LittleLightShining
07-02-2009, 07:20 AM
I've just spent 5 1/2 hours writing my speech for the Tea Party on Saturday. It's pretty long as I was asked to speak for 10 mins but I wanted to get a critique on it before I submit it to the organizer. I think it looks longer than it really is because I spaced it for speech pacing.
Be brutally honest with me, I can handle it :)
This was written earlier this year by a patriot named Micah Nelson and it struck such a chord in me, and rang so true, that I must share it with you as we celebrate Independence Day.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for citizens of a seemingly free and open nation to call into doubt the motives and intentions of her leadership,
a decent respect to the opinions of their fellow citizens requires that they should declare the causes which impel such an accusation.
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.
Let not our patriotism be unduly scrutinized. The nature of our sentiments regarding The United States of America is manifest in our deeply held regard for the Ideals which she has, but recently, so proudly hailed– Personal Liberty, Justice and above all Freedom.
It is for the protection of these Ideals our Founders established the government set forth in the Constitution of the United States, based on the foundational precepts of Liberty as recorded in our Declaration of Independence.
The framers of our Republic realized the imperative need for our rights to be outlined for protection from the government. Let me repeat. Our rights and freedoms stem from our nature as men, not from the governments we choose to establish among ourselves.
The legitimate and noble role of government is the defense of those rights from violation or infringement- be the perpetrator our fellow man or a tyrant.
What is the duty of an American Patriot when the government charged with and sworn to the protection of our liberties has determined Other Needs require that we, without direct consent or due process, allow the full balance of our liberties to be called into question?
When We, the People of the United States formed a more perfect Union for the insurance of Domestic Tranquility and Justice, Provision for the Common Defense, promotion of the General Welfare, our intentions were bound and preserved in the Constitution.
It was manifestly clear that the power of the federal government was Limited exclusively to those outlined in the seven articles of our foundational documents.
Within our system of government resided a method for amending our Constitution so that future Americans would be able to adapt the constitution as the needs of society changed.
Our Current Government Ignores This Legitimate Process in the name of Safety and Prosperity. Is Safety so great an end that it justifies the Means of Tyranny?;
Is ephemeral Prosperity a fair compensation for abandoning the Liberties paid for by the blood of our fathers?
At the Birth of our nation, many believed our Bill of Rights would be unnecessary; The wisdom of an enumeration of a portion of our Rights for the sake of protection was called into question when our founding document clearly voids the role of government in areas not discussed in the seven articles.
It is now clear that our Bill of Rights stands as the final levy against a flood of tyranny.
The History of our government in the last century has been marked with the eroding of our Liberties as Free Men. To Prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid Nation.
It has violated and infringed upon the very rights specifically set apart from the control of government. All ten of the Amendments we commonly know as the Bill of Rights have in some manner been weakened without our consent– dressed as necessary legislation to keep us safe from lone gunmen, enemies of the state, and even words deemed hateful or obscene.
It has promoted among our citizenry a general fear, when courage is needed most.
The Congress has abdicated its sole power to authorize war to the Executive, and the executive has accepted this role without objection, spreading our military to all corners of the globe in conflicts and police actions waged over decades.
It has, in the name of order, dispensed with the notions of trial by jury, habeas corpus and judicial review of warrants in times of war, while simultaneously insisting that we will be engaged in a war for the foreseeable future.
It has matched the expansion of its power with an expansion of its budget, trillions beyond what we as a nation can honestly afford. Even with such an inflated and frivolous budget- we find ourselves year after year bearing a national debt with no serious attempts to control spending.
It has, through tax codes, legislation and national standards, entered into the classrooms, churches, homes, and bedrooms of law abiding Americans.
It has abdicated its legitimate role of defending our borders and caring for the Veterans who sacrifice their safety for our liberty; this negligence to perform rightful duties even in the face of unconstitutional expansion of power.
It has decimated the sovereignty of state laws and courts.
It has created a complicated bureaucracy for every situation from taxation to homeland security in an attempt to exhaust citizens into compliance.
It has interfered with the pricing of our commodities and services, placing basic medical and energy needs in jeopardy.
