GOP Elections
Change Needed! Pages 4 & 11
Celebrating Presidents Day A Closer Look at the Greats Page 24
American Minute Kids Article 1 of the Constitution Page 23
A Taxing Issue
The Dirty Dozen Tax Laws Page 10
Are You a Constitutionalist? The Quiz is Back! Page 22
Celebrating One Year in Print! w w w. T h e C o n s t i t u t i o n a l i s t To d a y. c o m
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We the People | Grassroots Perspective Securing the Blessings of Liberty for Tomorrow
P.O. Box 25155 Colorado Springs, Colorado 80936 Board of Directors Lana Fore-Warkocz, Publisher lana@theconstitutionalisttoday.com Julie Ayers, Editor in Chief julie@theconstitutionalisttoday.com William T. Gillin, Founding Editor bill@theconstitutionalisttoday.com Teddy M. Otero IV, Online Editor web@theconstitutionalisttoday.com Editorial Advisory Board
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One Year, 12 Issues, and Decades Later Lana Fore-Warkocz, Publisher Looking back to last October (2009) and why we had the determination to start The Constitutionalist Today, many great memories come to mind. First, our city needed a publication which conservatives could rally around and know that we were not alone. We wanted to educate, inform and reveal what America and our heritage was built on.; to learn about the principles which our founding fathers and those leaders who came before us lived by and how they assembled this great country. We hope that we have delivered on some of these promises to you during our last 12 issues. We will not stop the fight in securing our freedoms and liberties and for that, we hope you will continue our journey along with us. I wish to thank our staff, our readers and our advertisers for being by our side as our 12th edition rolls off the press. Don’t forget to watch for our sister publication coming soon in the Denver
area and let’s press on towards restoring America’s values and principles.
A Decades-Old “Thank You”
When WWII veteran James W. Fore, Jr. was stationed at Basingbourne, England, he had no idea that, 65 years later, he would receive a gift from someone who was 9 years old at the time. Although the American bomber pilot and Ed Bircham, A military wife the British child, did of 21 years and Ed Bircham presents James Fore with the poster not know each other the daughter at the time, Bircham recently learned that of a WWII veteran, Lana Fore-Warkocz Fore was in the 8th Air Force and was stais completely devoted to those who have tioned in Basingbourne, England. served our country. She has been involved Both now residents of Colorado in the broadcasting and publishing indusSprings, Bircham surprised Fore with a tries for nearly 20 years.
Is the Constitution Still Relevant? Al Maurer, Assistant Editor Every form of government, every country, every modern nation-state rests on some foundation of legitimacy. Legitimacy simply means the right to rule. When King George of England started taxing the colonies without our permission—a right of Englishmen going back to the Magna Carta—he lost the right to rule over us. We made that case in the Declaration of Independence with the enumeration of the long train of abuses. What replaced the monarchy? The colonies, having declared their independence, became independent states, but they weren’t doing very well as 13 political entities loosely tied together by the Articles of Confederation. So they got together in a convention and formed the United States under a Federal Constitution, something never before tried but often copied since. The Constitution is what makes us united—by the common consent of the states and the people. It is
the foundation of legitimacy. How can it not be relevant? The Constitution establishes the rule of law instead of the rule of man, whether that man be a king, a council of nobles or mob rule. The law is not capricious or arbitrary: that’s what’s represented by the statue of justice with a blindfold. The Constitution also establishes limits to what the government can do: the people, the states, and the Federal government all have limitations and duties. In the late 19th century some scholars, enamored with the writings of socialists like Karl Marx, philosophers like Hegel and the new science of Darwinism, began to believe that the Constitution was outdated. It hindered them from doing what they wanted to do: to make progress toward a socialist utopia, to improve not only the material conditions of mankind through government activism, but also to recreate mankind itself. And so they began to teach that the Constitution was a living document,
Roberta Millard, Distribution Manager distro@theconstitutionalisttoday.com
that the Founders had not found eternal truths and that eternal truths didn’t exist anyway. These Progressives amended the Constitution, went around it, and made tortuous interpretations of it that sought to turn it on its head. They did a lot of damage, but the Constitution is still relevant because there are eternal truths and the Founders discovered a way of controlling government through diffusing power that has just managed to keep tyranny in check for over 200 hundred years. The 112th Congress began its first session with a reading of the Constitution for the first time ever. It was historic. Is the Constitution still relevant? You bet it is. Al Maurer is a former military officer and political science professor called once again to serve the cause of liberty. Read his blog at reclaimtheblue.us.
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framed “Mighty 8th Air Force” poster that he possessed, an item of intrinsic value to both Fore and Bircham. Along with the gift came appreciation and sincere gratitude from Bircham for the freedom and life he enjoys today. This heartfelt gift and sentiments undoubtedly brought unpara lleled happiness to the aging WWII veteran.
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Editor, The Constitutionalist Today P.O. Box 25155 Colorado Springs, CO 80936 or letters@theconstitutionalisttoday.com Letters must be 300 words or less and include first and last names, and city.
CORRECTION In the article “A Tale of Two Conservatives” profiling mayoral candidates, a reference was made to the “2008 Winter Olympics.” The Winter Olympics were in 2010.
The Constitutionalist Today provides a voice for freedom-loving Americans and urges them to action. Our aim is to educate citizens about our nation’s founding documents and to analyze current events based on their principles. At the present, we do not offer investigative, in-depth hard news reporting. While lovers of liberty share many common values, our opinions sometimes differ. This paper’s staff and writers possess a range of worldviews from religious to secular and from conservative to libertarian. A diverse group, our Founding Fathers also had their differences. However, those who established the greatest free nation on earth were united in their love of liberty and resistance to tyranny. Today, we are likewise united in our love for those founding ideals. That said, the opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the staff of The Constitutionalist Today.
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We the People | Grassroots Perspective
Your Chance to Help Restructure the GOP Alison Lapka, Contributing Writer
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The Colorado Republican State Central Committee will hold their meeting to elect a new party chairman, vice-chairman and secretary at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 26 at Douglas County High School in Castle Rock. Committee bylaws dictate that nominations for candidates of the above positions can only be made from voting CRC members in person on the floor of the organizational meeting. All county GOPs will hold their own reorganizational meetings by February 12. The state-wide meeting cannot occur for at least one month after the county elections. The El Paso County GOP’s reorganizational meeting will be at 9 a.m., Saturday, February 12 at Sand Creek High School. Anyone wanting to run for office needs to obtain and sign an intent to run form from the county GOP headquarters. Potential bonus members must also sign and return a form to get on the ballot. No write-ins are not permitted for bonus members. In order to be on the ballot, all forms must be returned by Feb. 7. Because the only official candidates are announced right before the vote takes place on the floor, potential vice-chairman candidate Jeremy Goodall said the nomination process is an “opaque process” as ordinarily the party officer elections typically do not draw much public attention. However, with the 2010 gubernatorial race still fresh in a lot of people’s minds, there is a strong feeling amongst people in the Liberty movement and to “take back the party. ” Groups have organized against current GOP Chairman Dick Wadhams being elected to a third term because of his failure to bring in the top two tickets in the state – governor and U.S. Senate. Therefore, officially there is no one running for the GOP elected positions and there is no ‘official’ way to announce the candidacy. The best way to learn who is running would be to examine who attends county party meetings in the upcoming months – they will need to campaign and sell themselves to the voting members of the county executive committees. Although there are technically no official names on the ballots, there are still many names bouncing around as a potential replacement for Wadhams. John Wagner is running for chairman on a slate ticket with Jeremy Goodall as
vice-chair. They are running on a platform of respect. As Goodall explained, “We felt there was a breakdown of respect between the rank and file Republican establishment and the grassroots folks in 2010.” They seek to reinstate that respect to better unify the party. According to his Web site, Wagner is a military veteran and his past duties have included media strategy and intelligence positions. His political experience includes campaign director for Cleve Tidwell’s run for senate last year. Another potential chairman candidate that has announced his intention to run is Bart Baron. Baron is a recent Colorado resident who moved to this great state in 2008. His previous political experience
Wadhams announced in a January 18 press release that he will seek reelection. He is generally expected to win. was that he unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Michigan in 2000 and 2002. Wadhams announced in a press release Jan. 18 that he will seek re-election. He is generally expected to win, said Boulder County Vice-Chairman Gregory Carlson. Some people, such as Vice-Chairman Leondray, who had been considering to run for Wadham’s position before his announcement, will not run against him. Other names that have been discussed by Republicans insiders include: grassroots activist and R Block Party founder Lori Horn, former U.S. House candidate and talk radio show host, Jeff Crank, U.S. House Representative Ryan Frazier, Denver County Chairman Ryan Call and Gubernatorial Candidate Dan Maes. Frazier said he is not interested in the position. Dan Maes has also come out publicly and said that he will not make a bid for the position. Though it is difficult to predict which candidates will receive nominations and who will win at this point, at least according to CRC bylaws by April 1, a new administration will take charge of the Republican Party. Alison Lapka is a recent graduate from CU-Boulder with a degree in journalism and studies emphasized on political science. She is very interested and involved in Colorado politics.
The Constitution Made Easy
New Congress, Old Constitution Mike Holler, Featured Writer
We always hear members of Congress talking about swearing an oath to represent their constituents, when in reality, the only oath we take is to the Constitution.—John Boehner
The day after the new Congress was sworn in; the United States Constitution was read out loud on the floor of the House for the first time in history. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) called it “an air kiss they’re blowing to the tea party,” and even Professor Kevin Gutzman opined that it was “entirely cosmetic.” But in spite of the negative press from the liberal quarter, and skepticism from some conservatives, the event was both symbolic and significant. If it stops at the reading, the critics will be right; but if it translates into action, freedom will be on the march. In the recent election, Republicans made tremendous gains in the House of Representatives, and substantial increases in the Senate. This upsurge was due in large measure to the activism of the Tea Party, 9-12 and similar freedom movements. What Constitutional conservatives around the country are anxious to see is whether this will translate into renewed respect for the United States Constitution and the requisite turn toward limited national government, state sovereignty, individual liberty and the rule of law, particularly in the House. Early indications from Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor are very positive, but the proof will be along shortly. The first positive sign was September’s “Pledge to America” which included a
commitment to “require every bill to cite its specific Constitutional Authority” if Republicans won a majority in November. Keeping faith, Republican leadership has created changes to the House rules that would “require that each bill or joint resolution introduced in the House be accompanied by a statement citing the specific powers granted to Congress in the Consti-
alist Papers and The Founder’s Constitution, as well as the Heritage Foundation, CATO Institute and The Federalist Society (along with a couple of “progressive” sites). The new guidelines also state that whether any citation is “accurate and adequate” will be up for debate in the committee and the House. This is exactly the discussion we have longed to hear. Soon we will know which House members will rise to defend our founding document, and who will try to debase it. The battle lines will be clearly drawn. The friends of freedom will be highly visible; her enemies marked for defeat in the next election. With all this said, “we the people” are not guaranteed that from now on the House will only pass Constitutional legislation, and will block all else from the Senate until a conservative majority can be secured there. Skeptics and patriots still have cause for concern and vigilance. John Boehner and other Republican leaders still have much to prove. There is also the historic tendency of Congress to distort the intent of the Constitution when they could not ignore it outright. A proven method they may still resort to is to cite the “general welfare,” “interstate commerce,” and “necessary and proper” clauses. But this will open the debate about “adequacy and accuracy” for which the leadership should be well-prepared. The Founder’s understanding of these three “loopholes” is available in the very mate-
When a member presents a bill, it must be accompanied by a separate sheet of paper citing the Constitutional authority. tution to enact the proposed law.” This is far more than just a reading of the Constitution; it is recognition of its primacy. Another encouraging gesture was that Speaker Boehner solicited input from respected Constitutionalists as to how to implement these changes in a way that would actually lead to conformity with the Constitution. This writer was privileged to contribute to one of the “white papers” requested by the Speaker, and the recently published guidelines from Cantor’s office seem to reflect our input. Here are a few of the provisions. When a member presents a bill, it must be accompanied by a separate sheet of paper citing the Constitutional authority. If it is not attached, the clerk is instructed to not accept the bill. This applies to all bills, even if they are technical modifications of current law. For determining in advance whether a bill will pass Constitutional muster, members have been referred to The Feder-
rial they recommend as resources. They were also explained in this writer’s “white paper”. (For those who are interested enough to research back issues, the last three columns in this space of The Constitutionalist Today contain much of that same material.). And finally, some in Congress have re-started the noise about the Supreme Court being responsible for deciding Constitutionality. This actually allows us to end on a positive note. Since the new rules allow debate on Constitutionality, the Supreme Court will not have the only voice. One of the “Frequently Asked Questions” in Cantor’s memorandum poses it this way, “Isn’t it the courts’ duty to determine whether a law is constitutional and thus doesn’t this rule infringe on the power of the courts?” The answer was an unequivocal, “No. While the courts have the power to overturn an Act of Congress on the basis that it is unconstitutional, members of Congress have a responsibility, as clearly indicated by the oath of office each z takes, to adhere to the Constitution.” In Boehner’s own words, “We pledge ‘to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.’ No more, no less.” Now, with all due respect Mr. Speaker, it is show time. Mike Holler writes and speaks about freedom and the United States Constitution, is a frequent guest on talk radio, and travels with the Tea Party Express. Contact Mike or view his recent book at: www.TheConstitutionMadeEasy.com.
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We the People | Grassroots Perspective
Get Involved in a Local Liberty Group Now! Compiled by Joan Eich
Can I make a difference? How can I get involved? Which organization fits me best? These are the questions we hear most often from our readers, so we want to make sure it’s clearly answered online and in every issue. What follows is an alphabetical list of libertyloving groups and organizations in our area. Also visit www.libertyevents.org for a calendar of upcoming events. Sign up, step up, speak up! 9-12 Pikes Peak Patriots www.freeandunited.com • donrodgers@hotmail.com • dwan.rager@yahoo.com An organization for like-minded Americans who believe in 9 principles and 12 values as they apply to our government and in our own lives. We provide members with the platform and resources to pursue any project or cause of their choosing: from education and discussion to community activities or action. The American Café theamericancafe.blogspot.com • homeinspections@pcisys.net • 719.573.2193 This group gathers each week for Constitutional studies, political action and prayer. Please contact us for information on how to get involved. American Majority www.americanmajority.org • facebook.com/AmericanMajority • 719.573.2193 Attending a rally is no longer enough; from organizational structure to advanced new media, our Activist Training prepares you to make substantial changes in your community. Americans for Prosperity, Colorado Chapter www.americansforprosperity.org • infoco@afphq.org • 719.494.0797 Americans for Prosperity, Teller County Chapter AFPTeller@gmail.com • 719.684.2180 An organization of grassroots leaders committed to educating, engaging and mobilizing citizens in the name of limited government and free markets on the local state and federal levels. Arkansas Valley Tea Party Patriots (serving Otero, Bent and Crowley Counties) AV_teaparty@yahoo.com • betty.blanco1@yahoo.com • 719.384.2473 We are a local non-partisan movement aimed to educate and promote the causes of our Founding Fathers. Our core values include limited and fiscally-responsible government and a free market economy. We encourage U.S. citizens to take individual responsibility and to uphold and defend the Constitution. Clear the Bench Colorado www.clearthebenchcolorado.org • info@clearthebenchcolorado.org A grassroots movement to hold Colorado’s Supreme Court justices accountable to the Colorado Constitution and to the people of Colorado. Coalition for a Conservative Majority www.ccm-cos.com • info@ccm-cos.com • 719.351.6075 We unapologetically espouse the nation-shaping values embodied in the Constitution and detailed by the philosophies of our Founding Fathers. Colorado Springs Republican Women amymit@quixnet.net • 719.260.0283 This group wants to educate and inform all Americans about the principles and values which make the Republican Party what it is. El Paso County Tea Party www.epcteaparty.com • amy.mitchell@epcteaparty.com A local movement of American Patriots from all walks of life dedicated to uphold and defend the United States and Colorado Constitutions. Our goal is to give voice to the people and hold government officials accountable for their oaths to uphold those constitutions. El Paso Republican Headquarters www.gopelpaso.com • info@gopelpaso.com • 719.578.0022 The party of the open door; the party of liberty; the party of equality of opportunity for all and favoritism for none; the more socially conservative and economically libertarian of the two major parties, generally supporting lower taxes, limited government and more economic freedom. Elbert County Tea Party/9-12 Group www.elbertteaparty.com • 303.601.7608 We work to restore constitutional government, control government spending, and to vet candidates to insure their goals and values match. Equal Justice Foundation ejfi.org • facebook.com/ejfi.org • ccorry@ejfi.org • 719.520.1089 We are a non-profit 501(c) 3) public charity supported entirely by members and contributions. Our areas of interest and activism are the courts, civil liberties, prohibition, and open, fair and honest elections. For What Is Right www.forwhatisright.org • dlewis@forwhatisright.org • dkelly@forwhatisright.org An online community whose purpose is to educate the American citizen in matters of civic and political knowledge. Our intention is to have a well informed electorate who will keep and preserve the rights guaranteed us by the U.S. Constitution and by our Creator. Get Out Of Our House (GOOOH) www.goooh.com • goooh.co.05@gmail.com • 719.321.5123 A bottom-up organization without a platform; NOT a political party. A system allowing you and your neighbors to choose a true citizen representative, an independent candidate to represent their district. Green Dragon Tavern http://RonPaul.meetup.com/310 • admin@GreenDragonTavern.com • 719.330.1358 Our Founding Fathers met at the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston, MA to plan the Boston Tea Party. We work to re-establish the Founders’ vision of political and economic principles inherent in nature’s right by fostering understanding and respect for the Declaration of Independence and state and Federal Constitutions.
