Posted by Matt Phillips on 03/03/11

The Associated Press (AP) recently submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Illinois State Police. They requested a list of every Illinoisan who has a FOID card, and can therefore legally own a gun.

The Illinois State Police (ISP) have denied their request and have been vigilant in protecting our privacy thus far. They have explained explicitly that they believe such a public list would violate their policy of protecting our privacy.

On the other hand our Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, has stated that the privacy argument is worthless. She has ordered the ISP to comply with the FOIA request. So far the ISP is standing strong with the people of Illinois and their privacy.

Absurdities Present in Mrs. Madigan's Philosophy:

Mrs. Madigan apparently believes that the FOIA was enacted so that the private citizens of Illinois could spy on other private citizens. Just the opposite, the FOIA was enacted so that the private Illinois citizen would have a simple method of accessing information regarding government activities and spending.

If FOID registration of private citizens is a public matter, would not tax filings or state university student records then be a matter of public record as well? Where would it end? What kind of precedent would that set for the protection of personal health records if Obama forces them all onto a government database?

How would Mrs. Madigan appreciate a FOIA request for the names and addresses of all welfare recipients in the state of Illinois? How would she react to a request for a list of the information of all Illinois pubic pension recipients? What about a list of names and addresses for illegal immigrants who utilize public benefits such as schools, hospitals, and welfare?

One could go on with ideas for similarly angled FOIA requests that Mrs. Madigan would not support, simply because they would run counter to her own personal agenda.

The Danger Behind Compliance with the Request:

If you ever played Stratego as a child (or as an adult) you understand the importance of keeping your defensive strategies a secret when you're under threat of being attacked. Your attacker is unsure of how much danger he is in when he attacks, and is therefore uncertain of how much force to use or how much he will gain as a result of his attack. The attack is far riskier for the offensive player if the end result of his action is left as mysterious as possible.

In Stratego, a player has to make an offensive move. In home burglary an offensive move mustn't necessarily be made. Many would-be burglars are deterred by the lack of knowledge of what awaits them on the other side of your door or window. They choose not to do it because of the risk of being caught, beaten or shot.

Do you want to change that and allow the prospective robber or burglar to know how you defend your home? This question should sound the alarm for both gun-owners and non-gun-owners alike.

The non gun owners should fear the idea of a would-be armed robber having concrete knowledge that he can enter your home and have superior force in case you try to act in self defense. It may even give him confidence enough to enter your home knowing that you or your family are still inside.

The gun owners should fear the idea that would-be burglars in search of firearms will know which houses to case and break into once the residents leave for work, school, or vacation.

If criminals obtain this information they have crucial details regarding our home defense strategies - at which point we are all targets.

Would Mrs. Madigan authorize the release of detailed information regarding the security of her office? Would she support the release of detailed information regarding state funded bodyguards & security strategies for Illinois politicians? I'd bet the farm that the answer to both would be "no."

What to Do:

1. Call Lisa Madigan's main offices in Springfield and Chicago. Demand that she respect your privacy and your right to have the upper hand when it comes to defending yourself and your family.

Springfield: (217) 782-1090

Chicago:  (312) 814-3000

2. Contact your State Reps & Senators and ask them to introduce legislation protecting Illinoisans in the private sector from FOIA requests that were only intended to make the government more transparent.

Posted 03/06/11 mlang52 Robinson, IL

I say reverse the law that requires the FOID card! That would stop that stuff!

Posted 03/12/11 Liberty19 Marion, IL

This is just sickening. Who the hell does Mrs. Atty General think she is? I don't know who she is but I know what she is, and it's not complimentary.

Posted by Matt Phillips on 10/14/10
Last updated 10/14/10

I had never heard about Peter Diamond until the Nobel Prize announcement was made a few days ago, but I think that there's reason to celebrate the result.

Peter Diamond is a Keynesian central planning advocate who Obama recently appointed to sit on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. He is also the winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences that was announced a few days ago.

