Liberty Maven

I was thinking about the recent news regarding the agreement between Obama and Medvedev on reductions in nuclear warheads and missiles. How does this coincide with a Libertarian frame of mind?

So afraid was I that I’d fall into that tired Republican claptrap about a “weak America” that at first, my reaction was, “Great! We and Russia can lead by example in reducing our nuclear arms, hopefully lending other nations to relax their nuclear programs.” But was that reaction correct?

As Libertarians, we take the Constitution seriously. We understand the importance of the Second Amendment:

“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

But does this apply to our government and the protection of us as a nation? I thought I might find a rebuttal in Article I, Section 8 somewhere, regarding standing armies and such, but none of those apply, in my opinion.

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I attend a town hall discussion with my Congressman and try to help out with solutions, instead of more excuses and “politics as usual.”

by Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution

Originally published Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6603.html

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” – Mohandas Gandhi

“There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.” – Ayn Rand

“A man never tells you anything until you contradict him.” - George Bernard Shaw

Dear Congressman Dent -

I very much enjoyed the office hours you held Monday, July 6, 2009, in my hometown of Nazareth.  As you are now aware, from the comments there are very many concerned citizens in our district and the next town hall discussion will likely require a new venue as the hall was bursting full, even though the meeting was at 10 AM on a working day.

One of the items the group discussed was the fact that you did not have time to read the recent Cap and Trade Bill due to a last-minute amendment that added 300+ pages. While it is understandable that you cannot have time to read bills that are dumped last-minute on your desk before a house floor vote, I find it completely unacceptable that you have not taken steps to remedy the situation.

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Ron Paul has inspired many people to exit their comfort zones in the name of liberty. Shy people have fought off that shyness to talk to people and spread the word. People have walked miles for the freedom message. People have emitted an obscene amount of carbon dioxide for the cause. People have spent countless hours on signs to wave, videos to upload, and many other activist projects.

But I’m not sure any person has sacrificed more time, safety, and calories than the “Liberty Rider“, Michael Maresco.

He is now making his way across the United States on his bicycle towing a basketful of freedom literature behind him. His last update found him in New Mexico. He started his quest in New York City at (where else?) the Statue of Liberty. He will end his journey at Alcatraz in San Francisco, California. His ride signifies the road America is on: From Freedom to Fascism.

What makes this effort more significant is that it is the second time he’s done it. He rode in the other direction during Ron Paul’s Presidential campaign. He completed his trek last time around Christmas time in Washington DC in 2007.

I spent the better part of Saturday evening getting caught up on Michael’s travel blog. His fund raising goal for his trip has been met and exceeded. He’s even received donations from Iraq.

His travel blog reads almost like a how-to book on freedom activism. He’s received coverage in local newspapers. He is spreading liberty, one individual at a time.

Read the Liberty Rider blog. You will be inspired.

Why not donate a few bucks (or more) to buy a beer or 10 for him when he completes his journey? He deserves that and much much more.

Jim DeMint is taking the lead on getting an audit of the Federal Reserve in the Senate. Ron Paul’s smile tonight is measured by the fact that the Senate Democratic leadership has seen fit to block a vote on Jim DeMint adding an amendment to a spending bill that would accomplish an audit of the Fed.

Jim DeMint provides some partisan transparency of his own by effectively “auditing” the inner workings of the Senate. During his time on the floor he completely rips apart the Democrat’s double standard bullshit. This video clip is REQUIRED watching for every American in the United States. Spread it far and wide:

I love that DeMint used his time to educate as well as castigate.

This fight has just begun. Please contact your Senators and tell them that if they do not support S.604 (Senate’s version of Ron Paul’s HR.1207 to audit the Federal Reserve) you will actively campaign against them in their next election.