6 | The Constitutionalist Today, February 2011
Guffey Tea Party guffeyteaparty@gmail.com • http://sites.google.com/site/guffeygroupteaparty We are a local movement of non-partisan American Patriots who uphold and defend the Constitution of The United States of America. Our core values include limited government, fiscal responsibility, and free market economy. Liberty on the Rocks, Colorado Springs Chapter www.libertyontherocks.org • david@libertyontherocks.org • 719.237.4598 A grassroots organization whose goal is to provide a social environment to unite libertyminded individuals with one another and with freedom-based organizations in their local communities. Tavern-style politics in the tradition of our Founding Fathers! Limited Government Forum www.limitedgovforum.org • sean@limitedgovforum.org • 719.576.9055 Works closely with UCCS Center for the Study of Government and the Individual and Cheyenne Mountain Civic Solutions to promote the ideas of individual responsibility and freedom. Local Liberty Online www.locallibertyonline.org • sean@LocalLibertyOnline.org • 719.576.9055 An online community that focuses on local issues to expand freedom, opportunity and prosperity close to home. Our goal is to educate rather than indoctrinate, while conducting ourselves in the spirit of civility and good humor. Pikes Peak Economics Club www.pikespeakeconomicsclub.com We promote economic and civic literacy. It is our contention that you cannot have a controlled economy and maintain a free society. Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition www.ppfc.org • info@ppfc.org • 719.596.3921 A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed. —Amendment II, U.S. Constitution Pikes Peak Young Professional Republicans Eli.bremer@gmail.com • 719.213.3428 Network with other young professionals, ages 20-40, who share the same goals and aspirations. Please come and join us! Politics on the Rocks www.politicsontherocks.com • nina@pinnaclepros.com • 719.533.0571 We link like-minded professionals together in a monthly power networking mixer where they can network, socialize and hear directly from prominent politicians and successful business leaders on matters of social, economic and public importance. Royal Gorge Republican Women (Fremont County) www.RoyalGorgeRepublicanWomen.org The purpose of our organization is to increase the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government through political involvement; to encourage women to run for political office; to promote an informed membership and electorate through political education and activity; and to work together for the election of Republican candidates. Southern Colorado Tea Party www.socoteaparty.com Committed to restoring our state and our federal Constitutions to our Founders’ original intent. Diligent in our restoration and preservation of freedom. We hold our elected officials accountable to their oath of office. Sons of Liberty Riders www.sonsoflibertyriders.com • 646.236.1173 We are a nationwide patriot rider movement whose purpose is to educate the motorcycle community and activate in support of other Tea Party groups. Please go to our website to more about the Colorado state chapter’s activities. Sunrise Republican Women www.coloradosrw.com • lindarshannon@gmail.com • 719.598.1305 We promote an informed public through political education and activity, and increase the effectiveness of women for the causes of good government. All ages are welcome! Teller Tea Party www.tellerteaparty.com • tellerteaparty@gmail.com A local movement of non-partisan American patriots who uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. We are dedicated to protecting freedom for all, promoting truth, limiting taxes and government, and preserving our inalienable rights UCCS College Republicans • 719.251.7765 Vote Trackers (Fremont County) www.votetrackers.com • penknife101@yahoo.com A nationwide group, providing free 1-page charts for each of the 50 states, showing how that state’s U.S. senators and representatives voted on the Banker Bailout Bill, The Stimulus Bill, Cash for Clunkers, Cap and Trade, and the Health Care Bill. No fluff. Just facts. These charts can be printed out and taken into the voting booth, lest we forget. We Are Change Colorado Springs wearechangecoloradosprings.org • chris@wearechangecoloradosprings.org • 719.209.3118 A grassroots organization, neither left or right, dedicated to informing the public on matters of government corruption, malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance.
We the People | Grassroots Perspective
Defend Constitution Against Domestic Enemies Michael Craig, Guest Writer As a prelude to my nearly 25 years of military service, I stood next to the American flag, raised my right hand, and solemnly swore to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…” While I have done little to support the Constitution, there is some solace in knowing my service did, in a small way, help to defend it against enemies, foreign. Regrettably for our country and our descendants, neither our military, nor anyone else in government service over the past few decades, has effectively defended the Constitution against enemies, domestic. Swearing to support and defend the Constitution is also a requirement of our federal officials—congressmen, presidents, Supreme Court justices. Yet I suspect the majority of our elected officials have not read the Constitution. If they have, it is clear they don’t understand it, deliberately circumvent it, and/or work to undermine it. And, whether through ignorance, neglect, or malicious intent, the effect has been the same: an accelerating
our Constitution find great utility in such legislative atrocities. • Our founding architects of limited government wisely recognized that the judiciary would be the branch farthest from the direct influence of the people and the least accountable to their will. Consequently, this branch was assigned an extremely limited role—duties that occupy a fraction of the verbiage and scope of influence given the other two branches. Yet organizations acutely aware that their ideological agendas could never gain sufficient popular support for legislative enactment, seek out progressive judges through which they make their case. These judges are willing to contort the Constitution beyond recognition and establish a legal basis for unpopular agendas and ideologies. We the People were assigned tremendous authority and responsibility, and there are steps we must take to recapture our constitutional role:
If our elected officials have read the Constitution, it is clear that they don’t understand it, deliberately circumvent it, and/or work to undermine it. erosion of our founding principles contained in the Constitution. The architects of this amazing document were discerning enough to know how intensely men crave power, and so crafted our Constitution to limit power and constrain man’s inexorable efforts to amass power. I suppose we cannot blame them for underestimating the cunning of the power brokers and career politicians of our day who would supplant the statesmen of theirs. Is it any wonder we find ourselves in such national disarray—even peril— when we have slid so far from our foundation? No structure will long stand once it is shifted from its foundation, and the extent to which our elected and appointed officials have orchestrated such a shift is irreparable. A slow-motion collapse is already occurring. We could point our fingers in many directions to assign blame, but the bitter truth is that We the People have allowed it. Our Founding Fathers wisely delegated the real power of our republic to the people. We have relinquished that control and will suffer for it until we resolve to recapture it. Evidence of our departure from constitutional government abounds: • Our executive branch centralizes everexpanding powers at the top and legislates through departmental dictates and executive orders. • Our Congress becomes increasingly irrelevant as unelected individuals and organizations craft legislation that is so verbose, complex, and unintelligible that Congressmen do not read it and probably could not comprehend it, let alone reflect on its ramifications. Yet these multi-thousand page monstrosities are voted into law. Certainly, those who intentionally thwart
1. We Must Read our Constitution—easily done in under an hour. How else will we know if our elected representatives are doing what they should and, more importantly, not doing what they are forbidden? Also, read about the men who crafted it. You will find them to be amazing and inspiring, and you may just come to believe that life in a much freer, more libertarian society, with a far smaller government is not only possible, it’s downright thrilling to imagine.
2. We Must Teach our children, grandchildren, and anyone who will listen, what we learn about what our country was meant to be and how far off course we have drifted. Our schools are not doing it, so we must take it upon ourselves. 3. We Must Vote, considering carefully whom we send as our representatives and which ballot measures we support. Will they create more freedom or less? I have never been more concerned about the future of my country. Yet I am motivated to play a part in reversing the fatal trend, shrinking our overhead, paying down our monstrous debt and imparting to my grandchildren at least the chance of experiencing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, rather than enslavement to a bloated, intrusive government and interest payments on my laziness and unwillingness to do the hard work assigned to We the People. Our founders paid an enormous price for what we have been handed, and I refuse to be part of the generation that passively gave it all away.
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Craig is a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, with combat experience in Iraq and The Balkans. Craig now serves as the director of business development for Troy University’s western region. Since retiring from the Air Force, he and his wife, Donna, have lived in Colorado Springs.
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We the People | Grassroots Perspective
9 Values and 12 Principles: Sincerity Char Smith, Guest Writer Now that the elections are over, this may be an important time to evaluate who we are as a nation and what we truly believe about our nation and ourselves. The values and principles the 9/12 Project is based upon are those our Founding Fathers not only believed in, but also lived out in their personal lives. Today, those same values should reflect our commitment and dedication to the country we profess to love and should be evident in our daily lives as we interact with our families, neighbors and communities. Many of the 9/12 values and principles are based on biblical values and have their meanings rooted in original Greek or Hebrew. Several of the Founding Fathers attended colleges or universities that taught them Latin, Greek or Hebrew. As a result, they knew what they were saying and writing when they formulated the founding documents for the new nation. They understood the root meanings of their words much more than we do today. In pondering how to approach the 9/12 values, I was reminded of something God has been teaching me for several years: the importance of discovering the roots of a thing – no matter the subject. Often we are satisfied with simple answers or surface information; hearing the diagnosis of a symptom with no concern for what the “root” of a thing is. It is time to start searching until we discover real answers for ourselves, for there is great
wealth and wisdom in going deeper into the things that matter. Words have power. Whoever said, “Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you” didn’t watch this past election cycle very closely. It matters what we believe or do not believe, for it will, in fact, eventually manifest in our words and then our actions that follow. Think of how world governments have formed. Often, they were conceived by a single thought or idea, pondered and dwelt upon, considered, molded and crafted until plans were developed. When those thoughts and ideas were acted upon, ultimately they were shared and taught to others. They were implemented as others agreed upon and, oftentimes, they changed societies and oppressed the masses. From those single thoughts, ideas and concepts, we have communism, socialism and totalitarianism on one side and all the dangerous ramifications that come with them. On the other side, we have democracies, republics and representative government, all generally guaranteeing personal liberty and freedom. As we develop a greater understanding of the roots and meanings of our words as well as where ideas, thoughts, values and principles originate, we can then choose more wisely and walk them out more effective-
ly in daily life. Without this basic knowledge, we’re like a ship without a rudder, tossed to and fro by the waves. This becomes not only a 9/12 issue, but a cultural one as well, affecting all of society. Having said that, let’s examine one of the 9/12 values more closely: Sincerity. Being sincere, or sincerity has its roots in the Greek and means, “tested as being genuine.” It’s where we get the phrase “the genuine article.” It also means “not fake” and “unfeigned,” a word seldom
Sincerity is a true reflection of the inner man, his heart and what he truly believes. used today. Its roots are in the Greek and primarily means “being without hypocrisy, without dissimulation.” Dissimulation means “without pretense or deceit, not self-seeking.” It is doubtful most politicians could pass the “sincerity test” today. Being sincere means much more than just looking and sounding that way; it is a true reflection of the inner man, his heart and what he truly believes. You will in fact, become what you believe. Our nation has become what we have corporately believed and we are seeing the fruits of those beliefs or the lack thereof. The Bible talks about sincerity as unfeigned love—love without hypocrisy, without pretense, deceit, not self-seek-
ing. Sincerity requires transparency, being genuine, undeceitful and certainly, without hypocrisy. Our goal then, should be to move in that direction by examining ourselves, honestly reviewing and evaluating our motives, harnessing our thoughts, being aware that we become what we believe. The value of sincerity will then become evident in us, be passed on to our children and touch our neighbors and communities in a profound and positive way. Most of us want to pass on a nation to our children that reflects the values and principles our founders lived out when they committed their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to birthing a nation. My hope is that all will come to realize the reformation and restoration of this country rests upon our own individual transformations, starting by going back to sincerity and its root meaning; back to the original values and principles our nation was founded upon. Recognizing the systematic destruction of our nation and its founding values after the 2008 elections, Char Smith became involved with the 9/12 Project to help facilitate the restoration of our nation to its founding principles. She has been involved in personal prayer ministry, prison ministry and mentoring and counseling young adults across the nation for several years.
Conservative Youth Perspective Gregory Carlson Alison Lapka, Contributing Writer This new monthly column will enlighten those who believe all youth are: 1) politically apathetic and; 2) liberal.
This month, we look at the life and politics of Gregory Carlson. He hails from Canon City, Colorado—home to 15,000 people and 13 prisons and penitentiaries. He graduated high school as student council president, which inspired his dream of running for U.S. President someday. In high-school, Carlson excelled in academics as well as his lesserknown musical talents in trumpet and guitar. Carlson is currently finishing his bachelor’s degree with the University of Colorado at Boulder with majors in economics, math and political science. He will graduate in May. This articulate young man is deciding between a path of study at Cornell or Stanford for his Ph.D. in law and economics. Interestingly, Gregory admits that in high school he ideologically leaned more to the left due to his “progressive upbringing.” However, he switched parties once he completed his freshman year of college and discovered where his true beliefs lie. He was able to come to his current political beliefs when he examined conservative versus liberal policies. When asked for an example, he explained the difference of Democrat and Republican policy suggestions about homelessness. Whereas, Republicans want to conduct studies to determine the causes of homelessness and take those on, Democrats prefer giv-
ing benefits and handouts, thus lowering the opportunity costs of those wanting to find new work. It is answers like these, with carefully researched support, that truly demonstrate Carlson’s impressive abilities to reason beyond his young 21 years of age. During the summer after his freshman year of college, while his peers were splashing around in pools and trekking the globe, Carlson got his big break by completing an internship with the Colorado Republican Party. He simultaneously balanced his work with the state party to help 2008 Presidential Candidate John
However, Carlson switched parties once he completed his freshman year of college and discovered where his true beliefs lie. McCain in his campaign as well as U.S. House Candidate Scott Starin for Congressional District 2. Although Carlson admits that the work was tough and exhausting, it was his first time working with politics and the experience inspired him to continue in the field. Scott Starin lost his election for U.S. House and was elected Boulder County GOP chairman and nominated Carlson for the vice-chairman position. During the 2010 primary and caucus season, Carlson increased the number of district captains to better organize and streamline the process. He also taught informational meetings for the district captains and precinct committee leaders on how to run the individual caucuses. Carlson has held this position for the past
8 | The Constitutionalist Today, February 2011
two years and has decided to run for reelection this year. Not only does Carlson continue to excel in his classes as well as continue his involvement with the State Party, he has been elected President of the College Republicans of the CU-Boulder campus. Carlson sticks out in Boulder, not only because he is always sharply dressed in a suit and tie on a campus infamous for tie-dye and dreadlocks, but also because he believes in the words and principles outlined by America’s founding documents and that the ideas outlined should be interpreted in the strictest manner possible. He is passionate about economics and the importance of being an economic producer and values independence over reliance.
When asked what issues the national government must address, he responded with reduced spending and rectifying America’s energy dependence on foreign nations. With regards to the state government, he proposes that the government employee pension plans be changed and that education be made a higher priority. As a young Republican, his advice to the party would be to increase youth outreach efforts and investments in the college-age Republicans since they will be voting in the next 20-30 elections. Alison Lapka is a recent graduate from CU-Boulder with a degree in journalism and studies emphasized on political science. She is very interested and involved in Colorado politics.
