Legislating the U.S. Constitution out of existence. Posted by markparksforcongress

Posted 10/08/09 Last updated 11/07/09

September 17^th is Constitution day.   Annually there is little to no recognition of this holiday.  July 4^th means nothing without the framework of liberty, justice, peace and morality found in the Constitution.  Unfortunately, nowadays most Americans don't realize this.  Corporate media, federally funded schools, the welfare/warfare state, blind nationalism, and questionable morality have led this generation to move away from freedoms envisioned by the founding fathers.  It has become common place for federal policy to disregard the Bill of Rights.  And when tyranny is legalized it then becomes as it was said by Frederick Bastiat in The Law, "that plunder is a right, so that it is protected and self-defense is made a crime so that it is punished." 

Take for example the 17^th Amendment.  This amendment changed the method for electing U.S. senators to office.  In the U.S. Constitution, Article I, section III identifies the state legislature as the electing body for U.S. senators and deciding on presidential-electors.  The 17th amendment changed the electorate of U.S. senators and presidential electors from the state legislature to "the people".  Initially I asked, "Why is this change to having "the people" as direct electors of Senators and presidential-electors considered a negative for preserving liberty?"

In the manual The Citizen's Rule Book they comment that the 17th amendment deals with;

direct elections of senators; electors; and vacancies in the senate, and took effect May 31^st 1913.  This moved the U.S. from a complex Republic to a simple republic much like the style of government of the Soviet Union.  State rights were lost and we were plunged headlong in to a democracy of which our forefathers warned was the vilest form of government because it always ends in oppression.  

Sheldon Richman, formerly of Delaware, is a political writer for a nationally distributed publication and explains the implication of the changes in 17^th amendment.  In an article written for the Future of Freedom Foundation Journal in its December 2000 issue titled, "Don't just keep the Electoral College; Repeal the 17^th Amendment" he asks, "What was the function of the Constitution?" And then intimates, "To restrain the central government".  Mr. Richman continues by stating that;

The document is a device for dispersing power, because concentrated power is inimical to freedom. A related purpose was to thwart majorities that would trample individual freedom. There is an invisible line between democracy and mob rule. The main method the Founders hit on to contain central power and mob rule was federalism: the maintenance of the states as sovereign entities.

Mr. Richman then opines that federalism is a concession, in which;

the preference for states' rights is merely a recognition of a tradeoff: decentralized power rather than centralized power. If government becomes intolerably oppressive, it is easier to change states than to change countries. Voting with the feet should be kept as cheap as possible.

By the application of federalisim,  states were meant to be autonomous and in competition with each other.  This competition was meant to bring about excellence in policy and administration.

Also in defense of States' rights, Mr. Richman adds;

That the Framers were men of wealth and property is no valid objection to their handiwork. Private property is indispensable to freedom and prosperity - even, or especially, for those who own little. Envious mobs are too easily whipped up by opportunistic politicians to keep property safe in a democracy. That's one reason the Framers devised the Electoral College: it was to be a buffer between unruly majorities and the rights of the smallest minority, the individual.

Those who are for resisting the overreach of government must also seek to resist the over reach of the mob mentality.  Those who claim to support individual rights must also disdain the use of collective force to infringe upon the rights of any individual.

In the words of Ayn Rand, "The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.

I believe the idiom that a society is celebrated by how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable members.  For me, this is the defining grace of the U.S. Constitution.  The Constitution identified the liberty of the individual as the measure of the freedom of in the different states.  Therefore, protecting the rights of individuals is and should be the paramount priority of this society.  So, if the United States claims to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people yet fails to acknowledge the sacred position of individual rights and thus property rights, this is known as a tyranny of the majority, and exhibits the baseness of the Latin term demos regula, mob rule otherwise known as democracy.  And to that I say Restore the Republic! Legalize the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

The need to protect against government over reach and mob mentality should ever remind us to place principles above personalities.  This is what truly serves the common welfare; unselfish adherence to the principal of individual liberty by elected officials and "the people".

