America’s Trojan Horse

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Is asking the hard questions of the DHS secretary Janet Napolitano, and he might as well had asked Eric Holder for “Fast and Furious” documents. In our constitutional republic, the main purpose of government is to protect the God-given rights of the citizens it represents. The goal, it seems of Rep. Gohmert was a noble one, to get to the heart of an issue that should concern all Americans across all party lines, did Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano know she gave a visa and a classified security clearance to a known terrorist facilitator and sympathizer, Hani Nour Eldin. Eldin is a member of Egypt’s parliament and a member of Egypt’s Gamaa Islamiya group which is listed as a known terrorist organization. Eldin attended multiple meetings last month at the behest of the president and DHS, some of which were conducted at the White House. Issue number two, did Napolitano know that the DHS advisory council member (appointed by Obama), Mohamed Elibiary, used his security clearance (that Napolitano gave him) to access and download classified documents with his personal computer and shop the information to media outlets?

Napolitano couldn’t really answer any of Gohmert’s questions other than telling him that it was “objectionable” to attack or accuse someone because they are Muslim, (classic liberal response, Gohmert asks hard questions and he is deemed “bigoted” or “racist”) Rep. Gohmert also asked Napolitano if she was aware of the fact that Elibiary was affiliated with a charity here in the states named the Freedom and Justice Foundation. This is important because the name of the now defunct foundation here in America also shared its name with the Freedom and Justice Party in Egypt. The Freedom and Justice Party in Egypt is the legislative arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. The administration has been very open to advice from the “Council on American Islāmic Relations” aka (CAIR) which have been named an un-indicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation court case that took place in northern Texas. You will remember, that this is the court case that named all the people responsible for using the giving nature of Americans to secretly fund terrorist activities all around the globe.

If the stonewall tactic looks familiar to you, it should, it worked for Eric Holder at the Fast and Furious hearings. If congress keeps pushing this issue (and it should) I foresee Obama pulling rank and invoking executive privilege once again. As a nation we are in a very precarious era. When agencies have absolutely no congressional oversight, we become a dictatorship or a monarchy by definition. The current administration that promised to be the most transparent, is anything but. It seems Obama “leads” better by fiat rather than inside of a constitutional construct.

As a nation we need to show courage and begin a debate about what role Islam is going to play in our government. Will we cower when liberals attack and call us “bigoted” for asking relevent and important questions? We can not. We must stand courageous in the face of name calling. When we have come to a place in our society where the secretary of DHS is not concerned about men using their personal computers to access classified government information, and known terrorist sympathizers holding meetings in the White House, we are in grave danger. If Janet Napolitano is not going to perform her job as secretary of DHS, why do we have a DHS? We should not cower from the debate simply because it’s politically incorrect to broach these subjects or because of a political agenda. We have already done that, in 1999 when Osama Bin Laden stated that blood would run in the streets of New York city, no one stood against his statement. We also done the same with the Ft. Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, over and over people in the know were reporting to the FBI that he was very anti-American and a possible threat, the FBI did not investigate because they were fearful the investigation would be seen as an “Islāmic witch hunt”. All because of political correctness, thirteen people were shot in cold blood. The man had S.O.A. on his government (Army) business card, S.O.A. meaning Soldier Of Allah. To add insult to injury the government will still not call the acts perpetrated by Hasan a terrorist act, they consider it an incident of “work place violence”. Also, I don’t remember anyone mentioning gun control after Hasan killed thirteen.

We recently seen how political agenda has driven the gun control debate after the tragic shooting spree in Aurora, Colorado. Before the victims were all properly identified news anchors were already blaming those they disagree with politically, pushing accusations on Tea Party members. Guns needed to be outlawed so people would be “safe”. Just a day later, an Afghan police officer opened fire on American contractors killing three. No where did you hear anyone calling for the outlaw of guns in Afghanistan. One shooting spree fits the liberal agenda narrative, and one did not. So one gets the nod for a refreshed attack on the second amendment rights of American people, and one is ignored, because only one story is politically expedient. I bring this up because I want the American people to drive the debate regarding Islam in the government, and not another terrorist attack, God forbid.

Robert E. Stage Jr.

 

Repealing Obamacare Is Not Enough

A recent step in the right direction happened on July the 11th. The house of representatives voted for a full repeal of Obamacare, 244 yeas to 185 nays. Of course the liberal media cried foul, they thought even taking a vote on repealing Obamacare was a giant waste of taxpayer money. Bob Schieffer, of CBS’ Face the Nation, lamented how the house was wasting so much money on a repeal vote. This concern he showed is interesting, because the house has been sending legislation to the senate since the Tea Party takeover of the house in 2010. So far, there has not even been so much as a preliminary vote in committee on any of those bills, however I haven’t seen or heard any news coverage of the senate doing nothing, or wasting taxpayer money. There’s not been any lamenting or hand wringing of any sort over a do nothing senate.

