tend toward moral selectivity when sensitive issues collide with out pocket books. It seems quite convenient to ignore the human rights of the Chinese when they stock our stores with dirt cheap products, but quite another issue when the state of Arizona can use “just cause” to verify an individual’s status. “Just cause” can be broadly defined and be as flexible as one may desire at any given time. The illegal immigration problem has grown to out-of-control proportions. Crime, health care, employment, and a plethora of areas are clearly impacted with regard to illegal border crossings. Immigration is a Federal issue that has not been adequately dealt with. Perhaps the state of Arizona had no choice but to pass legislation to stem the flow of undocumented nationals, but once this type of legislation is enacted, the slope gets a little bit slippery. How high is the bar? When does this become abuse?

My illustration may be extreme, but should not be discounted and discarded as the rantings of a paranoid madman. The population of Arizona is comprised of 35% Hispanic/American Indian. This does not include migrants from Mexico and Central America that sneak across the border. Will agents of the State of Arizona be able to differentiate American citizens and legal immigrants of Hispanic lineage to those who have entered the country through other means? What constitutes “just cause”? Does this law render federal border agents less or more effective?

Police agencies all over the nation set up DUI checkpoints on a frequent basis. Statistically, the arrest rate is around 0.5% or less. So they inconvenience a thousand cars to make a ridiculously low number of arrests. Is this what will happen is Arizona and other states who implement similar laws? Why should any state be forced to assume Federal jurisdiction? Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II and there respective administrations looked the other way when it came to illegal immigration while making it nearly impossible to achieve legal status.

Police officers all over the nation see a carload of teenage boys driving around at 11:00PM and “just cause” is firmly established at that moment. It happens every day.  “Yeah, but what business does a carload of teenage boys out at 11:00PM have anyway?” It is not the business of the police or anybody else so long as these teenagers are behaving inside of the law. My fear is this same scenario will befall law abiding American citizens and legal immigrants in Arizona. “Probable cause” can be defined very loosely. Once it starts, it will be tough to stop, just like the flow of illegal aliens. Why does the next generation have to clean up the mess of the previous one? Cheap labor has it's price.



By the way, last time I checked we have a few hundred thousand soldiers fighting a couple of pointless wars on the other side of the world. Wouldn't they would be more useful plugging the holes in our own borders? That makes too much sense, though. Another topic for another day.

The 10th Amendment and Nullification

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” 10th Amendment

"The true barriers of our liberty are our State governments; and the wisest conservative power ever contrived by man, is that of which our Revolution and present government found us possessed." --Thomas Jefferson to A. L. C. Destutt de Tracy, 1811

The founders understood that the lust for power and distrust in the people were a recipe for disaster. During the ratification period of the U.S. Constitution, congress was back at work penning the Bill of Rights. Federalists believed it was an unnecessary addition to an already satisfactory document. The Democratic-Republicans, i.e., Thomas Jefferson believed it an absolute, had-to-have list of amendments that should have been incorporated in the original draft. Three years after the ratification was complete, the Bill of Rights, or the first ten amendments were voted into law.

Shortly after, the Alien and Sedition Acts were put into law to protect the young nation from foreign enemies. Kentucky and Virginia, however, felt the legislation went too far and as a result violated their 1st Amendment rights of free speech. These states passed a resolution to nullify this federal law because they felt it was unconstitutional. Ultimately, the resolutions were ruled invalid, but it effectively put on hold on the federal excess for years.

"Where powers are assumed which have not been delegated, a nullification of the act is the rightful remedy."
Thomas Jefferson: Kentucky Resolutions, 1798.

During Andrew Jackson’s term, South Carolina felt that the trade tariffs in place favored the northern industries, and passed a resolution to nullify the tariffs. Jackson sent warships in 1832 off the coast of South Carolina, a meeting ensued and a compromise was agreed upon.