When individual liberty is not in the ultimate ethos of the national conscience, the great experiment is at an end.  The great American experiment regarding the love of autonomy, faith in the goodness of people and the importance of personal and local responsibility has ceased to be.  The "united states of America", as it was intended, will have ceased to be while the Constitution is rendered devoid of purpose and meaning. 

Compiled by Mark Parks

Newark, DE

Legislating the U.S. Constitution out of existence. Posted by markparksforcongress

Posted 09/29/09 Last updated 11/07/09

September 17^th is Constitution day.   Annually there is little to no recognition of this holiday.  July 4^th means nothing without the framework of liberty, justice, peace and morality found in the Constitution.  Unfortunately, nowadays most Americans don't realize this.  Corporate media, federally funded schools, the welfare/warfare state, blind nationalism, and questionable morality have led this generation to move away from freedoms envisioned by the founding fathers.  It has become common place for federal policy to disregard the Bill of Rights.  And when tyranny is legalized it then becomes as it was said by Frederick Bastiat in The Law, "that plunder is a right, so that it is protected and self-defense is made a crime so that it is punished." 

Take for example the 17^th Amendment.  This amendment changed the method for electing U.S. senators to office.  In the U.S. Constitution, Article I, section III identifies the state legislature as the electing body for U.S. senators and deciding on presidential-electors.  The 17th amendment changed the electorate of U.S. senators and presidential electors from the state legislature to "the people".  Initially I asked, "Why is this change to having "the people" as direct electors of Senators and presidential-electors considered a negative for preserving liberty?"

In the manual The Citizen's Rule Book they comment that the 17th amendment deals with;

direct elections of senators; electors; and vacancies in the senate, and took effect May 31^st 1913.  This moved the U.S. from a complex Republic to a simple republic much like the style of government of the Soviet Union.  State rights were lost and we were plunged headlong in to a democracy of which our forefathers warned was the vilest form of government because it always ends in oppression.  

Sheldon Richman, formerly of Delaware, is a political writer for a nationally distributed publication and explains the implication of the changes in 17^th amendment.  In an article written for the Future of Freedom Foundation Journal in its December 2000 issue titled, "Don't just keep the Electoral College; Repeal the 17^th Amendment" he asks, "What was the function of the Constitution?" And then intimates, "To restrain the central government".  Mr. Richman continues by stating that;

The document is a device for dispersing power, because concentrated power is inimical to freedom. A related purpose was to thwart majorities that would trample individual freedom. There is an invisible line between democracy and mob rule. The main method the Founders hit on to contain central power and mob rule was federalism: the maintenance of the states as sovereign entities.

Mr. Richman then opines that federalism is a concession, in which;

the preference for states' rights is merely a recognition of a tradeoff: decentralized power rather than centralized power. If government becomes intolerably oppressive, it is easier to change states than to change countries. Voting with the feet should be kept as cheap as possible.

By the application of federalisim,  states were meant to be autonomous and in competition with each other.  This competition was meant to bring about excellence in policy and administration.

Also in defense of States' rights, Mr. Richman adds;

That the Framers were men of wealth and property is no valid objection to their handiwork. Private property is indispensable to freedom and prosperity - even, or especially, for those who own little. Envious mobs are too easily whipped up by opportunistic politicians to keep property safe in a democracy. That's one reason the Framers devised the Electoral College: it was to be a buffer between unruly majorities and the rights of the smallest minority, the individual.

Those who are for resisting the overreach of government must also seek to resist the over reach of the mob mentality.  Those who claim to support individual rights must also disdain the use of collective force to infringe upon the rights of any individual.

In the words of Ayn Rand, "The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.

I believe the idiom that a society is celebrated by how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable members.  For me, this is the defining grace of the U.S. Constitution.  The Constitution identified the liberty of the individual as the measure of the freedom of in the different states.  Therefore, protecting the rights of individuals is and should be the paramount priority of this society.  So, if the United States claims to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people yet fails to acknowledge the sacred position of individual rights and thus property rights, this is known as a tyranny of the majority, and exhibits the baseness of the Latin term demos regula, mob rule otherwise known as democracy.  And to that I say Restore the Republic! Legalize the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

The need to protect against government over reach and mob mentality should ever remind us to place principles above personalities.  This is what truly serves the common welfare; unselfish adherence to the principal of individual liberty by elected officials and "the people".