While voting to repeal Obamacare is a commendable and noble thing to do, this is merely not enough. In our hyped up election season, conservatives have forgotten the additional fights that have been picked with the U.S. Constitution. We are predisposed to conversing about who’s going to be Romney’s Veep choice, or which poll has Obama and Romney in a dead heat, all the while, there are some bills that slid through Congress that should have never been voted out of committee. Some of them were slid through even with the conservative takeover of the house, which should be alarming to a great many Americans. One of the laws stretches all the way back to the months after 9/11, and was signed by a Republican President.

Chronologically, alongside Obamacare, the NDAA act, the Dodd-Frank act, and the USA Patriot act should be on the chopping block also. The NDAA act is so egregious in its powers, it is almost self-explanatory why it should be repealed. If you read conservative or libertarian news sites, you could probably name off four or five unconstitutional provisions from it, but for the sake of those who may be seeing this for the first time, I would like to point them out again. Not in the 236 year history of our country has the armed forces been allowed to apprehend, and arrest American citizens, under the NDAA act this is possible. You can also be held or interned, without charge, indefinitely, which subverts habeas corpus. You also do not have a right to a fair and speedy trial. All these constitutionally protected citizen rights are thrown out the window with this one piece of legislation. Congress, repeal it!

I want to share a quote with you concerning the Dodd-Frank Act. In a recent article written for Townhall.com in honor of the birth of our nation, Hillsdale College President, Dr. Larry Arnn said concerning freedom and how the government is now acting:

Moreover, it [Federal Government] governs increasingly without authority from the branches that are elected by the people. The new Dodd- Frank finance law creates something called a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This agency does not get its budget from Congress. Rather, its money comes from a guaranteed percentage of the budget of the Federal Reserve, which gets its money from its operations as a bank. Congress is even specifically forbidden in the law to hold hearings into the budget of the new CPFB. And it has wide examining power over every form of consumer finance in the nation. In unfettered scope of authority, and in near perfect separation from popular control, it is different from anything before it in America.

In other words, the congress passed, and the president signed another unconstitutional act. Here’s a little quick history on the Federal Reserve, it’s a corporation with no congressional oversight and it rules our entire economy. Not only that, it was conceived “supposedly” to stop financial bubbles that hurt our economy, at least that is one way it was “sold” to the American people. (Has that worked? No.) Now, the congress has passed what amounts to 311 million miniature Federal Reserves (or Fed Reserve II I call it.). Under this act, the Federal Government has the authority to monitor your personal credit card and bank statements, all under the false pretense of protecting you, the consumer from the big bad banks and business’. Here is some irony for you, this act was “written” by Chris Dodd, and Barney Frank, both of whom had a direct role in the housing bubble that caused the current economic malaise we still suffer from. You also might remember that Obama named former Ohio Attorney General, Richard Cordray to lead this new Consumer Protection Bureau. Obama appointed him by fiat while congress was still in session, without a confirmation by the senate, which is unconstitutional. This guts the constitution’s 4th amendment. Congress, repeal it!

Now the grandaddy of all unconstitutional acts The USA Patriot Act. This act you will remember, was an absolute “necessity” shortly after September 11th. We had to find a way to stop terrorists from gaining a foothold inside our borders again. You may agree, you may not, but 9/11 could have been stopped years before it happened. All we had to do was act on information we were told publicly by Osama Bin Laden in 1999. We were attacked at the World Trade center in 1993 under Clinton. We knew already that radical Islamists wanted to strike us. If our intelligence agencies and other “alphabet soup departments” (ie. NSA, CIA, FBI, ATF) had shared info with one another, we could have stopped the terrorists. Therefore, we could have continued without a Dept. of Homeland Security, A Dept. of Transportation Safety Administration, (who will soon be at all transportation depots, ie. bus stations, and train stations). These Government Departments need dismantled. Congress, repeal it!

There is only one way out of our current situations concerning the manifold attacks on our constitution, we must go to the polls November 6th and vote for more conservative, libertarian, and limited government men and women to represent us. Men and women like Rand Paul, Allen West, Marco Rubio, Mike Lee, Jason Chaffetz, Jim Demint, Nikki Haley, Jan Brewer, Michelle Bachman and many more.

Conservatives, Libertarians, Patriots All – Remember, Remember the 6th of November.

Robert E. Stage Jr.

 

Another must read from Dave the Sage at The Constitution Club.

The Conservative Citizen

The United Nations will vote on this ‘arms trade’ treaty on July 27 and it has been causing quite a bit of consternation among certain groups. Now I can’t say for sure that this is part of some grand gun-grabbing scheme but one  has to examine the motives and agenda of the people and organizations backing these types of moves. And by doing so, we must view this push for more gun control with serious suspicion.

Inevitably, such a treaty will result in more restrictions and government registration and tracking of private firearms as the US simply attempts to ‘be in compliance’ and makes sure arms aren’t crossing over the border illegally.

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I am proud to be an American, a Patriotic American because of stories like this!

