Oct 6, 2010 | Take Action, Tea Party
The following is the Kern River Valley Tea Party Address, October 2, 2010, given by keynote Speaker Dr. Harold W. Pease
The 2nd American Revolution is upon us. This is one of hundreds of like-minded tea party gatherings this month held throughout the country urging all patriots to the front. You have answered this call. Those who sit this one out will condemn themselves to like leadership and enslaving taxation for years to come. You are doing this for your children and those not yet born. You must not fail them now. This is as serious as it was in 1776. The big difference is that we can do it in the ballot box. Please bring your friends and encourage everyone to vote for returning to the Constitution, which, if followed, limits government, ensures fiscal responsibility, and stimulates the free market.
In 2009 we gained the confidence of the people with over 2600 similar Tea Party gatherings–probably more demonstrations against excessive government in our lives than collectively in U. S. History. The establishment media sought to destroy us by first calling us “astro-turf,” then “mobs,” then finally “racist”—all intentional lies. It did not work. Instead, the public saw their dads and moms of all back grounds and color, rich and poor alike, demonstrating in the streets uttering words similar to those uttered by the Founders 234 years ago. The media, looking for conflict to discredit the movement, never found it. We beat the media. The public has confidence in us because we are they and they are we and the lies of the media lay exposed as did their roll as accomplices in the deterioration of our liberty. Only Fox news supported us.
We–YOU AND I– have become a source to be reckoned with as we return to our basics. The sleeping giant has awakened. We have the right message. We have the right leadership—each other. America desperately needs what we have to say before it is too late. This war is about liberty as it was in the past. Together, arm-in-arm, Tea Party Patriots and 9-12 Project members will return this nation to our core values. If we stay the course, political parties will mold their views around Founding views or self-destruct. Then we will have two good choices rather than, too often, no good choices.
We are tired of loosing our liberty. We will be the last generation to say we have liberty unless we return to the Constitution. Getting back to the basics, while there is still time is as vital to us as it was to the Founding Fathers. Because we have waited so long this election and every election in the immediate future is about your liberty. It’s no longer about liberal or conservative or even about party. It’s about how much more government can you have in your life or in your business and still honestly say you are free. When we return to the time tested principles of the Constitution, we will see great changes. Make your vote one for freedom, and prosperity will follow! Prosperity and jobs will return by: cutting taxes, cutting intrusive and stifling government regulations, cutting government spending and cutting the size of government. No other plan will work. The secret of liberty is housed in the Constitution, now read with renewed interest and respect.
Our vote November 2nd is but a battle in a long war. But getting new leadership that is respectful of our sacred documents and proven past is critical. Sometimes such cannot be found in either party. In our search for better leadership let us not overlook the local officers and propositions. It is not a silly question to inquire when they last read the Constitution. After all it is important enough that each must swear allegiance to it before taking office. If you are in doubt on an issue always vote for government closer to home. Never elevate to a higher level that which can be resolved at a lesser level. But at every level we need fighters armed with the principles of limited government and willing to confront higher levels of government–not self-serving career politicians as we now have.
California’s biggest problem is federal government intrusion! They have turned off our water starving our crops, tied our hands in facing illegal immigration head-on, imposed crippling environmental regulations on small business and confiscated 47% of the land mass of our state, making it unavailable for sale or productive income generating use, which could alleviate our enormous debt.
These problems can be solved by returning to the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, which authorizes us to reclaim our power from the federal government and return it to the state. But we need Assemblymen and State Senators informed enough and strong enough to make this case. Have you asked your candidates how they stand on the 10th Amendment? Returning all functions not listed in the Constitution to state jurisdiction is our only hope. The Federal Monster is too big otherwise. Candidates who are too ignorant or timid to speak out on these issues should not get the vote of those who understand liberty.
In the First American Revolution there were three groups, each approximately the same size: loyalists, patriots, and the apathetic third. You have shown yourself to be patriots. Despite the efforts by the media and socialists and even the President of the United States to villainize our movement, we are more popular than either party by itself. We are now the majority and thus will return this country to the Constitution and liberty.
As a small boy I always believed, as does every young child, that I would have stood with George Washington and the other patriots. As a young man I realized that two thirds of the population did not and that a third actively opposed him. I then wondered if I would have been standing with him when most did not. I now am certain that I would have stood near him because today I stand for the same message. More importantly, I know that you would have done the same thing because you are here today. It is good to be among patriots.
The Battle of Lexington and Concord is about to be waged again and we need Paul Reveres riding through the cities of America to bring the voters in. There is hope. It is you. Your musket is your vote. Aim well. Liberty depends upon you.
Dr. Harold Pease is an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He has taught history and political science from this perspective for over 25 years at Taft College.