When individual liberty is not in the ultimate ethos of the national conscience, the great experiment is at an end.  The great American experiment regarding the love of autonomy, faith in the goodness of people and the importance of personal and local responsibility has ceased to be.  The "united states of America", as it was intended, will have ceased to be while the Constitution is rendered devoid of purpose and meaning. 

Compiled by Mark Parks

Newark, DE

Delaware C4L Member, Jeanne Tofts, Speaks Up at Rep. Castle's Town Hall Meeting Posted by jilliankidd

Posted 08/31/09

A vocal member of the New Castle County chapter of the Delaware Campaign for Liberty spoke up at Representative Mike Castle's Town Hall Meeting on Thursday evening (8-27-09) in Newark, Del. She made several excellent points regarding healthcare reform, including that the way Medicare and Medicaid are run in this country should be enough indication that the government cannot properly handle healthcare.

To read more about the Town Hall meeting, and to read more of Jeanne's quotes from the meeting, please visit the following website:

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090828/NEWS02/908280350/1006/NEWS&referre
r=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL

Thank you, Jeanne, for speaking out against government healthcare reform!

Kent County CFL Meeting Minutes 8-25-09 Posted by jilliankidd

Posted 08/31/09

8/25/09 Kent County Meeting Notes

Dover Public Library in Dover, DE

Attendees: Stephanie Steckel, Steve Artz, Brad Flora, John Marble, Margie McKeown, Anthony McKeown, and Susie McKeown

Reviewed article from the Rotarian magazine: "I misbehaved" by Scott Turow

From the Article: What level of ethical behavior should we expect from our elected officials? Are we to put them on a moral pedestal?

We discussed the article, and the importance of encouraging ethical, like-minded Kent county residents to run for office.

Summary points:
Expect disappointment,
Do not accept disappointment,
Have faith in the Law, and demand constant reform

New Business:

1. Discussed preparing for a "town hall" in early October. Tentatively: plan to publically announce for:
Kent Cty. C4L meeting at the Cheswold FireHall (John M will confirm Tuesday Oct 6, or 13) with Colin Bonini speaking (Stephanie will contact Colin)
Will send out announcement to local residents with new database - get from Jillian.
Will announce in advance-De State News, Dover Post-volunteer?

2. State PAC/County PAC- arrangements underway per Margie Jillian will notify us (?)

3. John suggested that Kent County members can help with restoration project of the Whatcoat Shelter on College Rd. He will arrange for volunteers over a few Saturdays to help with planned maintenance projects. We can announce the dates in advance in the newspaper, encouraging volunteers. We'll all have C4L Tshirts for photo-ops.
Action plan- John M will confirm dates and get back to us. Margie will check on wawa food donations. Brad will check on Walmart food donations. Stephanie or Steve will submit to the newspaper.

4. 9/12 rally - is C4L attending? John, Margie, Brad, Stephanie (each with some family members?) plan to attend. Will ask Jillian if there is a C4L state plan.

5. Valley Forge conference- Steve, Stephanie, Margie plan to attend.

6. Next meeting: TBD-Tentatively Sept 29?: to review the Valley Forge info, and the Kent county meeting plans for October-Colin Bonini

A People Can Not Be Free And Ignorant At The Same Time Posted by markparksforcongress

Posted 08/06/09 Last updated 11/07/09

As part of Thursday's Financial Services subcommittee hearings, Dr. Paul questioned Jim Carr of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHj8CXYe9Q

"A financial system that creates wealth" sounds like something straight from the La Rouche PAC. In their what I believe to be a fantasmic utopia self righteousness the so called "American system" says the solution to exploitative government programs is more government programs and unlike their predecessors these new government won't be corrupt. Why do the social democrats/progressives say this? How can we know these new systems will do what has not been done before. "The people/structure that were in power before were bad, we the new rulers," they say, "are only here to serve the poor people, give us and Barabbas/Barack a new try. All these programs would be perfect if it wasn't for the people that were put in charge. Ponerology is a study of evil, Poltical Ponerology by Lobaczewski is very interesting.

