MinuteMom Fall 4thd Quarter | 2013• Volume 3 Issue 4
FINAL ISSUE
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. ~Gettysburg Address
YYFrom T he Board Welcome Dear Moms and Moms at Heart, This is the final issue of the MinuteMom Magazine for the foreseeable future. Our country is changing and the mood is changing with it. As a result, the needs of our moms have changed. Once where mommy patriots were looking for direction, they are now giving it. So many members of As A Mom... have graduated and moved on to making huge differences in communities all over the country. I feel like I have been a witness to a graduation of sorts as I have seen how your lives have changed over the past four years. It is amazing to see these changes and the positive influence mothers have had all over our nation. However, with a declining readership and in an effort to best facilitate our resources, we have decided that this would be the final issue of the MinuteMom Magazine. A huge thank you to Kami Watkins. She has served as both a writer, Assistant Editor and Editor for almost every issue of MinuteMom and has the place of one of the “best friends I have never met” in my heart. Thank you also to our past editors, writers and contributors. Huge hugs to Dana for stepping up and helping with the graphics. These last two issues would not have existed without her. Enjoy this final issue and use the past editions of the Minute Mom Magazine as a resource to share what you have learned with those searching for truth. We are planning to archive the past issues for future access. Look for details on AsAMom.org
Lori Parker Co-Founder and Chairmom of the Board
PHOTO L.. PARKER
As a Mom… A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots® Inc.
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MinuteMom Magazine Fall 4th Quarter | 2013• Volume 3 Issue 4
8 FEATURES 8 THE ENTRENCHED DANGER: JUDICIAL REVIEW The growing power of the President of the United States is not the most dangerous threat to the Constitution. BY JOSH DURGAN
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14 THE US CONSTITUTION: A PRIMER Amendments V through VIII – more limitations on government in favor of protecting individuals (as well as their property) BY CATHERINE G. WHITE
20 GROWING GREENS IN THE FALL AND WINTER 20
BYTRICIA EDGAR
22 THE BASICS OF HAM RADIO When a natural disaster or other emergency occurs, communication becomes a priority; not only among family members but also with authorities. BY GAYE LEVY
DEPARTMENTS 2
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As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
FROM THE BOARD WELCOME
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AAM ACTIONS
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RESTORING HUMOR
Fall 2013
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Publisher: As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots.® Inc. www.AsAMom.org Editor Kami Watkins Associate Editor Cee Hinkle Art Director Lori Parker Graphic Artist Dana Herndon Contributing Writers: Joshua Durgin TRICIA EDGAR Gaye Levy Kami Watkins Catherine G. White
T hank You! 3 Years 19 issues
MinuteMom Magazine is published 4 times a year by As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots, Inc. MinuteMom Magazine is available free, on-line. Copyright © 2013 by As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots, Inc. All rights reserved. MinuteMom Magazine is not responsible for errors, omissions or contest fulfillment from third parties. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising or editorial material. Advertisers, and/or their agents, assume the responsibility for any claims against the publisher based on the advertisement. Editorial contributors assume responsibility for any claims against the publisher based on published work. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the official organization policy. As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots® is a registered trademark.
Dozens of Contributors Scores of Articles Thousands of Readers
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Grace& Grat it ude
The definition of Grace falls into three beautiful categories that I believe represent what we as Mommy Patriots have tried so hard to accomplish. Refinement of Movement. As members of the ‘Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots,’ we have weathered many storms over the last four years. We have united and come together in our communities and our families. We have been the voice of reason, while the other guys are steering with complete insanity. This is a ‘movement,’ and one of which, I believe, has been refined each year we have been in existence. The great thing is that as mothers, that’s what we do. We 6
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GRACE & GRATITUDE KAMI WATKINS
improve. We make it better, stron- Honor or credit to someger and more enduring than it was one or something. before. We’re awesome like that! The collaboration of so many for such a worthy cause is without a Free and Unmerited doubt the result of God’s timing. favor of God. We owe all credit to him for every This often goes without saysuccess. I would hope that every ing, but we should say it anyway. day of each of our lives we give We are blessed! No matter how credit to God, we are his daughters grim the silhouette of our counand it is only through him that the try seems against the backdrop of greatest successes are possible. the burning embers of our govSince I have been the Editor ernment, we must remember that of the Minute Mom Magazine, as a nation, as a citizenry, God is I have been fortunate enough to the one that makes it rain…in due enjoy new relationships with wontime. We must always be hopeful, derful bloggers, authors and just faithful and endure, with gratitude. downright great Americans. I My most favorite four words in the have developed a truly wonderful English language are, ‘To Be of friendship with Lori Parker and Good Cheer!’ www.AsAMom.org
for that I will be forever grateful. I have loved having this opportunity as a writer and editor. It has taught me that nothing is done well without team work and that the contributions to the magazine were a treasure trove of endless gifts, from truly gifted Americans. Life is an adventure, and while we are now at a crossroads with the Minute Mom magazine, I’ve truly enjoyed being on this journey. It has made me a better American, a more purposeful citizen and added to my joy as a mother and sister patriot. I hope you treasure the past editions of this magazine. Use the articles as a means to share and benefit fellow Americans. Much time and effort has been devoted to the educating of Americans like you through MMM. May the Minute Mom magazine stand as a tangible witness that we love our country, heart, mind, and soul, and may you find an opportunity everyday to see God’s grace and be grateful for it. —Kami Watkins
Kami Watkins is a stay-at-home mother of six children. She has been a community and school volunteer for the past 15 years and resides with her husband and family in Southern California. “Writing is my love!” Kami’s motto for life is: Be of Good Cheer! As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
Be a
Mollytician moll•y•ti•cian |mäl i´ti sh en|
noun 1. a mom* who is involved in politics, 2. a mom holder of or a candidate for an elected office.
antonym – politician: a person who acts in a manipulative and devious way, typically to gain advancement within an organization.
