Objectives: At the end of this lesson, the student will understand:

• The circumstances which led to the need for the 13 colonies (or states) to form a confederation
• What was at stake for each of the founders in declaring independence and fighting against the British Crown
• The sacrifices that were made by those who laid the foundation for our freedom
• How the United States Constitution came to be
• Why I love the US Constitution and why it should matter to each of us

Introduction
Two winters ago I attended a memorial service conducted for a fallen veteran who had served his country honorably for several decades. His fellow soldiers raised a flag in his honor, conducted a 21-gun salute, lowered and folded the flag and presented it to his grieving widow.

As this ceremony was being conducted, and I watched the events of this ceremony unfold, I felt a swelling in my breast, an intense love for my country, and a patriotic pride that brought tears to my eyes.

Soldiers, 21-gun salute, flag; these are all symbols, but they all have meaning. Those meanings, to me are embodied in the Constitution of the United States of America.

Background Information to understand the answer to the question
Why do I love the United States Constitution? Because of where we started, and where our journey has carried us thus far. If our ancestors had not known the oppression of an unjust government, perhaps freedom would not have been the jewel to us that it is. We would not have understood it’s true value, and our forefathers would not have fought so hard to obtain it to begin with. So what exactly were the beginnings of our nation?

Right up until that fateful day of the submission of the Declaration of Independence, the vast majority of the American colonists considered themselves loyal British subjects, subject to the same rights and protections as any other subject of the British Crown whether at home or abroad.

The three types of colonial governments
After all, there were three different types of Colonial governments—all founded under British Common Law. The first type of government was a Provincial Government (or English Provinces) which was formed by Royal commission. A Governor, appointed by, and totally beholden to the King, acted as the King’s representative in that government. A deputy was also appointed by the commission as an assistant to the Governor. The King also appointed a council, and all three individuals and bodies had to do whatever the King told them to do. New Hampshire, New York, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia were all Provincial governments.

The second form of colonial government was a Proprietary Government. These were formed by written grant from the crown to one or several persons acting as a Proprietary, or Proprietaries. This grant conveyed to them the rights of the soil and also general powers of government. They could appoint their own Governor, form the own councils, but in the end, they were still accountable to the King. At the time of the American Revolution, there were only three colonies formed in this manner, Maryland, held by Lord Baltimore as Proprietary, and Pennsylvania and Delaware, held by William Penn as Proprietary.

The third and last form of colonial government found among the American colonies was a Charter Government, which was created by letters patent, or grants from the Crown. These grants conferred on the grantees and their associates the soil within their territorial limits, and all high powers of legislation and government. The charter contained a fundamental constitution for the colony, which distributed the powers of government into three departments, legislative, executive, and judicial. The charter granted authority to the grantee to appoint the members for each body. The three colonies who, at the time of the American Revolution were Charter Governments were Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

American Colonists were British Subjects
Under English Common Law, there is a well-established doctrine that provides for portability of the laws of England, such that whenever a British subject or subjects, discovers an uninhabited country, those same laws, which are in force in the mother country, are also in force on the newly discovered soil and upon the transplanted inhabitants.

There is an entirely different policy in force when a nation is acquired by conquest, but since the English did not consider the native Indians natural inhabitants, they did not choose to apply the second legal standing, so I will only discuss the first.

Regardless of whichever standing was the case, every single individual who originated from Britain, still considered themselves British subjects, obligated to the same laws as their fellow British subjects who remained at home, and also protected by her laws.

So under English Common Law, it was logical for these colonists to assume that they would be given all the same rights and protections of any other loyal British subject. A cursory examination of early colonial history however, shows us that this was not the case. Writs of assistance from the British Crown against colonial merchants, excessive taxation, the maintenance by the British, of a large standing army on American soil, the Sugar Act, the Quartering Act, the Currency Act, the Stamp Act, and the Townshend Acts, all served to fan the flame of discontent amongst the colonists against the British Crown.

Thomas Jefferson Reminds the King about Colonial Status
It was in light of these many abuses of the Crown against the American Colonies that prompted Thomas Jefferson to write a paper reaffirming the rights of the colonists in 1774. It was titled, “A Summary View of the Rights of British America” which got the attention of the King, but did nothing to stem the tide of abuses. Jefferson’s paper detailed all the reasons why the English colonist had common law rights as British subjects, and accused the Crown of ignoring and abusing those rights.

If there were ten primary points which outline the thinking of the American Colonists at this time in history and which colored their thoughts and actions, it would be these*:

1. The American colonists are entitled to life, liberty, and property, and that they had never ceded to any sovereign power a right to dispose of either without their consent.
2. Their ancestors, who first settled the Colonies, were, at the time of their emigration from the mother country, entitled to all the rights, liberties, and immunities of free and natural-born subjects within the realm of England.
3. That by emigrating they in no way forfeited, surrendered, or lost any of those rights; but that they were, and their descendants now are, entitled to the exercise and enjoyment of them.
4. That the foundation of English liberty is a right in the people to participate in their legislative councils and that by nature of their proximity to the location of the government seat, they should be allowed under English law to set up their own legislative councils for limited self-determination.
5. That the respective Colonies are entitled to the common law of England, and had never rescinded their right to trial by jury.
6. That the colonies are entitled to the benefits of English statutes
7. That they are entitled to all the immunities and privileges granted and confirmed to them by royal charters, or secured to them by their several codes of provincial law
8. That the colonists have a right to peaceably assemble, consider of their grievances, and petition the King, without fear of prosecution, unjust proclamations opposing the same, or being thrown into jail for doing so, and that any such actions taken by the government, is illegal.
9. That keeping a standing army in the Colonies in times of peace without the consent of the legislature of that Colony is against the law.
10. That any councils setup by the Crown without permission and consent of the colony over which it governs, defies good government

(* the above is a paraphrased list from “A Familiar Exposition of The Constitution of the United States” by Joseph Story and republished by the Conservative Book Club in 1997)

But in spite of Jefferson’s petition for redress (or perhaps because of it), things went from bad to worse. On April 19, 1775 the British Redcoats fired on the American Colonist upstarts at Lexington and Concord. Two months later at the Battle of Bunker Hill, the British shot or bayoneted over 450 Americans.