It has established a welfare system which unfairly takes from taxpayers for the purpose of providing for the Poor. The result of this system has been subsidized mediocrity with no incentive for success, trapping our most vulnerable citizens in an endless cycle of government assistance with little hope for their future generations.
It has ruled against the concept of private property, allowing private land to be taken not for the public good with just compensation, but for private development and the hope for increased tax revenue.
It has used the general funds of the government to subsidize private industries and corporations, altering the principles of a free market and artificially controlling prices to the detriment of the consumer.
It has placed the burden of these excesses on our children’s children– taxing the future of wealth they may never see.
It has limited our freedom of speech in the name of fairness, vilifying opinionated political speech- the very speech the first amendment was conceived to protect.
In every stage of these oppressions we, collectively, have done nothing.
We have entrusted to a few self proclaimed elites the political destiny of our nation– naively hoping in their wise discretion.
It is clear now that we have failed in our duty as citizens to hold our government accountable to the Constitution. Our political wrath has been turned against each other, collectively blaming each other for the state of our union.
We have blamed the conservatives and the liberals, the establishment and the nonconformist, the parents and the children, the fundamentalists and secularists, The majority and the minorities, the Republicans and the Democrats. In reality we have no one to blame for ourselves.
We, therefore, the Citizens of the United States, Recognizing the importance of the preservation of American Liberty, hereby abandon our collectivist behavior and redouble our efforts to preserve this American Experiment.
We affirm that Citizens of this great nation are, and by right ought to be, free men- not bound by the laws and rulings intended to supplant our Constitution and limit our natural rights. We affirm that our government does, and by right should, belong to the people;
and that we will no longer condone the use of fear, false patriotism, or desire for security in an effort to wrestle hard fought freedoms from the grasp of the common man.
And for the support of this Affirmation, we mutually pledge to each other the assurance of personal liberty as defined by our constitution and self evident in our nature, integrity to support liberty over personal opinion, and solidarity in promoting freedom for the United States.
So that sounded great, right? We can all get behind that, right? But will we? That’s the question of the day.
Are we going to stand up or down for our freedom? Will we protect the Constitution at all costs? Even if it means we might not win a battle?
People tell me that sometimes you need to lose a battle to win a war— it’s been said that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. There is truth in both of these statements.
But what I see happening is that collectively we’ve allowed ourselves to get caught up in personality and politics instead of people and principle.
And so long as those of us who claim to care about freedom and liberty accept the personality and the politics as a substitute for real leadership and governance we will never be able to attract the critical mass of people we need to turn back the tidal wave we’re facing.
We have a duty to principle. The 18th Article of the Vermont Constitution bears this title:
Regard to fundamental principles and virtues necessary to preserve liberty
Ok, listen up because it doesn’t get any plainer than this, folks:
That frequent recurrence to fundamental principles, and a firm adherence to
justice, moderation, temperance, industry, and frugality,
are absolutely necessary to preserve the blessings of liberty, and keep government free;
the people ought, therefore to pay particular attention to these points, in the choice of officers and representatives,
and have a right, in a legal way, to exact a due and constant regard to them, from their legislators and magistrates,
and in making and executing such laws as are necessary for the good government of the State.
It is UNCONSTITUTIONAL for you to vote for someone who is wishy-washy in regard to the law, decadent and self-indulgent. It is UNCONSTITUTIONAL for you to vote for someone who will reward idleness, wastefulness and partiality.
It is YOUR DUTY to consider the fundamental principles of justice, moderation, temperance, industry and frugality when you vote!
They are ABSOLUTELY necessary to preserve the blessings of liberty and keep government free!
After the votes are counted our elected officials swear an oath or affirmation. This is what they say:
You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that as a member of this Assembly, you will not propose, or assent to, any bill, vote or resolution, which shall appear to you injurious to the people,
nor do nor consent to any act or thing whatever, that shall have a tendency to lessen or abridge their rights and privileges, as declared by the Constitution of this State;
but will, in all things, conduct yourself as a faithful, honest Representative and guardian of the people, according to the best of your judgment and ability.