Every mom has the capacity to change the world. These changes may not be in history books or make the headlines, but they will make our country a better place for our children and their children. Go and change your world.
* Mom: a member of Asamom.org may be a mom or mom-at heart.
Fall 2013
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THE ENTRENCHED DANGER: JUDICIAL REVIEW The growing power of the President of the United States is not the most dangerous threat to the Constitution. BY JOSH DURGAN
The Entrenched Danger: Judicial Review BY JOSH DURGAN Contrary to popular conservative/libertarian thought, the growing power of the President of the United States is not the most dangerous threat to the Constitution. The President gets his power from the Constitution; therefore the President would have to bypass the Constitution to gain absolute power. Legally he is incapable of doing that, at least not alone. Neither Congress nor the President have the power to void the Constitution of the United States; the only legal way to do so would be by the amendment process, with the people deciding they no longer wish to be governed by this sacred document. The most dangerous threat to the Constitution is that which is not contained within the Constitution, that which has no legal authority and yet is held as the highest 8
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legal authority: Judicial Review, which is the power of the Supreme Court to review and interpret the Constitution in regard to laws and legislation. In simple terms judicial review does not exist within the Constitution. If one reads the Constitution, one will find no provision for the Supreme Court or any part of the Judicial Branch to have the power of judicial review; therefore it is not within their power to do so. Yet the Supreme Court has been performing judicial review since almost the beginning of the United States. The beginning of judicial review in the United States was the 1803 Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison. This initial case suggested that the Supreme Court could make rulings on the constitutionality of certain issues. Lawyers love “precedent,� which www.AsAMom.org
is when a court decision is first done, setting precedent so that the decision can be redone again later, usually with the later decision being even broader and setting another precedent. The Marbury v. Madison decision set a precedent for judicial review, which over the last two hundred years has continued to expand-- despite the fact that there is no provision for it in the Constitution of the United States. The precedent of judicial review set an ominous tone for our young republic . Writing of judicial review, and the dangers represented if expanded in scope, Thomas Jefferson said that, “to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all Constitutional questions [is] a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy” (The Real Thomas Jefferson, 498). Many people may believe in the Supreme Court justices as having some superior moral understanding, and therefore have the final say in deciding what the Constitution means. But those who wish to believe this should consider the 1857 Dred Scott decision by the Supreme Court. This decision ruled that blacks could not be American citizens. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney went so far as to say blacks, “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the [N]egro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit.” (3) Indeed, the Supreme Court has not always been on the correct side of issues. It took a Civil War with some seven hundred thousand dead to reverse the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision, in order to bring about an end to slavery. The Supreme Court is not some unbiased party. Many times in American history the court has been influenced by politics, such as when President FDR increased his influence As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
in the court in the 1930’s through political maneuvering and coercion. Even court justices not influenced by politicians could form immoral choices on issues with judicial review and reinterpretations. In cases the Supreme Court would make the wrong decision before changing it with a later one. Remember that the Supreme Court allowed segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 before reversing their opinion and saying segregation was unconstitutional in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. One 2013 controversial decision that the Supreme Court made was to strike down the California ban on gay marriage, voted on in a referendum by the people of California. The decision was not on the merits of gay marriage, since the question of gay marriage was not resolved. The wrong done by the Supreme Court was to declare that California voters did not have the same right to vote on an issue that its own legislature can. There was no decision as to whether gay marriage was a civil right or not, or whether it should be legalized nationally or not; there was only a decision that the people of California cannot ban gay marriage, even though state legislatures can. The wrong done by the Supreme Court was to declare that California voters did not have the same right to vote on an issue that its own legislature can. If the Supreme Court had declared gay marriage was a right, and that neither the voting public nor the state could take it away, that would be legitimate, although controversial; instead, the Supreme Court violated the Constitution by daring to declare that the state government may make decisions for the public, but the voting public may not make decisions for itself. So imagine the constitutional danger here. The Supreme Court not only has the ability to reinterpret what natural rights are (an ability Fall 2013