The British suspended all rights in Massachusetts and Boston was occupied by British troops. King George, for all intents and purposes, disowned the American colonies. He openly announced that if the colonies were attacked by foreign foes, Britain would offer them no help. American ships were considered “free booty” which meant that it would be legal to capture any American vessel on the high seas and take it over, cargo and all. The crew would then be pressed into military service for the British navy. In light of all that was happening, the colonists could see no other recourse but to declare their independence from the British Crown and strike out on their own.

To do so however, was an act of high treason. But emotions were high, and many American patriots felt there was no turning back. The words of Patrick Henry carried the spirit of the day – “If this be treason, let us make the most of it!”

The very act of signing the Declaration of Independence was treason against the mother nation of Great Britain. But the stakes were high, and if their objectives were achieved, it would all be more than worth it. And so in the final sentence of the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers put it all on the line for them, and for us and all our progeny: “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.”

It is important to remember, that this was no idle statement uttered in the heat of passion, but a carefully thought out and measured response to a monarchy who treated their own colonies as one would treat an enemy. But consider what the consequence for their bold act would have been had they been caught.

At the time of the Revolutionary War, Britain’s penalty for high treason was to be hanged by the head until unconscious, then cut down and revived, then disemboweled and beheaded, then cut into quarters, with each quarter boiled in oil. The remnants were then scattered so that there would be no last resting place for the alleged traitor and that they would then remain forever “unnamed, unhonored, and unknown.”

Many made sacrifices to make America possible
The sacrifices made by those who fought to preserve our liberties and freedoms are often discounted or ignored, but it is important for us to remember the degree to which many suffered severely in the process of giving birth to our nation.

Herein is contained a brief review of the trials and deprivations endured during this tumultuous time. Soldiers trudged through icy waters—many of them suffered from hypothermia and frostbite, while others drowned in the frigid waters. In some instances, when food supplies gave out and in order to survive they ate broth made from boiling their moccasins and leather breeches and they killed and ate their dogs or in some extreme cases they attempted to subsist on firecakes and water. Through several winters between 1776 and 1780, many froze to death or died from starvation or disease. They went half naked and shoeless, because of lack of supplies, and because of greed and lack of compassion from their fellow Americans. Blankets were so scarce that soldiers would sit up all night rather than fall asleep and freeze to death. Soldiers often did not receive the promised pay to help support their families.

It was during such times as these, that troops were on the verge of hopelessness and giving up, that inspired George Washington to use the words penned by Thomas Paine to encourage his troops to look past their trials, and rally them at a critical point during the war.

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

And rally they did. It was a turning point of the war, as Washington and his troops took Trenton from the British. We truly owe these patriots our love, gratitude and thanks for those who suffered, fought, and died in order to provide us the freedoms inherent in the Constitution.

The Articles of Confederation had no teeth
Had our government been organized properly prior to the American Revolution, much of the suffering could and should have been avoided. Many of those trials and tribulations were in fact caused by the weakness and impotence of the Articles of Confederation.

In his book “A Familiar Exposition of The Constitution of the United States of America,” Joseph Story, one of the first Supreme Court Justices of the United States, makes this observation about the Articles of Confederation:

“The Continental Congress, thus organized by a voluntary association of the States, and continued by the successive appointments of the State legislatures, constituted, in fact, the National Government, and conducted the national affairs until near the close of the Revolution, when, as we shall presently see, the Articles of Confederation were adopted by all the States. Their powers were nowhere defined or limited. They assumed, among others, the power to declare war and make peace, to raise armies and equip navies, to form treaties and alliances with foreign nations, to contract public debts, and to do all other sovereign acts essential to the safety of the United Colonies. Whatever powers they assumed were deemed legitimate. These powers originated from necessity and were only limited by events; or, in other words, they were revolutionary powers…The Articles of Confederation had scarcely been adopted, before the defects of the plan as a frame of national government, began to manifest themselves…It was remarked by an eminent statesmen, that by this political compact, the Continental Congress has exclusive power for the following purposes, without being able to execute one of them:–It may make and conclude treaties, but can only recommend the observance of them, It may appoint ambassadors, but it cannot defray even the expense of their tables. It may borrow money in its own name, or the faith of the Union, but it cannot pay a dollar. It may coin money, but cannot import an ounce of Bullion. It may make war, and determine what number of troops are necessary, but it cannot raise a single soldier. In short, it may declare everything, but it can do nothing…”

And so, because there was no way to enforce the provisions found within the Articles of Confederation, the fledgling nation was left to flounder both during the Revolution, and particularly at its end. In fact, had it not been for the able leadership of George Washington to prevent it, there were those who were prepared to fund a military coup post revolution to make sure their financial interests were protected.

Post revolutionary conditions were as bad as things had ever been in this country, including things as they are presently. It is this fact that gives me the greatest hope that in returning to the principles and values upon which this great nation was founded, we will return her to be the “shining beacon on the hill” that she once was.