 

RESTORE THE FOUNDATION FRIDAYS – Nathan Hale – (1755-1776)

Nathan Hale was born on the 6th day of June, 1755 in the town of Coventry, Connecticut. He was born to Richard Hale who had moved to Coventry from Newbury Mass. In 1748. His Mother’s name was Elizabeth Strong. Richard and Elizabeth had twelve children of which Nathan was sixth among them. Nathan’s father was a successful farmer and he was able to provide very good educations for all his children. He attended Yale University with his bother Enoch. He enrolled at the age of fourteen and graduated at the age of eighteen. There is record that upon commencement day Nathan took what was called a pert, and it is recorded that he graduated in the top thirteen of his class. It appears that Nathan was going to become a Christian minister upon leaving college like his brother Enoch did but, as it was with most young men he became a teacher. In 1774 he accepted an appointment at the Union Grammar School which was a public school in the town of New London, Connecticut. The school was paid for by the men of the town to prepare their children for higher learning. In a time when most women were taught at home, or not taught at all, Nathan devoted the hours from five to seven in the morning to teaching no less than twenty young women at a time. Then at seven a.m. he would begin teaching the young men for the rest of the day.

He was a devoted militia member. When word of Lexington and Concord made it to New London in 1775, there was a town meeting held. At this town meeting it is said that a Nathan said of the British attack, “Let us march immediately” and he then said, “and never lay down our arms until we obtain our independence”. It is said that this was one of the first times the word ‘Independence’ was used to describe the struggle between the Colonists and the British. He became a Captain in the Continental Army, and a spy for the cause of liberty.

In September, 1776, the British occupied New York city. Nathan was deep behind enemy lines when he was captured by the British. His personal effects were searched, they included a sketch book of drawings that Hale had made of enemy fortifications and other Continental documents, upon the discovery of these he gave his name and rank in the American Army.  He was arrested as a spy, sentenced with no trial by General Howe to be hung on the morning after his capture. When his execution neared, he asked for a clergyman to attend to him, this request was met with a most egregious no. After being turned down by Howe for the attention of a clergyman, Nathan asked that he might have a Holy Bible, this request was met with the same answer. So, as Hale sat alone waiting to die he only found mercy in an officer that asked that Nathan be left in his custody. The officer that had custody of Nathan provided him paper and pen so he might write a letter to his mother and a military officer brother. When the time came, 11:00 am on September 22nd, 1776, it is said of an eyewitness that Nathan Hale walked solemnly to the noose, turned to the men attending his execution and said his famous words, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country”! This from a young man of twenty-one years of age, what courage this man possessed, even in the face of death, he was defiant, he knew his cause was just. A true patriot! The execution of Nathan Hale

It is reported that Sir William Howe made the following entry in his Orderly Book on the day of the execution: “A spy from the enemy by his own full confession, apprehended last night, was executed this day at 11 o’clock in front of the Artillery Park.”

Remember Nathan Hale this friday, he died for the freedom that we enjoy today.

Robert E. Stage Jr.

 

Obamacare’s First Kiss of Death

In my home state, the political jockeying has been intense already this election cycle. Ohio, is of course very important to the presidential elections because of our swing state status.

Recently both candidates have been criss-crossing Ohio to grab up the all so coveted independent vote. As important as this election is, I don’t know how anyone can be “independent”. This is the most polarized I have ever seen our political climate. I think most people have already made their mind up.

Obama stopped in to Ann’s Place a diner in west Akron yesterday around 8:30 a.m. to have a little breakfast. (His second of the day) I wonder if Michelle knows? Just a few hours after hugging Obama, Josephine “Ann” Harris the restaurant owner was in her home and began complaining of a tingling feeling and that she did not feel well. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. She had suffered a full cardiac arrest in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, and could not be revived.

I in know way mean to make light of the passing of Ann Harris. However, I would like to point out some simularities between this incident and other’s that the nation faces.

Since Obama has successfully sucked the life out of the nation and the economy, is it possible when he hugged this poor woman he sucked the life outta her also? Of course I’m being satirical, but I think this may be an omen. Obamacare is certainly the grim reaper to our nation. Yes, Obamacare = Kiss of Death. How bad does this look in this election season? The president shows up, hugs a business owner, and she dies? ! Holy Cow! Damn the luck!

Remember America, Obamacare = Kiss of Death!

Robert E. Stage Jr.

 

Convicted Terrorist to protest Mitt Romney

Cross posted from Redstate.com

Convicted Terrorist to Protest Mitt Romney

06 Jul 2012 3:00 PM

A convicted terrorist is leading liberal groups to protest Mitt Romney and the Kochs. That’s right, there’s a fundraiser for Mitt Romney that the Kochs are in.

So the liberals are rallying. They’re rallying with a convicted terrorist, Andy Stepanian,

His claim to fame is being characterized as succeeding “where Karl Marx, the Baader-Meinhof gang and the Red Brigades failed.” He’s quite proud of it. And the left will mark with him to protest Mitt Romney.