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never given to them), which they may or may not exert on the question of gay marriage; but they have now allocated to themselves the ability to decide whether the people have chosen correctly or not. This not only violates the Tenth Amendment by taking away the people’s right to decide, but it also negates the very first statement of the Constitution “We the People…” because now the Supreme Court can refute what we the people do or do not decide, based on how they interpret a document which “[Judicial Review] was originally . . .negates the very based upon the people’s first statement of decision. Clearly, the Constitution ‘We to alarmed the People…’ because citizens, the now the Supreme Court Supreme Court with can refute what we judicial review represents the people do or do the greatest not decide. . .” threat to the Constitution of the United States because the highest court has been bestowed with the power to interpret the Constitution, even though the Constitution did not actually grant them such power. With this power they have not only done good 10 MinuteMom Magazine
interpretations, but also grave wrongs, that decided that some men are not men based upon the color of their skin, and that we, the People of the United States, do not have the right to decide for themselves. Unlike the limited powers of the two other branches of government constrained by the Constitution, the Supreme Court has been deemed an illegitimate power of review that lies outside the Constitution parameters. Every misstep that the current president and his predecessors have taken that treads upon the Constitution is still wrong, because they were elected to uphold that document. Every wrongful act that Congress has done can be undone, for the power that let them be in office is the same power that can undo it, that is, the people can vote to change their representatives-- if they so choose. Because its judges are appointed for life, the Supreme Court is not so easily changed, however, making its decisions difficult to undo. During the World War II era, the executive branch of the United States began to gain undue authority and powers. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gained control of the Supreme Court by manipulation and coercion. FDR used the Supreme Court to increase his power, because when he wanted something done, the Supreme Court gave him a pass. With the illegitimate power of judicial review, the Supreme Court could make executive acts seem legitimate even if not and not be easily removed from the bench. Therefore, the Supreme Court applying judicial review appears the most dangerous threat to the Constitution, because it can actually change the Constitution by reinterpreting it, giving the appearance of legitimacy to growing government powers. Without the Supreme Court the President’s power is stagnant because any unconstitutional growth on www.AsAMom.org
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his part becomes voided as soon as Congress says no. Using the false power of “judicial review,” the Supreme Court has the ability to support the President or Congress in wrongful acts, destroying the balance of power by giving legitimacy to undue massive government bureaucracies and sweeping legislation. There is, however, a way to stop the train of abuses from an out-of-control judiciary. Impeachment is a safeguard written in the Constitution against runaway judges. Most people believe that impeachment can only be done to a President, but that is not true. It can be done to “all civil Officers of the United States” for “conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors” (Constitution, Article II, Section 4). There is an added statement about judges, however, in the very next section under Article III, that “Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior” (Constitution, Article III, Section 1). So judges may be removed by impeachment for crimes, or simply for not being wellbehaved. It behooves us to ask whether or not it is well-behaved for a judge of the United States to not know of Natural Law, the founding premise of our republic. Is it good behavior for one of our highest judges to recommend a different nation’s Constitution over our own? Are these good behaviors for judges who were expected to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States … [and] bear true faith and allegiance to the same [Constitution],” as stated in the Oath of Office given to all judges? It is the Supreme Court which endangers our Constitution, and the danger of the Supreme Court has been apparent from the very beginning, at least to the great thinkers 12 MinuteMom Magazine
like Thomas Jefferson. The Supreme Court endangers the Constitution either by reinterpreting the Constitution to their own desires, or by enabling the other branches to be fraught with undue power. The restoration of the Constitution is still within our grasp however, with both the power to remove judges of bad behavior with impeachment and with constitutional amendments. In the end it may take a constitutional amendment to bring the judiciary under control, either to make it clear that judicial review will not be tolerated or to limit the court so that a judicial decision cannot totally overwhelm the direct “will of the people” unless a legal reason is clearly stipulated, such as the abuse of an individual’s rights. The best course of action in this author’s mind, however, is a simple one, and one that a far greater mind than my own voiced long before my time: “Let the future appointments of judges be for four or six years, and renewable by the President and Senate. This will bring their conduct at regular periods, under revision and probation, and may keep them in equipoise” (The Real Thomas Jefferson, 503). Sources: 1. The Constitution of the United States of America. 2. The Real Thomas Jefferson, Andrew M. Allison, 2008, Volume 1, The American Classic Series by the National Center for Constitutional Studies. (The actual sources used in this writing come from the second part of the book, a marvelous selection of Jefferson’s writings prepared by M. Richard Maxfield, K. DeLynn Cook, and W. Cleon Skousen.) 3. The PBS quotation: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/ part4/4h2933.html