At that time in our history, conditions were beginning to lean towards anarchy. Unpaid soldiers were hunting down the leaders of the Continental Congress who had gone into hiding for their own protection. The nation’s economy was suffering from a severe depression. Inflation was rampant. Taxes were skyrocketing. Homes, farms and businesses were being foreclosed on in droves (even more than today percentage-wise). People who couldn’t pay their bills were cast into debtor’s prison. It was this environment that set the stage for Shay’s Rebellion—a group of angry farmers led by Daniel Shay, to protect their homes, farms and livelihoods from foreclosure.

The Articles of Confederation had given the colonies, which were now States, their raw freedom, while lacking the ability to protect their economic stability. Raw freedom without economic stability is not the “pursuit of happiness.” Shay’s Rebellion was a bellwether to the politicians of the day, that something more needed to be done to protect the newly formed republic.

One of the primary problems and causes of unrest, was that although representatives from each state had pledged the support of their respective states to this new temporary form of government, none of the states were fulfilling their agreed upon obligations. Amongst all the chaos, it was in this darkest hour of peril that the founding fathers determined the need for a Constitutional Convention. Thanks to the heavens for inspired men who rose to the task and hammered out the issues and concerns, which led to the forging of the document we now call our United States Constitution.

Paving the way for the Constitutional Convention
What became the Constitutional Convention did not start out that way. In fact repeated calls from George Washington for the states to send delegates to represent their respective states for a Constitutional Convention were ignored outright. It wasn’t until representatives from Maryland and Virginia were able to work out a bitter trade feud on Washington’s back porch at Mount Vernon, that the two states issued a call to the other States to send delegates to a Trade Conference where all states could work out their trade differences at the same time, that the states got serious about sending delegates. What began as a Trade Conference, ended up being the Constitutional Convention, which laid the foundation for the government of the United States of America; a government of We The People.

Everyone should understand the Constitution; ESPECIALLY public officials
Upon taking office, every elected official in every office in the nation places their hand on a bible and takes an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

In the most recent elections in both local and state races, I heard candidates asked about where they stood on specific constitutional principles. I was shocked and surprised to hear many proclaim that they “were not running for a national office and therefore it was not necessary or practical for them to understand or apply constitutional principles to their respective races.” This indicates to me, a gross ignorance on their part, of the history and purpose (and principles) of the United States Constitution.

No person should be allowed to run for office that does not understand and love the United States Constitution. The US Constitution contains all of the elements and principles of liberty and freedom regardless of our office and standing.

As I have stated previously, prior to the US Constitution’s institution on this continent, the states were in chaos and turmoil. Our fledgling nation was at the precipice of falling apart and back into the hands of the British, or even some other conquering nation. The political and financial situation of these new United States was significantly worse than ours is presently. However, the very moment the US Constitution was implemented, and principles of freedom were allowed to proliferate, our nation and all the people in it began to be prosperous. Without knowledge and understanding of the principles that make us prosperous, no politician can practice good government to make it possible at local, state, or at the national level.

Our US Constitution equals FREEDOM!
I love the United States Constitution because it contains the principles, which vests all the power to the people, and makes all of us, truly sovereign and free. There are those who attempt to enslave us, through political, financial, or legal means. The ONLY way they can accomplish their nefarious goals, is to subvert the principles of the United States Constitution.

The Articles of Confederation proved that merely having a loose compact between the states was a recipe for disaster. A careful study of the ninth and tenth amendments reminds freedom loving patriots of our founding father’s understanding that We The People are the government! The United States Constitution was and still is a contract between the States and the Federal government, and that the Federal government was never intended to be allowed to place any laws, limits or restrictions on the people themselves.

A Government Of The People, For The People, By The People
If I can make one primary point that I want you to understand and internalize, it would be to repeat what I just said above, but in clearer terms: Our rights are inalienable and are from God only. We, you and I, are Sovereigns. We became such through our citizen ancestors the minute the British conceded the right to rule over us at the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783. As sovereigns, “We The People” assigned duties and powers to the state and local governments (governing bodies that we ourselves created) to do for us what would be too costly, or a duplication of effort if every single individual or family had to provide it on their own. The Law by its very nature is supposed to be defensive (defending our rights) not offensive. Government is intended to protect our lives, liberties, and property. Anything beyond that is over-reaching of its powers and responsibilities. Our founding fathers understood this principle and that is why they set up the US Constitution the way they did.

We as Sovereigns created local and state governments to be able to pool our resources in order to create an entity that would serve and protect us as Sovereigns. We are the Master, not the other way around. After the Articles of Confederation were tried out, there were flaws that became obvious to all–it was because of those flaws in the Articles of Confederation that US Constitution was created as a contract between the states, and a very limited (but with some additional powers beyond what the Articles of Confederation allowed) scope of well-defined responsibilities. The 9th and 10th Amendments were inserted to ensure that everyone understood that “if we didn’t say you could do it here in this document, you can’t, and the rest of the powers are whatever the individual Sovereigns decide that their states can do on their behalf.” In this case, with the consent of the Sovereigns, the states created the federal government, making it clear that the states were the master over the federal government, and the federal government was the servant of the states to only accomplish those things the states granted the federal government to do through those thirty-one enumerated powers.

The United States is the greatest nation in the world because of this unique document we hold that was created for us specifically for the preservation of our liberties and freedoms. We stand here at the threshold of a new day. If we have the courage of our forefathers to act in the cause of freedom, we will regain what we’ve lost.