The Fugitive Slave Act, otherwise known as the Compromise of 1850 was another example of a group of states reaction to the federal government ignoring their sovereignty as guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. This federal law effectively forced free states to participate in the slave trade. How? Slave owners could legally go across state lines with a band of U.S. marshals to hunt down and capture any runaway slave. Citizens who once were apathetic with regard to slavery suddenly had a vested interest in the long arm of Washington. Wisconsin, among other free states declared the law unconstitutional and nullified it. The Wisconsin Supreme Court was the only judicial body among the states using nullification to rule the law null and void.

These examples were pointed out in a simplistic fashion, and the complexities were bypassed for the sake of time and sanity. While our individual and sovereign states had tested the “compact” with the federal entities throughout our history, nullification is not just a quaint piece of history. While the great Civil War was perhaps the single largest and most dramatic example, it did have precedence as I have described.


Nullification, for the most part is peaceful, effective, and has a long history in the American tradition. It has been estimated that up to (25) states will pass resolutions denying federal healthcare reform. Thirteen states have already defied federal marijuana prohibition in one form or another. President Bush’s Real ID Act of 2005 has been effectively prevented from being implemented in at least (20) states. Missouri and Tennessee are preparing for a showdown by passing laws that negate federal firearms laws in their respective states.

The 10th Amendment apparently is alive and well. It’s a shame that we have to take these measures to reclaim our constitutional rights. The feds, by design, should answer to the states, as opposed to taking the phrase “general welfare” to uncharted heights.

As noted, there are many states using or in preparation of nullification language in an attempt to dissuade Big Brother from crossing that Constitutional line. Today there are others who walk in lock step, like characters from the Dawn of the Dead, with whatever Congress dictates. Thank God for Tennessee and Texas.

While our freedoms are seemingly an abstract concept today, tomorrow is, well, a new day.

Rants and Raves.......

On the Prez: The Prez hasn’t held a press conference since July....what a pussy......

On Healthscare: Rep. Anthony Weiner (pronounced Weener or Whiner) (D-N.Y.) issued a statement, saying the Senate is being “mean”, and referred to Harry Reid as “Mr. Poopy Pants”....maybe he didn’t say that, but he could have....

On Healthscare 2: We will all see, very soon, who has brass balls and who does not........Maybe Madam Pelosi fancies herself as bullet proof, but what about the rest? Joyce Jr. thinks not.....when standing on the edge of the political abyss in a mid-term election cycle, nobody jumps.........

On the GOP: Massachusetts State Attorney General Martha Coakley blamed GOP “stalkers” today for triggering tensions outside a Washington, D.C., fund-raiser last night where a Weekly Standard reporter said he was roughed up.......she was mistaken, there are no Republicans alive who have the stones to rough up anybody.......except maybe
Gov. Perry of Texas..........


On Aliens and Lumberjacks: NASA reportedly photographed 'trees' on Mars. The “trees” are actually debris from an avalanche, NASA says........sounds like time for a multi billion dollar Federal investigation....
I think SOMEBODY knows the real story.......


On The Patriot Act: An (8) year old New Jersey boy is on the Terrorism Watch List. Apparently he shares a name with a foreign terrorist....Homeland Security overlooks a guy with C-4 in his boxer's. When it comes to Cub Scouts, they don't miss a thing...........

On The Prez 2: A new musical set to open in Germany is called "Hope -- the Obama Musical Story"........whatever...........


On Hollywood, Avatars, and Patriots: The script, in its entirety, is out for “Avatar”. Here’s a portion: “............ troopers issue automatic weapons and magazines to a long line of mine workers. The miners lock and load like the red-blooded redneck NRA supporters they are.” Hollywood is so tolerant of others, aren’t they?



On Celebrity Conservatives: Bo Derek reportedly is a committed conservative and appeared on Bill O’Reilly to talk about Japanese Whalers and Wild Horse Roundups.....I’m not sure about her politics, but she looked really good when she got naked in “Ten”.......




On Barney Frank: Uh, oh...take a gander at Rep. Frank’s 1,279 pages H.R. 4173. I think somebody should look at it, because apparently our elected reps in D.C. have not. It authorizes Federal Reserve banks to provide as much as $4 trillion in emergency funding the next time Wall Street crashes......say it ain't so, Barn.........