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read in three spots in Pennsylvania following the Fourth of July. One spot was Easton’s historic Center Square. 233 years later, a small band of 300 patriots showed up once more. Here is the speech (and video!) I gave July 3rd, 2009 at the Lehigh Valley Tea Party at the fountain in Easton’s Center Square, Pennsylvania.

by Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution

Originally published Saturday, July 4, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6597.html

NOTE: A longer version of this speech delivered at another rally is also below.  This speech was edited to fit in the time allotted, but covered all of the main points in the full version.  I am glad to report the speech was received quite favorably by the crowd as you can see in this YouTube video. I am likewise extremely honored to have been selected by this organization to speak on such an historic place at such an important time in our nation’s history.

If I was granted a thousand wishes on our country’s birthday, I would spend them all on restoring the Republic.  As that simply won’t happen, I will just continue to work as hard as I can.  If you care to help, please let me know.

(Portrait by Jean-Baptiste Greuze)

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On July 15^th, 1776, 72 patriots led by Benjamin Franklin issued Pennsylvania’s Constitution. One sentence read: QUOTE That ALL POWER is originally inherent in, and consequently derived from, the PEOPLE; therefore all officers of government are their trustees and SERVANTS, and at ALL TIMES ACCOUNTABLE to them.

Our founders clearly realized that all power stems from the PEOPLE, from US, and all officers of government are NOT masters, but SERVANTS.

Most importantly, the Constitution was written under the principle of “positive grant.” What “positive grant” means is that the government can ONLY exercise the powers which are specifically granted to it and nothing more. The Constitution is not the AUTHORITY over our lives, it is simply the LAW meant to CONSTRAIN the actions of government.

However, over time the federal government has slowly and steadily taken more and more power from the people, from our local and state governments.

Look at the bailouts of the banks, insurance companies, car companies, and investment firms. There is NOTHING – there is NOTHING – in the Constitution that gives Congress or the Federal Reserve the power to do ANY of this.

So what to do? What can be done against this government? What are the BEST actions that people who believe in the rule of law, who believe in freedom, do?

What I favor is a strong shift back to the America that our founding fathers and mothers had in mind. If we can shift these powers back closer to the People, from the federal governments to the State and local governments, the better off we all will be. The more local each issue becomes, the more voice, the more power each individual has, and the happier we will all be.

The 4th of July for the Patriots of ’76 was only the start of a long march towards freedom and liberty. It is in their spirits that we, from our families FIRST, from our local communities SECOND, and from the State of Pennsylvania THIRD must rise up and defend freedom from a government that disrespects the Rule of Law and the boundaries of its Constitutional powers!

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I’m a believer in freedom because of Harry Browne. Well, perhaps it was just convenience and timing, but I became a lover of liberty in the mid 90′s as a college student. Harry Browne was the Libertarian Party nominee for President in 1996 and 2000. He was a tall glass of freedom-loving ice water in the hot and dry politics-as-usual desert. He quenched my libertarian soul.

While everyone else is celebrating the “4th of July” I’m celebrating Independence Day. On this Independence Day I’m celebrating by remembering the man that spoke with my voice before I knew what my voice was. Browne wrote an article on July 4th, 2003 (3 years before he died) called, “Uncelebrating the 4th of July“.

The article sums up perfectly how I feel about Independence Day right now. As was so often the case, Harry Browne was years ahead of his time.

I remember around that same year (2003) I was one of those libertarians that supported the Iraq war. I was a libertarian-in-progress or maybe some today would have called me a “Wayne Allyn Root” libertarian. I wrote an email to Harry Browne giving him my opinion about the war and asking him what he thought of my reasoning. He didn’t think much of it.

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It’s Friday and that means it’s time for another installment of  “Quick Hits”.

Helen Thomas and Chip Reid berated White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs the other day for pre-selecting questions for Obama’s “town hall” and “controlling” the press. It appears that the honeymoon (I call it the “Obamagasm”) is coming to an end. Gibbs seems to be out of his league as Obama’s Press Secretary. I’ll be surprised if he makes it through Obama’s first and hopefully only term.

There is one particular forbidden health care question for Obama. I would love to hear his answer to the following question:

“Mr. President, you are considered a Constitutional scholar. Could you educate the American people a bit and tell them what section, article, or amendment permits the federal government to provide health care?”