Joshua Durgin is a 22 year-old lobsterman in Maine. He became involved in state politics in 2010 and is currently chairman of the Cornish Republican Committee. His main interests are reading history, particularly about the American Founding Fathers. www.AsAMom.org
YYRestoring Humor
Reprinted by permission Antonio Branco
http://conservativedailynews.com/category/political-cartoons/
As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots速
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THE US CONSTITUTION: A PRIMER Amendments V through VIII – more limitations on government in favor of protecting individuals (as well as their property) BY CATHERINE G. WHITE
The US Constitution: A Primer Amendments V through VIII – more limitations on government in favor of protecting individuals (as well as their property)
The title of this article tells us the central theme of these four amendments to the Constitution: limits on the government in favor of protecting both individuals and their personal property. In our last article we spoke about some aspects of the 5th Amendment. We shall look at this amendment again in light of its relationship to these next three. Amendments 5 through 8 address the rights of persons in criminal cases, during trials, in civil cases, and in the areas of bail, fines, and punishment. Michael Badnarik of Constitution Preservation notes that particular attention was paid to these areas because it is so easy to be falsely accused, and individual rights are at risk of being violated in such circumstances. 14 MinuteMom Magazine
The 5th Amendment addresses the rights of persons charged in “capital or infamous crimes.” The very first phrase shows that, unlike what some have claimed, the Framers had no trouble with the concept of capital punishment. Their concern was that these cases be handled according to the rule of law, and that no one be illegally charged.1 This Amendment guarantees that a Grand Jury must pass initial judgment in capital or infamous cases, stating in public record that there is sufficient suspicion and corroborating evidence to warrant a full and public jury trial. The word of one judge, governor, or any other single individual is insufficient cause for prosecution. The police may hold a person for up to forty-eight hours - to give them adequate www.AsAMom.org
© .WIKIPEDIA.ORG
BY CATHERINE G. WHITE
time to obtain an indictment from a grand jury. This amendment sets aside military cases, as those subject to the rules of Courts Martial under the 3rd Article of the Constitution. This Amendment further prohibits persons to be tried on multiple occasions for the same offense. This was a common tactic of the English Crown against those it deemed undesirable or troublesome, as one in defiance of the Crown could be financially bled dry by multiple prosecutions for the same “crime.” Individuals are further protected against being forced to testify against their own interests in public court. This has been expanded under later court rulings to include words that were spoken - possibly under coercion or before charges were brought - by persons who might not even have yet been in custody, and not aware they were under suspicion. Those words are not admissible evidence, as they are also considered self-testimony even if actually spoken in court by officers of the law. Professor and German American jurist in the 1800’s, Francis Leber noted this was “...the principle of nonincrimination. This is disregarded on the whole of the European continent. The free range of police power, the mean tricks resorted to by the “instructing” judge or officer, before the trial, in order to bring the prisoner to confession, are almost inconceivable, and they are the worse, because applied before the trial, when the prisoner is not surrounded by those protections which the trial itself grants.”3 We need also address once again the issue of jury nullification. As was presented in the last article, trial by jury is yet another level of protection for the citizen from tyranny in government. The government seems to not want you to know about the extent of that protection. Despite judges’ orders to the contrary, juries are empowered to determine both fact and law. From the 1828 Webster’s dictionary As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
AMENDMENT V NO PERSON SHALL BE HELD TO ANSWER FOR A CAPITAL, OR OTHERWISE INFAMOUS CRIME, UNLESS ON A PRESENTMENT OR INDICTMENT OF A GRAND JURY, EXCEPT IN CASES ARISING IN THE LAND OR NAVAL FORCES, OR IN THE MILITIA, WHEN IN ACTUAL SERVICE IN TIME OF WAR OR PUBLIC DANGER; NOR SHALL ANY PERSON BE SUBJECT FOR THE SAME OFFENCE TO BE TWICE PUT IN JEOPARDY OF LIFE OR LIMB; NOR SHALL BE COMPELLED IN ANY CRIMINAL CASE TO BE A WITNESS AGAINST HIMSELF, NOR BE DEPRIVED OF LIFE, LIBERTY, OR PROPERTY, WITHOUT DUE PROCESS OF LAW; NOR SHALL PRIVATE PROPERTY BE TAKEN FOR PUBLIC USE, WITHOUT JUST COMPENSATION. Fall 2013 15
AMENDMENT VI IN ALL CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS, THE ACCUSED SHALL ENJOY THE RIGHT TO A SPEEDY AND PUBLIC TRIAL, BY AN IMPARTIAL JURY OF THE STATE AND DISTRICT WHEREIN THE CRIME SHALL HAVE BEEN COMMITTED, WHICH DISTRICT SHALL HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY ASCERTAINED BY LAW, AND TO BE INFORMED OF THE NATURE AND CAUSE OF THE ACCUSATION; TO BE CONFRONTED WITH THE WITNESSES AGAINST HIM; TO HAVE COMPULSORY PROCESS FOR OBTAINING WITNESSES IN HIS FAVOR, AND TO HAVE THE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL FOR HIS DEFENCE.