On Barney Frank2: Looks like a sheep gave birth to human-faced lamb in Turkey. This is not 100% substantiated, but a certain congressman was in Istanbul recently and the resemblance is uncanny.........


On Illinois Will Elect Anybody: Former Governor Blagojevich waxed poetic, with eloquence as he said, 'I'm blacker than Barack Obama.” His response to a reporter’s question? “It was a stupid thing to say”.
Maybe it’s the hair......

On Nevada Will Elect Anybody: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s evaluation of our current Prez: “Obama is a "light-skinned" black man with no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one." Negro? "Bring me my shoes,Toby!!" It’s 2010, Harry, maybe time to sit on the front porch with a good, government issued drool cup......

On the U.S. Will Elect Anybody: Bill Clinton recounting a conversation to a friend said this about the Prez: “a few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.” Nice........

On Political Bedfellows or Friends of Convenience: During the last presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton was seriously considering a new tactic when her New Hampshire campaign chairman, Billy Shaheen, mentioned Prez Obama's previous use of drugs. Probably would have been a good idea. Perhaps we would have had a Secretary of State that was actually worthy of the office......

On Mrs. Prez: A man was taken into custody and later hospitalized for mental-health observation after he was seen jogging stark naked a few blocks from the White House. Maybe the Prez got home earlier than expected?

On Mrs. Prez 2: The Food Network TV show “Iron Chef America” featured the beefy first lady Ms. Obama to share her kitchen secrets with the rest of the world. The veggies used on set did not, in fact, come from the White House garden, as previously reported. This amounts to a Culinary Hoax of grand proportions, not unlike Dan Rather and Buffalo Bob. However, this scandal affirms the character of those who inhabit the White House. I didn't vote for him.........

On the End of World: Isaac Newton said the year 2060 is it.....could the Mayans be wrong? Stay tuned............

On Did You Know: A cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a pregnant goldfish is called a twit, the plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets, and finally, on average, 100 people choke to death on ball-point pens every year.

On Inner Harmony: Could there possibly be any group of people in the entire world happier than the Yak Herdsmen of Nepal? I think not.........

On Random Lyrics of 60’s Protest Songs:

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe

But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain.

Bob Dylan-Masters of War

The Birth of a Patriot

"But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments, of their duties and obligations... This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution."
John Adams, letter to H. Niles, 13 February 1818

I had been thinking about it for some time. Twenty years ago or so, I sent for some information about it. I felt the need to educate myself. So I went through the packet, digested what I had read, put the stuff in my closet, and there it stayed for a couple of decades. It all made perfect sense to me, the principles were sound since they were based on history and the original ideas and philosophies of the men who created them. But how could I possibly alter my way of thinking that cut to the very core of my being? What was so special and unique about this radical, old-new ideology that would allow for a paradigm shift in my day-to-day life experience?

Fast forward to a couple of years ago: my oldest son, who was a junior in high school, was on a diatribe I didn’t care for. The topic was anti-Bush, anti-Republican, anti-war, and anti-everything that I held very dear to my heart. “But Dad, what about civil liberties? Why are we at war with a country which had nothing to do with 911? Don’t you think the Patriot Act is a bit intrusive? The Conservatives are social Nazis!”

“Everywhere the human soul stands between a hemisphere of light and another of darkness on the confines of two everlasting hostile empires, Necessity and Free Will.”
Thomas Carlyle, Essays, "The Opera"

His questions originated with literature I had given him, the very same information I stashed away years before. The packet was about The Libertarian Party. At that moment, I began to process the exchange I had just had with my 17-year-old son. I had read a great deal about American History, the life and times of the Founders, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration, but I was so jaded and politically hypnotized by the Dark Side; yes, the GOP.

I had pictures of Reagan and J.C. Watts hanging in my office, two or three RNC membership cards in my wallet, and a vicious right-wing attitude. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I had an epiphany, angels did not break out in chorus, and the heavens did not open up. But, at this moment, my eyes were opening, and my vision was approaching clarity. The most remarkable result was the notion of peripheral thinking, to think outside of what had been my sad, little box.