Ultimately, as a poor person, I am offended that this Agency Representative feels that I am a part of a class of people that can't think for themselves and needs to be coddled like children.

What about Fiat Currency and Inflationary Policy?

If all of Jim Carr's wealth and property was taken from him he wouldn't be poor because of his intellectual capital and cultural capital are limitless in their ability to create wealth. (His lack of financial ethics may serve him well also.)

What about federally funded education? "It is naive to think federally funded schools will teach about the ills of too much concentration of power." -Future of freedom foundation.

What about fractional reserve banking?

What about artificially set interest rates?

What about legal tender laws?

What about taxes on savings and labor?

New Castle County C4L Meeting Minutes 6-30-09 Posted by jilliankidd

Posted 07/01/09

New Castle County Campaign for Liberty Meeting

June 30, 2009

7:00 PM

Ruby Tuesday

Christiana, Delaware 

Attendees: Lauren Crissman, Jeanne Tofts, Joe Tropp, Sean and Angi McLaren, Jillian Kidd, Ted Patterson

Minutes:

• 1. Introduction.
• 2. Ted Patterson read and discussed part of the Constitution: the preamble. We will discuss Article I, Sections 1 & 2 at the next meeting on Monday, July 20^th.
• 3. Jillian Kidd gave a report of the organization development around the state of Delaware - each county now has a chapter up and running, and Delaware C4L will have a presence at all four July 2^nd Tea Parties as well as two Independence Day celebrations in Smyrna and Dover, DE.
• 4. The Tea Parties are still focused on Healthcare issues, but are beginning to expand slightly due to the anger created by Rep. Mike Castle's vote for the Cap and Trade bill.
• 5. Sean and Angi mentioned that the Founders Values group is seeking to file a petition of no confidence in Rep. Mike Castle after his vote for the Cap and Trade bill.
•  6. Lauren Crissman, chairman of our Budget & Taxation Study Committee, gave a report about the budget in New Castle County. She also gave out a handout with some key budget facts and statistics, which will posted in blog form on the state C4L website soon.
• 7. Discussed the schedule of who will be at which Tea Party and Independence Day event when. From New Castle County the volunteer schedule is as follows: Jillian and Jeanne at both Wilmington Tea Parties, Jillian at the Smyrna Independence Day event from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM and at the Dover Independence Day event from 1:00 - 4:00 PM, Lauren Crissman at the Smyrna event from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM.
• 8. The membership agreed that the NCC C4L chapter should look into which county elected offices are up for election in 2010.
• 9. The membership set the agenda for the next meeting: read and discuss part of the constitution (Article I, Sections 1 & 2), hear a report from the Budget & Taxation Study Committee about the details of the NCC budget and places where there is wasteful spending and we could suggest spending cuts, hear a report about the elected offices that are coming up for election in New Castle County in 2010 and what the eligibility requirements are.
• The next NCC C4L Steering Committee meeting shall be Sunday, July 12^th.
• The next NCC C4L general membership meeting shall be Monday, July 20^th at 7:00 PM at Lauren Crissman's home: 405 W Delaware Avenue, Wilmington, DE.

Kent County CFL Meeting Posted by theodorepatterson

Posted 06/22/09

Tonight we had a Steering Committee meeting with Kent County Campaign for Liberty members.  We planned for Independence Day events on July 2nd and July 4th.  Steering Committee members talked about taxes, budgetary issues, paratransit service expenses, DART bus service inefficiencies, and 2010 election strategies.  The Kent County CFL chapter is off to an active and enthusiastic start.

Delaware Campaign for Liberty: UPDATE!! Posted by theodorepatterson

Posted 05/27/09

Dear Friends,

Now is the time to take action in your community! Don't wait one minute; don't stay home and complain; don't give up the fight. This is our country. Let it not be said that as our country collapsed before us, there were no patriots to fight for its survival. Today you must make a commitment to freedom. We have but two current options: we can take our country back and restore freedom and prosperity, or we can accept the shackles of oppression and socialism. Whether on the national, state, or local level, our government is bankrupting our children's future. Excessive taxation, out of control spending, and infringements on our liberties are intolerable acts that we must rally against.

