Welcome to the Idaho Campaign for Liberty website.
You are invited to join us as we each take the initiative to educate our neighbors, those in our communities and our counties, as to the principles of liberty that these United States were established. It is We the People that will free this great nation from the tyranny that threatens us. We must become the heroes of this Revolution. It is our mission to do so, because we are aware of those same problems that our Founding Fathers fought against, and warned us about. In the 2nd paragraph of the Declaration of Independence it reads : "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new guards for their future security - What this means, is it is Our Duty to fight for Our freedom. We can not shirk now from what we know must be done.
Our success will depend on each individual here, every member of the Campaign for Liberty and anyone who believes in freedom. It is our personal responsibility and our dedication to sharing our knowledge with as many people as we can that will determine our success. The Campaign for Liberty mission is "To promote and defend the great American principles of individual liberty, constitutional government, sound money, free markets, and a noninterventionist foreign policy, by means of educational and political activity." We must work individually and collectively to make this happen. And with everyone working toward this mission at the grassroots level, we will accomplish much good.
I encourage you to sign up as a member of the Campaign for Liberty and set up your own profile on the website. Take advantage of the tools provided there, walk your precinct as a neighbor and help others to be prepared for their own safety, security and peace of mind. We know the government is NOT the solution, but the problem. Let's recruit others to help in forwarding the cause of Liberty and to restore our unalienable rights.
I will end now with the closing sentence of the Declaration of Independence. May we stand today in support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Thank you for all you do! Yours in Liberty and justice for all,
A: Patriots Willing to Talk to Their Neighbors!! ...we will be doing just this, on Saturday November 21st. In just a few hours time we will learn our precinct boundaries, how to talk with your neighbors and introduce hundereds of people to the Survey on Sovereignty (SOS)--the answer to all that ails America!!
When: Saturday, November 21st starting at 10am SHARP Where: Meet at Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St West, Twin Falls Who: Anyone willing to help Idaho remain sovereign! How: By using a Survey, we will help identify people in our neighborhoods who want to join with us and send a strong message to Idaho leadership in Boise and Washington that the Constitution did not form a NATIONAL government, it formed a FEDERAL government; meaning that States are on par with federal government (as states created the federal government). We will be introducing to people the solution to all the madness we see in Washington today: Nullification! States have the right and DUTY to nullify un-Constitutional federal legislation.
What(to bring): Warm clothes (it is suppose to snow), walking shoes, a clipboard, writing pens (a handful), and a smile!
We will have precinct maps and surveys for all those who RSVP(so make sure you do), and a brief (30 minute) instruction on how to have a successful and enjoyable time talking with your neighbors, starting at 10am.
For Liberty, Jeremy SasserCollins jeremykcollins@hotmail.com call to RSVP: 736-2433
I recently received an email from a fellow Local Coordinator. In part, she wrote:
"We used to have neighborhoods back when we were kids, when mothers stayed home and kids played outside after school, but that world is long gone. I think this is one of the reasons it's such a hard slog.
Some of us have been going door to door with petitions; people don't even answer the door when you knock, even when they're obviously at home. This is happening now, more than it was, but it's slowed by the inherent social decay."
I responded to this Local Coordinator, and I hope this will give all of our Local Coordinators food for thought and encouragement. Here is my message:
I grew up the same way and have fond memories of my neighborhood. I agree that the social structure has decayed, so we need to re-build the social structure first.
Here's what I'm doing -
My first step was to decide to be a "neighborhood watchdog" of sorts. I attended neighborhood meetings, drove the neighborhood to see if there were things that might hurt the value of property, and counted how many homes are being sold on the market. I started talking to my neighbors during my trips around the neighborhood - would wave, stop the car, or stop to chat about these things when I walked.
I had a pizza party at my house for several of my neighbors and we discussed the board actions of the homes association. I walked door to door to get email addresses so I could send tips, news and alerts. I now have 125 email addresses and send a monthly newsletter. I have a crime alert sent to me so I can let my neighbors know about crime happening in and around our neighborhood.
We had a board election for our homes association and some of us walked door to door. Almost all of our neighbors were happy to see us. Two of our candidates won and we had a huge turnout at our annual meeting.
My neighbors email me with tips and their opinions and I've got a much better idea of who might be with us based on our conversations. The value of this cannot be under-estimated. I now have 3 solid conservative neighbors that I know will be active with me, and a few others that I'm cultivating. I know they will help me walk the neighborhood and we are building a network here.
My next neighborhood meeting will be to talk about how to keep our neighborhood safe and maintain property value - these are things that are important to all of us. There will be food, of course - that always brings 'em in.
Note: My next step will be to walk door to door with a survey. It will go something like this: "Hello, again. I'm Deb Wells and live right down the street from you. I will be visiting our government representatives and would like to let them know what is important to you. I have a short survey here....(the survey will contain questions that will let me know who is with us)."