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definition of the term “jury” we read, “...Petty (i.e., “normal” juries, as opposed to grand juries) juries, consisting usually of twelve men, attend courts to try matters of fact in civil causes, and to decide both the law and the fact in criminal prosecutions...” The jury can find that the law in question (a) does not apply to the case or has been applied to someone unfairly singled out, as an “example” to others equally guilty but uncharged, (b) is not constitutional and therefore null and void, or (c) is unreasonable or unjust and therefore unenforceable. These powers are based in old English common law and date back many centuries. The jury, in any of the cases above, must at the very least find the person on trial “not guilty.” There are far more decisions they can do. For more information, read the extensive resources from the Fully Informed Jury Association.2 The last one-third words of the 5th Amendment reverts to John Locke’s original wording of “life, liberty, or property” in listing the items of which a person may not be deprived without due process of law. You may recall that “due process” has a specific meaning in law, which predates the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. Due process means a judicial proceeding in which a case is presented to a jury of the accused’s peers, and decided by that jury under supervision of a judge to ensure legal standards are kept. The last clause of the Amendment ensures protection of the private landowner in those rare cases where private property must be taken for “public use,” such as he expansion of wharves and docks, the widening of roads for commerce, a new Post Office building to accommodate the needs of a growing city. “Public use” is not “public good,” which came from the incorrect, unconstitutional Kelo vs. New London court decision. When private property is taken for “public www.AsAMom.org
use,” under the 5th amendment, its owner is protected to the extent that “just compensation” is received by which the Framers meant “sufficient compensation” to replace the private property loss. That replacement could be in the form of similar property elsewhere, funds to rent or lease the lost function from others, or any other means of just and equitable compensation. There is no prohibition against including compensation for sentimental value either. The homestead that Grandpa staked out 80 years ago cannot be swapped out without intrinsic loss. The 6th Amendment addressed the court problems endemic to the American colonists under the reign of the British Crown. Those problems included: YY Lengthy incarceration while your family tried to exist without the breadwinner’s income and work before the case came to trial. (90% of the population were farmers); YY Non-public trials where proceedings were held in secret and not subject to appeal; YY Trials presided over and decided by a judge whose own life, livelihood, and future are dependent upon pleasing those who press for a guilty verdict of the accused. YY Trials with the verdict rendered by a jury who had decided the case before hearing any evidence on it – or who considered all Colonials guilty of *something* and it did not much signify what were the specific charges, YY Trials that took place 3,000 miles from home in Britain, with the sole transport being sailing ships; YY Trials where the individual was not allowed to know what law one was accused of breaking; As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
YY Trials in which testimony was presented anonymously and could not be rebutted without cross-examination to find faults in the evidence presented; YY Inability to have witnesses in one’s favor brought forth either because they refused or because one had insufficient funds for transport to Britain and housing during a trial: YY Trials in which the accused faced a judge and jury with no representation or assistance of counsel (attorney or counselor at law), either due to lack of money or lack of anyone willing to represent you.
AMENDMENT VII IN SUITS AT COMMON LAW, WHERE THE VALUE IN CONTROVERSY SHALL EXCEED TWENTY DOLLARS, THE RIGHT OF TRIAL BY JURY SHALL BE PRESERVED, AND NO FACT TRIED BY A JURY, SHALL BE OTHERWISE REEXAMINED IN ANY COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, THAN ACCORDING TO THE RULES OF THE COMMON LAW. Fall 2013 17
Unsurprisingly, these items are specifically listed in the 6th Amendment. Currently the Patriot Act, the NDAA, and the NSA endeavor mightily to make a mockery of the 6th Amendment (among other amendments). Shame on the federal officers who swore to uphold the Constitution, yet carry out this un-American work. In the 7th Amendment, Americans are reserved the right to demand a jury trial when the value of the contest exceeds $20.00. It also reiterates that a trial settled by a jury may NOT be re-opened (re-tried) in any court of the United States – other than according to the rules of common law. Common law is the unwritten law of Britain that goes back to Saxon times. Bankruptcy laws directly descend from the Anglo-Saxon bankruptcy settlement rules. Most of today’s courts are “statutory” courts; they are run according to the rules of “case law” and “statute,” rather than common law. Under the Constitution and specifically this Amendment Americans still have the right to common law courts. Cases may be overturned if it is found that an individual’s rights were violated in the original proceeding. The 8th Amendment prevents the ruination of an accused person by preventing “excessive” bail – but unfortunately it neglects to define “excessive,” which has caused great controversy over the years (see citations in Footnote 4). This Amendment also prohibits
“cruel and unusual” punishments – and again does not define those. We already know that this category does not include capital punishment or the death penalty in those cases where it is appropriate. It certainly does encompass the death penalty as, say, punishment for jaywalking – as that level of punishment certainly exceeds what the “crime” warrants. Overall, the 8th amendment’s well meant but insufficiently defined wording has led to an area of law that is messy, complex, and still without widely agreed-upon guidelines. For example, excessive fines have been found to apply to the denial of second-class mail rates. Even divestiture of citizenship has been considered overly cruel by one court. English history going back to its 1689 Bill of Rights lists its own concerns with disproportionate punishments - yet this document left the definition of “disproportionate” to be determined elsewhere. Unfortunately, this amendment really does not provide protection for people except from the most egregious cases of punishment, involving serious cruelty or wild disproportion.5
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© .WIKIPEDIA.ORG
AMENDMENT VIII EXCESSIVE BAIL SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED, NOR EXCESSIVE FINES IMPOSED, NOR CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTS INFLICTED.