(In case of an oath) So help you God. (Or in case of an affirmation) Under the pains and penalties of perjury.
I know more than a few of you can think of more than a few instances where this has been ignored.
But it is not enough to complain to your friends about it.
It is YOUR DUTY to exact a due and CONSTANT regard for them from your legislators and magistrates. The Constitution will not defend itself. It is up to WE THE PEOPLE to protect it—for future generations.
Right now we have a situation in our state in which a bill was passed which contained an unconstitutional provision. The legislature was warned by the attorney general that the provision to require the administration to get permission from the legislature before eliminating any state employee positions was probably unconstitutional.
Whether or not you agree with the idea behind the provision, it is still unconstitutional. The executive branch may not give some of its authority to the legislative branch. It violates the separation of powers.
So the legislature was warned, the House Speaker, Senate Pro Tem and Governor were warned that this was unconstitutional and yet they signed and passed it anyway.
Apparently there are some other very good portions of the bill and had they not accepted the unconstitutional bit—it was just a teeny tiny little portion of a great bill, mind you—they would have lost.
Well, personally, I’m not satisfied with that. And I’m not satisfied with the answers I’m getting from legislators in regard to this.
I’ve been told that this is why we have three branches of govt, that it is now time for the courts to decided if it’s unconstitutional.
THIS from legislators who decry “activist judges legislating from the bench”.
THIS from legislators who have taken an OATH OF OFFICE to make no law injurious to the people or that will have a tendency to abridge their rights under the Constitution.
I want to remind our legislators that their job is to craft responsible legislation,
not hold the legislature hostage coming up with study committees and spending weeks on an issue that wasn’t even on the radar at the beginning of the session,
embroiling the state in an emotional, heated debate
when our infrastructure is falling apart, the unemployment fund is starting to make that sucking sound that comes when you drain a bathtub and private sector job growth in Vermont for the last decade is at 0%!
I would like to remind them (and we are lucky that in this area we do have some legislators that understand the importance of the issues I’ve mentioned)
that what they have done by passing this unconstitutional legislation is cost the taxpayers of this state even MORE money because as far as I know, the courts don’t operate for free.
I should also mention that I have been calling the attorney general’s office for 2 weeks about this and they are not returning my phone calls. I would suggest that if you are also concerned about this situation that you join me in trying to get an answer from them.
To some people this may sound as if those of us who have a problem with this issue are making a mountain out of a molehill-- That the good in the bill really outweighs the bad on so many levels that we should just let it be.
But then, I ask you, WHERE is the principle? Why should we allow elected officials to abrogate the duties of a branch of government.
Which leads me to my next question-- why should we allow the Federal government to encroach on our rights as a state?
When the United States Constitution was being drafted some of the framers felt that it was not necessary to include a bill of rights.
They believed that the articles in the Constitution provided an adequate framework to restrain tyranny and abuse. Others disagreed and by providence the Bill of Rights was born, specifying particular rights which should never be encroached upon.
Most people are familiar with the First Amendment rights to free speech, free press, freedom to worship and freedom to peaceably assemble.
But the very last of the first amendment rights has been overlooked if not blatantly ignored. It is the right to petition for redress of grievances.
The idea of petitioning goes all the way back to the Magna Carta, written in 1215.
Had it not been for the disregard of the Crown in matters relating to the colonists' petitions for redress Vermont might yet be its own Republic.
But petitioning was a common concept and according to the Magna Carta it was recognized that the people had a right to declare their grievances and claim immediate redress.
The consequences of ignoring the petition of the people were astounding—the people had a right to seize the castles, lands and possessions of the rulers if the people were not responded to, within 40 days, in a manner which the people had determined to be sufficient.
And so the framers of our Constitution, in the First Amendment, secured for posterity the right to petition for redress of grievances.
Because the petitions of the colonists went either unheeded or were met with repeated injury delegates from each of the established colonies met in Philadelphia to determine what a free people ought to do.
This meeting was followed by another and they are known today as the First and Second Continental Congress. After much deliberation the delegates determined that they would break with the Crown and the Declaration of Independence was born to secure freedom for the people.