Here's what we're doing right now. So far our New Castle chapter has had two general membership meetings and one Steering Committee meeting. Between all meetings we have between 15 and 20 people active in the chapter currently. People who are not currently members of the Campaign for Liberty, but who were Ron Paul supporters in the last election, have also come out to join our efforts.

We just created a Budget and Taxation Committee, headed by Lauren Crissman. This committee consists of Lauren, myself, Mark Gibison, and Mark Parks. This committee is charged with the task of researching the New Castle County budget in order to fully understand the process of adoption and where our tax dollars go. We believe that the taxpayers of New Castle County don't deserve tax hikes. We plan to examine the budget to cut wasteful spending and to make sure that each and every taxpayer dollar is used efficiently. Our goal is simple: cut taxes. This year county property taxes were increased by 25%, meanwhile homeowners are losing their jobs and wondering where their next meal will come from. When our budget gets tight we cut spending, but when the government budget get's tight they charge it to the taxpayers credit card. We need your help on this. If you are interested in serving on this committee, feel free to e-mail or call me. The budget committee will make a presentation at our upcoming June meeting to report on our progress made.

We also have Kent and Sussex County CFL meetings scheduled on June 15th and 16th. Please see the website posting for detailed meeting information.

Thanks,

Jillian

Jillian Kidd
State Coordinator
Delaware Campaign for Liberty
www.campaignforliberty.com
jilliankidd@gmail.com
301-821-5663

New Castle County CFL Meeting Minutes - 5-27-09 Posted by theodorepatterson

Posted 05/27/09

New Castle County Campaign for Liberty Meeting

May 27, 2009

7:00 PM

Panera Bread

New Castle County, Delaware

Attendees: Lauren Crissman, Mark Parks, Jeanne Tofts, George Barnett, Mark Gibison, Jr., Daniel Wilson, Jillian Kidd, Ted Patterson

Minutes:

• 1. Budget and Taxation Committee. Will give report on preliminary findings at next New Castle County CFL meeting. Members: Lauren Crissman, Mark Gibison, Mark Parks, Jillian Kidd
• 2. Local Coordinator Recruitment
• 3. Ted Patterson volunteered to send an e-mail of encouragement to meet-up group members
• 4. Summer Festivals. Steering committee shall prioritize summer festivals to attend. Italian Festival coordinator: Mark Gibison, Jr.
• 5. Mark Parks and Ted Patterson volunteered to coordinate the Dover Nascar Race Weekend
• 6. Mark Gibison appointed as CFL facebook coordinator
• 7. George Barnett volunteered to examine CFL literature pricing
• 8. George Barnett also volunteered looks at scripts and currency collapse, will present findings at next NCC CFL meeting
• 9. Jeanne Tofts volunteered to make a presentation on elected offices, what the requirements and responsibilities are for each office
• 10. Jeanne Tofts mentioned that the national CFL is sending mailings and personal letters to members that are extremely expensive. It was agreed that the chapter should send formal notice to the national CFL organization that we are opposed to the excessively expensive mailings and letters sent by CFL to its members.
• 11. The general membership unanimously agreed that members of the NCC CFL shall create a NCC Liberty PAC to operate as a parallel organization to endorse and fund candidates in the 2010 elections.
• 12. Jillian Kidd volunteered to coordinate the July 4^th Tea Party efforts on behalf of the NCC CFL
• 13. Mark Gibison said that Brad Lewis requested via phone call to be taken off the CFL contact list
• 14. Jeanne Tofts notified the membership that the Newark Republican organization shall have a meeting Monday, June 1^st, 2009 at 6:30PM at the College Square shopping center in Newark, DE.
• 15. The general membership unanimously agreed to create a better e-mail distribution list, to post meeting notes to the CFL website, to encourage more members to post blog posts on the website, and to add more issue focused posts to the county webpage.
• 16. The next NCC CFL meeting shall be Wednesday, June 24, 2009.