Remember friends, this isn’t the first terrorist to support Barack Obama. It won’t be the last.

 

Sign the small arms petition to stop the Senate from giving our sovereignty and Gun Rights to the United Nations

Click here to sign the petition!

 

Here is a great article outlining just how the money game works between politicians, wall street, and companies. A truly great read.

The Conservative Citizen

Democrats and Republicans together have turned the American economy into a tool for siphoning American wealth into the pockets of themselves and their friends under cover of pretending to spread it around. They debate various tax policies but they maintain inflation that reduces the value of everybodies money under cover of “adjusted” Federal statistics that minimize the reported inflation rate. In 1937, a new Chevy cost $750.

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DHS deems “Liberty Lovers” Terrorists

You are under attack. If you love your personal liberty, you have become an enemy of the state. You have been deemed a terrorist.

Here is the full name of the study recently released by the University of Maryland that states that if you are a “Liberty Lover” you are a terrorist: LaFree, Gary, and Bianca Bersani. “Hot Spots of Terrorism and Other Crimes in the United States, 1970 to 2008,” Final Report to Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division, Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
College Park, MD: START, 2012. (.pdf)

I suppose it’s bad enough that our own Federal Government now deems those who are “suspicious of centralized Federal Authority” and those who are “Liberty Lovers” terrorists, but I think the thing that should rub us the wrong way is the fact that the Department of Homeland Security paid 12 million dollars of our tax dollars to the university that came up with that verdict. Imagine, calling Thomas Jefferson a terrorist, or George Washington a terrorist, that is essentially what the study says, in not so many words. I would say all the founders were small government libertarian minded men. They certainly stood directly against the centralized powers of the British Crown. Their stance on centralized power is the very reason we have a separation of powers in our republic’s government structure. The study say’s that “Liberty Lovers” should be considered “extreme right-wing terrorists”. Good, honest Americans are under attack by a political machine. The study is really a veiled threat against tea party types, by a DHS that ignores not only radicalized Islamic terrorism, but they have even removed any references to Islāmic terrorism from FBI manuals. Islāmic terrorism is being whitewashed, while freedom loving Americans are being painted with a terrorist brush. This is an outrage! We are living in a country that is being shape shifted by a soft despotism currently. The machine is being built right now that will be the demise of liberty as we know it. We are well on our way down a road to perdition. Alexis De Tocqueville coined the phrase soft despotism, it simply means a centralized government that would rule by a series of small but numerous rules and regulations, to keep the citizenry in a perpetual child like state, while the government became almost paternal in nature. Sound familiar?

This story broke July 3rd, around the afternoon, you tell me that was not planned. I believe Limbaugh when he says “nothing in politics is ever a coincidence”, this report is a blatant slap in the face on the eve of the birthday of liberty in our nation. Now is decision time in our nation, ask yourself, do you stand against your government, or have they declared that they will be the instigator and that they will stand against the American people, we both can’t be right. This report is the all out blitz and smear against those who uphold the U.S. Constitution and the laws of our land. Our president certainly is not upholding U.S. law, he is now stuck in dictator mode, deciding on the fly, which statutes deserve being enforced, and which statutes do not. As far as I’m concerned, that is enough lawlessness to impeach this character. If he is not going to uphold his oath of office, the Constitution, and U.S laws in general what use is he? Things that are clearly unconstitutional are being called constitutional, congress won’t stand up to the president when he walks all over our rights, and the Supreme Court can’t be trusted to have fidelity to the Constitution, which nullifies the existence of all four. We live in a country that is being run by a committee of no one, not by the people through a duly elected congress, with a president that upholds laws that congress has passed, and the Supreme Court has rendered itself useless, what are we to do? What are a people to do when all branch’s of their government are dangerously close to being obsolete? Or worse yet, two branches are being cannibalized by the executive branch. The national debate needs to start here and now, what are we to do? An election probably is not going to fix these issues we face. It will take the rest of my natural life, If the Lord tarries His coming and He is merciful to me. These issues may take two full lifetimes to set right again. It will take our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor, but the fight is just and it is worth fighting! I repeat again, you are under attack!

See also: DHS says White Americans Most Likely Terrorists.

See also: DHS Right Wing Extremist Report

Robert E. Stage Jr.

Leave your comment, what do you think our recourse is? A repeal of the 17th amendment allowing State legislatures to once again vote for Senators, removing the current popular vote and removing some Federal power? Auditing the Federal Reserve, so it’s power can begin to reigned in? Abolishment of the Fed? A balanced budget amendment?

 

Born on the Fourth of July

The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The original Bill of Rights

The Declaration of Independence

What is this document? Many see an animal skin with a series of words written on it. The words are almost completely faded now, they are, after all 236 years old. Some might say, this document was a letter of divorcement from England penned by the colonial American people. Some men may tell you, this document is a prayer to the Supreme Judge of the world. Some may say, this document was a suicide pact agreed to by 56 men. I submit to you, the declaration is all these things and so, so much more.

