Posted by foleymo on 05/26/09 2:01 PM [Older: Homeschooled girl delivers speech about inflation]

5. Fellowship of patriots:

Some of the best moments for me at Saturday at the Campaign for Liberty Seattle Conference happened in between the scheduled and pre-programmed lectures and exercises.  These moments were spontaneous conversations with complete strangers during breaks, lunch, dinner, or over a beer at the game night event.

I had conversations with public school teachers who told me about the courage they had to put forth to teach history and world events as they actually happened instead of according to the conventional “wisdom.”

I talked with movement leaders at the C4L national level, hard-core activists from across Washington state, folks who are relatively new to the movement and are eager to learn as much as they can, and even children who know they will be fighting for this revolution their entire lives.

Sitting alongside hundreds of people who think, speak and act as I do makes me feel a little less lonely.

4. You are not normal:

At a segment about communication during Mike Rothfeld’s “Grassroots Activism Training,” Rothfeld explained how to approach the average person about our issues. He urged the attendees to go slowly and speak to the other person’s values and not overwhelm them with the full volume of our message right away.

Some people like the ideas about sound money and Constitutionally limited government, but have a different opinion on the Second Amendment. He reminded us that saying the wrong thing to someone like that would turn the person off to the entire organization.

The thing that I’m sure stuck in most attendees mind was when he said, “You’re not normal. Normal people don’t come and sit in a room like this on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon to listen to people like me.”

That’s when it clicked. We have to deliver our message in little bite-sized chunks to allow other people to agree with us where they naturally do. We have to meet them where their mind is now, and always remember that we are hyper-informed, hyper-active – not normal.

3. Scheming:

In No. 5 above, I talked about a few of the many spontaneous conversations I had with complete strangers. I also shared in many conversations with folks I already know in the Seattle liberty movement.

Instead of just sharing information and war stories, these conversations took the shape of ideas, resources, logistics, planning and preparing. In other words, these conversations began laying the groundwork for great things we will be doing in the future.

Of course I can’t divulge tactical details in this public forum, but I can say that many ideas we had as individuals were strengthened when area movement leaders were able to point out other members who shared our skills.

For example, I floated a few of my ideas for group communications with as many folks as I could find. Some folks were able to strengthen my idea by tacking on their own features based on their skills and resources.

2. Don’t know much about history:

First thing in the morning, Tom Woods delivered an amazing lecture about the Principles of ’98 (as in 1798) titled “The States vs. D.C.: Episodes of American History They Don’t Teach in School.”

He explained to us the struggle Thomas Jefferson endured before he was president to remove the shackles of the Alien and Sedition Acts. You’d think that this would be widely taught and celebrated in American public schools. You’d think it would be viewed by historians as another stand for rights against overreaching and tyrannical government. Instead, it is buried, suppressed and left out of curricula.

Instead, we get spoon fed the version that when states assert these kinds of rights it’s always defending something awful like slavery. Because of the version of Civil War history taught in public schools, the idea of states rights became synonymous with hatred, bigotry and slavery.

In the middle of Woods’ lecture, I could feel the crowd collectively wondering, “What else have I been lied to about?”

1. The legacy:

The most powerful moment of the day came at the beginning of Mike Rothfeld’s training when he posed the question, “What do you think Ron Paul’s legacy will be?”

He offered a few answers (e.g. the abolishment of the Fed, the return of sound money, the adoption of a new non-interventionist foreign policy) that got varying levels of applause. But then he said we were all wrong.

He asked us all to take a good look at the other people seated on all sides of us. Then he reached out his arm and slowly waved it across the crowd of activists in training and sincerely said, “All of you are Ron Paul’s legacy.”

He’s totally right. In 15, 25, 50 years, the things the people in that room (and many other training rooms across the nation) accomplish will become the Ron Paul legacy.

The statement hit many of directly in our hearts and acted as an attention-grabber for why the training that day was of the utmost importance.

Help shape Ron Paul’s legacy. Get the training you need to make a difference. And make sure to use the training to smartly move to action.

Were you there?

If you were at the Seattle regional conference on Saturday, what were your highlights?

Posted 05/26/09 01:15 AM molly Seattle, WA

Rothfeld pointing out that "you people are Ron Paul's legacy" was the most moving moment of the entire weekend. And suddenly I was ravenously thirsty for the knowledge he had to impart. I'm now a Rothfeld groupie - I can't wait to catch more of his training at the next regional conference. And I HIGHLY recommend to anyone that can to watch the video on this site of his training. It's priceless information, and also captivating and inspiring. Other bright spots: Tom Woods pointing out that Ron Paul and his supporters have been able to put issues on the table that were most definitely OFF the table just 5 or 10 years ago. His best line of the night: "This toothpaste is not going back in the tube!" I was also deeply moved when Rothfeld talked about fundraising, its importance, and specifically people who donate money because they can't do more than that. He gave the example of an 80-something woman who might send in $10 checks regularly. Her writing is shaky because her hand was shaking when she wrote the check, and she's been watching what's going on, and she's scared for herself, and for her kids and her great grandkids, and she doesn't know what else to do. So she sends money. He pointed out that donors aren't just people we shake down for cash when we want some - checks from her and others like her are a symbol of immense trust in US to DO SOMETHING about the problems America faces. When fundraising we'll have an enormous duty to these people. That brought tears to my eyes and inspired me to take the steps he taught us to begin laying the groundwork to raise money to fight for our cause.

Posted 05/26/09 2:28 PM mulishatrooper89 whittier, CA

Very moving subjects. The forums and these highlights have helped me personally.. In a way I hope they have helped others too, but then i also hope that no-one is as messed up as me. :D -Brent

Posted 05/26/09 3:19 PM CommSense Kerhonkson, NY

anyone know where the next conference will be?

Posted 05/26/09 4:05 PM MarilyninLakeJackson Lake Jackson, TX

foleymo, thank you for your post. Glad you could be there. (I have family in Sullivan.)

Posted 05/26/09 6:43 PM Lawful Money Woodstock, GA

Foleymo & Molly, Great reports - inspirational - necessary - informative. Much obliged.

Posted 05/26/09 7:12 PM foleymo Seattle, WA

I could have done a top-five list on just Mike Rothfeld stuff or just Tom Woods stuff. Those guys have so much good information and knowledge that it's just not fair for us mere mortals.

Posted 05/29/09 2:20 PM brasten Kirkland, WA

The best part for me is related to #5... the realization that I'm not alone! I mean, I'm on the lists... I meet others involved in the Liberty movement... but seeing so many people joyfully spending the weekend discussing obscure political topics -- and actually being of the same mind on those topics as I am??? That was moving. Think about the state of the conservative movement today... now, think of the few positive things it's doing... the Audit the Fed bill, the state sovereignty bills, the firearm regulation nullification bills in a few states, the tea parties (to some extent) and End the Fed rallies... Everything the conservative movement is doing these days that has actual impact is being planned, launched and coordinated by US. ... yeah, the media's enjoying the arguments between the "leaders" of the conservative movement... meanwhile, all the ACTION is coming from the Liberty group. We don't have to fight to lead the movement... WE ARE leading the movement. Keep it up!