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Host your own: Footnotes and References: 1. Side note: Conservatives are accused of hypocrisy in being, generally “pro-life” and yet in favor of the death penalty. There is no hypocrisy here: protecting the lives of those they see as innocent is entirely separate from acknowledging that there are culpable actions a grown, mentally competent individual commits which nullify the right to a continued existence – including permanent separation from others, as by a sentence of “life without parole.” 2. Fully Informed Jury Association www.fija.org -- see especially the Jurors’ Handbook at www.fija.org/docs/JG_Jurors_Handbook.pdf . Please note that you are under oath during pre-trial questioning and IF ASKED you must admit you know about “jury nullification” -- however you may otherwise assume that the court officials will obey the Constitution that they had to take an oath to uphold, and not *volunteer* the information. If they know you believe in jury nullification, you will be dismissed; they don’t want your kind on their juries. Also see the brief article “Jury Nullification in Criminal Trials in Federal District Court” at http://publiushuldah.wordpress.com/?s=punishment --you will need to scroll down past several other articles to arrive at this one. 3. Francis Lieber, On Civil Liberty and Self-Government, 3rd revised edition, ed. T. D. Woolsey (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1883). Via Online Library of Liberty at http://oll.libertyfund. org/title/1943/119963/2423896 4. Numerous cites on the topic of excessive bail can be found at http://law.justia.com/constitution/us/amendment-08/01-excessivebail.html . Wikipedia also has some historical information on the topic, from its history in the UK. 5. http://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment8/amendment.html has a discussion and further resources on this topic. 6. Michael Badnarik, “Good To Be King,” The Writers Collective, 2004 available only at www.constitutionpreservation.org 7. Publiushuldah.wordpress.com 8. Wikipedia.com 9. 1828 Webster’s Dictionary at http://1828.mshaffer.com 10. US Constitution and Declaration of Independence 12. W. Cleon Skousen, “The 5,000 Year Leap,” National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1981 13. www.constitutiondecoded.com
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GROWING GREENS IN THE FALL AND WINTER BY TRICIA EDGAR
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Growing Greens in the Fall and Winter
BY TRICIA EDGAR
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ARUGULA, WOODLEY WONDER WORKS/CC BY 2.0 FALL LETTUCE, ULA GILLION/CC BY 2.0
Is the late fall and early winter the end for your lovely garden full of greens? Not necessarily. There are plenty of fall and winter green crops that you can sow now and eat throughout the winter, especially if you live in a moderate climate or have a cold frame available. Tuck your greens into a cold frame, and you’ll have good things to eat even as the weather turns cold. If you’re feeling the cold already, you might want to consider growing your greens in an indoor window box. Growing greens in the fall and winter gives you a feeling of accomplishment that you just don’t get in the easier spring and summer months, so leap on in and try and be sure to track your results in your garden journal! Don’t have a lot of space to garden, or may you think you have no space at all? Chris McLaughlin’s book Vertical Vegetable Gardening: A Living Free Guide (Living Free Guides) is a great resource for the space-challenged grower.
as a tiny green in a salad mix in the fall. Sow mustards with cress seeds for a peppery fall mix. Fall Lettuce Lettuce seems like it would be too delicate to withstand the cold, but it’s a tricky one. While some lettuces dislike the fall and winter chill, others such as Rouge d’Hiver are marketed specifically as fall and winter lettuces. These greens do appreciate the warmth of a cold frame or cloche. Since many of the other greens on our fall and winter list have a lot of flavor, these quieter greens are a good complement. Mizuna
Can you remember way back to the spring time, when you were looking for quick crops that were coldhardy? Many of these crops are good in the fall as well. Mizuna has a delicate-looking leaf, but don’t be fooled – it’s tough. These plants are good Kale when small and will grow to be long and Oh, kale. It’s one of the most famous win- leggy as well. They have a more moderate flater greens. If you live in a cooler climate, vor than arugula and mustard greens. This green is a spicy one that’s good in sandyou may have already passed the window for planting this dark and nutritious vegetable, wiches and slipped into a salad for interest. It but if it’s still warm where you are, plant away. comes in both annual and perennial varieties. Eat your kale all winter and into the spring- Sow the annual Rucola in the fall for winter greens, or sow the perennial Sylvetta to enjoy time. It will even survive under the snow. arugula all year round. Mustard Greens Have you planted anything this fall? Will Fall is a good time to grow small greens for you? salads. Mustard greens are good when they grow up, when I like to use them as a spicy Reprinted by permission element in a stir fry. They’re equally delicious As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
Fall 2013 21
THE BASICS OF HAM RADIO When a natural disaster or other emergency occurs, communication becomes a priority; not only among family members but also with authorities. BY GAYE LEVY The international symbol for amateur radio
The
Basics of HAM Radio BY GAYE LEVY THE SURVIVAL WOMAN BACKDOORSURVIVAL.COM Keeping in touch with loved ones during But first, what exactly is ham radio? normal times is something we tend to take According to Wikipedia: for granted. The dynamic changes, however, Amateur radio (also called ham radio) when a natural disaster or other emergency is the use of designated radio frequency occurs. Communication becomes a priorspectra for purposes of private recreation, ity; not only among family members but also non-commercial exchange of messages, with authorities who will have information wireless experimentation, self-training, about the weather, roads, and quite possibly and emergency communication. the need for an evacuation. The term “amateur� is used to specify I recently had an opportunity of interview persons interested in radio technique George Ure of Urban Survival (http://www. solely with a personal aim and without UrbanSurvival.com/blog) who is somewhat direct pecuniary interest, and to differof an expert in amateur radio. During our entiate it from commercial broadcasting, conversation, he shared his thoughts on the public safety (such as police and fire), value of getting a ham radio license as well as or professional two-way radio services an explanation of some ham radio basics for (such as maritime, aviation, taxis, etc.). those of us that are just getting started with Someone who operates a ham radio is this mode of emergency communication. 22 MinuteMom Magazine
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Revisiting the Magic of Radio George, tell me a little about the public safety aspects of ham radio The most important thing is that ham radio is an incredibly robust means of communications which works in spite of all kinds of emergency conditions. When there’s a hurricane or other public emergency, ham radio is on the front line through organizations like the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). When bad weather is about, they provide crucial “eyes on” to Skywarn.org which is a public weather-gathering effort of the National Weather Service. Lots of ham radio clubs down here in “tornado alley” activate local ham nets to track severe weather and provide nearly instant on-scene reports to the National Weather
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called a “ham” and is licensed to operate communications equipment over the public airwaves. All hams must have a basic knowledge of radio technology and operating principles, and pass an examination for the FCC license to operate on radio frequencies known as the “Amateur Bands.” These bands are radio frequencies reserved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use by hams. That, in very general terms, covers the basics. Beyond that, I have asked George some questions about the most important things that a non-ham needs to know about the amateur radio hobby. Below, with his usual wit and humor, are his answers.