Aug 25, 2010 | Constitution, Immigration, Take Action
By Dr. Harold Pease
If anyone wonders how the new Arizona illegal immigration law, coming on board July 29, will affect Arizona, they need only to look at Prince William County, Virginia. They have had virtually the same law in effect for three years. Commissioner Cory Stewart who spearheaded that law said, “We had some of the same problems Arizona did. We had so many illegal immigrants coming into the county causing trouble, causing crime, and exploding the number of English as a Second Language students in our school system. We passed a pretty strict measure in 2007 and it has had great results.”
Under their law, Stewart said police must check the immigration status of persons “for a small crime, shoplifting, DUI, being drunk in public-any of those crimes.” They are then taken to a magistrate who normally “holds them in jail pending trial, because they are illegal immigrants and obviously there is a high risk of flight. They serve their sentences and we hand them over to federal authorities for deportation.”
The benefits of the new law were immediate and clear. The county experienced a 38% reduction in violent crimes, in the number of uninsured illegals giving birth in hospitals, and in English as a Second Language enrollment. All of this resulted in a drastic taxpayer cut, and popularity of the law soon soared to 80%. The law has saved lives with the drop in violent crimes. Illegals tended to move on to other Virginia counties, thus increasing their problems. As a result, and in spite of the fact that they initially ridiculed the new law, Fairfax county, and Montgomery County, MD soon implemented the same law as Prince William county.
When asked how many lawsuits were filed against the police or county by citizens claiming discrimination after the law went into effect, the answer was none. “There has not been one substantiated claim of racial profiling,” Stewart argued.
Of some note is the lack of national attention when a county was enforcing federal law, largely neglected by the Feds. It has also not been of particular interest to the Media. But when Arizona wanted to put an end to the violence spilling over the border (Phoenix is now the kidnapping capitol of North America) all hell turned on them. Now the Federal Government, who is supposed to protect the states, is suing its own state because the state is doing the job the government is constitutionally required to do.
In response to this suit, thousands of small contributors are sending money to support Arizona. Most contributors are retirees who cannot believe in their country’s unwillingness to defend it’s citizens. This money is coming from every state in the Union, and thus far amounts to over a half a million dollars- pocket change to the lobbying groups defending the President’s suit. The Feds are seen as the national bully and are not likely to merit well in the PR game as they pick on a state that is finally willing to stand up to them- even with a favorable (virtually managed) establishment press.
Dr. Harold Pease is an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He has taught history and political science from this perspective for over 25 years at Taft College.
Aug 25, 2010 | Constitution, Take Action, Tea Party
By Dr. Harold Pease
For those of us who have been awakened to the onslaught of government control in our lives, a feeling of helplessness often pervades. We simply do not know what to do after recognizing the danger. Here I present six critical steps that you can take in the process of regaining freedom.
The first step is becoming aware that freedom is in jeopardy. Many of us are already there. The second is to become articulate in our founding documents, especially the U.S. Constitution. Give emphasis to Article I, Section 8 and the Tenth Amendment. The arguments they used for freedom are every bit as applicable today as they were then, for they are based upon natural law that does not change. Familiarity is easily acquired as almost no one reads these documents today.
Third, attach yourself to trusted organizations and websites ideologically in harmony with the Founders. Websites I suggest are NationalCenterforConstitutionalStudies.com, askHeritage.org, WallBuilders.com, TenthAmendmentCenter.com, and our own,LibertyUnderFire.org. Most media easily show their ignorance of the Constitution. Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs were the only national shows with any Constitutional emphasis (CNN recently cancelled the latter show). The National Rifle Association is the major defender of the Second Amendment, which indirectly also protects all amendments.
Share their messages with others but send only well reasoned non-offensive material. Avoid derogative references to individuals or parties. To save our republic we will need both major parties. Remember some people may not be philosophically were you are. They will join you as they lose more liberty.
Fourth, participation in the Tea Party Patriot movement is now critical. Anyone serious about his or her liberty should be an active participant. The organization at the national level gives focus to the more dangerous freedom stealing bills and zeros in on the most vulnerable members of Congress prior to a vote on that particular issue. Their Action Alerts allow you to focus your concern with thousands of others.
Fifth, find candidates who support the Constitution. You can only do this if you understand the document yourself. Supporting the Constitution is far more than just using the word frequently. We must cease electing Constitutional illiterates.
Donating time might include other things as well. I have a friend who is attempting to establish liberty trees in every town, another who is attempting to get every city to adopt the slogan “In God we Trust”, and still another who is organizing the pastors to forget their theological differences and come together to protect the Constitution as the early patriots did.