Liberty Lady Roberta Millard Cindy Lyons, Senior Staff Writer TCT: When and where did you get involved in the Tea Party Movement? Millard: I got involved in early 2008 when McCain was already nominated. I saw Obama and I saw all the marketing and the “hope and change,” all the things people wanted to hear but I didn’t see the substance behind the man. We didn’t know much about the man. I ended up going to a rally and seeing all the people and the excitement held by for Americans For Prosperity (AFP) at Acacia Park. Seeing all the people who didn’t like how the country was going spurred me to action. I think the rallies are good but I think there are different things people need at different times. Before the November 2010 election the Tea Party’s “rah, rah” was good but now it is about education. It keeps people involved and knowing why they need to be involved. I know I’m doing it because of my kids and for America. I’m sad for America but also full of hope that it can be turned around. TCT: What is your role in the liberty movement? How and where do you volunteer? Millard: I started off volunteering on the steering committee of the Teller Tea Party
and for awhile I was the chair of it. Then I got involved with AFP and became their director in Teller County. I’ve recently moved to Falcon/Peyton so I’ll be the director there. I love AFP. The guys running it are geniuses and they’re young, full of energy and they love this country. They create great information especially about bills about to be passed. I also think The Constitutionalist Today is super important to educating myself and the public. When TCT started, I found and became very excited about the paper. I went to as many events as possible to pass out the paper and help people discover TCT and distributed in Teller. I feel it’s very important to have a conservative voice out there. TCT: What is your goal for volunteering your time? What do you hope to achieve? Millard: My goal is to help others get involved and engaged with the liberty movement. I think it is really important to educate the kids. Just a side note: My parents were children of immigrants. My mother was a teacher and was progressive. She never spent any time teaching me about the Founding Fathers or the Constitution. All I knew was what I learned from school which was very, very little. So I have taken it upon myself and have learned a lot
in the last two years. I’ve read the Constitution, John Adams, etc. I believe that today there is not much difference in the beliefs of the right versus the left, than in the time of the Founding Fathers. The difference is that now there is major marketing to various groups via, TV and the Internet, etc. Unfortunately, most people just believe the platitudes they hear in the 30 second sound bites. TCT: What is your perspective of the Liberty Tea Party Movement and how can we have an impact on our local, state, and federal government? Millard: I love the Tea Party Movement, the 9-12 groups, etcetera, but I think some have strayed off course because of egos. I think that people are trying to get their own agenda done. I think it needs to be more focused. I’m glad the 9-12 and other groups are going to focus on education. We need to educate ourselves to affect a change. TCT: How can we have an effect on our local, state and federal government? Millard: Just look at our recent elections this past November. We need to stay engaged. Plus it’s fun. I have meet really great people. I found my identity in this liberty movement. I found out who I am and what I believed. Because of how I grew up, I had always thought the congressmen would look after our best interests. After seeing the corruption, I now believe that is not the case. The last 100
years have been troubling, and I want to help change that. With some Divine providence, I believe it can be done. I truly believe we all can make a difference. We need to stay engaged and we need to keep on fighting. You have to be responsible for yourself. After thinking about it, I absolutely hate the thought of having to depend on the government to take care of me. I know we can make a difference. My motto is, “It’s all good!” While Cindy Lyons would rather be writing novels or short stories, she despises being lied to by the sharply expanding federal government; as such, she has become a citizen blogger, self-trained out of deep concern for her nation and in passionate opposition to the current progressive onslaught.
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Centennial State | Colorado Issues
Dirty Dozen Tax Increases
How the 2010 Colorado Legislature Managed to Take More of Your Money Without Asking Matt Arnold, Featured Writer No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. —Mark Twain (1866)
As another legislative session begins, the Colorado General Assembly once again faces a hefty budget shortfall; the projected gap between expected revenue and planned spending is $1.2 billion this fiscal year. Last year at this time, the projected revenue shortfall was a mere $660 million (about half of this year’s shortfall) which the legislature “fixed” with a combination of one-time subsidies, funds transfers, raids, other budgetary gimmicks—and the Dirty Dozen tax increases. The Dirty Dozen was the name given to a package of 12 legislative bills which sought to increase tax revenues collected by eliminating existing tax credits or exemptions – an end-run around the constitutional requirement (Article X, Section 20) that says voter approval must be sought “in advance for… any new tax, tax rate increase, or… tax policy change directly causing a net tax revenue gain to any district.” Last year’s legislative majorities (Democrats) were emboldened in their assault on the constitutional rights of Colorado citizens by an interpretation of the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling in the notorious (and once again unconstitutional) Mill Levy Tax Freeze case. Solid legisla-
tive majorities, a compliant governor, and a complicit supreme court allowed them to take a bigger bite of your money without first (or ever) asking for permission. Since the 2010 elections resulted in a shift of control of the state House of Representatives and since many members of the new majority campaigned on promises to seek the repeal of these unconstitutional tax increases, it’s worth re-visiting the Dirty Dozen tax laws to provide an overview of what’s at stake. In order of introduction, the bills were: • HB10-1189, Eliminate Sales Tax Exemption for Direct Mail (Pommer/Heath), signed 2/24/10. This bill increased the sales tax on direct mail advertising, impacting both the actual advertising companies and the predominantly local small-business market that relies on direct-mail advertising as a cost-effective and less expensive alternative to radio/ TV ads. Projected to raise $1.5 million, it hasn’t. • HB10-1190, Suspend Industrial Fuel Sales & Use Tax Exemption (Pommer/ Heath), signed 2/24/10. Also known as the Energy Tax, this bill effectively raised the cost of every product and service produced in Colorado. This new tax hits manufacturing industries, already pinched by increasing fuel prices, especially hard. Projected state revenue gains of $48 million have not been realized.
Why I Want to Repeal the Hospital Provider Fee Tax Rep. Janak Joshi, Guest Writer First of all I want to thank all the supporters of my successful campaign for House District 14., now on to business—but not business as usual. The hospital provider fee bill (HB 091293) was one of the “Dirty Dozen” tax increases passed by the Colorado legislature last year. It passed for one main reason: to get money from the federal government. Under this law, hospitals are being charged a fee for in-patient and out-patient services that is matched with a temporary federal grant—a part of the stimulus bill. In order to get the federal money, the state was required to raise money itself. The idea the Democrats had was to tax the insurance companies to come up with the money that will be eventually returned to the Medicaid program. The bill is unconstitutional because, although it is called a “fee” like all of the Dirty Dozen, in fact it is a tax that was not put on a ballot as TABOR requires. Part of the sum total of the tax plus the federal grant is kept by the state to help balance the budget. The remaining part is distributed unequally among the hospitals. Those hospitals taking private insurance are given less; hospitals with Medicare are given more. This passing the money around is not a way of trying to plug a hole in the state budget, but of redistributing wealth. This alone makes it worthy of repeal. There are other reasons for repealing it:
Every way you look at it, it is a tax and not a fee. Thus, it was passed along with the other eleven bills unconstitutionally. It is nothing more than a redistribution of income. It is taking money from “rich” hospitals, those with a higher percentage of insurance—paying patients, and giving to “poor” hospitals with a higher percentage of Medicaid and indigent patients. Hospitals will simply pass this fee on to insurance companies, which will pass this on to consumers, who will ultimately pay for it. Health care costs will rise. By their own admission, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Finance told the Join Budget Committee that if repealed, “there would be no immediate general fund impact” until Obama-care is implemented. That may not even happen. This bill has expanded Medicaid costs, which is detrimental to the state budget. The matching federal grant is ultimately paid for by tax payers. Colorado receives less than a dollar for every dollar sent to Washington, so the grant is costing us even more. What will happen when stimulus money goes away? Higher taxes? These are just a few of the consequences but remember one thing: We all are paying for this with money that we don’t have. This unconstitutional bill should be repealed and I have introduced HB 10-1025 to do just that. Janak Joshi is a retired medical doctor and the newly-elected representative for Colorado House District 14 in El Paso County.
• HB10-1191, Eliminate Candy & Soda Sales Tax Exemption (Pommer/Heath), signed 2/24/10. The Candy Tax angered Colorado kids, and burdened stores with checking ingredients to determine if an item is subject to taxation. Again, small businesses were disproportionately impacted and, predictably, revenue projections of $17.9 million have not materialized. • HB10-1192, Sales & Use Tax of Standardized Software (Pommer/Heath), signed 2/24/10. Software downloads— particularly upgrades or updates to previously purchased programs such as antivirus or antispam software— were most impacted; previously, direct online purchases were not taxed. Projected revenue gains of $15 million have not been realized. • HB10-1193, Sales Tax Out-of-State Retailers (Pommer/Heath), signed 2/24/10. Known as the Amazon Tax, this tax increase prompted Amazon. com to terminate its local affiliate program and led to a court challenge, since the bill sought to collect personal purchase data from online retailers (violating the Fourth Amendment). Needless to say, the projected $5 million revenue has not been achieved. • HB10-1194, Eliminate Non-essential Articles Sales Tax Exemption (Ferrandino/Heath), signed 2/24/10. Otherwise known as the Doggy Bag Tax– since legislators consider take-home food containers “non-essential” items for restaurants and thus subject to higher taxes. • HB10-1195, Suspend Ag Sales & Use Tax Exemption (Ferrandino/Heath), signed 2/24/10. Increasing taxes on a wide range of agricultural products has indirectly raised the price of all food
grown, raised, or otherwise produced in Colorado. Projected revenue gains of $1.5 million have not been realized and higher costs are shifted to consumers. • HB10-1196, Eliminate Certain Cars Qualified for Tax Credits (Ferrandino/ Heath), signed 2/24/10. Removed several vehicles previously qualifying for tax credits from the list. • HB10-1197, Reduce Conservation Easement Cap Amount (Ferrandino/Heath), signed 4/29/10. Reduced the maximum state income tax credit allowed for conservation tax easements. • HB10-1198, Suspend Credit Alternative Minimum Tax (Ferrandino/Heath), postponed. • HB10-1199, Net Operation Loss Deduction Temp Limit (Ferrandino/Heath), signed 2/24/10. Reduces the ability of businesses to write off losses, thus delaying their ability to invest, create jobs and generate revenue. • HB10-1200, Enterprise Zone Investment Tax Credit Deferral (Hullinghorst/Heath), 5/7/2010. Deferring income tax credits on enterprise zone investments has, unsurprisingly, reduced the willingness of potential investors to… invest; further slowing economic recovery. The preceding list was a short summary of the Dirty Dozen tax bills. You can learn more at http://www.clearthebenchcolorado.org (search keywords Dirty Dozen, Amazon Tax, etc). Matt Arnold is the executive director and primary spokesman for the grassroots effort to restore accountability to Colorado’s judiciary, Clear The Bench Colorado.
Colorado Citizens’ Budget The Independence Institute
To address a shortfall of about one billion dollars faced by Colorado’s state government for the coming fiscal year of 2011-12, the Independence Institute put together a team of people led by Fiscal Policy Center Director Penn Pfiffner to study Colorado’s budget problems. The result of their hard work and diligence is the Colorado Citizens’ Budget. The proposed budget provides a roadmap for Colorado to “close next year’s billion-dollar budget problem, and establish a sustainable trend line for balanced budgets into the future, by undertaking a package of realistic spending revisions with no increases in taxes or fees.” This is certainly a worthy path to take. The budget shows where hundreds of millions of dollars can be saved across all agencies of state government, including K-12, Higher Education, PERA, Medicaid, Transportation, and Corrections. Accomplishing sustainable state government calls for system wide “process, policy, and structural changes, some of
which will require voter approval.” It calls for placing government services into a priority list and for managing and measuring those services in terms of benefits received. The budget has been presented to the Colorado legislature early in this new session. What is needed now is for our legislators to be persuaded that they cannot continue the business-as-usual, stopgap, short-term fixes that have only put off disaster to another day, and have not truly addressed the budget problems for the long term. Citizens of Colorado must now let their legislators know that the Colorado Citizens’ Budget is the right approach to take in solving Colorado’s budget woes. Let’s encourage them to muster the political will and courage to see it through. To learn more about Colorado Citizens’ Budget visit http://www.i2i.org/. If you want a copy of the full version of the budget, call Julie Mallon at 303-279-6536 x223.
[Confinement] to a passive commerce would [compel us] to see the profits of our trade snatched from us, to enrich our enemies and persecutors. [Our] spirit of enterprise…an inexhaustible mine of national wealth, would be stifled and lost; and poverty and disgrace would overspread our country. —Alexander Hamilton
10 | The Constitutionalist Today, February 2011
How to Bring Real Change to the State GOP Chuck O’Reilly, Guest Writer
There are many of us that believe there should be changes at the state level of the Republican Party. This discussion is less about why and more about how real change might be brought to our state’s Republican office. To bring about real change, the bylaws of the Colorado Republican Committee (CRC) should be changed. To change the bylaws the leadership of the CRC should be changed. To change the leadership of the CRC, the officers of each county’s Republican Party that elect the officers of the CRC should be reminded of the failures of the state Republican Officers over the past two years. Those failures would be summarized with three words: Transparency, Accountability and Communications. This means new leadership is required for improvement. Every two years in March or April, the three officers of the state’s CRC are elected by the members of the Colorado Central Committee. The state’s central committee is made up of the Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary of each of the 64 counties in Colorado along with various elected officials (who should be very busy at the state capital or their respective counties) and the bonus delegates. The more populous counties are given bonus delegates for every additional 10,000 Republican votes cast for the Governor; however, because Tancredo received most of the Republican votes in November, there will be very few bonus delegates for the larger counties. This lack of bonus delegates raises the importance of the votes to be cast by the smaller counties and may be the second most significant result of the governor’s race in 2010. Rural counties now have equal standing with metro counties in the number of voting members on the CRC’s central committee. In 2011 only five counties will have bonus members attending the CRC (El Paso will have 6, Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson, and Larimer will each have 2 for a total of 14). This is a reduction of 116 bonus members from 130 two years ago. The result of the governor’s race gives the rural counties of Colorado an equal voice at the state’s central committee. The rural counties have a two year window to be a part of bringing positive change to the state GOP. If you are an officer of the local Republican Party in one of the smaller counties such as Delores County
or Baca County, you should be thinking about how you might change the state GOP for the better. During January and February of this year, each county will be electing their respective Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary. A grassroots team is putting together a list of the current officers (Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary) of each of Colorado’s 64 counties. This list will be a powerful tool for us to communicate with each of the county officers that after their elections in January or February will become members of the CRC. This list is not complete and many of the names will change after the Jan or Feb county central committee elections. You can help us update the list with names of the new officers and the email addresses of all of the officers. The email addresses make communicating with all of the county people easier. During our initial efforts to talk to these officers, we found that many of the newer officers were not aware of the role they might play in the coming two years at the state level. As we acquire email addresses of the officers and members of the central committee of the various counties, we will be sending them various kinds of information related to the coming meeting of the CRC such as a copy of the CRC bylaws, the importance of the upcoming CRC meeting in March or April, and the names and information of any candidates for state office that make themselves known to us. Later we will brief the county officers on proposed changes to the CRC’s bylaws. If you have ever thought about engaging in the county level of the Republican Party or you want to back someone who does, then get involved now. There is no rest in our effort to make the Colorado’s state Republican officers accountable to the people that elected them. To help, email the individuals below or contact your local 9-12 or other grassroots group. More importantly, get involved in your county’s Republican Party as a Precinct Person, District Captain or an officer. Electing county officers that want positive change at the state level should be our next step. Stay strong if you are already working toward this goal. The Hub: ChuckInLarkspur@q.com; State Leadership Forum: jim4teller@gmail.com
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Centennial State | Colorado Issues
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12 | The Constitutionalist Today, February 2011
Leah Hotchkiss, Senior Staff Writer
Have you ever wondered what the term “unaffiliated” means? It is one of your options when you register to vote in Colorado. Growing up here, most everyone I knew was an unaffiliated (UNA) voter. As part of our Colorado Constitution we are given another choice besides the two major party system, other states do not. Back in the day, it was understood that there are two main reasons to be an unaffiliated voter: a) voting isn’t hard, just do your homework and pick the guy that you agree with; b) it is irritating to be hit up for money, asked to volunteer, and/or get an avalanche of mailers during election season. Sorry, RNC and DNC, chalk it up to our rugged individualism. Colorado unaffiliated voters were reliably conservative, voted mostly Republican, and we trusted the government. The political ideas shifted with an influx of new residents, and Colorado split into the harsh political divides we see today. Then came the large money, the 527’s, and a breakdown of ethics in both parties. With this divide we are seeing something new—the UNA candidate. So what is unaffiliated and what are their beliefs? I’ve heard it used in the strict Constitutional ideal, in line with the beliefs of George Washington and his dislike for the corruption of the party system, and also to purport progressive ideology and method. At its base, unaffiliated is not a set of ideals. It is a system of engaging in government that chooses to side-step special interest, partisan bickering, and get to the root of a problem. Many also see being unaffiliated as a way to remove corruption from the system and get back to discussing different political ideologies and their pros or cons in a civic forum without outside special interests controlling the dialogue. Michael Kearns ran as an UNA in Congressional District 6. He sees two major flaws in the two-party system. The first problem is money which has too much influence within the parties. A person who wants to be a candidate must bring money to the table before the major parties will consider them. The second problem is an unengaged electorate. To solve this problem Kearns proposes new ways of engaging the public through technology. He says having a direct link to lawmakers and government workings in a transparent forum where the average person can have a voice would be a step in the right direction. Kearns is working to change minds so that more voters understand the concept of self-governance, regardless of ideology. Self-governance meaning that individuals should be engaged in the shaping of public discussions and direction, not power brokers in the capitols. Information should also be easily obtained, thus creating an open arena in which ideas and real world solutions can drive government, not government driving the people. My interview with Kearns confirmed that at least one UNA candidate under-
stood that it is up to the people to be informed and not give too much credence to party because it is easily corrupted. An UNA voter or candidate should be a true party of one; an individual making informed decisions and directly participating in government. Unfortunately, in our current political atmosphere, any idea that appears to be a potential voting power base becomes a battle ground. Nationally, I found examples of every political ideology within the unaffiliated banner. They ranged from pure Marxism to Constitutional conservative. All were trying to claim the name as their own. All were trying to define UNA as their own special political ideology. All had agendas to push, and they simply ignored the fact that the idea of UNA is that there is
Kearns is working to change minds so that more voters understand the concept of self-governance, regardless of ideology. no agenda. It is simply the idea that each person should engage in self-governance, and make an informed choice at the voting booth. The Christian Science Monitor ran a piece by Jackie Salit whose first claim was “Tea partyers [sic] are disgruntled social conservatives aiming to take control of the Republican Party. Independents and unaffiliates [sic] are the anti-party force, trying to restructure the partisan political system.” Using the terms “independent” and “unaffiliated” interchangeably, the article continues to lay claim to the UNA tag and define it as the leftist “black, Latino, gay, and progressive communities.” The national movement is trying to take the UNA name, make it a progressive brand, and use it to push the agenda of the far left. Conversely, at one point Pat Buchanan also dabbled in the UNA movement. The progressives are using the confusion about unaffiliated, independent, and third party voters and candidates to push an agenda for pure democracy which would lead to all-out communism. Great… So, when you see the UNA label, remember, you must understand the ideals that one person adheres to and you must do your homework. As more people continue to get fed up with the major parties I can hear the screaming now, “I am the true unaffiliated!” “No! I am!” Time will tell whether the UNA movement will return the American individual to participatory self-governance or simply becomes another ineffectual third party. As for myself, I believe that we will just continue to party together for awhile longer until there is no other choice but to be a party of one, an UNA. Leah is a native of Colorado, wife, mother of 3, and loves individual liberty and freedom. Her feelings on the current political atmosphere are summed up in the quote, “Why stand we here idle? What is it that we patriots wish? What would they give us? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!”