You’ve already taken the first step. By taking this course from The George Washington School of Freedom, you are arming yourself with the knowledge that will assist you in returning our nation to its original founding principles. Knowledge is power. Let’s use it.

Points to Ponder:

• What were the three types of governmental systems that the thirteen colonies were organized under, and how did that influence the founding fathers in how they setup the US Constitution?
• What “doctrine” bound the colonists to Britain?
• Did the colonists consider themselves British citizens? Why or why not?
• Did the British Crown treat the colonists as they would treat other British citizens? Explain.
• Prior to the writing of the Declaration of Independence, what document did Thomas Jefferson publish which let the King know how the colonists were feeling?
• What were the actions of the British government against the colonies which created such discontent among the colonists and caused them to seek redress from the Crown?
• What specific actions did the British take which started the American Revolution?
• According to the British, our founding fathers were all guilty of high treason against the Crown. What was the punishment for high treason at the time of the American Revolution?
• What were the Articles of Confederation and why were they created?
• Why were the Articles of Confederation ineffective?
• What were the conditions that caused Shay’s Rebellion, and what made those conditions possible?
• How did the Constitutional Convention come about?
• Why should every elected official at every level know, understand, and be willing to protect and preserve our Constitution?
• How are we sovereigns?
• What should be the relationship between us as individuals, and the state in which we live?
• What should be the relationship between us as individuals, and the Federal Government?
• What should be the relationship between the States and the Federal Government?
• What can you do to preserve and protect our freedoms and liberties?
• What will you do?

Exhibit A – In New York’s 23rd Congressional District the Republican Party has selected Dee Dee Scozzafava as their candidate of choice. Dee Dee is in favor of abortion, gay marriage, tax increases, card check legislation favoring the labor unions, and ACORN and is endorsed by DailyKos. Are the inmates running the GOP asylum there in NY?

Exhibit B – Two words–Olympia Snowe. The point of a political party WAS that we were supposed to know that people who shared our values had already vetted and approved a candidate against the planks of the party platform and that we could then trust that candidate to represent us accordingly. Olympia Snowe has proven time after time her willingness to vote against her constituency in supporting socialist policies put forth by the current administration run by the opposition. Anytime a Republican Senator or Congressman votes against the party line, the party should drop them like a hot potato. But when has that ever happened? Look at the current lineup of alleged representatives the GOP regularly trots out for us to elect into office (look for the ones that have an R and an AYE next to their name).

Exhibit C – Michael Steele, the National GOP Chair has openly invited pro-abortion candidates to run under the Republican banner.

Exhibit D – TARP

Has the Republican Leadership not read their own platform lately? Actually, they haven’t because if you go to their website, you find that there is no platform page listed anymore. If you click on their old platform site GOPPlatform2008.com, you’ll just get directed to the main GOP website again. As I read through the website, it became apparent why the Republican Party has lost their way. They are trying to be the party of general guidelines and suggestions, and they no longer believe that principles and values should be a guiding light in the Republican belief system. After much searching, I was finally able to find a website that identified some patterns in GOP rhetoric by which one might hope the party could craft their message around. I’ll encapsulate the potential message from the site in bullet points:

• We shouldn’t pass bills we haven’t read
• It is not moral or right to bankrupt our children in order to pay for our current batch of mistakes
• Government should not abuse the public’s trust
• Always vote no on bills that are supportive of the numerous “Neurotic liberal obsessions.”
• Politicians and government should not interfere in the economy and the free market system
• We cannot be silent in the face of tyranny
• We must prevent the corruption of our electorial system
• We cannot and should not tolerate playing politics with our national defense
• We do not support big government

Those are the talking points you hear out there on the election trail anyways from various GOP candidates. They are certainly not official planks in the GOP platform I assure you. While there are some planks missing here in my humble opinion, it certainly would be a good start, especially if  it were one they would stick to and hold their candidates and incumbents accountable to. Heck, the Republican party isn’t even willing to hold their candidates to that superior standard, the US Constitution. And that’s where the problems lie.

The GOP has lost its way. It is trying hard to redefine itself after a crushing loss this last election. But they are their own worst enemy. In the words of our own Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), “The Republican Party had the House, the Senate, and the Presidency and they couldn’t manage to pass legislation that would help us.” They claim to be the conservative party, and yet they continue to support moderate and liberal candidates, and they won’t hold the compromised incumbents responsible when they go off the reservation. They pathetically attempt to capitalize on the Tea Party movement, unaware that they along with the Democrats are the targets of the whole movement. The party as a whole is like an alcoholic who claims they don’t have a drinking problem even as they careen about the room in a drunken stupor.

If the Republican Party has a chance to be saved (and I’m not sure they do in the long run), the party leaders need to step aside and let the Tea Party Movement, the 912ers, the John Birchers, and Independence Caucus come in and clean house for you and field the candidates you don’t have the courage to put into office. The chances of that ever happening are slim to none, so the time will come in 8, 12, or 16 years where the Republican Party will self-destruct. And just as when they had the House, Senate, and Presidency and failed us, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves.

Because time is so short, there is no time to waste to get a third party candidate or an independent on the ballot. We must use the existing infrastructure within the Republican and Democratic Parties and run our candidates through them. History has proven time after time that when a candidate runs as a third party candidate or an independent he or she NEVER splits the liberal vote. Rather instead that candidate ALWAYS splits the conservative vote and the unintended (and yet very predictable) consequence is that it’s the one person we DIDN’T want in office–the liberal, that gets elected.