Some Republicans in the Senate have been blocking Diamond's appointment, and Obama is now attempting to use Diamond's new Nobel Prize to show that those senators are simply being contrarian, and ignoring how smart and qualified Diamond is. Whether or not that is the case, the Nobel Prize has finally made his appointment controversy present in the media.

That's the reason to celebrate. We're now aware of both Diamond's views and his hopes of becoming a central banker.

What do we do with this information?

It's time now to call and write our senators and demand that they block the Peter Diamond appointment to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve!

If your senator if one of those blocking the appointment, thank them and tell them to stand fast.

Find your Senators' contact information here.

Posted 10/14/10 Willij4lib Monroe, WA

This also says it must not take much in the way of achievements. That you do not need to show success beyond any doubt to receive a Nobel Prize. That it is not results in which they must measure but rather how well the show itself was presented. Accomplishments and shows are very different from each other but everyone seems to be watching the show verses paying attention to what is actually happening. There should be a new show called Mind Blowing Numbness, with Obama as the premier star with eyes that are unable to see past his nose and yet even he was given the Nobel Prize and most of us have been asking why ever since. It must have been the show because the accomplishments have flat out sucked out loud and not enough are looking but many seem to be watching the stupid show.

Posted 10/15/10 matthaws Spring, TX

Hey Willi, I like the idea of a Mind Blowing Numbness reality show. They could film it in Washington DC and never run out of material or need to use re-runs. Heck, it would take 434 weeks just to get through the House of Representatives (excepting Ron Paul, of course), then they could intersperse it with various federal agencies. The mind boggles.

Posted by Matt Phillips on 08/26/10

Apathy

•1. absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement. (Dictionary.com)

It has been two short years now since Dr. Paul informed us that he intended to wrap up his presidential campaign. It hasn't been one year yet since the Audit the Fed Bill, H.R. 1207, was gutted and a shell of the original bill was added to some typical big government legislation.

Many of us have had very short lives as activists and have only two major losses under our belts to show for it. With no tangible wins to point to, and plenty of horrible bills to watch being passed through congress, it gets easier and easier to despair.

While apathy can be defined as a lack of passion, emotion, or excitement, which I know is not a problem in our movement, it can also be defined as a suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement. The greatest expression of our movement's passion was our willingness to go out and work with nothing but freedom as our incentive. It seems to me that as of late we have been suppressing, rather than expressing, our passion.

I admit that I, Matt Phillips, am no exception. I do less than I should. I get lazy, distracted, frustrated, burnt out, and discouraged.

What I've come to learn as of late is that apathy, like other bad habits, cannot be cured by a few words spoken by a great man. Apathy can only be cured by introspection and an internal battle with that little voice that constantly begs "what's the use?"

The cure for apathy is an exercise, not a man.

I can tell you however, that by joining together and by offering our talents and support to one another we can make the exercise that will cure our apathy far easier for one another. You can make it easier for me to do what I need to do to fight for freedom, and I promise that I will return the favor.

We must regroup and begin the exercise anew. I know that we will see results. I've seen results come from the efforts of just a few inexperienced volunteers.  

Don't delude yourself and expect immediate results to come at a national level. It's not terribly realistic in the short term.  We still need to sign the petitions and maintain pressure on our U.S. congressmen and senators, but the national battle is one that will most likely not be won in the short term.

What will definitely make a difference is all of us working with our county, district, and state groups and affecting changes at the village, township, county, and state levels. A dozen active people can ruin an election for a terrible local politician or spell out victory for a liberty candidate. This can also work surprisingly easily in state general assembly races.

If you don't have a county or district group to attend, please start one now. If you don't know where to begin please contact Heather Danielowski, Greg Bishop, myself, or any other active coordinator. We would all love to hear from you.

So the presidential campaign didn't end the way that we wanted it to end;  H.R. 1207 wasn't signed into law. We'll call those successful issue awareness campaigns for now. After all, it took Dr. Paul three decades and countless "losses" to lead our movement to where it is today.

Dr. Paul made us aware of our ignorant apathy; the only way to return to apathy now would be to suppress our passion. A return to apathy now can be no one's fault but our own.