We find ourselves in a similar situation today. In the 222 years since the Constitution of the United States was ratified not once have the courts deliberated on or defined the right to petition for redress of grievances.
For the last 12 years the We The People Foundation for Constitutional Education has been petitioning fro redress of grievances—directly to individual members of the Congress and each President since Bill Clinton, and also via the courts.
After 12 years of repeated dismissal on technicalities or outright disregard the We The People Foundation is calling for a Third Continental Congress-- with delegates from each state to meet in the fall to determine what a free people should do.
There are fliers being circulated about this today. I encourage everyone to make sure they have a copy and join the effort to reign in our out of control federal government.
While I’m on the subject of the Bill of Rights, fliers and an out of control federal government I’d like to talk to you about the 10th Amendment. The one sentence that comprises it puts more restraint on the Federal Government than any other amendment and has been overlooked for far too long.
The Tenth Amendment states: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
That’s it. If the Constitution doesn’t directly specify powers to the Federal Government then the states alone are responsible for addressing the needs of the people IF the people determine needs should be met.
The Tenth Amendment was adopted after the Constitutional ratification process to emphasize the fact that the states remained individual and unique sovereignties;
that they were empowered in areas that the Constitution did not delegate to the federal government.
With this in mind, any federal attempt to legislate beyond the Constitutional limits of Congress’ authority is a usurpation of state sovereignty - and unconstitutional.
If you object to Federalized health care, No Child Left Behind, Cap and Trade, bailouts of private companies, subsidizations of industries and a host of other usurpations of state sovereignty
I implore you to work with us to remind our state and federal legislators what the Constitution says.
The VT Campaign for Liberty has been working on drafting a proposal for a State Sovereignty resolution. There are copies of our proposal available here today for you to read and consider.
If you agree with the resolution I ask that you sign and send a copy to your state representatives and Senators.
It is only by standing up and claiming your rights that the government will respect them. Do not sit down, do not be quiet. This is a battle which must be won if we are to retain our God-given rights as free people.
Last but not least I invite you to join the VT Campaign For Liberty as we work to reinstate the Constitution and restore our beloved Republic to government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Thank you!
Be brutally honest with me, I can handle it :)
This was written earlier this year by a patriot named Micah Nelson and it struck such a chord in me, and rang so true, that I must share it with you as we celebrate Independence Day.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for citizens of a seemingly free and open nation to call into doubt the motives and intentions of her leadership,
a decent respect to the opinions of their fellow citizens requires that they should declare the causes which impel such an accusation.
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.
Let not our patriotism be unduly scrutinized. The nature of our sentiments regarding The United States of America is manifest in our deeply held regard for the Ideals which she has, but recently, so proudly hailed– Personal Liberty, Justice and above all Freedom.
It is for the protection of these Ideals our Founders established the government set forth in the Constitution of the United States, based on the foundational precepts of Liberty as recorded in our Declaration of Independence.
The framers of our Republic realized the imperative need for our rights to be outlined for protection from the government. Let me repeat. Our rights and freedoms stem from our nature as men, not from the governments we choose to establish among ourselves.
The legitimate and noble role of government is the defense of those rights from violation or infringement- be the perpetrator our fellow man or a tyrant.
What is the duty of an American Patriot when the government charged with and sworn to the protection of our liberties has determined Other Needs require that we, without direct consent or due process, allow the full balance of our liberties to be called into question?
When We, the People of the United States formed a more perfect Union for the insurance of Domestic Tranquility and Justice, Provision for the Common Defense, promotion of the General Welfare, our intentions were bound and preserved in the Constitution.
It was manifestly clear that the power of the federal government was Limited exclusively to those outlined in the seven articles of our foundational documents.
Within our system of government resided a method for amending our Constitution so that future Americans would be able to adapt the constitution as the needs of society changed.
Our Current Government Ignores This Legitimate Process in the name of Safety and Prosperity. Is Safety so great an end that it justifies the Means of Tyranny?;
Is ephemeral Prosperity a fair compensation for abandoning the Liberties paid for by the blood of our fathers?