So if you are a conservative, I invite you to partner with Independence Caucus and use our tools to accomplish our common goal of replacing the bad incumbents with principled challengers. Independence Caucus is the last mile solution to accomplishing that goal. We have the following five golden keys which will win elections:

1. Independence Caucus has a well defined candidate vetting process which includes a set of 80 principle-based vetting questions, which we pose to all potential candidates for office. We believe that this is a job interview, and that the primary reason we have so many people in office who have not represented us well in the past is because we have not vetted them properly. The Independence Caucus members and partners for each area (comprised of people who are in that particular candidate’s voting district), must agree with at least a 70% majority, that the candidate is the right person to back before Independence Caucus will endorse that candidate.
2. We conduct specific research on incumbents to show the link to their voting records & earmarks, and which big money special interest groups have donated to their campaigns and how much they’ve donated  (it’s a whole lot more than the media reports). We use that research to give our endorsed candidates an advantage in campaigning against that incumbent.
3. Both myself and my co-founder of the Independence Caucus, understand that “all politics is local” and we have a strong knowledge of how politics works down to a precinct level and how to organize and mobilize the precincts in order to win elections.  Our first win was Jason Chaffetz from Utah’s third Congressional district.  Chaffetz is the Congressman who sleeps on his cot in his Washington office to save the tax payers money.  Both Frank Anderson and myself, as co-founders of Independence Caucus, helped Chaffetz beat an incumbent Congressman while being outspent by 6:1.
4. We’ve identified 26 specific functional positions within a campaign that are needed in order to win and beat compromised incumbents who are owned by the big money special interest groups.
5. Finally, the Independence Caucus currently has five part-time programmers helping to develop a powerful political social networking tool, which connects candidates to enthusiastic and motivated volunteers for their campaigns. This social networking tool contains all the tools a candidate needs to manage his/her campaign, as well as the tools and training volunteers need to be most effective in working for their chosen candidate. As a part-time effort, this will take some time, and we believe at the speed our opposition is driving our country into massive debt and socialism, we need more resources to accomplish this sooner (anyone care to open up their checkbook and help move things along faster?)

So let’s stop with the in-fighting already. And can we please stop creating conservative group after conservative group–most of which simply replicate the function of an already existing group? This is counter productive and diffuses our focus and effectiveness. I understand there are those who think they’ve got a better way and a better idea and that’s why they think it’s so important to create another brand new conservative group. How I wish they would just bring their innovation to an alreaady existing group and apply themselves fully within that structure. Really, we have enough egos out there already. This is not about personality, it’s about principles. So let’s all set our personal agendas aside and work together to accomplish our common goal. If we are divided we WILL fail. But if we are united we will SUCCEED!

(Note: I used to live in Bozeman, Montana so I can verify many of the facts stated in this author’s account. I also am very familiar with Belgrade, Montana as I used to drive there all the time, and as a pilot I have also been out to the Galletin Airfield (BOZ) on many occasions so I’m familiar with its layout and proximity to Bozeman–it really is out in the middle of nowhere. and approximately 25 miles away from Bozeman.)

August 18, 2009

By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered. I feel that since Joe and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you. If you chose to share this email with others I do ask that you DELETE my email address before you forward this on.

On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on what they were going to do. The White House would not release ANY details other than the date.

On about Tuesday Joe found out that they would be holding the “Town Hall” at the airport. (This is only because Joe knows EVERYONE at the airport) Our airport is actually located outside of Belgrade (tiny town) in a very remote location. Nothing is around there. They chose to use a hangar that is the most remotely located hangar. You could not pick a more remote location, and you can not get to it easily. It is totally secluded from the public. FYI: We have many areas in Belgrade and Bozeman which could have held a large amount of folks with sufficient parking. (gymnasiums/auditoriums). All of which have chairs and tables, and would not have to be SHIPPED IN!!

During the week, cargo by the TONS was being shipped in constantly. Airport employees could not believe how it just kept coming. Though it was our President coming several expressed how excessive it was, especially during a recession.

Late Tuesday/early Wednesday the 12th, they said that tickets would be handed out on Thursday 9am at two locations and the president would be arriving around 12:30 Friday. Thursday morning about 600 tickets were passed out. However, 1500 were printed at a Local printing shop per White House request. Hmmmm…….900 tickets just DISAPPEARED. This same morning someone called into the radio from the local UPS branch and said that THOUSANDS of Dollars of Lobster were shipped in for Obama. Montana has some of the best beef in the nation!!! And it would have been really wonderful to help out the local economy. Anyone heard of the Recession?? Just think…with all of the traveling the White House is doing. $$$$$ One can only imagine what else we are paying for.

On Friday Joe and I got out to the airport about 10:45am. The groups that wanted to protest Obama’s spending and healthcare had gotten a permit to protest and that area was roped off. But that was not to be. A large bus carrying SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members drove up onto the area (illegal) and unloaded right there. It was quite a commotion and there were specifically 2 SEIU men trying to make trouble and start a fight.

Police did get involved and arrested the one man but they said they did not have the manpower to remove the SEIU crowd. The SEIU crowd was very organized and young. About 99% were under the age of 30 and they were not locals! They had bullhorns and PROFESSIONALLY made signs. Some even wore preprinted T-shirts. Oh, and Planned Parenthood folks were with them…..professing abortion rights with their T-shirts and preprinted signs. (BTW, all these folks did have a permit to protest in ANOTHER area). Those against healthcare/spending moved away from the SEIU crowd to avoid confrontation. They were orderly and respectful. Even though SEIU kept coming over and walking through, continuing to be very intimidating and aggressive at the direction of the one SEIU man.