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Service on things like precipitation rates, size of hail, and other useful information. In the event of flooding or major population displacements, like during hurricanes a few years back, hams were helping route people to the least crowded shelters, and things like that. How does it work? I mean, where can ham radio “talk”? Well, the range of ham radio equipment depends on what frequency you want to use and the FCC has a wide range of radio spectrum set aside for ham radio use because so much of what we now take for granted was actually developed by hams. The easiest way to explain this is to think of the radio spectrum like a long measuring tape. The low frequency end of things would be the AM radio band which would be between ½-inch and 1.7-inches on the tape. Way up the tape, you’d find the FM radio band beginning at 88-inches and going up to about 108-inches. 24 MinuteMom Magazine
In reality, instead of “inches” what we’re really talking about here is the frequency in Megahertz (millions of cycles per second of alternating current). But the measuring tape analogy is very useful to visualize easily how radio waves work. The part of the “measuring tape” between about ½ -inch and 30-inches is “special” because it reflects off the ionosphere depending on what time of day or night it is. Above about 30-inches or so, at a frequency that varies called the maximum useable frequency, radio waves stop bouncing and become mostly line of sight. There are some exceptions such as ducted propagation, and when sunspots are just right, up to 60-inches can reflect. Remember: inches means Megahertz or MHz. The area from 3 inches/MHz up to 30-inches (MHz) is called the High Frequency spectrum and from 30 up to 300-inches (MHz) is the VHF spectrum. Above that you get into ultra-high frequency www.AsAMom.org
spectrum. As you’ve probably guessed, this is where the terms HF, VHF and UHF come from. The best “beginner” band is the 2-meter band up at 144 MHZ (or inches if you’re thinking of that measuring tape). Fine…but what could I actually do with a ham radio?
sophisticated network and in some instances, these high elevation repeaters can be linked. Or, as another network, you can go from a repeater to the internet using voice over IP and then pop out of another repeater. So from up in the San Juan Islands you might be able to talk to someone in eastern Oregon. The Seattle Mike and Key Club has a Puget Sound repeater list over here, but they are all over the country and if you want the definitive source, pick up the ARRL’s definitive national Repeater Directory which has about everything imaginable in it when it comes to repeaters. And the American Radio Relay League, which is the largest national ham radio group, has a nice summary of repeater operations and much more over here on their web site. Hams will move signals around a lot of other creative ways, too. One that I have on my bucket list is doing some 1296 MHz EME (earth-moon-earth) contacts. You point a good-sized dish with a little bit of UHF power and you can use the moon as a passive reflector! Of course there’s also Aurora scatter and meteor-scatter and tropo-scatter, but I got my fill of tropo in my younger days. Meteor-scatter is pretty cool, though. They’re hitting earth all the time since space is not exactly empty.
Well, one thing you can do is cut down your cell phone to almost nothing. If you have even a very inexpensive “starter” VHF/ UHF portable unit, such as the Wouxun KG-UV6D series radio which you can get for under $130, you could talk to SurvivalHubby (if he also had a radio) while he was 50 or even 100-miles away. You can’t quite do away with your cell, though. There are restrictions on using a ham radio repeater to actually conduct business. You can call a doctor or dentist, though, or order food to go, but you can’t use ham radio for your employer or in the course of regular business. When there was a 6.8 Seattle earthquake in February of 2001, I was able to know where all the disruptions were to traffic flow because I had a VHF radio in the car and with all phone lines jammed including cell, I was still able to communicate and keep in touch with family and friends. Plus, since I was able to hear what was Is Morse Code still required? going on in Bremerton, I had a good idea of I know it used to be. what the TV news choppers would be showNo, the Morse code requirement went ing that night on the news… away years ago. In fact, the ham radio licensHold it! You said above 30 MHZ, or so, ing is set up now so you can go all the way to radio waves became mostly line-of-sight. the highest class of license – called the Extra How do I talk to someone on a ham radio Class – without having to learn a single “dit” from the San Juan Islands to Seattle? or “dah” of Morse. On the other hand, you will find some This is the really cool part of VHF ham radio: Ham clubs have sponsored what are of those Extra Class questions challenging called “repeaters” that are on top of many tall because there is so much you can do with buildings, mountains, and so forth. It’s a very ham radio. As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