At the Birth of our nation, many believed our Bill of Rights would be unnecessary; The wisdom of an enumeration of a portion of our Rights for the sake of protection was called into question when our founding document clearly voids the role of government in areas not discussed in the seven articles.
It is now clear that our Bill of Rights stands as the final levy against a flood of tyranny.
The History of our government in the last century has been marked with the eroding of our Liberties as Free Men. To Prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid Nation.
It has violated and infringed upon the very rights specifically set apart from the control of government. All ten of the Amendments we commonly know as the Bill of Rights have in some manner been weakened without our consent– dressed as necessary legislation to keep us safe from lone gunmen, enemies of the state, and even words deemed hateful or obscene.
It has promoted among our citizenry a general fear, when courage is needed most.
The Congress has abdicated its sole power to authorize war to the Executive, and the executive has accepted this role without objection, spreading our military to all corners of the globe in conflicts and police actions waged over decades.
It has, in the name of order, dispensed with the notions of trial by jury, habeas corpus and judicial review of warrants in times of war, while simultaneously insisting that we will be engaged in a war for the foreseeable future.
It has matched the expansion of its power with an expansion of its budget, trillions beyond what we as a nation can honestly afford. Even with such an inflated and frivolous budget- we find ourselves year after year bearing a national debt with no serious attempts to control spending.
It has, through tax codes, legislation and national standards, entered into the classrooms, churches, homes, and bedrooms of law abiding Americans.
It has abdicated its legitimate role of defending our borders and caring for the Veterans who sacrifice their safety for our liberty; this negligence to perform rightful duties even in the face of unconstitutional expansion of power.
It has decimated the sovereignty of state laws and courts.
It has created a complicated bureaucracy for every situation from taxation to homeland security in an attempt to exhaust citizens into compliance.
It has interfered with the pricing of our commodities and services, placing basic medical and energy needs in jeopardy.
It has established a welfare system which unfairly takes from taxpayers for the purpose of providing for the Poor. The result of this system has been subsidized mediocrity with no incentive for success, trapping our most vulnerable citizens in an endless cycle of government assistance with little hope for their future generations.
It has ruled against the concept of private property, allowing private land to be taken not for the public good with just compensation, but for private development and the hope for increased tax revenue.
It has used the general funds of the government to subsidize private industries and corporations, altering the principles of a free market and artificially controlling prices to the detriment of the consumer.
It has placed the burden of these excesses on our children’s children– taxing the future of wealth they may never see.
It has limited our freedom of speech in the name of fairness, vilifying opinionated political speech- the very speech the first amendment was conceived to protect.
In every stage of these oppressions we, collectively, have done nothing.
We have entrusted to a few self proclaimed elites the political destiny of our nation– naively hoping in their wise discretion.
It is clear now that we have failed in our duty as citizens to hold our government accountable to the Constitution. Our political wrath has been turned against each other, collectively blaming each other for the state of our union.
We have blamed the conservatives and the liberals, the establishment and the nonconformist, the parents and the children, the fundamentalists and secularists, The majority and the minorities, the Republicans and the Democrats. In reality we have no one to blame for ourselves.
We, therefore, the Citizens of the United States, Recognizing the importance of the preservation of American Liberty, hereby abandon our collectivist behavior and redouble our efforts to preserve this American Experiment.
We affirm that Citizens of this great nation are, and by right ought to be, free men- not bound by the laws and rulings intended to supplant our Constitution and limit our natural rights. We affirm that our government does, and by right should, belong to the people;
and that we will no longer condone the use of fear, false patriotism, or desire for security in an effort to wrestle hard fought freedoms from the grasp of the common man.
And for the support of this Affirmation, we mutually pledge to each other the assurance of personal liberty as defined by our constitution and self evident in our nature, integrity to support liberty over personal opinion, and solidarity in promoting freedom for the United States.
So that sounded great, right? We can all get behind that, right? But will we? That’s the question of the day.
Are we going to stand up or down for our freedom? Will we protect the Constitution at all costs? Even if it means we might not win a battle?