So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest. If you are wondering about the press…..Well, all of the major networks were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked on the other side of the buildings FAR away. None of these crowds were even visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds. We did have some local news media around us from this state and Idaho . Speaking of the local media…they were invited. However, all questions were to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn’t want anyone to have to think off the top of their head. It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those people that talked about their insurance woes……..the White House called our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for names. Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and mirrors….EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!!

I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living in the United States of America , more like the USSR !! I was physically nauseous. Joe and I have been around when Presidents or Heads of State visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our country please get involved. Know the issues. And let Congress hear your voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC . Scary!!
Bozeman , Montana

Just got back from protesting POTUS in Grand Junction — quick report:

Started 10 am on 8.15 with freedom rally where 3,500-4,000 people showed up. If any counter protesters, they didn’t speak up or have signs. Congressman Chaffetz (UT) gave great speech. He took picture & recorded crowd saying NO to Oamacare on his cell phone to post to other members of House.

Then our side had press conference at 11:30 cause media had to turn in all their equipment to be inspected by Secret Service. We had lunch and then took to streets around HS where ~1000 of our side lined one side of the main street into the HS, 500-600 OFA/SEIU astroturf & green crowd lined the other, but some of our group had to line up on a third of their side because we ran out of room on our side — reports that they had more was false; we out numbered them about 2:1 at the only place the media bothered to look. Several hundred more of our side went to the town’s visitor center so BO would see them demonstrating as he left the airport & lined another route to HS in case he came the alternate.

FYI, very few R who applied got ticket into TH & some who did had their tickets rescinded or were turned away at the door. Most BO supporters had been bused in from out-of-town — they needed all the Dem’s still supporting BO in GJ to fill the gymnasium, even some of them were from out-of-town. They had HS Band ready to play at the corner of the street we we’re on, but he went in the back way — they used band as foil to draw the protesters — so be aware of that tactic for future. Once he was inside someone came out and let the band go after they had been waiting there in uniform and formation for about over hour & a half to play as he entered HS — our side felt very sorry for the kids, the other side just keep jeering.

One point our side stopped chanting as the other side did most of the time and we all shouted the Pledge of Allegiance together — opp were dumb-founded, just stood there silent many with surprized or puzzled looks, even opp leaders didn’t know how to respond, but they didn’t join us.

When we learned he came in back way from our members on alt route, our locals discretely spoke to small groups on our side since we had a few infiltrators; we started leaving in groups of 10-20 & re-grouped at the back entrance 3 blocks way, joining the 60-70 there from the start. We lost some of our side with this move mostly seniors because they were worn out from having been at am rally and then out in the heat at the HS entrance for another 2 couple of hours. We heard from sheriff’s deputy who is relative of one of our 912ers later that when most of our side was gone, opp loaded up buses or got into cars (minority who drove themselves) and left GJ.

We continued to wait over another hour for the TH to end and the motorcade to drive right past us. As they were loading vehicles we started chanting “SILENT NO MORE.” But everyone was so disgusted with him sneaking in the back, dissing the band & stacking the attendees that by time the lead motorcycles drove past us about 1/3 block away, we were chanting “No You Can’t” and when limo came into view the chants disintegrated into loud prolonged booing until the last vehicle was at least a block away. The people who originally lined on the alt. route to airport were still there protesting on his trip back, not sure what they yelled since we could see them, but not hear them — opp didn’t know about these back streets since they were from out-of-town & media didn’t follow us so they reported everyone went home by 4:30 pm.

We have video though so I’ll post link when uploaded. Considering we only had a week to set up events and get the word out, we’re really proud of the turnout and all the intrepid souls who went to multiple events that day.

I want to share story of WWII vet in his 80′s who came to the rally from 10-11:30am, went to press conference 11:30-noon, then stood on the first street with us from 3-4:30, walked with his cane & large “Don’t Tread On Me flag” the 3 blocks to back entrance, and stayed standing until motorcade disappeared. Some of us offered to help him during the afternoon because he was looking frail and worn out, but he refused help — he said he could hold the flag and walk using his cane himself. He said he was so upset about what is being done to his country that he fought and almost died for that he was going to do whatever he could and endure whatever he had to help us take our country back. Those of us who heard him were inspired that he if could make, then we certainly could manage a little more heat, exercise and chanting to finish the day and continue fight over the coming months. All of We the People on our side in Grand Junction yesterday were Proud to Be Americans Exercising Our Rights and Standing Up for Our Country! God Bless America!

The media may not be covering it, but Colorado’s Majority (along with some from Utah & NM) is SILENT NO MORE!
Lug Wrench Lu

P.S. Link to good set of GJ pictures from Chuck B below.

Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.

The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

In fact, Governmentium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

As of February 10, 2009, you will no longer be able to sell or buy children’s used clothing under the CPSIA. Not at the Goodwill, not at a consignment shop, not on eBay. Not even at a yard sale. If you do, you face a $100,000 fine and 5 years of imprisonment. That is, unless the seller can find a government-approved way to test the garments that won’t force them out of business.

And she referenced an LA Times article on the subject which I recommend you read but I’m not going to quote. I will however quote her commentary on how we got here, because I can’t say it better than she already said it,

And to those of you who thought that seatbelt and smoking ban legislation was a great idea, you’re getting what you asked for. You want government to take care of you, this is what you get. I’ve been preaching about the ’slippery slope’ for years, and people keep saying, “Oh, Joey. That’ll never happen. You’re exaggerating.”

Well? Did you ever think used children’s clothing would be banned from commerce?