Next will come a local candidate forum where we'll have the opportunity to control the debate.
* * * * * * *
There are different approaches that Local Coordinators use. Some have a "sales" personality - they walk right up, knock on the door, introduce themselves and say "I am the neighborhood representative for Campaign for Liberty" and hand their neighbor a flier, speak eloquently about it, and follow up with another visit.
Some take a slower approach like mine.
Whatever approach you use, there is no feeling like the first time you wave and speak to a friendly neighbor...you suddenly realize deep in your heart that you will be successful because you have begun rebuilding the social structure.
After sending my story to my fellow Local Coordinator, she wrote:
Very interesting. Rebuilding the social structure of the neighborhood will of course have inherent value, quite in addition to providing a framework for getting our message across. One could even posit that the whole "need" for big government is because of the breakdown of the neighborhood, along with the breakdown of the family. In earlier times, one's neighbors and family were the "safety net" that is now provided by the government.
I agree.
It is up to us to build the social structure again and as you begin to do this, soon you will find neighbors who want to help you build, and you'll view your neighborhood and your ability to succeed as a Local Coordinator in a whole different light. Remember: If you know that a person is home but won't open the door, they are probably not interested in their community and more than likely, not interested in voting or making a difference. Spend quality time with friendly neighbors that care - they will become your "army".
This was an expression Pat Buchanan used in 1992 when he campaigned against the elder George Bush in New Hampshire. He saw the unemployed victims of corporate raiders who moved America's manufacturing overseas and realized that Republican economic theory was destroying the country. The Republican Establishment turned a deaf ear to its prophet of populism then . . . and lost the next election to Clinton who continued the Bush-era policies.
The Republican Establishment experienced another warning in the last election cycle with the prescience of Ron Paul, who argued for a year that we were in a recession. Completely vindicated too late to win his Party's nomination, Paul's adversary, in turn, lost the election to another Democrat who, like his predecessor, continues the Bush-era policies. Nothing has changed.
Turning my attention to Idaho politics, I entertained a hope that leaders were to be found in the State Capitol. The 2009 legislative session was my epiphany: the sudden, overwhelming revelation that every effort to use the legislative process to correct the malpolicy of previous legislative acts only results in a further degradation of our liberties. I have come to the conclusion that Boise is as much a threat to our freedoms as Washington.
I never forgot the words of Reagan's stump speech when I met him in 1980: "Mankind has invented over 5 billion laws, and not any of them have improved upon God's Ten Commandments." So, now I ask: "Why do we give men the power to make laws? Is there not something sacrilegious in the notion that anything other than Divine moral law (or natural law, if you want to call it that) can be declared "the supreme law of the land"?
I know what the Constitution says. But people are confused. The Constitution is the supreme law for our public servants, not for the People who created it. To say that the Constitution is "the supreme law of the land" is a short-handed way of saying that the "People's Law" is superior to "Ruler's Law" (to borrow terminology from Cleon Skousen).
So, what's the problem?
I'll tell you what the problem is. The problem is that the federal government - and especially state government - has assumed the municipal power. It can micro-manage your life because it exists where you live.
Prior to the 20th Century, local issues that affected your personal life were handled by local government - the neighbors you saw every day. Now in the 21st Century, both federal and state governments have agency branches in almost every community. The tentacles reach deep.
I don't suppose I was ever more outraged than over what the State Legislature did this year in making felons out of midwives who refuse AMA-approved licensing. That was the moment my eyes were finally opened.
I was reminded of the warning one of my old theological mentors, R.J. Rushdoony, a crusty Calvinist who saw clearer than anyone, I suppose, what was coming. He argued that statism eventually politicizes all areas of life. And now we have it in Idaho. A mother cannot even birth her child at home without government interference. It denies her any aid and comfort unless her midwife bows to the mandates of left-wing radicals. To fight this robbery of our liberties, we are compelled to form a political action group. Our politicians beat their breasts and complain about the special interest groups. Now we know that they create them.
Everyone in the State House voted for this bill, even the legislator who is reputed to be Idaho's "Ron Paul." I confronted him with this issue recently, and he shrugged his shoulders and said, "The midwives wanted it. The people who were opposed to licensing didn't bother to make their case."
Now, there is a revelation for you: we must assume that our government officials are willing accomplices in the pillaging of our rights unless we are ready to stop them. The State Legislature stands like a sword of Damocles over our lives, unless we are politically organized to protect ourselves. Can you imagine the Legislature telling gun owners, "We are more than willing to ban all firearms in Idaho if we think we can get away with it"?
They wouldn't dare! But poor little midwives, too bad.
Whatever happened to integrity? Whatever happened to our watchdogs?