May 27th, 2009 Lets be a part of the solution Posted by markparksforcongress

Posted 05/18/09

Hello C4L,

1. We are hoping for a big turnout this May 27th at the New Castle County Campaign for Liberty Chapter Meeting. If you haven't read it already here is an eloquently composed letter on the need for unity and mutual aid in the fight for liberty.

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=17802

2. With a big turnout, it has been suggested, Panera Bread may not be very accomodating. An alternative location maybe better. Any Ideas!. Please reply.

3. It would be great if everyone who has worked with Jeff Maday over the past couple of years come out to wish him farewell. As he is relocating in the near future.

4. The Interim State Cooridinators are looking to put the structure of the organization together. No Experience required! We are all learning as we go. We need people who are willing to serve. Communication makes it imperative to have this structure in place.

State Coordinators
County Coordinators
Local Coordinators

There is online training available at www.campaignforliberty.com. And if not you than who. This is one of those times where we decide on what side of the fence to belong. Maybe someone else will do it, maybe it will take another 30 years for this to get going, maybe it will never happen. Maybe you are the butterfly that causes the typhoon on the other side of the world.

If you haven't signed up at the latest version of the Campaign for Liberty please do so. Unfortunately, if you were apart of that 100,000 that signed up on the first site you may hae been lost in the shuffle.

Advertise on all the social networking sites.

If there are community events where we can set up tables and distribute literature please let the group know so we can get organized to share the message. Invite like minded friends and family to join in the cause.

We are making a difference and Promoting liberty is fun.

MP Anthony

Update: Delaware Campaign for Liberty Up and Running! Posted by jilliankidd

Posted 05/18/09 Last updated 04/29/09

Dear New Castle County Liberty Lovers,

I wanted to let you know that we're making great progress in the initial organization of this chapter. We have recently created a steering committee made of volunteers that attended our initial organizational meeting. Several members are helping by making phone calls to let people know about upcoming meetings, telling their friends and family about the newly organized chapter, and taking action in their communities.

We have our first official chapter meeting scheduled for Monday, May 25th at 7:00PM at the Panera Bread on Kirkwood Highway in Wilmington. We expect to have strong attendance based on the energy and interest we have received thus far. We hope you will join us as we unite to start a long term effort for change in New Castle County. It took a long time for our country to digress to its current state, and it will take a long time to return this country to the constitutional principles upon which it was founded. We must be patient, diligent, and steadfast in our efforts.

We plan to recruit heavily in order to break 50 members county-wide by mid-summer. Additionally, we plan to conduct statewide stategic planning and local planning, to build a platform for action that will take effect in late July. In early fall, we will implement a statewide plan for Young Americans for Liberty chapter development, beginning with a chapter at the University of Delaware. With a vibrant University of Delaware Young Americans for Liberty chapter, we will have the ground troops to take rapid action on issues as they come up.

Let it not be said that no one stood up when our country needed it most.

Join me today and let's make history,

Jillian

Jillian Kidd

State Coordinator

Delaware Campaign for Liberty

www.campaignforliberty.com

jilliankidd@gmail.com

301-821-5663

Dover Tea Party Posted by voteronpaul

Posted 04/13/09

I plan to attend the Dover Tea Party. Went to the planning meeting at Bowers Beach FH last Friday-very motivating. Russell Murphy led the event, and we formed poster committee, security committee. I have poster signs that I will wear at Legislative Hall- "Give me Liberty not Debt" and on the back will say "Party Like its 1773". My husband will man a table with free cans of ice tea for all passersby. 

Any suggestions on TV or radio contacts to get the word out?

Why I joined the Campaign Posted by voteronpaul

Posted 04/02/09

I read Ron's book :The Revolution. He offers an inspiring approach to recreate the foundation of our country. He believes in following the Constitution, the rudder for our country. We need the message of the C4L to educate the populace. Hope there will be a regional conference this in our area, I would happily support it.