Everyone of you–liberal and conservative–should be outraged. This isn’t about party politics, anymore. This is about a runaway government that seems intent on destroying our entire way of life under the ‘good intention’ of saving us from ourselves. So while everyone’s busy bickering back and forth over which party can ’save’ America, we–the common American citizens–are losing everything.

Those of you who have followed the few postings that I’ve made on my blog know and understand this about me. I’m not just someone who rants on my blog. I’m an activist. I believe in providing possible solutions and acting on those solutions, and not just complain about how bad things are. So the rest of this post is about what you can and SHOULD do to put a stop to this nonsense. I’ve also created a Facebook group (Americans Against The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008) and a Twitter account (stop_cpsia). You can also go to the website I created at www.tellyourneighbor.com for more information on what to do.

Civil disobedience is a time honored tradition in the face of tyranny. Without civil disobedience, blacks would still be confined to the back of the bus and would not have ever had the chance to be a President-elect. Without civil disobedience, who knows how long the Viet Nam war (originally called a police action when they first went in) would have continued. We must be willing to draw a line in the sand and say, “no sir, I will not comply.” We must be willing to spend a night or two in jail, face the firehose, endure the bruising from night sticks, the agony of pepper spray and the shock of the Taser. If we are not willing to stand against tyranny now and stare it down eyeball to eyeball, we will not like at all what we get next. Keep in mind that Germany was a democracy when Hitler was elected. The very same steps that Hitler took to turn Germany from Democracy to a Dictatorship are the very same steps that are being taken right now here on American soil. Do we want to wait until many of our friends and neighbors have been shipped off to concentration camps and burned in the incinerators before we say enough!!? Because if we wait that long, it will likely be too late.

I propose that from February 10th (the day the law goes into effect) until March 10th every freedom loving citizen of this great country sell at least one item of clothing daily in a public setting (Ebay, yard sale, in front of WalMart, wherever you can think of) to protest this law. Let’s be willing to face the $100,000 fine and 5 years jail time because I promise you that those who dare to run the gauntlet of bad publicity that would inevitably come from arresting parents of children who participate in this act of civil disobedience would suffer a backlash unlike any you’ve ever seen in this country since the Civil War. It’s very likely that some overzealous DA or other law enforcement arm might be stupid enough to initially enforce the law, but the resulting PR nightmare they experience would be tremendous and would eventuallycause the reversal of this particular piece of legislation post haste.

Is one month of civil disobedience enough? Well that depends on the response of those tasked with enforcing this onerous piece of legislation. Will they just let it go (like happened with all of the anti-illegal immigration laws which were passed), will they actively enforce it, or will they selectively enforce it against high profile individuals to make an example out of them in an effort to quell the civil disobedience? The stronger the enforcement, the longer the civil disobedience. So pass the word along. We hereby declare February 10th through March 10th the Anti Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 whereby we will engage in active disobedience to this law to preserve our businesses, our jobs and our lifestyles. Over 225 years ago, our forefathers declared that we have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Any government law or regulation that is against that belongs in a Marxist society, not in the United States of America!

Every Christmas season I have the good fortune to play Santa at church, family and work parties. I originally started doing it as a way to fund our Christmas, but it has turned into something much bigger. Each year I find a family that is struggling and who otherwise wouldn’t likely have a good Christmas. I seek donations from others and on Christmas eve, the last family I visit is that designated family (after all the kids are in bed) and with the parents help I place presents under the tree for each family member. It is truly a rewarding and humbling experience to help provide such a service.

We’ve unfortunately forgotten that giving should be a personal experience whether it is done as individuals, through a church, or through another charity. IT SHOULD NOT BE DONE THROUGH GOVERNMENT! When the government takes it on themselves to take money from us through taxes and give it to someone else, whether it’s the financial institutions, insurance companies, auto companies, welfare recipients, or hurricane victims, it’s socialism plain and simple. We must resist at every turn, the governments attempts to become the nanny state for all of us, and go back to the “community barn raising” mentality that this great nation was founded upon. When everyone begins to turn to the government for handouts, everyone becomes the leech and eventually there’s no blood left to suck. Socialism will eventually collapse upon itself. This has been proven through history time and time again. Why must our current government feel inclined to “beat the odds?” It contradicts the laws of nature. In 1623, the impoverished community of Jamestown abandoned socialism for that very reason and planted the seeds of capitalism that caused the United States to become the envy of the world.

Back to my Santa story. This year, in addition to my providing a Christmas for one needy family, I have committed myself to beginning another tradition. I have found that just being in my Santa suit creates the miracle of Christmas cheer, and so I go where people are seeking to tap into that spirit. On Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah there is a building called the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The crowds throng to look at the Christmas lights on Temple Square and to listen to the musical performances in the JSMB. Let me share with you my experience I had last week.

I arrived, parked under in the underground parking and walked into the lower level of the building where I was immediately thronged by several children. Normally as a Santa I am sitting on a chair for children to sit on my lap. However, when I run across children in this situation, I get on my knees and open my arms to hug the children. You should see the look of delight, love, and appreciation in their eyes! The parents are so thankful--it warms my heart to see it. After greeting that group of children, I took the stairs to the main floor and was thronged by another group of kids with the parents in tow. Santa truly is a celebrity around Christmas time. But it’s not about me or my ego; it’s about being a symbol of Christmas, of love, of joy and of giving--and being that symbol brings happiness into the lives of others.