Centennial State | El Paso County
Memorial Hospital Giving Away Public Property Richard Bruce, Guest Writer The biggest giveaway of public property in state history may be coming to a ballot near you. The Colorado Springs City Council wants to give away Memorial Hospital, city-owned since 1943. Not sell it, give it away. The city must ask us, the true owners, to agree because voters approved acquiring it in 1949. Our lameduck council (a majority is term-limited) could put the issue on the April 5 ballot or
smokescreen for decisions it wants us to overlook. Look at all the laws Washington passes that Congress never even read. Fourth, the council fabricated a false image of serious scrutiny of options by appointing stooges to ratify its pre-arranged conclusion. The citizen commission was given $93,000 worth of public relations work, paid with public funds from the hospital. Why improve the image of a temporary group? Then they paid about $240,000 in consulting fees, again misusing public funds. So, we paid a Chicago consultant to advise the commission on what to advise the council on what to advise the voters on what to advise the council to do with Memorial. Whew! Fifth, the hospital again skirted illegality in spending $16,000 of public funds on full-page newspaper ads, plus more public money on polling voters, plus staff salaries for advocacy. Why? To promote a likely ballot issue to benefit insiders. That spending of our money violated the public trust and subverted a fair election; those who spent it should be fired. A year ago, net assets of the hospital, after paying all debts, were $382 million. This month, it will be over $400 million. Every running business is worth more than the sum of its parts. A fairer estimate of market value would be $500 million.
To justify this mega-ripoff, the city and hospital are peddling two giant lies. a later one. What a parting shot at voters! What a dirty trick on the next city council! What’s wrong with a giveaway? A lot! First, there is no urgent reason to dump the hospital. It is making money. In 2009, its net assets rose by $20 million. It will probably grow even faster when 2010 results are revealed. Second, the council wants to give it to an unnamed non-profit company, one probably formed by hospital insiders. That corporate entity does not even exist yet. We would be giving it to strangers. That’s bizarre. Third, the council and hospital invented a false sense of crisis to rush it past us without careful public debate. Government always uses a “crisis” as a
Like county commissioners last fall, the mayor’s task force is devising a vague ballot title to trick us into voting the opposite of what we want. That task force has also proposed that the secret non-profit receiving this $500 million business pay $5 million (one percent) to an unknown third party to buy “free” health care services for the poor. Whoopee. The city would get $500,000 in yearly payments. To bring this home, drop three zeroes. Imagine you’re selling a $500,000 freeand-clear home. A stranger offers nothing for your equity, but will give $5,000 to a third-party charity and pay you $500 yearly, way less than one month’s rental value. You should check with the local lunatic asylum; one of their politicians is missing. To justify this mega-ripoff, the city and hospital are peddling two giant lies. They say the city is required by a 1949 ordinance to raise taxes if the hospital goes broke. But with $400 million in net assets, how can it go broke? Further, the city can’t raise taxes without voter approval. The city charter and state constitution both override that outdated ordinance. The other big lie is that state law forces non-profit hospitals to use sales proceeds on health care, not public works, debt payoff, tax relief, or anything else. The law does not say that. See 6-19-102 C.R.S.
It is not Constitutional to tell any property owner how to spend its sales proceeds. It is also unclear if it applies to government-owned hospitals. Even if it does, the law requires only review of the sale by the state attorney general’s office. A “transaction” is “covered” by the law only if it sells “50% or more” of the entire hospital within five years. A sale of 45% now, 45% in five years, and the last 10% in 10 years would not be covered, so the city could spend all money received on needed infrastructure and other purposes. Picture holding a cashier’s check for $500 million. It is your money. The council wants you to close your eyes, stick your hand through a slit in a curtain, and hand that check to strangers. That’s not just criminal stupidity. It’s insanity. Stop the giveaway—save Memorial Hospital! Richard Bruce owns the three Waffle House restaurants in Colorado Springs. He is running for city council April 5. Reach him at brucefsascot@yahoo.com
Local American Legion Fosters Americanism in Youth Cindy Lyons, Senior Staff Writer The American Legion is the nation’s largest veterans service organization. It was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans’ organization. The American Legion was a vital instrument in creating the U.S. Bureau of Veteran Affairs, now known as the U.S. Department of Veterans. Among its long and storied legacy of supporting veterans, the first draft of what would later become the GI Bill of Rights was written by the American Legion in 1943. This document evolved into
ing on active duty, disabled veterans, and their families. They support the Crawford House (a VA sponsored treatment center for homeless veterans), conduct regular fundraisers and organize toy and food drives for distribution at Christmas time. Post 209 of The American Legion is a fantastic organization available to all veterans who served honorably during wartime, as identified by Congress and the National Constitution and bylaws, regardless of actual duty location. “Here the idea is that we served our time, we sacrificed for our country and consequently we are all equal,” said Mario Taracena, chaplain at Post 209. Everyone in this organization is caring and loyal to those who have served and/or are currently serving in the military, he said. Boys’ State is another example of an American Legion program supported by Post 209. American Legion Boys’ State is among the nation’s most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for U.S. high school students. It is a participatory program in which students become part of the operation of local, county and state government. Another active program includes the Junior ROTC shooting training. The post provides information on benefits and legislation affecting veterans, flag etiquette, and honors veterans from all services. Membership at Post 209 entitles you to:
• Assistance in preparing VA claims and getting accurate information concerning financial services
• Support in obtaining full medical, educational, and insurance benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs
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Post 209 of the American Legion is an organization available to all veterans who served honorably during wartime. the GI Bill in 1944, and is considered to be the legion’s single-greatest legislative achievement. Centennial Post 209 was chartered on August 18, 1976 in Colorado Springs. It fosters Americanism and sponsors youth and scouts programs and activities. Post 209 also supports high school oratorical contests and the Junior ROTC program in local area high schools. It took several years to obtain a building, but in October of 2008, an old Knights of Columbus became available for purchase. After much sweat to remodel and bring the building to standards and accessibility codes, it was opened to the public in April 2009. With more than 500 members, they are now one of the top 10 largest posts in Colorado. They continue expanding their services in the community, assisting those who served and are still serv-
• Professional representation of veterans’ interests in Congress by their staff in Washington, DC, who are fighting for legislation that protects the benefits of all veterans and their families Membership in the Legion also gives you savings, discounts and fami l y- p r o t e c t i o n benefits including: • A full year’s subscription to their monthly magazine, The American Legion Magazine • Discount rates at thousands of hotels and motels, on car rental, and moving companies • Full eligibility to participate in Legion members-only insurance plans • Additional discounts through The American Legion’s new prescription drug plan Here is the list of upcoming events for January 2011:
• 08 Jan Post and Auxiliary Meeting. Breakfast 9 a.m. Meeting 10 a.m. • 15 Jan Initiation of new members 4:00 p.m. Dinner to follow. Post 209 usually meets the second Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. for breakfast, followed by a general membership meeting at 10 a.m. The economically-priced meal is prepared by someone with chef training. If you plan to attend the breakfast, call 719-5998624 to let them know so they can have enough food available.Their building is also available for family reunions, weddings, receptions, dances for kids, etc. For more information, contact The American Legion Centennial Post 209 at 719-599-8624, or www. americanlegioncoloradosprings.org. They are located at 3613 Jeannine Dr., Colorado Springs. While Cindy Lyons would rather be writing novels or short stories, she despises being lied to by the sharply expanding federal government; as such, she has become a citizen blogger, self-trained out of deep concern for her nation and in passionate opposition to the current progressive onslaught.
www.TheConstitutionalistToday.com | 13
Centennial State | El Paso County
Another Hat Thrown Into Mayoral Race Josh Westerlund, Staff Writer Good grief, the race for to, and reforming it from top to bottom. mayor is getting crowdHe acknowledges that his ideas may cost ed! We now have 10 some people in the city government their candidates for the chief jobs, but he’s willing to make hard decileadership position in our sions if he must. Christiansen has a Colocity. Brian Bahr and Budrado Springs Citizens Bill of Rights which dy Gilmore, who were the subjects of last he has published on his Web site detailmonth’s article, as well as Ken Duncan, ing exactly how he plans to run his four Tom Gallagher, Phil McDonald, Dave years and how he plans to treat the people Munger, Kelly Pero-Luckhurst, Richard of our city. His purposes can be boiled Skorman and, now, Mitch Christiansen, down to one real point: restoring the city whom I had the pleasure of sitting down to a financially stable point and making it with this month. sustainable for future generations. “I’m a person Christiansen that will not take has no major pono for an answer,” litical experience was Christiansen’s in his past, but initial response he is not afraid of when asked what hard work. He was he would bring to raised on a farm the job of mayor. working hard to And that is cerhelp his family tainly the impreskeep food on the sion I got sitting table, and worked across the table for most of his from him. From adult life in the the brief time I construction inspent with him it dustry. He and his Mitch Christiansen seemed clear that wife moved to the Christiansen is not a person who can be Springs in 1992 after falling in love with bothered being a smooth talker, nor does our city during several visits. he have time to play games. He reminded One thing you’ll find out about Chrisme a lot of my grandfather: blunt, and to tiansen if you dig at all is that he is a 20the point. year cancer survivor and at a few points Christiansen only wants to serve one during his battle with the disease utilized term, because he thinks that should be all medical marijuana. The last he used it was that is needed to fix the financial mess our in September of ‘09 and he is not a habitcity is in. He wants to pick apart the city ual user. He is completely open about this budget line by line, cutting what needs to and does not make any attempt to cover be cut, adding to what needs to be added it up. I admire the fact that he’s straight-
forward, especially considering all the debate going on about dispensaries. Overall, I think Christiansen is just as good a candidate as any of the other conservatives in the race. I enjoyed my sit down with him, and encourage you to learn more about him by visiting his Web site, www.talktomitch.com. The ballots for our city elections will be mailed out on March 11 and the deadline to have them in is Election Day, April 5. After the elections, as a result of the strong mayor ballot issue, if no one receives 51 percent of the vote there will be a run-off election between the top contenders. We must show up in force to support our conservative candidates and if, by no
surprise, no one gets the required half the votes to take it all out, there will be no time for bickering, infighting, or being jaded because your guy didn’t win. We cannot afford to have anyone with a liberal or progressive bent running our city. For more information about the mayoral and city council candidates go to www.TheSpringsForum.com. Josh Westerlund is a married father of three. He works for a national telecommunications company and is a constitutional activist in his free time. He is a die-hard Natural Law advocate, firearms enthusiast and a red-blooded American patriot. You can contact him at josh@theconstitutionalisttoday.com.
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The Republic As it Stands | National Issues
Dangers of a Leadership Lack Col Jimmie H. Butler, USAF Ret, Contributing Writer When a president’s core belief is all-politics, allthe-time, it’s difficult for him or her to be the leader America needs. Such presidents fail to set the appropriate tone in international diplomacy, in maintaining a military that is feared by tyrant leaders around the world, in maintaining America’s robust economy—and even in such issues of seemingly less import as honoring our dead. I’d planned to discuss the dangers of rushing through the confirmation of the new Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty during the Lame Duck session of Congress. As a retired military officer, I worry about that confirmation. Unfortunately, some Republican senators share the blame with the leftists who aren’t concerned about weakening America’s security. However, the aftermath of the recent murders in Tucson moved me to discuss the disappointing lack of true presidential leadership that naturally incorporates the dignity and power of that revered office. I’m biased by countless military ceremonies I’ve attended. I’ve routinely witnessed how to honor our dead in the solemn, respectful way done by military people who truly mourn the losses of good and dedicated Americans. As I watched the somewhat raucous memorial service for the deceased in Tucson, I recognized immediately that the behavior
was beneath the dignity deserved by the victims and their families. Some have suggested the president was surprised, as well. That may be true, but a president with any sense of leadership would have put a stop to the bad behavior before and during the ceremony. True leaders I knew during my military service would never have allowed the “Together We Thrive” t-shirts to be distributed at a memorial service. Only an all-politics, all-the-time president would have such followers. Who with any sense of dignity would recycle a 2008 anti-free-enterprise
other political and media hacks followed. When the facts about the shooter proved their speculation to be untrue, they fell back upon their old standbys of the need for gun control and for more civility—in the free speech of those who oppose the current attempt to socialize America. Krugman’s initial piece also revealed a tactic of followers of the Marxist, Alinsky. Make up words that have a ring of truth to them—then make them a false accusation against the other side. Consider these two sentences in Krugman’s opening salvo against the enemies of the left: “But violent acts are what happen when you create a climate of hate. And it’s long past time for the GOP’s leaders to take a stand against the hatemongers.” I agree with all that except “GOP’s leaders” should be replaced by “President Obama.” Reread the statement with that change and you’ll see the true solution to the divisiveness that’s been a standard tactic of the Obama Administration. A real American leader would have come out with a statement immediately after the Krugman accusations that said—in a term I learned in the military—“Knock it off.” His administration had no hesitation in coming out full-throated against any rush to judgment after the Fort Hood shootings November 5, 2009 when an Islamic radical murdered 13 American soldiers while
When a president’s core belief is all-politics, all-the-time, it’s difficult for him or her to be the leader America needs. campaign slogan and intrude on that memorial with such political nonsense? I find that shameless—but generally radical liberals have no shame. A great president would have shown leadership beginning on the day of the Tucson shootings. Radical leftist New York Times columnist Paul Krugman posted within two hours of the murders that the shooting likely was politically motivated. He immediately linked the shootings to Tea Party opposition to the congresswoman and talked of the “. . . rhetoric of Beck, Limbaugh, etc.” A feeding frenzy of leftist politicians and
reportedly shouting, “Allahu Akbar!” He was captured at the scene of the shootings as well. So, truth in his case, was obvious immediately but America shouldn’t rush to judgment in that case. What’s the difference between these two murderous rampages? For an allpolitics, all-the-time president, both responses were political. The Obama administration sees the Tea Party movement as a great threat to having eight years to transform America. They are considerably less concerned about a radical movement that actually is at war with America. When the next major successful attack against America comes, I suspect their plan is to escape accountability by blaming it on George Bush. This administration believes it can get away with convincing America that the problem isn’t gross malfeasance in the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security. But the president’s policy of putting politics first in those bureaucracies is a threat to all Americans even if he believes the strategy will help him get a second term. America deserves better. The Tucson memorial service reminds me of why I’ll be satisfied if this president never sets foot on the sacred ground of Arlington National Cemetery. Jimmie H. Butler is a retired USAF veteran who flew 240 combat missions in Cessnas, mostly over the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos. He is the author of A Certain Brotherhood and two techno-thrillers.