This document holds the hopes and dreams of the men whose hearts and minds conceived it and all who have ever existed, freedom. To understand the meaning of the declaration, one must learn of, and know the words of those who submitted it to the world so many years ago. The Declaration represents the American idea, and I would go so far as to say it is sacred. Next to the Holy Bible, the declaration is our most important document.

I am not alone in that estimation. Lets look to some famous Americans who stated what the declaration meant to them and our nation.

John Adams, why is the Declaration of Independence important today?

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward, forever more.
You will think me transported with enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. — Yet through all the gloom I can see the rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the end is more than worth all the means…” (The signer of the Declaration and second president of the United States, writing to his wife, Abigail Adams, at the time of the ratification of the Declaration)
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John Quincy Adams, why is the Declaration of Independence important today?

“Why is it that next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [the Fourth of July]? Is it not, that in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission on Earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government on the first precepts of Christianity?” (The son of John Adams and sixth president of the United States gave this 4th of July speech in 1837)
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Noah Webster, what is the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

[O]ur fathers were men — they were heroes and patriots — they fought — they conquered — and they bequeathed to us a rich inheritance of liberty and empire which we have no right to surrender … Yes, my fellow freemen, we have a rich and growing empire — we have a lucrative commerce to protect — we have indefeasible [inalienable] rights — we have an excellent system of religion and of government — we have wives and children and sisters to defend; and God forbid that the soil of America should sustain the wretch who [lacks] the will or the spirit to defend them. Let us then rally round the independence and Constitution of our country, resolved to a man that we will never lose by folly, disunion, or cowardice what has been planned by wisdom and purchased with blood. (Noah Webster said these words in 1798, at a fourth of July celebration. He fought in the Revolutionary War, was a legislator and judge, and became “Schoolmaster to America”, publishing the first American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828)
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Abraham Lincoln, why is the Declaration of Independence important today?

“I am filled with deep emotion at finding myself standing here, in this place, where were collected together the wisdom, the patriotism, the devotion to principle, from which sprang the institutions under which we live. You have kindly suggested to me that in my hands is the task of restoring peace to the present distracted condition of the country. I can say in return, Sir, that all the political sentiments I entertain have been drawn, so far as I have been able to draw them, from the sentiments which originated and were given to the world from this hall. I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence. I have often pondered over the dangers which were incurred by the men who assembled here, and framed and adopted that Declaration of Independence. I have pondered over the toils that were endured by the officers and soldiers of the army who achieved that Independence. I have often inquired of myself, what great principle or idea it was that kept this Confederacy so long together. It was not the mere matter of the separation of the Colonies from the motherland; but that sentiment in the Declaration of Independence which gave liberty, not alone to the people of this country, but, I hope, to the world, for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weight would be lifted from the shoulders of all men. This is a sentiment embodied in the Declaration of Independence. Now, my friends, can this country be saved upon that basis? If it can, I will consider myself one of the happiest men in the world, if I can help to save it. If it cannot be saved upon that principle, it will be truly awful. But if this country cannot be saved without giving up that principle, I was about to say I would rather be assassinated on this spot than surrender it.” (From a speech in Philadelphia, February 22, 1861)
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President Lincoln, what was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

“These communities, by their representatives in old Independence Hall, said to the whole world of men: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ … [T]hey established these great self-evident truths that … their posterity might look up again to the Declaration of Independence and take courage to renew that battle which their fathers began, so that truth and justice and mercy and all the humane and Christian virtues might not be extinguished from the land … Now, my countrymen, if you have been taught doctrines conflicting with the great landmarks of the Declaration of Independence … let me entreat you to come back … [C]ome back to the truths that are in the Declaration of Independence.” (President Lincoln presented this appeal in 1858 to a crowd in Lewiston, Illinois)
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President Dwight D. Eisenhower, what was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

“Fellow Americans, we venerate more widely than any other document, except only the Bible, the American Declaration of Independence. That declaration was more than a call to national action. It is a voice of conscience establishing clear, enduring values applicable to the lives of all men. It stands enshrined today as a charter of human liberty and dignity. Until these things belong to every living person, their pursuit is an unfinished business to occupy our children and generations to follow them. In this spirit we stand firmly in defense of freedom. In this spirit we cooperate with our friends, and negotiate with those who oppose us. (from the text of the report by the President to the American people on his European trip, delivered September 10,1959)

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President Ronald Reagan, why is the Declaration of Independence important today?