People tell me that sometimes you need to lose a battle to win a war— it’s been said that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. There is truth in both of these statements.
But what I see happening is that collectively we’ve allowed ourselves to get caught up in personality and politics instead of people and principle.
And so long as those of us who claim to care about freedom and liberty accept the personality and the politics as a substitute for real leadership and governance we will never be able to attract the critical mass of people we need to turn back the tidal wave we’re facing.
We have a duty to principle. The 18th Article of the Vermont Constitution bears this title:
Regard to fundamental principles and virtues necessary to preserve liberty
Ok, listen up because it doesn’t get any plainer than this, folks:
That frequent recurrence to fundamental principles, and a firm adherence to
justice, moderation, temperance, industry, and frugality,
are absolutely necessary to preserve the blessings of liberty, and keep government free;
the people ought, therefore to pay particular attention to these points, in the choice of officers and representatives,
and have a right, in a legal way, to exact a due and constant regard to them, from their legislators and magistrates,
and in making and executing such laws as are necessary for the good government of the State.
It is UNCONSTITUTIONAL for you to vote for someone who is wishy-washy in regard to the law, decadent and self-indulgent. It is UNCONSTITUTIONAL for you to vote for someone who will reward idleness, wastefulness and partiality.
It is YOUR DUTY to consider the fundamental principles of justice, moderation, temperance, industry and frugality when you vote!
They are ABSOLUTELY necessary to preserve the blessings of liberty and keep government free!
After the votes are counted our elected officials swear an oath or affirmation. This is what they say:
You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that as a member of this Assembly, you will not propose, or assent to, any bill, vote or resolution, which shall appear to you injurious to the people,
nor do nor consent to any act or thing whatever, that shall have a tendency to lessen or abridge their rights and privileges, as declared by the Constitution of this State;
but will, in all things, conduct yourself as a faithful, honest Representative and guardian of the people, according to the best of your judgment and ability.
(In case of an oath) So help you God. (Or in case of an affirmation) Under the pains and penalties of perjury.
I know more than a few of you can think of more than a few instances where this has been ignored.
But it is not enough to complain to your friends about it.
It is YOUR DUTY to exact a due and CONSTANT regard for them from your legislators and magistrates. The Constitution will not defend itself. It is up to WE THE PEOPLE to protect it—for future generations.
Right now we have a situation in our state in which a bill was passed which contained an unconstitutional provision. The legislature was warned by the attorney general that the provision to require the administration to get permission from the legislature before eliminating any state employee positions was probably unconstitutional.
Whether or not you agree with the idea behind the provision, it is still unconstitutional. The executive branch may not give some of its authority to the legislative branch. It violates the separation of powers.
So the legislature was warned, the House Speaker, Senate Pro Tem and Governor were warned that this was unconstitutional and yet they signed and passed it anyway.
Apparently there are some other very good portions of the bill and had they not accepted the unconstitutional bit—it was just a teeny tiny little portion of a great bill, mind you—they would have lost.
Well, personally, I’m not satisfied with that. And I’m not satisfied with the answers I’m getting from legislators in regard to this.
I’ve been told that this is why we have three branches of govt, that it is now time for the courts to decided if it’s unconstitutional.
THIS from legislators who decry “activist judges legislating from the bench”.
THIS from legislators who have taken an OATH OF OFFICE to make no law injurious to the people or that will have a tendency to abridge their rights under the Constitution.
I want to remind our legislators that their job is to craft responsible legislation,
not hold the legislature hostage coming up with study committees and spending weeks on an issue that wasn’t even on the radar at the beginning of the session,
embroiling the state in an emotional, heated debate
when our infrastructure is falling apart, the unemployment fund is starting to make that sucking sound that comes when you drain a bathtub and private sector job growth in Vermont for the last decade is at 0%!
I would like to remind them (and we are lucky that in this area we do have some legislators that understand the importance of the issues I’ve mentioned)
that what they have done by passing this unconstitutional legislation is cost the taxpayers of this state even MORE money because as far as I know, the courts don’t operate for free.