After giving out hugs to several more children I was approached by a bride who was having her reception in that building and wanted her picture taken with Santa. Then more children surrounded me and I gave them my undivided attention. Shortly thereafter I was approached by about thirty high school girls in matching dresses who wanted their picture taken with Santa, I had never seen a wedding with 30 bridesmaids before and they assured me they weren’t with a wedding party, but had just finished performing at the top level of the building. I had my picture taken with them in groups of five or six. Then a young couple came up to me and asked if they could have their picture taken with Santa. For many people, Santa represents happy childhood memories, so I am no longer surprised when adults ask to have their picture taken with me, or at family or young adult parties, still want to sit on Santa’s lap and tell Santa what they want for Christmas.

Still another bride wanted her picture taken with me, and then two more young couples, and then more children. I was having more fun performing these acts of service than you could possibly imagine. I plan to go again this next Friday evening. If you happen to be in Salt Lake City at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, keep your eye open for Santa.

But let’s keep in mind what Christmas is really all about. Christmas isn’t about Santa, or seeing how much money we can put in the retailer’s pockets, or about receiving gifts, or about trying to outdo our neighbor’s Christmas decorating fetish. It’s about following the example of He who’s day we celebrate this entire month. My son was feeling bad because of a painful relationship breakup and he asked me if I knew of a way to get past the pain faster. I advised him that if he really wanted to get over this breakup the fastest possible way, he should find acts of service he can perform daily. Since he’s got a wonderful voice, I suggested that he go to an adult care home and sing Christmas carols to the residents. Or go shovel snow for an elderly widow. Looking past our own lives, helps us find the love that lives inside all of our hearts. Are these not the conservative values we seek to spread? I believe they are. If we each find ways to make the world a better place on a daily basis, we will find that our lives are more enriched and worth living. And people are less likely to look to government to provide them with their “daily bread.”

My final thought is in the form of a video, to help us all remember the real reason why each of us celebrate Christmas and prefer to continue to say “Merry Christmas” to one another, rather than merely “Happy Holidays.”

This past summer we watched helplessly as gas prices went through the roof once again. When the #dontgo movement finally convinced the Democrats in Congress to vote on legislation that will allow us to drill offshore and extract oil from shale, amazingly the prices plunged again. I just filled up last night and only paid $1.49 per gallon for my gas. It was 2002 the last time I paid that amount for my gas.

Let’s not get fooled again here though. It’s clear that the Saudis are pulling the same stunt as before in an attempt to keep us dependent on their oil. We absolutely must take full advantage of this opportunity to develop alternate energy options so that we will NEVER again be subject to the whims of hostile foreign powers. Again, I’m not the kind of person to just talk about a problem just so I can vent—I like to provide what I believe to be reasonable solutions to help solve the problem. So here’s what I believe we, individually and collectively, should do to improve our situation.

• Demand that auto manufacturers build more cars that use natural gas, a gas that is renewable and a resource that has enough reserves in Canada, US and Mexico to last several lifetimes even at current fuel consumption levels. When I say “demand” I mean go straight to the source and vote with your pocketbook. Don’t clamor for more government regulation to solve our problems. We want to make our government smaller with less control, rather than the opposite. Just go to your local car dealer and let them know that you will be unable to purchase any more new cars from them in the future until the time that they have alternate fuel vehicles readily available on their lots for purchase. Personally, I would define “readily available” as 50% of the inventory on their lot is alternative fuel vehicles.

• The stock market is down right now. Eventually it will go back up and when it does I believe the smart money will be put into alternative energy stocks such as natural gas, wind power, hydrogen fuel, nuclear development, etc. Invest in those stocks so that entrepreneurs with great ideas will be able to provide the best products to the market that will in turn reduce or even remove our dependence on foreign oil.

• Write your Congressman and Senators to let them know how you feel about government regulations that discourage the development of alternate energy resources and encourage foreign oil dependency. Hold their feet to the fire on a fairly regular basis so they are constantly reminded that we’re not going to let them off the hook this time.

• Go to the T. Boone Pickens website and read about and support his plan for alternate energy development. He’s a smart guy who knows a little bit about energy development from the oil side of things, which gives him a unique perspective in exploring the other energy options that could be made available to us.

• Walk more places and commute via bus or bike every once in a while. The less we purchase fuel, the lower the prices will get AND the less wear and tear on your vehicle—hence lower maintainance costs for you in the future. This is not an endorsement of the Global Warming theory—I think that’s phony science guided by political forces. I’m just saying that it’s a kind of boycott of the auto and oil industries every time you choose to reduce your driving. This summer, for the first time in many years, our nation’s fuel consumption declined. That in turn helped force the prices downward. You know, that old law of supply and demand thing.

• Notice how sales of SUVs and pickups have declined significantly? It sure made the auto industry sit up and pay attention for the first time in like, forever. They are ready to listen to us tell them what kind of cars we will buy rather than the other way around. Write letters to the captains of industry and let them know what your car buying plans are. I’ve got no problem purchasing a Suburban from GM as long as I can run natural gas in it. Make sure they understand that YOU understand the foolishness of the whole government mandated ethanol thing. They need to know that you know why food prices are so high, and why turkey farms had to kill all their turkeys days before Thanksgiving because they couldn’t afford the corn to feed them with. An educated electorate is a very powerful electorate!

So don’t let them fool us again this time. I’ve got no problem with raping and pillaging our own soil and coastline a bit more than we do right now in order to take care of our own fuel needs, rather than being held hostage by foreign governments. I’m not even convinced that we should consider oil based fuel to be a long term strategy for the United States. But we do need to start NOW to develop the alternative energy resources that will give us the edge once again.