“The signing of the document that day in Independence Hall was miracle enough. Fifty-six men, a little band so unique—we have never seen their like since — pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Sixteen gave their lives, most gave their fortunes and all of them preserved their sacred honor. What manner of men were they? Certainly they were not an unwashed, revolutionary rebel, nor were they adventurers in a heroic mood. Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists, 11 were merchants and tradesmen, nine were farmers. They were men who would achieve security but valued freedom more.
And what price did they pay? John Hart was driven from the side of his desperately ill wife. After more than a year of living almost as an animal in the forest and in caves, he returned to find his wife had died and his children had vanished. He never saw them again, his property was destroyed and he died of a broken heart — but with no regret, only pride in the part he had played that day in Independence Hall. Carter Braxton of Virginia lost all his ships — they were sold to pay his debts. He died in rags. So it was with Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Rutledge, Morris, Livingston, and Middleton. Nelson, learning that Cornwallis was using his home for a headquarters, personally begged Washington to fire on him and destroy his home — he died bankrupt. It has never been reported that any of these men ever expressed bitterness or renounced their action as not worth the price. Fifty-six rank-and-file, ordinary citizens had founded a nation that grew from sea to shining sea, five million farms, quiet villages, cities that never sleep—all done without an area re-development plan, urban renewal or a rural legal assistance program.
Now we are a nation of 211 million people with a pedigree that includes blood lines from every corner of the world. We have shed that American-melting-pot blood in every corner of the world, usually in defense of someone’s freedom. Those who remained of that remarkable band we call our Founding Fathers tied up some of the loose ends about a dozen years after the Revolution. It had been the first revolution in all man’s history that did not just exchange one set of rulers for another. This had been a philosophical revolution. (The future President at the first annual CPAC conference, January 25, 1974)

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A summary word from President Ronald Reagan:

Let us ask that God’s light may illuminate the minds and hearts of our people and our leaders so that we may meet the challenges that lie before us with courage and wisdom and justice. In prayer, let us recall with confidence the promise of old that if we humble ourselves before God and pray and seek His face, He will surely hear and forgive and heal and bless our land.”

All Quotes are from 1776web.com

The pictures in the heading are of mine and my wife’s living room wall. The trinity of documents were a birthday present for me two years ago. These three documents hold a prestigious place in our home, because they hold a prestigious place in our heart. I use them as a reminder of the men who fought for my rights that are given to me starting in the Declaration, being upheld by the Constitution, and guaranteed to me by the Bill of Rights. There is not a day that goes by that I do not marvel a little at at least one of them in the morning before we leave for work.

I love the Declaration, I love the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and this great land! I stand with these men and will fight to preserve all, I reckon there are a great many who will stand now and lets hope forevermore. We are the remnant.

Robert E. Stage Jr.

 

Hillsdale College President, Dr. Larry Arnn regarding July 4th 1776

From Townhall Magazine’s July feature, “How to Celebrate the Fourth of July,” by Dr. Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College:

Two hundred thirty-six years ago this Fourth of July, 57 men signed the document that created the American republic. They represented a people of about 3 million grouped in a series of 13 colonies along the eastern seaboard of the United States. They were all wanted men, sought by the commander of the British forces in North America for sedition and treason. He had behind him the resources of the greatest military power on earth. They had behind them the bare beginnings of a government, hardly anything of an army, but something mighty in the way of an idea.

This nation had therefore a desperate beginning. Who but the boldest could believe that the signers of the Declaration of Independence were laying the foundation of the greatest constitutional republic in history? Now that republic has spread across the continent, and its influence reaches around the world. Its population has increased a hundredfold. Its Constitution has provided government to a free people constantly growing in size and territory, each new state joining the union as an equal, its citizens never subjects, its people ever free. There is no story close to it in the history of man.

Statesmen and thinkers have attributed the strength and goodness of the nation to the principles in the Declaration. Many others have denied this. Statesmen and thinkers have proclaimed the Constitution a just and beautiful implementation of the principles of the Declaration. Many others have denied this. These denials are more common in times of crisis in our country. They are very common now.

It is a sign of our time that the sitting chief executive of our country eschews the permanent meaning of the Declaration and the idea of fixity in the Constitution. In the “Audacity of Hope,” Barack Obama writes: “Implicit in [the Constitution’s] structure, in the very idea of ordered liberty, was a rejection of absolute truth, the infallibility of any idea or ideology or theology or “ism,” any tyrannical consistency that might lock future generations into a single, unalterable course. …”

Obama has stuck to this theme during his presidency. This May at Barnard College, he proclaimed the great virtue of the Constitution to be its openness to change: “It allowed for protests, movements, and the assimilation of new ideas that would repeatedly, decade after decade, change the world—a constant forward movement that continues to this day.” There is neither form nor firmness. All is fluid, according to Obama, and this liberates us to do whatever we will.

America has gone very far down the trail that Obama is blazing. Right now, the expenditures of all government —state, local and federal—exceed 40 percent of the gross domestic product. If trends continue, the public sector will soon grow larger than the private sector, and then the government will have more resources than those it governs.

Moreover, it governs increasingly without authority from the branches that are elected by the people. The new Dodd- Frank finance law creates something called a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This agency does not get its budget from Congress. Rather, its money comes from a guaranteed percentage of the budget of the Federal Reserve, which gets its money from its operations as a bank. Congress is even specifically forbidden in the law to hold hearings into the budget of the new CPFB. And it has wide examining power over every form of consumer finance in the nation. In unfettered scope of authority, and in near perfect separation from popular control, it is different from anything before it in America.