I should also mention that I have been calling the attorney general’s office for 2 weeks about this and they are not returning my phone calls. I would suggest that if you are also concerned about this situation that you join me in trying to get an answer from them.
To some people this may sound as if those of us who have a problem with this issue are making a mountain out of a molehill-- That the good in the bill really outweighs the bad on so many levels that we should just let it be.
But then, I ask you, WHERE is the principle? Why should we allow elected officials to abrogate the duties of a branch of government.
Which leads me to my next question-- why should we allow the Federal government to encroach on our rights as a state?
When the United States Constitution was being drafted some of the framers felt that it was not necessary to include a bill of rights.
They believed that the articles in the Constitution provided an adequate framework to restrain tyranny and abuse. Others disagreed and by providence the Bill of Rights was born, specifying particular rights which should never be encroached upon.
Most people are familiar with the First Amendment rights to free speech, free press, freedom to worship and freedom to peaceably assemble.
But the very last of the first amendment rights has been overlooked if not blatantly ignored. It is the right to petition for redress of grievances.
The idea of petitioning goes all the way back to the Magna Carta, written in 1215.
Had it not been for the disregard of the Crown in matters relating to the colonists' petitions for redress Vermont might yet be its own Republic.
But petitioning was a common concept and according to the Magna Carta it was recognized that the people had a right to declare their grievances and claim immediate redress.
The consequences of ignoring the petition of the people were astounding—the people had a right to seize the castles, lands and possessions of the rulers if the people were not responded to, within 40 days, in a manner which the people had determined to be sufficient.
And so the framers of our Constitution, in the First Amendment, secured for posterity the right to petition for redress of grievances.
Because the petitions of the colonists went either unheeded or were met with repeated injury delegates from each of the established colonies met in Philadelphia to determine what a free people ought to do.
This meeting was followed by another and they are known today as the First and Second Continental Congress. After much deliberation the delegates determined that they would break with the Crown and the Declaration of Independence was born to secure freedom for the people.
We find ourselves in a similar situation today. In the 222 years since the Constitution of the United States was ratified not once have the courts deliberated on or defined the right to petition for redress of grievances.
For the last 12 years the We The People Foundation for Constitutional Education has been petitioning fro redress of grievances—directly to individual members of the Congress and each President since Bill Clinton, and also via the courts.
After 12 years of repeated dismissal on technicalities or outright disregard the We The People Foundation is calling for a Third Continental Congress-- with delegates from each state to meet in the fall to determine what a free people should do.
There are fliers being circulated about this today. I encourage everyone to make sure they have a copy and join the effort to reign in our out of control federal government.
While I’m on the subject of the Bill of Rights, fliers and an out of control federal government I’d like to talk to you about the 10th Amendment. The one sentence that comprises it puts more restraint on the Federal Government than any other amendment and has been overlooked for far too long.
The Tenth Amendment states: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
That’s it. If the Constitution doesn’t directly specify powers to the Federal Government then the states alone are responsible for addressing the needs of the people IF the people determine needs should be met.
The Tenth Amendment was adopted after the Constitutional ratification process to emphasize the fact that the states remained individual and unique sovereignties;
that they were empowered in areas that the Constitution did not delegate to the federal government.
With this in mind, any federal attempt to legislate beyond the Constitutional limits of Congress’ authority is a usurpation of state sovereignty - and unconstitutional.
If you object to Federalized health care, No Child Left Behind, Cap and Trade, bailouts of private companies, subsidizations of industries and a host of other usurpations of state sovereignty
I implore you to work with us to remind our state and federal legislators what the Constitution says.
The VT Campaign for Liberty has been working on drafting a proposal for a State Sovereignty resolution. There are copies of our proposal available here today for you to read and consider.
If you agree with the resolution I ask that you sign and send a copy to your state representatives and Senators.
It is only by standing up and claiming your rights that the government will respect them. Do not sit down, do not be quiet. This is a battle which must be won if we are to retain our God-given rights as free people.
Last but not least I invite you to join the VT Campaign For Liberty as we work to reinstate the Constitution and restore our beloved Republic to government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Thank you!