Sure, he would dodge the question, but it is one dodge that I long to hear.

On Monday, Ron Paul’s son Rand Paul held another money bomb campaign fund raiser. The goal was to break $100k. The goal was met. This is huge news and a great sign that the Ron Paul wing of the Republican Party is not going anywhere. Rand Paul raised over $100,000 in about a month without an official fund raiser. Senator Rand Paul has a nice ring to it.

There was high drama last Friday afternoon on the House floor during the debate on the narrowly passed Cap and Trade bill. The Republicans kept pointing out that the legislation will lose more jobs and put a higher tax burden on the American people.

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In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read in three spots in Pennsylvania following the Fourth of July. One spot was Easton’s historic Center Square. 233 years later, a small band of patriots show up once more.

by Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution
Originally published July 2, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6584.html

On Friday, July 3rd at 7 PM, the Lehigh Valley Tea Party organization is holding a rally in Easton’s historic Center Square.  See this LINK for details.  The Declaration of Indepedence will be read followed by a series of speeches by invited speakers.  I am delighted to be speaking at such an historic event, and I urge you to stop by if you are in the area.

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D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Quote of the Day: “It is my living sentiment, and by the blessing of God, it shall be my dying sentiment. Independence now, and independence forever.” – Daniel Webster, in an August 2, 1826 eulogy to Thomas Jefferson and John Adams; both had died on July 4th.

* voted for the lesser evil or
* voted for candidates that lost or
* would have voted for “none of the above” if the option had been available or
* didn’t vote at all because they didn’t want to endorse or encourage any of the candidates?

Do elections really confer consent? We don’t think so.

What does confer consent? Silence.

If we don’t inform our elected representatives that we object to their policies, then we shouldn’t be surprised if they assume their election to high office implies consent to their actions.

Those who mostly favor what our government is doing can celebrate July 4th content in the knowledge that they’re getting what they want. But what about the rest of us?

A case can be made that the transgressions of our government today are vastly greater than those against which the Founders rebelled on July 4, 1776. If we applaud what they did then, we should be willing to emulate at least to a certain, peaceful extent.

Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence…

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Jefferson and the other Founders withdrew their consent and listed their reasons for doing so. Shouldn’t we do the same on this July 4th, and on every July 4th for as long as our government violates our inalienable rights?

You can peacefully state your discontent using a special, temporary campaign on DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System. That campaign is titled, “Does the government have your consent on this July 4th?”

Please use your personal comments to tell your Representatives in Congress that you don’t approve of the job they’re doing. Let them know that you’re tired of them expanding the government’s size, power, and expense far, far beyond what the Constitution provides.     Read More »

Yesterday Ron Paul appeared again on “Freedom Watch” with Judge Andrew Napolitano. The Judge delivered another stellar opening monologue that was extremely critical of the hate crime legislation making its way through Congress.

Following the monologue Ron Paul was brought in to discuss the topic further. I enjoy these types of discussions because they steadfastly refute all of the completely inane and idiotic charges that Ron Paul is a “racist”. Anyone who refuses to allow emotional “arguments” cloud their reasoned judgment should understand that Ron Paul is completely opposed to any kind of racism or collectivism.

Unfortunately, most people don’t do their homework. They drool through life digesting all the news they can about the latest Michael Jackson-type death of the day. Ignorance is not bliss, ignorance is willful neglect. It should be our responsibility to know that our country of birth is fundamentally moving away from the principles of its founding. With that responsibility should come individual action.

I find it humorous that they call themselves “progressives”, as if advocating a return to the principles found in the Constitution makes one a “regressive”. No, it appears to me that so called “progressives” want to return to a time before the American Revolution, a time of empire and tyranny. If we want to have “progress” in this country it should mean restoring the rule of law found in our Constitution not continuing the practice of ignoring it.

Check out the latest episode of Freedom Watch below. Other than Ron Paul, the Judge welcomed Mary Ruwart, John McManus, David Bruckner, and Jim Babka to the show.