Because we have come so far from the founding institutions, it is worthwhile to remind ourselves what they are. This anniversary of the Declaration of Independence provides a splendid occasion, because both the principles of the nation and its institutions are summarized beautifully in its 1,300 words. Let us then read it for a moment.

Notice first of all how remarkable it is that the document should begin universally. The authors were obviously mindful of the fact they were wanted men. They conclude the Declaration with a solemn promise, made to each other in the mood of soldiers facing battle: “In support of this Declaration we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor” (emphasis added). The particularity of this commitment, each man speaking for himself in promise to the others in the room, is what one might expect of legislation passed on the eve of a war, legislation that is itself a written act of treason.

If these men were in a situation urgent unto death, how can we account for the abstract and universal nature of the beginning of the Declaration? It begins with an “absolute truth” (to use the president’s term) expressed in words that have rung around the world: “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them …” (emphasis added).

Notice that this quotation refers to no particular time, but to any time in the course of human events. Notice that it refers not to the American people, but to “one people,” meaning any people. It is a very absolute and universal way of talking. It issues immediately a proclamation of truth: “We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.”

Just as the Founders did, so may anyone look for his rights under these “laws of nature and of nature’s God.” Anyone whose rights are denied will feel their weight. The Jew rounded up by the Nazis, the black slave held in Mississippi in 1840, may both look to this document as the charter by which he can advance. Thomas Jefferson, a slaveholder, was aware of this and wrote that indeed, “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.” These principles place every man and woman deprived of their rights in the same place that the Founders occupied on July 4, 1776: they may appeal to an absolute truth, written in the nature of man and in the nature of things, against any power that will offend their rights. Perhaps they cannot find the strength to overcome their oppression. Never mind: their cause is still the just one. They will see, and even in moments of clarity their oppressors will see, that the great self-evident truth that all men are created equal means nothing more nor less than that all men are men. It means nothing less than that no one may rightly govern another except by his consent. It means that the purpose of government is to “secure these rights”: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

These are the principles of the United States. The fact that they were announced at the onset of its revolution, and the fact that the revolution proceeded in their name, seals them in the blood and the history of this land.

The Declaration is not only about principles; it also describes institutions, the kind of institutions best adapted to protect the rights of a people. These institutions are expressed in the middle section of the document, the section in which the specific crimes and injustices of the king of England are described. The three broad constitutional principles that he violated form the backbone of the later Constitution of the United States. The first step in understanding that Constitution is not to learn its details, although they are relatively few. The first step is to understand the grand arrangements of government necessary to constitutional rule.

The first of these three principles is representation. The king is said to have interfered with the representatives of the people in their attempt to pass laws “most wholesome and necessary for the public good.” The Declaration recognizes that human beings are made to live under law, and they have a right for those laws to be passed by people who represent them. This right is not to be interfered with by any force. Any force doing so interferes with the consent of the governed and cannot rightfully claim obedience. Violation of the representative principle is, by itself, cause for revolution.

The second of these principles is separation of powers. At the outset of the American Revolution, the king and his governors were the executive branch. By interfering with the legislature, the king violated not only the right of the people to representative government but also the necessity for separation of powers. He violated this necessity also by making “judges dependent on his will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.” God is named four times in the Declaration, once as each of the three branches of government, and once as a founder. The lesson is simple: God may well be the maker of the laws of nature and of nature’s God, and He may well be at the same time the Supreme Judge of the world, and He may also be Divine Providence. But no man or small group of men may rightly combine in their own hands all the powers of government. That is for God alone.

Finally, the Declaration calls for a limited government. The king was taxing America’s forefathers without their consent, and he was using the money, among other things, to pay for a hired army to oppress them. He sent many officials to make sure that his will was followed on all occasions, whatever the commoners may wish. The Declaration charges him with erecting “a multitude of new offices, and [sending] hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.” In other words, the king offended against the principle of limited government. He was building a structure too strong for the people to manage.

The modern bureaucratic state reproduces many of the features that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence and that gave shape to the Constitution of the United States, which follows these three basic principles in its entire structure. Go before the bureaucracy and see that it is arranged both to make and enforce its own rules, and if one objects he must appear first before a judge who is employed by that same bureaucracy. And now a bureaucracy has been created that operates on a budget outside the control of the Congress.

This Fourth of July, we might well remind ourselves of the beauty, the greatness and the long serviceability of our constitutional institutions and of the principles from which they flow. This Fourth of July is a great time to recall these things, because the Declaration gives the Constitution its cause and also its basic form and function. We Americans may choose to discard this legacy and give up our birthright. Let us at least know what we are doing.

Celebrate the Declaration, and also remember its meaning. It is what a citizen does on the Fourth of July.

 

Damn fine post!

The Conservative Citizen

Ok we’ve all had the weekend to look for silver linings in Supreme Court decisions, or to cry in our beer about the destruction of our America, or hide under our beds so the boogeyman doesn’t get us, GET OVER IT.