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Like what? I happen to personally enjoy four or five aspects of the hobby a lot and when I explain what they are, you’ll see what I mean about a wide spectrum of technical knowledge. I happen to like Morse Code myself because it’s an important “other language”. If I ever had a stroke, for example, or were incapacitated and unable to speak, I could still communicate by tapping a finger or toe. I didn’t used to think about that but as 65 comes closer, those kinds of thoughts do come up. The second thing I like to do is build and use my own equipment. So, for example, I get a great kick out of using a low power Morse transceiver I built to communicate with Europe, the Middle East, and Asia on the 20 meter/ 14MHz (inch, right?) band. Using very low power (all of 4 watts) I can communicate all over the world and to me that is a really neat skill….like fishing, but with radio waves. The third thing I like to do is talk to my son, who is also an Extra Class ham, who lives in Kirkland, Washington. We often hook up on voice (single sideband) on 14.160 MHz. Fourth? Well, I enjoy both the digital modes and slow scan television. As a result of hooking my radio up through an interface to my computer, I can move pictures around the country without using the internet or a phone line! You can hear the sounds often on 14.230 MHz and it’s a warbling noise. If you just want to have a kind of “personal teletype” you can use a mode called PSK-31 which for long distances if often found between 14.070 and 14.080 MHz. It’s like internet chat, except there’s no internet involved. You just text back and forth. I’ve 26 MinuteMom Magazine
talked to all kinds of people that way, in places like Guatemala, Cuba, most everywhere in Europe, Russia, Japan, and so on. Number Five? Elaine and I use ham radio to keep in touch when I run to town and we use 2-meters here on the ranch all the time. It’s not smart to be out in the brush, a block or three from the nearest human where there are wild pigs, snakes, and occasionally packs of wild dogs (don’t start me on irresponsible pet owners!). With a two-meter radio I can always get help if I need it…so in a very personal way, ham radio is something we use all the time. How difficult is the test to get a Ham License? It’s not hard at all. Like any new skill, it will take a day or two, but my son has taught a number of classes and reports the pass rate is something like 95% if someone just takes time to read some study materials and goes through about six hours of class which can be found free almost anywhere in the country. A great starting point is to download and read Dan Romanchik’s “The No-Nonsense, Technician Class License Study Guide” which is available for free on the KB6NU website. Then visit the ARRL website and search for a class near you because that’s the easiest way to get hooked up to take the test after going through the classroom part. Some classes are one day, others get into more details and are two days or longer. Some people want to know everything while others just want to get a book and take a test. That’s all according to your personal learning style and how you want to approach it. I understand you’ve been a ham since 1963…so in that time what are the www.AsAMom.org
kinds of things that stick out in your mind as “high points” of the hobby? Oh, gosh, there are so many I’ve never stopped to think about it. Helping my late neighbor (W7IMF) run phone patch traffic for 1964 Alaska Good Friday Earthquake victims was a standout. Doing a live news interview via ham radio with a DC-10 flying through the zone of totality of a total eclipse over central Oregon, would certainly be up there, too. A lot of people who you might not think about as being ham radio operators are neat to meet: I’ve talked to Barry Goldwater, the US base at McMurdo Sound in the Antarctic, late Jordanian president King Hussein, and scads of others. I mean starting back with the founding of the ARRL, Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW invented the silencer for firearms and one of the early electric vehicles…hams do tend to live about 10-minutes (or longer) in the future. Linux Kernel developer Ted Ts’o is a ham, so was Bob Moog of synthesizer fame. Maybe you knew late-night radio guru Art Bell is a ham, but how about Walter Cronkite? Former CBS News president Bill Leonard… Or John Sculley of Apple who used to be active and Steve the Woz, too… and in aerospace you’ve got Dick Rutan and General Curtis Lemay… so I don’t know how you top that except to say every shuttle mission had at least one ham astronaut onboard – it was required. Lots of musicians, too: Ronnie Milsap, Chet Atkins, Joe Walsh of the Eagles along with Stu Cook who was the bass player with Credence Clearwater. A little more current? How about Sir Mix A lot…rumor has it. Hell, I didn’t know Gary Shandling or Sheri Bellafonte-Behrens was a ham till I looked at an online directory of famous hams over here. As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
And I guess that’s the fun of the hobby… you don’t know when you “call CQ” – meaning looking for someone to talk to – who’s going to come back to you. It could be someone famous, or it could be a lonely trucker driving across the Dakotas, or a DX-pedition to some rare island out in the middle of nowhere, to a robotics specialist in Japan who’s into the hobby. It’s just a heck of a lot of fun…and that’s why some of us do ham radio types would rather talk, text, or code instead of vegging out watching so much TV. The Final Word This is a lot of information to absorb but good information. As George tells me, if you are looking for an interesting hobby with a prepping angle to it, start with shortwave listening and then move on to ham radio. The way he tells it, it sounds a lot easier than I originally thought. Now all I need to do is get started. What about you? Are you ready to become a HAM? If you have not done so already, please be sure to like Backdoor Survival on Facebook In addition, when you sign up to receive email updates you will receive a free, downloadable copy of my e-book The Emergency Food Buyer’s Guide.
Gaye Levy, [Survival Woman] grew up in the Seattle area. After spending many years as an executive in the software industry, she started an accounting practice offering contract CFO work. She has now abandoned city life for a serenely beautiful rural area on an island in Washington State. She lives and teaches the principles of a sustainable and self-reliant lifestyle through her website at BackdoorSurvival.com. Fall 2013 27
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