"All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; Third, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer

Honestly, it was the elbow of perspectives previously unknown to me giving me a polite nudge. My personal Ghost of Political Future had shown me a glimpse of what could be. I knew that what had once been wasn’t working any longer. There was no need to question the fact that the current gang of 535 presently in D.C. was not there to serve me or mine.

After November 4th, 2008, I awoke uncharacteristically rested, but a tad troubled. Typically, on the night of the presidential election I stay up until it’s over. My little crystal ball told me the outcome long before the votes were cast. My first thought as I woke up was: Had I done it again? Did I vote in another presidential election just to vote? Did I vote against a candidate again? Yes, yes and yes. That day, I wrote a piece about what I knew about The Libertarian Party, sent it to the newspaper (The Cincinnati Enquirer, and I’ll be damned if it didn’t show up on the editorial page that Saturday morning. So I wrote more, and again, and I’ll be double damned if they didn’t print my column four out of the next six weeks. Then, boom, it stopped as quick as it started. Oh, well, I had my fifteen minutes of fame, or whatever you would like to call it. I was miffed, but more than motivated to continue.

“The searching-out and thorough investigation of truth ought to be the primary study of man”. Cicero

My experience gained was I could write something passable to publish in a large newspaper where it is read by thousands of people. I learned that I could write about the Founders and Libertarianism, publish it on my own blog, and have people read it and comment. The 1st Amendment is alive and well, thank you very much. The internet is a veritable plethora of knowledge, and a good portion of it is accurate. I also learned that I had more readership from the newspaper.

I learned that it really wasn’t any of my business what people do behind their closed doors, and that if two people of the same sex want to live and thrive together, it really had no impact on me at all. The Patriot Act seemed like a good idea, but at that time I was under the influence of GWB. Good man, bad decisions. Period. The 10th Amendment meant very little to me back in the day, but today it has become a throw away. It’s a sad day when the Bill of Rights turns into a comedy sketch that would be seen on Saturday Night Live. “Let’s see, we’ll keep the 1st so the media can gush all over us, and the 10th is laughable, and the 2nd is in our sights”. The dominoes are falling, one by one.

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” ~Thomas Paine

This is all happening today, at every level of government. Our elected officials, by and large, are of one party. We could call the party the Democratic Republicans, but that would be a slap in the face of Jefferson, who used that moniker at the birth of partisan politics. Rinos, Republicrats, whatever. This political hybrid has lied, bluffed, misguided, begged, borrowed and stolen all of what I had learned to believe in, and I mean BELIEVE. Hook, line and sinker. Now I can see sideways. I can see inside out, upside down and backwards. Anybody can read the platform of The Libertarian Party (www.lpo.org), and grasp at least enough to understand that anything is possible. “What once was” is absolutely relevant to “what has to be”.

"Every human has four endowments: self awareness, conscience, independent will, and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom. The power to choose, to respond, to change." - Steven R. Covey

The Libertarian Party is, quite simply, an organization whose goal is restoration of government to its rightful owners, who are “We the People”. We the People should be governed by our consent, and only our consent. We the People should be entrusted with policy and protocol, with selecting the individuals that best represent our village, our township, our county, our state, and our nation. Here’s the dirty secret: THEY don’t trust us anymore. THEY are effectively saying, “Sit down and shut up. We’ll tell you what’s good for you. And if you don’t like it, screw you.”

We the People deserve better than that. We, as Libertarians are positioned for a sort of spiritual revival, or a back-to-the-future type of quest. The other major parties have financial resources, but are lacking in assets that only We the People can provide. Our major assets are our people. The Libertarian Party is in a position to recruit, market, and recruit some more. There exists, in today’s political hodgepodge, an enormous potential for disgruntled voters stuck in the abyss of the political middle to make a new commitment. Maximum freedom + minimum taxes + limited government = The Libertarian Party.

M_f + M_t + L_g = LP.

The time is now and our goal is just. A true revitalization of government and its objectives are in reach; freedom of movement, freedom of thought, freedom of choice, and most importantly, freedom of spirit. Like the man said:

“It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.” -Unknown