Please keep the passion alive and contact us or your county and district coordinators now to find out how to get involved.

Posted 08/27/10 lexslexus Moorhead, MN

Good post. Thanks for the reminder!

Posted by Matt Phillips on 03/01/10

One of the best mobilizers in the freedom movement is that everyone sees how the overreaching hand of large government impacts their own lives negatively. Typically, we choose those one or two negative impacts and they become the focus of our own personal fight.

When it comes to many of those fights, such as 2nd amendment rights,  or ending unnecessary wars, we have a great number of folks on our side to help us fight back tyranny. The fight is definitely ongoing, but we have some help.

What if your plight is so specific that you are one of only a few people standing up to the state? I'd like to highlight such a case right now.

http://www.localharvest.org/blog/22369/entry/time_stand_still_in_a

I received this link from a C4L member who runs a family farm. Beekeeping is one of the ways that the family chooses to support themselves on their farm. As so many stories go, the government is getting in the way of their ability to make a living in the way that they see fit. In this case the issue is supposedly "health safety."

There are three bills in the Illinois General Assembly that the member made me aware of. According to the member, passage of the bills can help them make honey & related products to sustain their family, and to sell to us for our enjoyment.

I have yet to read the bills, but I encourage you to do so for yourselves. If you read and support the following bills I urge you to call your state representatives and let them know. SB2959, HB5755, and HB6132.

If you read the bills and have any comments, please post them below.

Also, I encourage the member that I am referring to disclose their business information below if there's a way for us all to enjoy the product of the family's efforts.

Posted 03/04/10 Sharon Prairie Du Rocher, IL

"Also, I encourage the member that I am referring to disclose their business information below if there's a way for us all to enjoy the product of the family's efforts." Matt - Please see today's Blog for an answer to how all Illinois Citizens can find Fresh, Local Foods. http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=33204

Posted by Matt Phillips on 02/26/10
Last updated 02/26/10

Wanted: Professional Snitch for the local Police

Pay: $1,500.00 monthly, Plus 30% commission on all fines from successful snitches

Have you seen your neighbor spit on the sidewalk? Have you seen him walk his dog without a leash? Have you ever seen him park on the street for any amount of time between 3:00 and 6:00 am? Has his grass ever gotten to be more than 6" tall?

 You could be getting paid to make these observations! All that is required is a camcorder, a lack of conscience, and some lobby money for your local officials. You can have a contract in no time!

Due to recent economic developments, municipal governments are craving new sources of revenue that cost little to no money. And, as we all know, politicians have never needed the excuse of economic hard times to do political favors in exchange for campaign contributions.

Redspeed did it in Illinois, and so can you.

In reality - probably not. 

For one, you aren't a large international corporation with a huge budget for lobbying. For two, it would appear to be a horrible idea if neighbors were paid to do this to one another, and it would most likely lead to some fierce public outcry.

Redspeed, on the other hand, has the benefit of being a faceless corporation, with automated red light cameras that make the whole process very impersonal. This makes it so that they don't seem as annoying or intrusive as a creepy, holier-than-thou neighbor walking around video taping your mistakes with a camcorder.

Don't be fooled! They're just a "private person", with a camera, that is making money at your expense.

Contact your Illinois State Senator today, and ask them to support & sponsor SB2466. This bill would work toward a ban of red light cameras in Illinois. Also, contact any of the Illinois State Senators that are members of the Transportation Committee and tell them that you'd like to see this bill make it to the floor for a vote.

Better do it - I'll be watching you...

Posted 03/01/10 mlang52 Robinson, IL

Funny! You know none of us people with integrity or ethics will buy this stuff, not those of us concerned about civil liberties, anyway. Just what we need, a country full of hall monitors, enforcing their type of justice! I want to feel free again!

Posted 03/02/10 Doug.Bach Wheaton, IL

hahaha well done, sir, well done. Looks like a few more are popping up in our backyard as we speak. Cameras on red get Hoffman Estates OK http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=362875#