Can you live this way? Is this how you want to spend the rest of your life: monitoring carefully our government officials and sounding the alarm before they steal something from us again? Isn't that what enemies are for? Does anyone in his right mind hire a thief to run his business affairs?
What this experience should tell us is that there are no philosophical conservatives in Idaho government. Yes, there certainly are issues conservatives - those politicians who vote as conservatives on the pet issues of their constituents - but there are no philosophical conservatives, conservatives like "Dr. No," who will vote against bad legislation, even if they are the only ones.
If we define a conservative as one who insists that the power of government be limited to protecting the rights of the people, then anyone who supports forced occupational licensing (a municipal power, by the way) is not a true conservative. Licensing takes away rights; it does not protect them. It creates occupational cartels.
Usually, you can discern someones true values by observing how they act when they think no one is watching. I treat the midwife bill as one of those times when "nobody was watching."
There were other telltale signs in the last session. The legislature refused local governments the power to issue liquor licenses in their communities. The proposal failed because many legislators felt local governments "could not be trusted." But, hey, they passed the 10th Amendment Memorial Resolution in which they essentially said the same thing to the federal government.
Translation: State legislators trust no one with political power except themselves.
Call it hubris or call it arrogance; I don't care. All I can say is, "I don't want to live the rest of my life wondering how many rights my legislators signed away this year." At this point, I consider the legislature a potential public nuisance that needs to be abated. Someone would do the public a great service if they simply padlocked the state house and sent the brood home. Pay them to stay at home!
Or better yet, someone would perform an even greater service if they convened a standing grand jury that would refuse to enforce their stupid laws, but instead would investigate government corruption. Why are we trying to untie the Gordian Knot? Shouldn't we just take a sword and cut the blasted thing?
Oh, I know, think of all the great things government does. We are so helpless and evil without it, aren't we? If it wasn't for the government, we wouldn't have roads, or mail, or schools or any of those things that makes civilization. If it wasn't for government protecting our morals, I suppose we would be a society fornicating with pigs.
Guess what! They said the same thing about the disestablishment of the church during the early years of our Republic: "Oh, if government no longer supports religion, our churches will close and the people will become atheists. God will destroy our nation, blah, blah, blah." Result? There's a church on every street corner and everywhere you turn there is someone wanting to convert you.
I don't think our civilization would fall apart if we didn't have state-run schools, state-funded roads, or even a state militia. We spend billions of dollars every year in taxes for our national defense, and still, the government hasn't built me a bomb shelter or given me a firearm.
The notion of a national defense has become an bankrupting joke. When the old Soviets contemplated the task of invading the United States, the only real deterrent was 200 million firearms in the hands of American citizens. They concluded an invasion would be a logistical nightmare. Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) never was a deterrent. They theorized that their best option was to infiltrate our government institutions.
And, boy, have they! At least, somebody has.
There is such a thing as "enemies, foreign and domestic." Why should I have to lie awake at night and worry what my government is going to do to me next? It is supposed to be protecting me from the enemy of my liberties, not be the enemy that's taking them away.
Some people think that I should make a run for the legislature. The thought does not please me. Tyrants become morons before they become monsters. I don't have the patience for special education. But maybe God will dispense the grace.
On November 9th, I assembled a State Sovereignty Taskforce Meeting at the Red Lion Downtowner Hotel. The irony, of all things, was while our members were working on a plan to assert Idaho's independence from globalist objectives, across the hotel lobby in the banquet room, the Boise Chapter of the Council on Foreign Relations was wining and dining and toasting to new world order objectives. Go to http://www.boisecfr.org/ for more info. Thanks to John Blattler for the link.
In attendance were Ryan Davidson, Lori Shewmaker, John Blattler, Scott Childs, Todd & Maureen Hatfield and James Stivers.
On the issue of sovereignty, there appears to be various interests: 1) To continue tactical advancements within the Republican Party, 2) Sovereign Citizen strategies, 3) the use of grand juries, and 4) Sovereignty Resolutions.
All of these have merit. I think the general consensus was that everyone should continue doing what they feel comfortable with, continuing to learn, and growing a network of contacts for future projects. Once it becomes clear what strategies carry the most promise, then new recommendations can be made to focus our energies.
As for an immediate proposal, I suggest that we pursue Todd Hatfield's proposed amendment to the State Constitution, already offered on this website. Since there are currently no known bills forthcoming for the 2010 Legislative Session, I advise that the C4L promote this amendment to maximize the debate on the issue.
As for efforts to promote rallies at the capitol building during the legislative session, I would encourage the State Coordinators to contact the membership when such events are planned. I don't think it would be useful for the C4L - as an organization - to engage in public demonstrations with other groups, as the mistakes of one group would cast a poor light on all participating organizations. But individual participation should be encouraged to maximize the media exposure of such events.
I am posting this report to the Benewah County blog.
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
—Thomas Jefferson
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