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The Republic As it Stands | National Issues
Tucson Tragedy Blame Game Responsible Journalism is Obsolete Chuck Graybill, Featured Writer The recent Tucson tragedy and rush to judgment about the gunman’s political and social influences, and motivation underscore the need for responsible news reporting, perhaps, now more than ever. Professional media, the local sheriff (largely to cover his department’s own shortcomings), and many politicians—nee opportunists—had their storylines developed and in print or on-air before the facts were known. They refused to retract their baseless accusations and defamatory, incendiary rhetoric even after the facts were known. We are living in an organized information wasteland. If not for Fox News and the internet, we would be receiving few, if any, facts not politically sanitized, screened, filtered and marketed. In our city, our daily newspaper is a shell of its former self; largely a re-printer, not a reporter of the news, and with little insight. Headlines and articles often focus more on Denver or, if local, reflect the “establishment” perspective, again with little or no insight or challenge to that “party line.” Baby Boomers, their elders and some younger generation members are starved for news, facts and the unvarnished truth, not some writer, broadcaster, politician or political pundit’s opinion of what happened, and certainly not some fairy tale concocted to promote an agenda or belief. Why was the media’s indictment of the Tea Party, conservative talk radio and “right wing extremism” so widely accepted and promoted by many media
outlets long before the truth was told and the Tucson gunman’s background investigated? Because journalism is dead! The imposters today purportedly plying the trade are more concerned with making the news than breaking the news, and with gaining political favor.
The imposters today purportedly plying the trade are more concerned with making the news than breaking the news, and with gaining political favor. The media elite, like many of our elected officials seem to believe we are incapable of thinking, reasoning and interpreting for ourselves, therefore they must assume that role for us. Why let the facts get in the way of an opportunity to capitalize on a crisis? Why let the facts impede an opportunity to influence our thinking and convolute the truth to match their message? Why search for facts or ask the pertinent questions when it’s easier and more politically expedient to make up a story and try to convince us the facts are lies? Today’s mainstream and broadcast media appear addicted to sensationalized soundbites and broad based acceptance of their peers. They apparently dare not to be different for fear of alienation and peer ridicule. The very same media outlets and personnel that refused to refer to the Fort Hood shooter as a terrorist immediately portrayed the Tucson gunman as a right-wing extremist with ties to a
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Chuck Graybill is the owner of Maggie Maes Restaurant, a former financial executive with BP, and author of Cannibals of Capitalism.
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minutes later with assurances that everything was okay. The flight crew, however, refused to fly with the Muslims on board and deplaned. A new flight crew boarded minutes later and told all passengers to prepare for takeoff. Our two Texans decided «no mas” and led enough of the passengers off the plane to cause AirTran to cancel the flight. A slightly different version of reality, huh? Why the cover-up of the failure of Homeland Security’s finest granny gropers and child fondlers, and Americans’ refusal to knuckle-under to their threats? Where were our professional journalists? Where are the real professional journalists when we need them most? We must replace the imposters! Sidenote: For all of you who did not notice, Obama started his re-election campaign with his recent speech in Tucson. Get ready for two years of campaigning!
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ridiculously wide range of conservative icons and publications. Where were the media outlets when 11 Muslims in traditional attire so disrupted an AirTran flight from Atlanta to Houston that the flight had to be canceled last November? Fox News mentioned the flight was canceled because a passenger refused to turn off his cell phone prior to takeoff. Wow, what an understatement! An eyewitness account from a passenger expanded that story line to describe two Muslims talking to each other via cell phones in the cabin, two more refusing to turn off their pornographic video, and seven others roaming the cabin as the plane was taxiing down the runway for takeoff. They ignored flight attendants directions and requests to turn off their electronic devices and return to their seats. Finally, two Texans had seen and heard enough and took matters into their own hands. As the Texans were “persuading” two of the alleged transgressors to return to their seats the plane stopped. Three TSA agents and four police officers boarded the plane, then escorted the 11 men with their luggage from the plane, only to allow the men back on the plane
Tom Gehrmann, DC. John Davis, DC. Eric Carlson, DC
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Jefferson and Lincoln: A 21st Century Solution Steve House, Guest Writer There are many characteristics to describe leadership which some of our early presidents embodied. Charisma, competence, character, vision and experience are a few. I define leadership by what a person proposes to do and accomplishes. In that regard, I believe there are two types of leaders: visionaries and motivators. Real leaders are usually one or the other. Rarely, are they both. Visionaries are those who can make people believe in something. They see a future that is different and convince others to believe in it. There have been great visionaries like Leonardo DaVinci and Thomas Jefferson, whose far reaching visions changed our world. Motivating leaders are those who inspire you to do something. Abraham Lincoln and George Patton are examples of good motivators. Lincoln wasn›t a man with vision, but he was motivated to execute our Founding Fathers› vision of a united America and all men living as equals. His ability to get people to do the tough things necessary to follow through with the vision, primarily created by Jefferson, is what makes him one of our greatest presidents. The question that every corporate board of directors and every American should ask is, “Do we have both a visionary and a motivator leading our companies and our country?” One person cannot do it alone unless they happen to be Gandhi or Martin Luther King. Visionaries know how to motivate people to take action on their vision, but they don›t like doing it and are not passionate about it.
Motivators have a vision for how to get people to act, but will typically get frustrated by a lack of ideas of what to do, rather than how to do it. We need Tom and Abe today more than ever. What should 21st century America look like? What should our vision be? Who will motivate us to make that vision a reality? We are in the midst of an economic downturn caused in part by bad policy in Washington, which was probable given the demographics of the Baby Boomers. Poor legislative decisions hastened the problem. About once in the lifespan of a gen-
cally so Americans could spend their money on quality of life enhancements instead of government programs that inherently have a lot of waste in them. Our vision for a 21st century America needs development but the foundation of that vision is still the same as it has always been. Empower people to make their own decisions, take risk with their property instead of putting money into taxes for a government whose efficiencies and productivity levels are so much lower than the private sector that significant amounts of it are wasted. We cannot afford waste in a time where an aging population needs healthcare, and a new generation of children need education. We cannot afford waste at a time when the cost of deficits exceeds our ability to pay them off. We need to do what history told us to do by its ex-
Our vision for a 21st century America needs development but the foundation of that vision is still the same as it has always been. eration you have the type of economy we currently are experiencing. It has been 80 years since the last one. We don›t have political leaders or corporate leaders in power today that have any experience with the problems we face. They simply weren›t old enough the last time it happened to know anything about it. My suggestion, from a perspective of someone who has studied history and economics, is to take a lesson from Harry Truman. In the face of that type of economy, post war with most of the consumption based drivers that made the economy come back in 30’s now gone, President Truman did exactly what we need to do. He cut the size of government dramati-
ample so many times. Cut government spending to no more than 20% of GDP. Mandate that it be kept there and we will always have the economic performance we need as a nation. Reduce taxes to only support the 20% of GDP figure. Allow private sector companies and entrepreneurs to provide services that consumers choose through their buying habits not through government mandates. Our vision for the 21st century should be: cut government spending to historically successful levels at 20%, then allow the leaders who are entrepreneurs and inventors to create the type of products and services needed to make this country what it has always been—an incubator for the best life style on the planet. Steve House is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Program of the Rockies and current advisory board member. He is an author and a student of economic and social history.
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. —Abraham Lincoln
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To advertise your restaurant here please call: 719-260-7776. THE AIRPLANE RESTAURANT Our centerpiece is a Boeing KC-97 where passengers can eat. Our menu features burgers, pastas, salads, fresh fish and steaks. We also have a full bar. Located near the intersection of Fountain Blvd. and Powers Blvd. Just look for the plane! 570-7656
KRESSA’S KITCHEN Family style restaurant with good ole home cooking. Hours: Monday 9:00 am– 2:00 pm, Tuesday–Friday 6:00 am–2:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 am–2:00 pm, Friday and Saturday dinner 5:00–9:00 pm. Located at 660 Peterson Road (just off E. Platte between Marksheffel and N. Powers). 719-550-0324.
ALTITUDE SWEETS BAKERY Pastries, breads, award winning cinnamon rolls, specialty personalized cakes, and the only place in the Springs to get real kolaches! Baked fresh daily with no preservatives, using ingredients from Colorado. Corner of Tutt and N. Carefree. www.altitudesweets.com 573-8217
L&L HAWAIIAN BARBECUE Authentic Hawaiian style favorites known as “local” food in the Islands. Best of The Springs 2009 and 2010. E komo Mai and enjoy the real taste of aloha. Catering for all occasions. At Powers, across from Costco. 570-1888 Monday–Saturday 10:00 am–9:00 pm, Sunday 11am–8pm www.hawaiianbarbecue.com
AUNT NELLIE’S Aunt Nellie’s uses the finest ingredients to create delicious products. We use real butter, pure vanilla, quality chocolate and natural ingredients like nuts and dried fruit. 5901 Delmonico Dr., 531-5170, www.auntnellie.com.
LANNA THAI All dishes prepared with the fresh ingredients. Try the famous Pad Thai or Panang curry. Best Thai beer selection in town. Located at 8810 N. Union in the Albertson’s Shopping Center in Briargate. Open Monday–Saturday. Call for hours, 282-0474.
BAMBINO’S ITALIAN EATERY & CATERING CO. Family owned and operated for 32 years. Italian buffet offered daily for lunch and Wednesday & Sunday evenings. Kids eat free on Monday & Tuesday. Homemade pizza, pasta & sandwiches. Sports bar, banquet room. Military appreciation Monday. SE Corner of Platte & Circle, 630-8121. BILLY’S PIZZA Billy’s takes pride in the fact that everything is handmade, on site, from scratch in order to provide you with the freshest dining experience possible. Located at 308 S. 8th St. Dine-in or carryout. Catering available. Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 11:00 am–10:00 pm, closed Sunday and Monday, 719-630-3400.
LOUIE’S PIZZA Subs, Salads and More. Same great taste and quality we’ve been serving Colorado Springs for 25 years. Try our new Take-N-Bake Pizza! Five locations in Colorado Springs. Monday–Thursday 11:00 am–11:00 pm, Friday & Saturday 11:00 am–12:00 am, Sunday 11:00 am–11:00 pm.
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BLACK FOREST BISON Direct from the ranch sales. All natural/organic, 100% grass fed bison meat, “Gourmet to Go” heat and eat bison dinners, award winning bison jerky, farm fresh eggs & local raw honey. 1234 E. Woodmen Rd., 488-3898, www.BlackForestBison.com
MAGGIE MAE’S RESTAURANT AND PUB Homemade from scratch! Biscuits and gravy, mouth-watering soups, handcut steaks and prime rib, hand-formed burgers, hot beef sandwiches, awesome French dips, and the best green chili this side of heaven. 2405 Pikes Peak Ave., Call for hours: 475-1623 THE MASON JAR American comfort food served in a casual Colorado lodge atmosphere with full service bar. Two locations: 2925 West Colorado Ave, 632-4820; 5905 Corporate Dr. and I-25 (Exit 148). Call for hours, 260-6555. MCCABE’S TAVERN Traditional Irish pub with some of the best Irish fare in town. We broadcast soccer games from the MLS to the English Premier League on our big screen TVs, 520 South Tejon. Call for hours, 633-3300.
BUFFALO WILD WINGS Award-winning wings, 14 signature sauces, full bar, 39 HDTVs to watch your favorite sports, free wi-fi. Hours: Monday–Thursday, 11:00 am–1:00 am; Friday & Saturday, 11:00 am– 2:00 am; Sunday 11:00 am– 12:00 am, 7425 N. Academy Blvd., 594-WING
MEADOW MUFFINS We are famous for our hamburgers and chicken wings. The atmosphere is decorated with old movie artifacts with many items from Gone with the Wind, Superman, fans from Casablanca and many more. 2432 West Colorado Ave., 633-0583
CAPTAIN D’S Come in and enjoy our delicious seasoned tilapia, flaky wild Alaskan salmon and classic 2-piece fish dinner. Sit down quality food at a price that won’t break the bank. Five locations in Southern Colorado. (See our ad this issue.)
MY SISTER’S KITCHEN Since 1989. Jacque & Jill will give you 10% OFF when you mention this ad. Open for breakfast and lunch Monday–Saturday 6:00 am–2:00 pm. Located at 2416 East Boulder St., 719-475-2621.
CASPIAN CAFÉ Step through the entrance of Caspian Café and be transported to an exotic land where a variety of beautifully prepared and incredibly delicious culinary creations tantalize your senses. East of I-25, south of Garden of the Gods Rd., 4375 Sinton Rd., 528-1155.
NEMO’S COFFEE The best little secret coffee and sandwich shop, just east of downtown! Amazing coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies and frappes. Fresh homemade pastries, sandwiches, soup, salads, breakfast burritos, bagels, and croissant breakfast sandwiches! 600 sq ft conference room with projector and sound system!
COFFEE AND TEA ZONE The best in coffee, bubble tea, zone berry frozen yogurt, smoothies, ice cream, free wi-fi. Internet Café with 4-hi tech computers. Four locations: Rockrimmon/ Delmonico (599-8841), Voyager Pkwy (488-8893), downtown on Tejon (6323887), and our new location at off Powers near the IMAX Theater (550-1243).
NOCON’S GELATORIA Italian Gelato is a healthy treat! Our fruit flavors are gluten and lactose free and our cream based flavors are gluten free. Located at 8816 N. Union Blvd, 2823135. Open Monday–Saturday, 12:00 pm–8:00 pm.
COPPER CREEK COFFEE Your conservative coffee shop with free Wi-Fi! Home of the “Palin Mocha” and the “Butter Rumsfeld.” We serve baked muffins, smoothies, pastries, and breakfast “Breggos.” 3315 W. Carefree Cir. Hours: Monday–Friday 7:00 am–6:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 am–2:00 pm, 597-4189
NORTH END DINER Colorado Spring’s Old-Fashioned American Diner Since 1958. Dine-In, Takeout, Local Delivery, Catering, Call Ahead. Hours: Monday 6:00 am–4:00 pm, Tuesday–Saturday 6:00 am–10:00 pm, Sunday 7:00 am–4:00 pm. Located at 3005 N Hancock. 719-442-1833.
DAT’S ITALIAN! Family recipe cuisine that’s been passed down four generations. You’ll enjoy delicious affordable meals with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Located at 2514 West Colorado Avenue, Old Colorado City. Call for hours, 632-3287. ERIC’S MONUMENT GRILLE Our casual American menu offers flavorful food cooked to order in a timely manner at a reasonable price. Enjoy murals of Colorado while you eat. We offer an extensive kids’ menu. 1455 Cipriani Loop, Monument, 594-4300
OLIVER’S DELICATESSEN This cozy neighborhood deli located in the Rockrimmon area is the place to be anytime Monday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch. 6602-A Delmonico Dr., Hours: Monday–Friday 6:00 am–4:00 pm, Saturday 8:00 am–2:00 pm, 599-9411
EXTREME PIZZA Handmade the way it should be: fresh cut vegetables—not canned, dough made in our store—not frozen. We deliver honestly good tasting pizza loaded with toppings. Delivery, pickup, or dine in. 7340 N. Academy Blvd. For more info: www.extremepizza.com, 522-1515
PATSY’S CANDIES We believe the best confections start with the best ingredients: real butter, pure chocolate, real cream, no additives, or preservatives. Most candied popcorn is made with burnt sugar. Patsy’s is made with pure butterscotch. 1540 S 21st Street, 633-7215
FAIRWAY GRILL & PUB Menu includes burgers and guilt-free fries, stacks, wraps, soups, salads, pizza and more! Our food is always fresh, never fried. Open 7 days a week. Sand Creek Golf Course, 6865 Galley Road. Call for hours: 597-5489.
ROCCO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT Italian restaurant with fresh pastas, home-made lasagna, mouth-watering charbroiled steaks and seafood. Full bar and banquet room. Located at 3878 Maizeland. Call for hours: 574-1426.
FIX-A-FEAST We prepare quality “Take & Bake” Meals. Just call ahead and we will have them ready for you. all natural meats, fish & poultry, amazing deli and catering for all your office/private party needs. 5901 Delmonico Drive, 531-5170.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN DOGS ‘N FAT BOYS Vienna Beef Chicago style dogs and huge Fat Boy sandwiches. Located at Nevada and Fillmore, 2907 N. Nevada. Open 7 days a week, 11:00 am–4:00 pm. Come hungry and come today! 719-473-2502
FLYING W WESTERN STEAKHOUSE Chuckwagon Suppers and an Original Western Music Show. Open Friday and Staurday nights at 5pm and 8pm. Reservations Necessary at 719-598-4000. www.flyingw.com
SCHNITZEL FRITZ Serving the largest traditional variety of Schnitzel’s, Bratwurst in Colorado Springs. Check out our daily specials. Homemade German potato salad, sauerkraut, red cabbage, authentic cakes. “Bringing the BEST of Germany to Colorado”. Located at 4037 Tutt Boulevard. 719-573-2000.
FRANKIE’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL This casual neighborhood sports tavern and grill offers delicious food, good service, big screens & pool tables. Two locations: Powers & Galley in Colorado Springs, 574-4881; Woodman & Meridian in Falcon 495-8707, www.FrankiesBarGrill.com
South Jersey Subs
SOUTH JERSEY SUBS Want a real sub with only the finest deli meats, cheeses and toppings? Our subs are loaded with goodness in every bite. Your mouth will be watering and you’ll come back for more! Located at 1726 Brookwood. Call for hours, 531-5100.