I have friends, even relatives, who have said, “If you are going to tell me one more time to write my congressman, forget it. I’m not interested.” Upon inquiry I find that they have not even done that. Step one is not enough. You must do all seven. We need every soldier on the front lines and in the trenches. So far your “guns” are your time, talent, and money. By becoming involved now they can remain just these. We must have those who will do all seven steps and stay the course. It won’t be easy but if you need motivation for doing so look into the faces of your children and grandchildren. Your loss of liberty is also their loss. Let us not have their slavery on our hands.
Dr. Harold Pease is an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He has taught history and political science from this perspective for over 25 years at Taft College.
Jul 28, 2010 | Take Action
On Monday night’s webinar the National Leadership Council of Tea Party Patriots voted overwhelmingly, to ask affiliated members of Tea Party Patriots to hold sign waving events for 1 hour on Thursday, July 29 to show our support of the people and State of Arizona on the day SB1070 goes into effect. If you cannot hold an event we ask that you put a sign in your car, truck, lawn, windows, or wherever you can to show your support for this law.
If you plan to stand at an intersection waving signs, please be sure to list it on TeaPartyPatriots.org so that other people near you can use the search zip by code feature to meet up with you. After logging to the site, from the homepage, click Submit an Event (in the right hand upper corner), fill out the form and click Submit Event. We will have people approving events quickly throughout the day.
Remember in Tea Party Patriots each member is empowered and encouraged to be a leader in the Tea Party Movement. This is a good time for those who might not have planned an event to step up and have a short 1 hour rally in support of Arizona, Gov. Brewer, and our country’s sovereignty.
To view the original message, visit the Tea Party Patriots’ website.
Jun 2, 2010 | Constitution, Take Action
By Dr. Harold Pease
Media accounts of candidate activities and/or their public statements by themselves rarely give enough information to vote intelligently, and candidate debates, at least on the state, county, and city level, are poorly attended. One wonders if candidate charisma along with color, size, and number of signs displayed are not the most significant factors for most voters in making a selection.
However, many do wish to vote intelligently but may not know how to proceed. They first need to formulate a philosophical base that should go far deeper than the rhetoric of a political party. If I may be so bold to cite a personal example, my own base begins with my solid Christian background. Regardless of party or ideology, I want my public servants to emulate such solid values as honesty, integrity, morality, etc. I also would like to believe that when confronted with tough decisions they, like Washington and Lincoln, would not hesitate to ask God to illuminate their understanding.
Next, my ideological base rests solidly in the writings of the Founding Fathers, and theirs was based upon human nature and natural law that does not change. My years of study of the Constitution has convinced me that individual liberty cannot be maintained by straying too far from it or from the collective philosophical base of that group of early patriots. I have made their collective ideological base my own.
Their philosophical base consisted of many elements. Space permits my covering only a few. They believed that government should be limited, its powers strictly defined, and that these powers should be listed specifically in a contract with the people. On the federal level those limits are outlined in the U.S. Constitution. (Art. I, Sec. 8 limits the Legislative Branch; Art II, Secs. 2-3 limits the Executive Branch; and Art. III, Sec. 2 limits the Judicial Branch.) Hence, I cannot support a candidate who works to increase government influence over the individual—whether at the city, county, state, or federal level—and/or who believes in fudging or moving outside those specifically listed grants of power, and you can’t either if you wish to remain Constitutionally grounded.
Another basic premise of the Founding Fathers crucial to the preservation of liberty is that we should never elevate to a higher level of government that which could be resolved at a lesser level. In other words, the county should never assume as part of its governance load that which the city could and should do. Nor should the state assume the prerogatives of the county, or the Federal Government those of the state, county, or city.
When this happens, power flows upward and away from the people and is seldom returned. Those who make the decisions are less accessible, thus less susceptible, to local influence; and the program, now managed from hundreds or thousands of miles away, usually costs more because of less efficient management.
Often the enticement of money is used to facilitate the transfer of power. States have a tough time saying no to federal grants; and when state governments offer inducement moneys to cities and/or counties for some project or program, rare is the councilman or supervisor with the courage to say no. Initially the money is free, then with a few strings attached, finally with conditions mandated; and thus the autonomous independent nature of cities and counties is compromised. I knew a city councilman some years ago who complained that his city was virtually controlled by the state in that at least half of what was placed before him for his vote was already mandated by some higher governing entity.
Hence, a major concern in my voting practices rests with this question: Could this function be handled at a lesser level of government? If yes, then it should be. When considering candidates for public office, does this person actively work to keep decision-making power as close to the people as possible—even if it is unpopular to do so—or is his usual answer to every governmental dilemma more government and more money to fund more programs? The latter candidate is sure to leave us with less freedom and less money as well.