There was a time, and it wasn’t very long ago, when the proudest boast in the world was, “I am an American“. How did that come to be?

It came to be by damned hard work.

View original post 611 more words

 

Louisiana Secedes from Obamacare

The following are a series of Tweets from LA Gov.
Bobby Jindal

Gov. Bobby Jindal

Follow

@BobbyJindal

 

Florida Secedes from Obamacare

Cross posted from NBCMiami.com

Gov. Scott: Fla. Won’t Comply with Health Law GARY FINEOUT 07/01/2012 4:26 PM

Florida Gov. Rick Scott now says Florida will do nothing to comply with President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul and will not expand its Medicaid program.

 

Google Shopping Kills the First & Second Amendment

Cross posted from prisonplanet.com

Google sent out an email to Google Adwords customers saying that they are going to pull all Google Shopping results for guns, ammunition, gun optics and gun accessories (Shopping results, not general search results).

HamLund Tactical received this email and posted it on 68forums.com (emphasis added) …

Dear Merchant,

We’re writing to let you know about some upcoming changes to the product listings you submit to Google. As we recently announced, we are starting to transition our shopping experience to a commercial model that builds on Product Listing Ads. This new shopping experience is called Google Shopping. As part of this transition, we’ll begin to enforce a set of new policies for Google Shopping in the coming weeks. A new list of the allowed, restricted, and prohibited products on Google Shopping is available on our new policy page – http://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/ApI7UWRj6OCZpd.

Based on a review of the products you’re currently submitting, it appears that some of the content in your Merchant Center account, HamLund Tactical, will be affected by these policy changes. In particular we found that your products may violate the following policies:

Weapons

When we make this change, Google will disapprove all of the products identified as being in violation of policies. We ask that you make any necessary changes to your feeds and/or site to comply, so that your products can continue to appear on Google Shopping.

To help you through this new set of policies and how to comply with them, we would like to give you some specific suggestions regarding the changes needed to keep your offers running on Google Shopping.

Weapons

As highlighted on our new policy page http://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/ApI7UWRj6OCZpd, in order to comply with the Google Shopping policies you need to comply first with the AdWords policies http://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/StQ08jAzM4fVtG.We do not allow the promotion or sale of weapons and any related products such as ammunitions or accessory kits on Google Shopping. In order to comply with our new policies, please remove any weapon-related products from your data feed and then re-submit your feed in the Merchant Center. For more information on this policy please visit http://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/GbBNIGHOribLzf.

We’re constantly reviewing our policies, and updating them when necessary, to ensure we’re offering the best experience possible to our users. We’ve identified a set of policy principles to govern our policy efforts on Google Shopping in the U.S. These principles are:

1) Google Shopping should provide a positive experience to users. Showing users the right products at the right time can truly enhance a user’s experience. When people trust us to deliver them to a destination that’s relevant, original, and easy to navigate this creates a positive online experience to the benefit of both users and merchants.

2 ) Google Shopping should be safe for all users. User safety is everyone’s business, and we can’t do business with those who don’t agree. Scams, phishing, viruses, and other malicious activities on the Internet damage the value of the Internet for everyone. Trying to get around policies or “game the system” is unfair to our users, and we can’t allow that.

3) Google Shopping should comply with local laws and regulations. Many products and services are regulated by law, which can vary from country to country. All advertising, as well as the products and services being advertised, must clearly comply with all applicable laws and regulations. For the most part, our policies aren’t designed to describe every law in every country. All advertisers bear their own responsibility for understanding the laws applicable to their business. Our policies are often more restrictive than the law, because we need to be sure we can offer services that are legal and safe for all users.

4) Google Shopping should be compatible with Google’s brand decisions. Google Shopping must be compatible with company brand decisions. Our company has a strong culture and values, and we’ve chosen not to allow ads that promote products and services that are incompatible with these values. In addition, like all companies, Google sometimes makes decisions based on technical limitations, resource constraints, or requirements from our business partners. Our policies reflect these realities.

We’ve given much thought to our stance on this content, as well as the potential effect our policy decision could have on our Merchants, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Sincerely,

The Google Shopping Team

© 2012 Google Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 You have received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about important changes to your Google Merchant Center account.

This is a pity. I liked using Google Shopping to compare prices on gun-related products. Google now has a worse policy than ebay, which at least allows accessories. Shame on you Google.

UPDATE: I published this post a few hours ago and the search “5.56mm ammo” (as seen in the screenshot above) worked in Google Shopping. I now get “5.56mm ammo – did not match any shopping results”. It may still be working for some people, depending on which Google servers you are hitting

 

A Memo to the President, Congress and the Supreme Court

I think it necessary and proper to offer a remedial course concerning how laws are passed in our Republic. This memo is addressed to our Federal government at large. I believe all Presidential candidates, Senatorial candidates, House of Representative candidates, and Supreme Court Justices should be required to attend a 6 month course on how a bill becomes a law.