FRONT RANGE BBQ Southern-style slow smoked BBQ & home cooked meals from scratch. Two locations: 2330 W. Colorado, 632-2596; 4935 Templeton Gap Rd., 5988895. Visit our website for menus, catering, live music & events schedule: www.frbbq.com
SOPA’S RESTAURANT Soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas and roasted chicken. Smoothies and milk shakes made with real fruit. Open daily from 7:00 am–8:00 pm. Breakfast served until 11:00 am. Located in the Cheyenne Mountain Shopping Center at South Academy and Hwy 115. 719-538-7672.
JAKE AND TELLY’S We offer an array of traditional and family recipes such as lamb dishes, casseroles and mezzedakias (appetizers) and world-class wines. Located in Old Colorado City, in 26th block of Colorado Ave. Hours: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, 7 days a week.
THUNDER AND BUTTONS Gourmet pub fare featuring elk chili, buffalo burgers, and more. Serving Colorado beers on tap. Entertainment nightly, karaoke, live bands, comedy and more! 2415 W. Colorado Ave. For hours and entertainment info: 447-9888, www.thunderandbuttons.com
JOEY’S PIZZA From pizza by the slice, specialty pizzas, calzones, stromboli, subs, salads and more, there will be a taste of New York in every bite. 1829 Briargate Blvd (across from Chapel Hills Mall), 265-6922
VIETNAMESE GARDEN We serve authentic Vietnamese cuisine made from scratch, no MSG, gluten free meals and take out available. Military discount. 3043 W. Pikes Peak Avenue. Hours are 11am–8pm Tuesday–Sunday, closed Mondays. 520-9299, www. vietnamesegarden.net
Second Amendment | The Right to Bear Arms
Believe It or Not, Guns are Your Friends Josh Westerlund, Staff Writer Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American… the unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the People. — Tench Coxe, Pennsylvania Delegate to the Continental Congress, 1788-89
Dear fellow citizens, this may be hard to read. As I write this there is a congresswoman laying in a hospital bed in Arizona, a federal judge, a nine-year-old girl and four others are dead. This is a horrible tragedy, and to make it even worse there is now a massive cloud of political bickering and finger pointing. I will say this, while there was no time to stop the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords, had one or more courageous citizens in the crowd been exercising their right to be armed then perhaps other lives could have been saved. Instead of encouraging citizens to be armed, there are now calls for more restrictive gun control laws. Guns are not to blame. Firearms bring peace. Yes, you read that right, firearms bring peace. Any place where law abiding citizens are freely able to be armed, the crime rate falls. Those citizens who choose to legally carry a firearm are far less likely to commit a crime than those who do not. The shining example of this does not even occur within our borders, but in the nation of Switzerland. Every male goes through a boot camp and upon completion is given a fully automatic rifle and ammunition to keep at their homes. With all those military grade weapons do you think there is an increase in gun crime? No. There are still crazy people who use their guns, but the majority of gun crime in Switzerland is carried out with illegally owned weapons. Even that pales in comparison to the number of people killed with bladed weapons, which is over five times the number of those killed with firearms. There is one truth that has been proven over and over throughout history and all over the world. The more law abiding citizens are armed, and the better they are armed, the lower the crime rate. Consider this: if a would be rapist knew that there was a 75 percent chance that his target was armed and prepared to kill him, would he still go through with it? If every convenience store had a 12-gauge under the counter, would as many stores be robbed? Let’s take this one step further, drawing back to the founders and
the true meaning of the 2nd Amendment. While defending ourselves against criminals is an important aspect of being armed, the founders wrote it for one purpose alone, to ensure the people could use violence to fight back against out of control government. One other thing history shows us; well armed populations are never exterminated by their own governments. Every genocide in the 20th century was perpetrated against unarmed (some recently disarmed) populations. The 2nd Amendment reads: “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Why this is misinterpreted I do not know. It is clear as day that the right to keep and bear arms by the people is subject to no government infringement. Infringement is any law, any regulation, or anything else the government may pass to restrict the use of a weapon. The only restriction that should be placed on weapons of any kind is that the person bearing it can have it for legal purposes only. We currently have more than 16,000 people permitted to carry in El Paso County. That’s roughly one in 25 people that is permitted to be armed. That is simply not enough. How many murders and rapes could have been prevented in this city if the innocent took their protection into their own hands? The police cannot be everywhere, and as demonstrated by Castle Rock v. Gonzales, they are not even required to protect you! We must take our protection as a personal responsibility, not as something others will provide. There are bad people in the world, regardless of legislation telling them to stop doing bad things. We must be ready to defend ourselves against all enemies whether they be hoodlums, invaders, or the very government itself. Even Congresswoman Giffords took her responsibility to protect herself seriously. She had her personal firearm in her purse. It’s a shame she didn’t have time to react to the attempt on her life and the lives of others. The greater shame is that nobody else took their responsibility seriously, and six people, including a precious nineyear-old girl, died as a result. Josh Westerlund is a married father of three. He works for a national telecommunications company and is a constitutional activist in his free time. He is a die-hard Natural Law advocate, firearms enthusiast and a red-blooded American patriot. You can contact him at josh@theconstitutionalisttoday.com.
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Eternal Vigilance | The Fight Against Tyranny
Getting Our History Right Dave Skiver, Contributing Writer Can you imagine a guy sending his gal a dozen roses for Valentine’s Day with a card addressed to another woman? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that wouldn’t sit well with her. Thankfully, when it comes to observing Valentine’s Day, Americans usually get it right. However, will we be as careful to get it right when it comes to observing other days or events this February, such as President’s Day, Black History Month, or the history and intent of our Constitution and its framers? Sadly, for all too many people the answer is “no.” In fact, there are many who purposely twist history in order to undermine our Constitution and the rule of law in America. The Constitution has been our nation’s shield of freedom for over 200 years, and Americans have enjoyed unprecedented liberty and prosperity under its protection. This is why those who seek to control us and restrict our liberty work so diligently to revise history. For example, they claim that the Constitution is racist based on the outrageous assertion that it declared slaves to be worth only three-fifths as much as other people. The left bases this distorted claim on Article I, Section 2, which originally said that states would have representation in the House of Representa-
tives “… according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years…three fifths of all other Persons.” There is no question that the original intent of this section was to count only three-fifths of the slaves for taxation and representation. What is in question is why the framers of the Constitution did this. Progressives would have us believe it was because the framers considered slaves to be less than human; however, nothing could be further from the truth. The very term “all other Persons” is recognition of the slaves’ humanity. As president of the Constitutional Convention, George Washington’s thoughts on slavery echoed the sentiments of many others who were there. Though a slave owner himself, Washington longed to eliminate the heinous practice: “There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery.” America’s first president understood that ultimately the fledgling republic’s very survival depended upon abolition: “I can clearly foresee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our Union.” Washington
was so concerned for the welfare of those in his charge that he would not separate families, even when times were tough and he could scarcely afford to keep all of them. And Washington practiced what he preached by freeing his slaves in his will and ensuring that his heirs continued to care for the elderly and infirmed after they were freed. (Washington’s views and quotations on slavery are from The Real George Washington, NCCS, pp. 788-790.) If so many at the Constitutional Con-
There are many who purposely twist history in order to undermine our Constitution and the rule of law in America. vention shared Washington’s beliefs, why did they count only three-fifths of the slaves for representation and taxation? Because it helped to minimize any political advantage slave ownership carried. The more slaves a state had, the more representation at the federal level, and the more clout slave owners could have in forming national policy. For the most part, abolitionists didn’t want slaves counted, while slave owners did. In the end, they compromised on counting three-fifths. Far from being a racist policy, the threefifths figure was really the first constitu-
tional step on the long and painful road to abolition. States sympathetic to slavery continued to lose political clout over the decades until many felt that the only option left was to secede from the Union. The rest, as they say, is history: President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation; the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery; the Fourteenth Amendment granting citizenship to former slaves; and then, ratified on February 3, 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment acknowledging former slaves’ right to vote. Of all that Americans observe in February—Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Black History, our Constitution, the Fifteenth Amendment, etc.—let’s be sure to get them right. One of the big guns in the left’s assault on liberty is the revision of history. If they can destroy the foundation upon which our country was built, impugning the very intent and character of our Constitution and its framers, their job will be much easier. Thankfully, we have a weapon far more powerful than any that the leftists wield. It’s called the truth. Dave Skiver, a retired Air Force officer, is also an ordained pastor, professor of communications for a major Christian university, and freelance writer/editor.
Defending the Constitution Pat Francomano, Contributing Writer On May 27, 2010, retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter delivered Harvard’s commencement speech. In describing the speech, E. J. Dionne, op-ed columnist for the Washington Post, wrote, “It should become the philosophical shot heard ‘round the country.’” Dionne is thankful that Souter has given advocates of judicial activism and of a living Constitution “fighting words of their own” to use against those, such as Justice Antonin Scalia, who believes that the Constitution should be interpreted based on the original intent of the framers. Souter does indeed come down hard on this originalist view, which he calls the “fair reading model,” but Dionne would be mistaken to conclude that Souter is making a strong argument in favor of judicial activism. Instead, Souter is claiming—and powerfully so—that the fair reading model is inadequate to be applied in all of the difficult cases that come before the Supreme Court. Behind the desire for a simpler Constitution, Souter sees a “basic human hunger” for certainty and control, and a “longing for a world without ambiguity.” But he says such a model “egregiously misses the point” in judging constitutional cases. Recalling a statement by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes that “certainty is illusion,” Souter is really saying that judging the Constitution is a hard task; very different from advocating judicial activism. Recent events have highlighted the importance of proper interpretation of the Constitution. One such event was the shootings in Tucson, Arizona on Janu-
ary 8. The shootings happened on Saturday and by Sunday just about every well-known conservative personality was accused of having caused the actions of an obvious madman. Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, all of conservative talk radio, and the entire Tea Party move-
The disregard and blatant contempt for the Constitution that has been displayed in the previous session of Congress demand such a reminder. The reading is no gimmick. ment became convenient objects of blame. Along with the blame came calls for more restrictions on free speech and tougher gun bans. These are issues of the 1st and 2nd amendments to the U. S. Constitution that will eventually be decided in the Supreme Court. Another event was the new Republican leadership having the U.S. Constitution read aloud in the House of Representatives to open the 112th Congress. Ezra Klein, staff writer for the Washington Post, said in an interview on MSNBC that this reading was an obvious political gimmick. Why a gimmick? Why not a serious reminder to elected officials of the content of the very document which they have sworn or affirmed to “support and defend … against all enemies, foreign and domestic”? If ever the U. S. Constitution needed defending, it is now. The disregard and blatant contempt for it that has been displayed in the previous session of Congress demand such a reminder. The reading is no gimmick. But Klein thinks such a reading of the Constitution is a political gimmick because: 1) it is not binding in any way; 2)
20 | The Constitutionalist Today, February 2011
the issue of the Constitution is not that people don’t read the text and think they’re following it. The issue of the Constitution, he says, “is that the text is confusing because it was written more than 100 years ago, and what people believe it says is different from person to person and different depending on what they want to get done.” So the Constitution is outdated? Are we then free to make it mean whatever we wish depending on what we want to get done? Such an idea is seen in the philosophy of legal pragmatism, founded by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Holmes saw the law as evolving custom, relative to particular times and cultures. Recall that he believed that certainty is illusion. Holmes maintained that a law is justified “not because it represents an eternal principle” such as truth or justice, but “that it helps bring out a social end which we desire.”
Isn’t this the same “ends-justify-themeans” philosophy of today’s progressives? If laws are not bound by anything more than the views of man in a moment of time, there is no law at all. We are left with the worst of all possibilities. We are left not with the rule of law, nor even the rule of man. We are left with the rule of lawless man. Yes, there is hard judging to be done. Values may change, and so may the meanings of words; but original intentions do not change. The U. S. Constitution is the framework for limited government and individual freedom. Those are the intentions that must endure. Pat Francomano is a freelance writer in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His focus is on political and social issues as they relate to individual liberty.
Rolling Back Alinsky’s Gains—Where to Start? An American Patriot, Contributing Writer Assuming you’ve learned more this past year about Alinsky and his Marxist-Socialist agenda for America, what would be the first thing you would roll back? Consider these recent decades of damage to America and to our beliefs that made this country great. So much needs to be rolled back, but where would you start? I would go after the Alinsky culture of lying, which comes from his basic standard that truth is relative and changing. So much evil flows from that. Certainly we’ve previously had scoundrels and liars in America. The greater problem is that Alinsky-ites have raised the tactic of a steady drumbeat of lies to an art form. This is the propaganda of evil under a new name. He focused on conning the middle class when he came out of the poor neighborhoods of Chicago. So we see the drumbeat of lies from the willing dupes in academia, the profession of law, the media, and, of course, the self-serving politicians who are bankrupting America. The majority of these radical leftists have willingly forfeited their integrity for a shot at more power. After all, the ends justify the means—according to Alinsky. This leftist agenda has relied on convincing more and more Americans that routine lying is acceptable—at least when it’s the Alinsky-ites telling the lies. That must be rolled back for America to return to greatness. Unfortunately, the once proud Democratic Party has been hijacked by a clique
of ambitious, self-serving, power-hungry politicians. Not a day goes by that the mainstream American media doesn’t include multiple stories filled with lies by these political leaders—right up to, and including, the president. Remember when President Clinton was caught up in perjury, and the liberal media published stories about how lying is really okay? There are few situations where lying is really okay. I can think of no situations where serial lying is okay, especially when those liars are entrusted with the highest offices in America. They get away with the serial lying because the media—and the American people—have let them. When did it become routine to excuse the breaking of campaign promises? Why should it be acceptable for politicians to lie straight-faced when trying to convince us we should elect them to offices of public trust? Politicians routinely lie during campaigns because Americans don’t hold them accountable or remember the lies two, four, or six years later. They seldom see their lying counterparts fail in reelection bids because of being dishonest with constituents. That needs
to be changed. I sense now, early in 2011, that many of us will remember the liars and the lies when we go to vote in 2012. Our best hope of getting rid of all of the damaging socialist schemes hidden in the 2000-plus pages of Obamacare is that the president’s veto of such repealing legislation can be overridden with the help of Democrats who face reelection in 2012. We must stand united with the message that lying to the American people is no longer acceptable. Most of us wouldn’t accept a spouse being a serial liar. We must reject and show disapproval to those in the government, academia, the legal system, and the media who have gotten away with lying for so long. I was bothered in the 1990s when Republicans fail to stand up against President Clinton’s lies and normally characterized him as being a likable guy. Now I hear similar statements about President Obama. I’m beyond characterizing as likable guys people who routinely lie to us and loot the treasury on behalf of their supporters whose contributions—above and under the table—keep lying politicians in power.
I’m reminded of the famous “friends, Romans, countrymen” speech in Act 3, Scene 2, of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. After the assassination of Caesar by Brutus, Marc Anthony talks of Brutus justifying the killing by accusing Caesar of being ambitious. Anthony offers examples that counter the charge, but keeps coming back to the statement that “Brutus is an honourable man.” I think of the recent years and how our president’s words include no commitment to making them true—except for promises that further his Alinskyite agenda. Remember his promise that insurance costs will go down and the government will save money, and you’ll be able to keep your doctor under Obamacare? Remember the several times he’s promised a new laser-like focus on job creation? Remember how his treasurybusting stimulus slush fund will produce millions of new jobs through shovelready projects? The media and his Alinsky-ite cronies keep telling us Obama is an honorable man. It is time for America to start holding him accountable every time he is not. Our country’s future depends on a return to honest, responsible government along with a strong repudiation of Alinsky and all he stood for.
Common Defense | Military Appreciation
Hometown Hero Lt. Col. Vic Kregel, PBY Catalina Rescue Pilot William T. Gillin, Founding Editor Spending three days and Word was relayed to the Philippine nights on a remote PhilArmy commander on the island, who ippine island with ferohad a radio message sent to the 3rd ERS. cious Moro tribesman The guerillas pulled the plane in close to would normally grip an the island and covered it with vines and outsider with fear. The Moros were notobranches. One officer and one enlisted rious for beheading Christians with their man stayed with the plane, along with razor-sharp bolo knives, half a dozen guerillas. The believing they would be other crewmen were taken rewarded in their Muslim in dugout canoes through faith. However, during a mangrove swamp, along World War II, the Japasmall streams closely bornese occupiers were their dered by dense jungle. enemies, and the Moros After several miles they loved the Americans who arrived at the Philippine were helping them liberArmy camp. The Moro ate the islands. guerillas enjoyed showIn March of 1945, Lt. ing the Americans their Vic Kregel, his copilot, curved bolo knives, tellnavigator, and three ening how they carried out listed men were stranded ambushes on the Japanese on the island of Tawi Tawi and cut their throats. in the southern PhilipEach night, one offipines. They had flown cer and one enlisted man Lt. Vic Kregel, 1943, 21 years old their PBY four and a half from the crew would take hours over 520 miles from the island of a turn staying with the airplane along Mindoro, home base of the 3rd Emergency with the Moro guards. On the third day, Rescue Squadron. The plane was stuffed another PBY from the 3rd ERS arrived with ammunition, small arms, commuwith spare parts. After the carburetor nications gear, medical supplies and rawas replaced, the engine started and both tions for the guerrilla forces resisting the Catalinas flew back to Mindoro. Besides Japanese who occupied the other end of some souvenir bolos and a pet parrot the island. which the tribesmen gave the aircrew, They landed the PBY on the water near they also took an unwelcome gift: an the beach and a flotilla of small Filipino itchy, red rash from parasites causing scaboats approached to unload the airplane. bies. The remedy at the time was almost After the goods were transferred, the airas bad as the infestation. crew started one engine, but numerous Kregel flew a total of 68 combat misattempts to start the other failed. Finally, sions, accruing 500 combat hours. The the flight engineer determined that the Catalina crews were often sent ahead of carburetor or fuel pump would need to air raids against the Japanese, who quickbe replaced. ly realized that when these planes were
arriving, fighters and bombers would hard turn which stressed the airplane so soon follow. much that the hull split. Fortunately, they One gruesome, yet rewarding, miswere rescued by a Navy LST. sion Kregel recalls was when the vilThe son of a Slovenian coal miner in lage of Port Real, P.I., was taken by the Pennsylvania, Kregel completed Army Japanese. The Japanese massacred the Air Corps pilot training in Texas, folinhabitants using mostly bayonets, and lowed by navigator training in Louisiana. threw the bodies into the village well. Next was Navy flight training in PensacThe U.S. Army entered the village and ola, Florida, where he was awarded Navy found eight pilot wings. wounded surHe and other vivors on top Catalina piof the piled lots wore both bodies. Krethe Army Air gel landed Corps and his Catalina Navy wings, and flew the one on each survivors, side of their including uniforms. a pregnant After two woman, to a years in the PaLt. Osburn with drivers of the 333rd Belgium, October 1944 hospital in cific through Manila where the end of the the baby was born. war, Kregel continued his career in the During one mission Kregel rescued Air Force and retired in 1965 as business seven P-40 pilots who had run into bad manager of athletics and golf coach at the weather off New Guinea and were forced Air Force Academy. He worked for the to ditch. On another mission, a P-40 pilot aerospace firm Ling-Temco-Vought for flew too low over a bomb he had dropped 20 years, and served as national president and the explosion blew off the fighter’s of the Air Force Association. tail. Kregel landed his PBY and picked up the pilot. William T. Gillin is a graduate of the US Air One day over the South China Sea, Force Academy and is a commercial pilot. Kregel and his crew spotted some airmen from a B-24 that had crashed and had not WWII and Korean War veterans are honyet been reported. They searched the area ored at a monthly luncheon at the Peak and rescued three survivors. Grille, 4423 Centennial Blvd., Colorado Landing on the open seas was tricky Springs. Other veterans and guests are at best and often dangerous due to the also welcome. The luncheon is the second waves and swells. During one landing, Tuesday of every month at 11 a.m. one wing of his PBY caught a wave which caused the plane to make a water loop, a
www.TheConstitutionalistToday.com | 21
Are You a Constitutionalist? Reprinted from our premiere issue by popular demand.
Bill Gillin, Founding Editor Where are you on the scale of freedom? Find out here; take this quiz! Circle your answers and total your score. 1. Strongly Disagree 2. Somewhat Disagree 3. Somewhat Agree 4. Strongly Agree 1. All Americans (and illegal aliens) have a right to free healthcare paid for by the government.t 1 2 3 4 2. All Americans (and illegal aliens) have a right to food and housing, and if they can’t provide for themselves (even if they choose not to provide for themselves), the government must provide it. 1 2 3 4
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22 | The Constitutionalist Today, February 2011
3. Guns are evil and should be banned. People don’t kill people; guns kill people. So if we ban guns there will be no more bad guys with guns. 1 2 3 4 4. “Freedom of speech” means I can say whatever I want and so can you as long as it doesn’t offend me. We need speech codes and laws against hate speech. Hate talkers like Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck should be burned at the stake as traitors to the State. 1 2 3 4 5. “Freedom of religion” means freedom for all religions except for bigoted closed-minded right-wing Christians. They have no right to speak (see Q.4). 1 2 3 4 6. The bourgeois (the rich) have oppressed the proletariat (the working class) by exploiting their fellow man, and must return what they have stolen to the people’s government so that they may spread the wealth around, just to be fair. 1 2 3 4 7. Climate change will cause either a new ice age OR a huge rise in sea levels due to melting polar ice caps, destroying all civilization, unless we end all CO2 emissions NOW! (stop breathing now). 1 2 3 4 8. Capitalism has created greedy businesses and businessmen who have reaped unfair profits by perpetuating the oppression of the poor by forcing them to buy their bourgeois goods like flat screen TVs and iPods. 1 2 3 4
9. To make children into “good citizens,” parents need to leave education of their children to the state, and not brainwash them with their values (that’s the State’s job). After all, children belong to the State, and need to sing songs of praise to our Leader. 1 2 3 4 10. Nationalism is divisive and selfish. The United States should disarm and submit its sovereignty to an elightened world governing body such as the United Nations, where we can all join with corrupt dictators and tyrants and sing “Kum bye ya” together. 1 2 3 4 Now total your scores and rate yourself on the scale below. Score 10-12: Congratulations! You believe in individual freedom and limited government. You are a Constitutionalist who is mostly aligned with our Founding Fathers. Therefore, your current government considers you a right-wing extremist! Keep reading The Constitutionalist Today, stay informed, and get involved! Score 13-24: You are a bit confused. You are partially a Constitutionalist, who believes in some limits on government, but you do like the government telling you what to do sometimes as long as they don’t interfere too much! Keep reading The Constitutionalist Today. You should learn more about our Founding Fathers and the Constitution. You will also learn the dangers of big government. Score 25-30: You are a fan of big government and the Nanny State. You might be happier living in a European socialist country paying over half your income in taxes, enjoying high unemployment, where the government dictates your income, opportunities, and benefits. But keep reading The Constitutionalist Today; you might change your mind! Score 31-40: You qualify as a progressive, a liberal, a socialist, a statist, or a Marxist (pick your flavor). You enjoy telling others how to live their lives as long as you don’t have to follow the same rules. You should try living in a country that already practices what you believe, a socialist paradise like Cuba or North Korea. After a month, you might change your mind. Or you could keep reading The Constitutionalist Today; it might save you a miserable trip to another country! And by the way, get rid of the Che t-shirt (no, he did not have a band in the ‘60s), put down the bong, clean up, and get a real job.
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By Lea h Hotc hkis
s
Last issue, you read the Preamble to the Constitution
and I said that the main part of the Constitution was divided into Articles and Sections. The first 3 Articles of the Constitution tell about the 3 big parts of government, also called branches. These branches work together and share power. The 3 branches of our government are the Legislative (the Senate and the House of Representatives), the Executive (the President), and the Judiciary (the Supreme Court). Article 1 of the Constitution talks about the Legislative branch. So let’s start there too. They do their work in Washington D.C. at the Capitol Building. Article 1 tells us how the Legislative branch works. The Legislative branch is also called Congress. There are two parts to the Congress; the House of Representatives, and the Senate. The House of Representatives and Senate are a very important. The Constitution tells the House of Representatives and the Senate what they can do and what they cannot do, and the Congress then makes laws for the whole country. Some of the things the Congress cannot do are:
Some of the things the Congress can do are:
ª Suspend the right of an arrested citizen to be seen by an impartial judge. ª Make a law that makes a person guilty of a crime. ª Make laws that favor one state over another in matters of trade. ª Give any citizen a title of nobility.
ª Make laws that control trade, taxes, and spending. ª Approve treaties and declare war. ª Impeach federal officials and approve presidential appointees. ª Oversee the making of money. ª Borrow money on the credit of the United States. ª Establish standard rules for becoming a citizen. ª Establish post offices.
Senate Fun Facts ª Because every state has two—and only two—Senators, each Senator represents a vastly different number of people. For example, each Senator from Wyoming (our least populace state) represents 246,981 people, whereas each Senator from California (our largest state by population) represents 18,378,333 people. ª The word “Senator” is an ancient Roman term derived from the Latin “senex,” meaning “old man.” ª The annual salary of a U.S. Senator is $174,000. ª The U.S. Senate first met in New York City on March 4, 1789. It moved to Philadelphia in April 1790 and finally to the newly established city of Washington,
House of Representatives Fun Facts D.C. in November 1800. ª As per the U.S. Constitution, Senators were elected by each state legislature until the 17th Amendment, ratified in 1912, allowed for direct election by the voters in each state. ª According to Senate rules, flowers are not permitted in the Senate chamber, except on the desk of a deceased sitting Senator on the day of his eulogy. ª The oldest Senator ever was Strom Thurmond (Republican-SC) who was a ripe old 100 years old when he retired in December 2002. ª The longest serving Senator ever is Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), who has served in the Senate continuously since January 3, 1959.
ª The House comprises 435 members who are elected to two-year terms. ª The House has the sole power of introducing bills for raising revenue (tax money), making it one of the most powerful pieces of the U.S. government. ª According to Article I, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution, a member of the House must be at least twenty-five years of age and a U.S. citizen for seven years before his or her election. ª Puerto Rico elects a nonvoting resident commissioner to the House
for a four-year term. Nonvoting delegates from American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands are elected to a two-year term. These special representatives are allowed to participate in debates and vote in committees. ª The Speaker of the House has the most powerful position in the House and is traditionally the leader of the majority party. ª The members of the House of Representatives can vote themselves a pay raise.
How well do you remember? Use the answers box at the right to fill in the blanks. 1. The Constitution is divided into parts called ______________. 2. Our Constitutional government is divided into __________parts that share power.
4. The Senate and the House of Representatives are also known as _______________.
Answer s: La w s, Le gislative, Bra Ex ec nches, Artic u ti ve , Th ree, Congress les, , Judicial
3. There parts of our government are the ____________, the_______________ ,and the ____________.
5. The Congress makes ___________ for the country. www.facebook.com/TheConstitutionalistToday | 23
American Heritage | Our Founders’ Heritage
Presidents Day A Day Worth Celebrating Michelle Morin, Featured Writer George Washington’s birthday is February 22, 1732 and he died December 14, 1799. This month, we officially celebrate his life on Monday, February 21. It’s a holiday frequently and unfortunately called “President’s Day” by advertisers and media, yet its official designation is “Washington’s Birthday,” and for very good reason. George Washington was a matchless person who possessed a collection of personal virtues and leadership traits rarely seen throughout history. Divinely placed as a key figure in the birth of our nation, Washington’s person, life story, and role in our nation’s founding are becoming inconsequential in our culture. Although it’s impossible to encapsulate his significance in one article, here is just a small sampling of noteworthy facts about our first President that might inspire a revived celebration of this unique hero.
The Father of Our Country For eight and a half years (1775 – 83), Washington fearlessly commanded the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War to victory over the mighty British. In 1787, he presided over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to bring us our Constitution, and was the first to sign his name on this historical document for freedom. He was our nation’s first President beginning in 1789, serving two terms and setting the precedent for all future presidents who have been wise enough to emulate him. Get to know the man that was Washington, and one soon learns why he is called the Father of our Country, and why there was none whose feet could fill his boots.
Sacrificial Visionary for Unborn Millions Washington’s life is an example of a man who cared more for the cause of freedom
and for other people than he cared for himself. He yearned to spend his days at his home, Mount Vernon, but each time duty called, he faithfully answered for the sake of freedom. Of the eight years he served as President, he spent only fifteen months at Mount Vernon. If not for him, the case can easily be made that the United States of America we know today might never have been birthed. More than once he referenced “unborn millions” as he spoke and wrote about his mission. This vision for countless future Americans seemed to fuel his determination to press on for freedom against enormous odds. On July 2, 1776, General Washington said this: The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage of this army.
Courage Under Fire If anyone in history can claim the virtue of courage under fire, it is Washington. As General, he bravely and frequently put himself in the thick of the battle, joining his front line troops where the danger was highest. He courageously faced death and battled the largest and best equipped army of his day. While he was young and only a General’s aide, he miraculously survived a violent, bloody ambush at Monongahela, Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War. In the midst of bullets from all sides, he rode atop his horse, back and forth, delivering orders to troops. From the multiple bullet sprays directed at him, the only bullet that touched him
whizzed through his outer coat, just missing his body. He attributed this miracle to “the all-powerful dispensations of Providence.” Even the Indians who targeted him were stunned. Years later, the same Indian chief who ambushed Washington at Monongahela encountered him and told Washington, “Seeing you were under the special guardianship of the Great Spirit, we immediately ceased to fire at you.” In war, he was outnumbered, outgunned, and usually outmaneuvered, yet he knew the cause for freedom was worth every bit of faith, sacrifice and effort. Against such odds, his primary strategy was survival. He lost 3 out of 9 battles during the Revolutionary War, yet he outlasted the powerful British army and ultimately claimed victory for freedom and independence.
So Much More
about Washington this month. Check my blog www.Mom4Freedom.com for a list of recommended reading, or look him up at the local library. Those “unborn millions” include this writer, and I can’t be more thankful for Washington’s vision, concern, and sacrifice for my personal freedoms.
As we celebrate his birthday, there is so much more to be written about the Father of our Country. This article has but touched the surface of what made Washington a man worth remembering each year. I challenge my readers to learn more
Michelle Morin is Mom4Freedom, a conservative blogger, speaker, and patriot for freedom and America’s founding principles. Join her for more current events commentary, opinion, and freedom updates at www.Mom4Freedom.com.
a great asset as we would discover almost 80 years after our own Civil War. These two men whom we cherish and celebrate as leaders in our past committed their minds, their souls and their very lives for the preservation of this last bastion of hope for mankind. This month let us reflect and rediscover the indelible
impression that these men cast on our nation. Let us learn from their mistakes and heed their warnings for our country.
Presidents Day A Day for Reflection Brian Beck, Contributing Writer
This month we celebrate President’s Day, February 21, which recognizes the birthdays of George Washington (Feb. 22) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12), two profoundly influential and essential figures in our nation’s history. These two men represent principles that this country was founded on. These principles are sometimes discounted as “old fashioned” or outdated ideals of a bygone era. In an age of moral relativity we need to rediscover the beliefs of these two men. George Washington, the father of our country, was an exceptional character. He was surveying land and brokering treaties with the Indians by his mid-teens. After distinguishing himself during the French and Indian wars, he was thrust into the position that would ultimately face and conquer a super power of his day. Washington realized the importance of religion and morality, he referred to them as “indispensable supports” for “political prosperity.” He understood the role debt could play in a nation’s prosperity and admon-
ished future generations to avoid it. He possessed an understanding of government that would be a benchmark for future leaders. Washington was the embodiment of honor, duty, and sacrifice. Upon the end of his service as president, he had
This month let us reflect upon and rediscover the indelible impression that these men cast on our nation. strong warnings concerning a lot of the issues that are ailing our country today. Lincoln was another man in our history which had a profound impact on our nation. This man’s life before the presidency was most certainly preparatory to his role as commander-in-chief. His service to his country was the epitome of sacrifice. He stood for principles which helped preserve the Union and which ultimately led to his demise. Preserving the Union would not just unify the country, it would pave the way for the evolving fulfillment of what our founding documents implored mankind to be, which is to embrace liberty and justice. The preserving of the Union would also serve as
24 | The Constitutionalist Today, February 2011
Brian Beck is a local small businessman and Air force veteran, concerned about intrusive government.
Reverence Riddled with Fiction George Washington and Abraham Lincoln David L. Kelly, Featured Writer
For generations, Americans have held both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in high esteem, ranking them in many instances as our nation’s top two presidents. Their likenesses adorn our currency, coin as well as logos for companies, organizations, stocks, insurance and so forth. Not to mention their names being stamped across this nation as the namesakes of cities, towns, counties, schools and more. They’re American heroes and known by most of us as great men who helped shape this nation. Washington and Lincoln have little in common other than sharing the top spot on our nation’s most beloved presidents list. The fiction that has been written about these men and their lives became folklore long before any of us were alive. Washington cutting down the cherry tree or Lincoln freeing the slaves comes to mind. It is not folklore that placed these men in their heralded posts, living forever in American history. It was the reality of the world that they lived in and the consequences of their actions as well as of those who supported them that sealed their fates. For Washington, the struggle for American independence and his military experiences paved his path to the presidency. Lincoln’s humble start in life, then becoming a skilled lawyer and debater, elevated him on his journey to the highest office of the land. Both men wanted the great experiment of the United States to succeed and prosper, but with completely different visions of that reality.
Washington had a commanding presence and was quite dignified and preoccupied with his awesome responsibilities as a military leader and president. He was not one given to small talk but was gracious and knew how to pick and choose his battles both on the field and as president. Washington relied on his leadership skills to form the nation’s first executive offices (cabinet) including the secretaries of state, treasury and war, as well as attorney general and postmaster general. His genius was knowing that he could not be successful in leading a new nation without the help of people he trusted in positions of expertise which strengthened the foundation of our new country. In 1783 he wrote in a letter, “Be courteous to all but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence; true friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to appellation.” Washington was our first and only president who was not part of a political party. There were no political parties in 1789 when he took his oath of office. He despised political affiliations; sharing his disdain during his farewell address in 1796: “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying af-
terwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” Lincoln was a product of what Washington warns us about. Lincoln had a strong appreciation for the motivation of others. He was resilient, forthright, unassuming and instinctively cautious. He was friendly but kept his true feelings to himself. Lincoln biographer, Josiah G. Holland, wrote: “The writer has conversed with multitudes of men who claimed to know Mr. Lincoln intimately; yet there are not two of the whole number who agree in their estimate of him. It was rare that he exhibited what was religious in him; and he never did this at all, except when he found the nature and character that were sympathetic with that aspect and element of his character. A great deal of his best, deepest, largest life he kept almost constantly from view, because he would not expose it to the eyes and apprehension of the careless multitude.” The main challenge to Lincoln as president was his effort to keep the nation united as the Southern states chose to secede from the union. These were difficult times for the president and his desire to save the Union led to hard decisions. One was Lincoln’s cold regard for the Constitution and the rights of the people when he suspended Habeas Corpus, which led to the imprisoning of thousands of people who spoke out against him and the war. Lincoln’s views on slavery changed over time to suit the needs of his political success. At his inauguration in 1860 he said. “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slav-
ery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” In1862 he wrote: “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery.” Then in 1863 Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which only freed the slaves in Southern-held lands. This was more of an insurance policy to keep England from entering the war on the side of the Confederacy by introducing the moral issue of slavery. It’s too bad that his proclamation wasn’t worth anything more than the paper it was written on, as the Union General Ulysses Grant kept his personal slaves in bondage throughout the war until the ratification of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery after the war ended in 1866. Grant stated, “Good help is so hard to come by these days.” Lincoln accomplished what he felt he had to in order to preserve the Union. His tactics were definitely more of a tyrant than of a leader of a free nation, but his vision did prevail. Had Lincoln been unsuccessful in his efforts to keep the Union intact or Washington failed in winning the revolution and building a solid foundation for our federal government, these two heroes of American history would be no more than common men of their times. David L. Kelly advocates for Liberty, Freedom, Limited Government and Free Markets. He leads the Colorado Springs’ chapter of Liberty on the Rocks. www.libertyontherocks.org
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The original Constitution pitted different constituencies against each other to prevent concentration of power. Two key mechanisms were bicameralism and federalism. Bicameralism, splitting Congress into two distinctly different chambers, restricted national government growth and power.
knew bicameralism was only effective if the two bodies were substantially different and represented different constituencies. In addition to different districts, sizes, terms, and personalities, pitting the people against the states in a mutually limiting struggle prevented any one group from gaining too much power.
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All the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judiciary, result to the legislative body. The concentrating these in the same hands, is precisely the definition of despotic government. It will be no alleviation, that these powers will be exercised by a plurality of hands, and not by a single one…As little will it avail us, that they are chosen by ourselves. An ELECTIVE DESPOTISM was not the government we fought for; but one which should not only be founded on free principles, but in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among several bodies of magistracy, as that no one could transcend their legal limits, without being effectually checked and restrained by the others. —Federalist 48
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Bicameralism is a Buffer against Democratic Passions …the propensity of all single and numerous assemblies to yield to the impulse of sudden and violent passions, and to be seduced by factious leaders into intemperate and pernicious resolutions…a body
When two parties freely enter into a contract, the seller wants to maximize the sales price; the buyer wants to minimize it.
A bicameral (“two chamber”) legislature was a further expression of the horizontal separation of powers. Benjamin Rush articulated a compound legislature’s advantages:
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The people…may possibly be betrayed by the representatives of the people; and the danger will be evidently greater where the whole legislative trust is lodged in the hands of one body of men, than where the concurrence of separate and dissimilar bodies is required in every public act. —Federalist 63
…obedience to laws, subordination to magistrates, civility and decency of behaviour, and the contrary of every thing like mobs and factions. …Wisdom, learning, experience, with the most extensive benevolence, the most unshaken firmness, and the utmost elevation of soul, are all called into exercise by the opposite and different duties of the different representations of the people.
Observations on the Government of Pennsylvania The two chambers were a popularly elected House of Representatives serving proportionally distributed districts for two year terms, and a Senate composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the state legislatures. The Founders
which is to correct this infirmity ought itself to be free from it, and consequently ought to be less numerous. It ought, moreover, to possess great firmness, and consequently ought to hold its authority by a tenure of considerable duration. —Federalist 62 …the people, stimulated by some irregular passion, or some illicit advantage, or misled by the artful misrepresentations of interested men, may call for measures which they themselves will afterwards be the most ready to lament and condemn. In these critical moments, how salutary will be the interference of some temperate and respectable body of citizens, in order to check the misguided career, and to suspend the blow meditated by the people against themselves, until reason, justice, and truth can regain their authority over the public mind? —Federalist 63
Bicameralism Prevents Excessive, Special Interest Legislation and Limits Government Another advantage accruing from this ingredient in the constitution of the Senate is, the additional impediment it must prove against improper acts of legislation. —Federalist 62
When two parties freely enter into a contract, the seller wants to maximize the sales price; the buyer wants to minimize it. Unless they negotiate and optimize, there will be no deal. Two chambers, representing different constituencies, had to reconcile and optimize; neither the people nor the states could triumph. Laws would be either broadly satisfying or “no deal,” which prevents unnecessary or permanent government growth. Jeff Hays is a retired Air Force officer who is currently a management consultant and kicking coach.
A Contrast in Legacies George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
Richard Eleuterio, Contributing Writer Soon we will be celebrating the birthdays of two of our most significant presidents. Both had a profound and unprecedented influence on the powers of the federal government and the office of the presidency. Yet their legacies are quite different. In what ways? Within the answer to that question lies the eternal struggle for liberty the human race has engaged in for thousands of years. Both men were great innovators, establishing a lasting template for the use of presidential and federal power that their successors would follow. Both men had to face and overcome huge setbacks on their way to the presidency and in that aspect were men of exceptional personal courage and resourcefulness.
nal improvements (which later included roads, canals and rails), federal grants for favored industries and businesses and high tariffs Hamilton’s Federalists, Clay’s Whigs and Lincoln’s Republicans all promoted the enhancement of federal power. During the American Civil War Lincoln’s administration increased federal power to unprecedented levels. The Writ of Habeas Corpus was suspended after the arrest without trial of war dissenters including members of the Maryland State legislature. There was censorship of newspapers and telegrams, a federal income tax was established, the railroads were nationalized, federal troops were used to influence elections, an opposition member of Congress was deported and the constitutionally implied right of states to secede from the Union was ended. Lincoln sought the arrest (though never executed) of Chief Justice Taney who contended that Congress, not the president, had the power to suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus. During the extraordinary expense of war Lincoln found the tax money to subsidize railroad building. While Washington, after some reluctance, decided to endorse Alexander Hamilton’s plan for a National Bank, he resisted most additional plans Hamilton had for the expansion of presidential and federal governmental powers. The actions of Lincoln during the Civil War set precedents that eroded the separation of powers between the states and the federal government and also weakened the rights of the people. Today liberty activists believe that the people’s rights are almost completely forgotten by our federal courts and other federal branches. The 9th and 10th Amendments of our Bill of Rights speak to the rights of the people and the powers of the States respectively: The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage other retained by the people. 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. Abraham Lincoln, a man many consider one of our greatest presidents, though well intentioned in saving the Union, established a landmark legal event weakening the counterbalance of state power through secession. The power of the states to secede had been understood by the signers of the Constitution as a constraint on federal power. Roughly 2,000 years ago Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River ending the Roman Republic. Was Lincoln our Caesar? Current political events testify to that possibility.
The actions of Lincoln during the Civil War set precedents that eroded the separation of powers between the states and the federal government and also weakened the rights of the people. One clue as to how they were different was in their assumption about human nature. Washington, as was true of most of his fellow founders, believed that human nature was immutable. The assumption of human nature’s permanence was an important natural law principle ascribed to in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Lincoln believed, as did many of the founding federalists and later political leaders, that human nature was “perfectible” through governmental action. In the ancient Greek world Plato and Aristotle had similarly divergent views of human nature. Indeed, these contrasting concepts about human nature can be traced throughout history. What is the evidence for these contradictory tenets regarding human nature? This evidence is found in the actions of these two men before and during their terms of office. Washington was a reluctant leader both in his capacity as a general and as president. In a letter to Alexander Hamilton in 1794 Washington opined: The powers of the Executive of the United States are more definite, & better understood perhaps than those of almost any other country; and my aim has been, & will continue to be, neither to stretch, nor relax from them in a n y instance whatever… Whereas Hamilton believed in a “permanent” presidency, Washington established the precedent of a two-term maximum, only breached by FDR 150 years later. Lincoln was a life long supporter of Henry Clay’s American System approach to national government. The American System was an updated version of federalist founder Alexander Hamilton’s idea of a powerful central government, one that would engage in economic interventionism and allow virtually no role for the states. By using the agenda of national banks, federally subsidized inter-
As a child of Portuguese immigrants, Richard inherited from them an abiding love of this country and its opportunities. He has been interested in politics and economics for many years, finding the current state of affairs cause for concern.
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Freedom Nationally, Virtue Locally or Socialism by Kevin Miller Reviewed by Al Maurer, Assistant Editor Let’s get this over with up front: the book has a dorky title. The “or Socialism” part could be left off with no loss of meaning. Nevertheless, the theme of this small volume—that we as a country should pursue freedom at the national level and practice virtue at the local level—rings true. The author, Kevin Miller, is co-founder of the Vanguard Roundtable, a public policy forum for politically conservative Christians. The book is, at least in part, the result of the discussions of that roundtable and, thus, has a decidedly Christian perspective. That perspective is the same as that of the Founders. As John Adams wrote: Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. What happens when the federal government seeks to become a moral agent, deciding for us what is virtuous? The result, Miller shows in his book, is that we do not get virtue and in the attempt we lose our liberty as well. What are the virtues that the federal government is intent upon giving us? Miller supplies some common examples in political correctness, approved values and ways of living. This amounts to a classic collectivist structuring of society under the direction of a governmental elite who are authoritative in their every pronouncement. When we think of socialism, we think of what Miller calls “economicsocialism.” This is the classic socialism of Marx and Engels where the state runs the economy. But additionally—and much more ominously—the current federal government also pushes “virtue-socialism” where the goal is to push certain values onto the population. In the Soviet Union, they called that creating New Soviet Man; this government might call it New EnvironmentallyFriendly Man. Miller goes on to describe the period of time in the new country between the Revolution and the Constitutional Convention. We probably only vaguely remember something about trade wars between the 13 newly-independent states. What we likely don’t know—and Miller tells us—it that the states themselves ran amuck with overbearing government that made the rule of King George look mild by comparison. So the new Constitution and the Bill of Rights restrained government and confirmed that the people are sovereign. What is left to the government? The government has the duty to protect its citizens from crimes against persons and property. That’s it. When it comes to ordering society, that is up to the people in their various localities. Thus, Miller says, pluralism in America is not a matter of race or ethnicity as the left would have
it, but of different like-minded communities organized the way their citizens decide. Boulder and Colorado Springs, Colorado; Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Las Vegas, Nevada. What binds the people? If the people rule, as in ancient Greece, democracy is liable to be swayed by the smoothest talker, the best demagogue. That’s why we have a Republic and why the people are bound by the Constitution. If we the people rule, Miller’s argument goes, then virtue lies with us and not with government. Government cannot embody virtue: on the contrary, it institutionalizes covetousness and greed. You might understand the politics of rewarding your supporters and punishing your opponents, but what you may not realize is Miller’s point that by doing this government encourages the greed of their supporters for an ever-larger transfer of wealth. There are always more federal programs, more legislated rights, and increasing costs—and all in the name of virtue. That virtue may be termed “economic justice” or “social justice” or even “environmental justice,” but one thing is certain: there is a never-ending supply of wants. Miller’s perspective is a Christian one, yet the picture of a federal government out of control is the same as depicted by atheist Ayn Rand. The common thread is government using its force to rob Peter to pay Paul. It is immoral because no matter the excuse, when government robs a person of his or her property, it robs that person of that portion of their life they spent earning or creating it. And that can never be a virtue. Miller further describes how the state ultimately becomes a secular religion in its own right; a Church of State, as he calls it. Christians, he says, have often fallen into the trap of acknowledging the right of the state to dispense values. The only
When Americans ask the federal government to deliver both freedom and virtue, they will get neither. way to end the madness and re-establish the republic within its proper boundaries, he concludes, is the model of freedom nationally and virtue locally. This is a small-format book, only 148 pages long. It is well worth your time to read it; I might even suggest it is one of the most visionary books you will read this year. Al Maurer is assistant editor of The Constitutionalist Today, former political science professor, blogger, radio host and activist called to serve the cause of Liberty.
Vindicating Lincoln Defending the
Politics of our Greatest President, by Thomas Krannawitter Reviewed by Bob Adelmann, Featured Writer Those who have not read any critiques of Abraham Lincoln will be at a loss to understand why the 16th president would need to be vindicated in the first place. Upon investigating the matter further, however, the reader may come to the place of Benjamin Franklin, who wrote: Having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information, or fuller consideration,
a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.
In fact, the more closely one inspects Lincoln’s words…the more evidence condemning Lincoln as a racist seems to evaporate. to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise. And so the first thing Professor Krannawitter does is dip into the increasingly large well of those critiques first, to explore the charges at length, and then attempt to respond in Lincoln’s favor. This, according to Krannawitter, isn’t just an intellectual exercise: When critics attempt to knock Lincoln out of the pantheon of American heroes, they add to the growing cynicism of American politics. After all, if Americans come to believe that the president reputed to be the greatest was in truth a scoundrel unworthy of respect, then surely they will view all lesser politicians as such, adding to the mistaken idea that there is nothing noble or beautiful about politics…
His opening chapter serves to illustrate the enormous difficulty Krannawitter faces in setting things aright. He offers lengthy quotes from two debates Lincoln had with Judge Stephen Douglas in 1858. In the first debate on August 21, Lincoln said: I have no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and the black races. There is a physical difference between the two, which, in my judgment, will probably forever forbid their living together upon the footing of perfect equality, and inasmuch as it becomes a necessity that there must be a difference, I, as well as Judge Douglas, am in favor of a race to which I belong having the superior position.
Two more debates followed, allowing Lincoln to consider not only his position, but the effect his words were having on his audience. Nevertheless, during the fourth debate, on September 18, Lincoln expanded his remarks: I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races – that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people, and I will say in addition to this that there is
Several highly critical books on Lincoln were cited by Krannawitter, including The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War, and Lincoln Unmasked: What You’re Not Supposed to Know about Dishonest Abe, both authored by Thomas DiLorenzo. DiLorenzo makes no effort in explaining or defending Lincoln’s statements, but offers them instead as simple evidence that Lincoln’s true views about slavery are being deliberately hidden from any public discussion about Lincoln. Krannawitter, on the other hand, prefers to defend Lincoln’s views by suggesting that critics such as DiLorenzo, “offer almost no analysis of Lincoln’s words and fail to identify precisely where they believe Lincoln advocates white supremacy. In fact, the more closely one inspects Lincoln’s words…the more the evidence condemning Lincoln as a racist seems to evaporate.” He offers, as evidence against such a view of Lincoln, the following words from Lincoln’s first debate which were left out of DiLorenzo’s initial quote. Adds Lincoln: But I hold that, notwithstanding all this, there is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I hold that he is as much entitled to these as the white man…in the right to eat the bread…which his own hand earns, he is my equal and the equal of Judge Douglas, and the equal of every living man. (emphasis in original)
And so this review must end, leaving the reader in the position of deciding whether to leave the field for more interesting conversations, or to dive more deeply into the matter and determine, to his own eventual satisfaction, Lincoln’s position on the races in America. Once having decided to dig more deeply, the reader will discover other issues, such as whether charges that Lincoln’s goal in the Civil War was to preserve the Union or to end slavery, whether he was the “father of big government,” and whether states posses a constitutional right of secession. Many of these issues remain highly relevant today as more readers dig more deeply into the motivations of those who have so significantly impacted our history and our lives today. Bob Adelmann writes for The New American magazine, and lives with his wife in Colorado Springs.
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