To “Lee” or Not to “Lee,” That is the Question

Mike Lee, Photo courtesy of United Liberty

The attacks on Senator Mike Lee have been steady and well thought out.  This is a tactical strategy put out by those who want to take away his seat.  It all begins with Bob Bennett, Mike Leavitt and his CMV group, Thomas Wright (who is considering a run against Lee), and helped with the backing of the Romney’s, with the Mitt Romney anti-Mike Lee rants put out in his recent tour around the state.  Top that off with a polling company that uses data from a focus group that wants to make YOU feel that this is all real.  We will go down that rabbit hole another time.   (Quinn Monson)

Mike Leavitt, Photo courtesy of Lawrence Jackson / AP

Thomas Wright, Photo courtesy of The Salt Lake Tribune

Now, those are all well-known names.  You trust them, right?

Well, you shouldn’t.

What is in it for you?  Nothing.  What is in it for them?   Power!  Let’s be honest, this isn’t Republican or Democrat either.  After Bob Bennett lost to Mike Lee and Tim Bridgewater, we had a primary, and Mike Lee won that.

Then Bob Bennett’s son went on the campaign for the Democrat in the race.  That is funny.

So don’t think the Republican ideals really mean that much to many in the party.  They don’t.  But the power … that means something, and they will do anything to maintain it.  The people can and should take this power back.

Here’s the deal.  Mike Lee is a constitutional scholar.  He isn’t playing the DC game, and all sides of the aisle are frustrated by that.  He was actually elected to end The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.  Stop it however he could.  Defund it, Repeal it.  That was the message from the people in Utah.  And many others in the nation really appreciate what he has done.  Read this article here.

Or listen to this quote: “Scheffler, Iowa’s GOP National Committeeman, said the group was looking for someone who hadn’t been to Iowa already and who does not “wilt under political pressure and is willing to stand up” for constitutional principles.” Found in the article here.

This government shut down isn’t because of Mike Lee.  It’s because the Democrats won’t even vote on the 9 compromises being offered by the House. This has happened 18 times in our history.  And it usually ends with government being more responsible to it’s citizens.

Now, what is in this for Mike Lee?  Think about it.  He is going to have a huge fight to maintain his seat.  He could sit comfortably back and do nothing, get along with all the Republicans, and have a chance at a long career in politics.  Or, he could actually “Stand for Something.”  That phrase should sound familiar to those who are members of his faith.  They have been admonished by our past prophet Gordan B. Hinckley to stand.  Mike Lee is standing on high moral ground when he stands for the Constitution and the rights of the citizens of these United States.  I hope he keeps standing.

The goal of the people putting out the articles, creating the attacks, and starting an initiative known as Count My Vote, is about power.  That’s it.  The Republican establishment lost power in 2010 when Bob Bennett was systematically removed from power after following the Republican led TARP bailouts.

So many people should have gone to jail on Wall Street, so many people should have paid for their blatant disregard of the free markets and the backroom, government/business deals.  The market was correcting.  That was actually a good thing.  Sometimes the markets need to correct.  We need to be in balance, and that was starting to happen.  However, the scary, dooms-day rhetoric of the Republicans led by Ben Bernanke at the head of the Federal Reserve, said we “HAD TO”, or our way of life would end.  Well maybe for a few people at the top of the food (aristocratic) chain.  Maybe for the people at Goldman Sachs.  They actually had the guts to say that Main Street had to have these bailouts on Wall Street.  I was trading the market when AIG received it’s $80 Billion bailout.  And there were so many more to come.

That’s where is started.  Then Obama was elected President.  Obamacare became a huge issue.  Everyone knew that Bennett had proposed a similar bill and it was distasteful for the Republicans.  We had sat on the sidelines, allowing the powers that be to control our system in Utah.  We stood up.  We took notice.  We wanted to understand how to change the system.  A group known as “Club for Growth” came forward.  They wanted Bob Bennett out, and so they simply taught everyday citizens the Utah system.  The Caucus or the Neighborhood Election.  Brilliant.

So now that the Republican Establishment couldn’t get their way, they needed to figure out how to beat the system.  They flooded the caucuses with their people to elect Orrin Hatch for ANOTHER (too many to count) term.  It worked.  But it was SO expensive.  They felt that a primary would have been so much easier.  It’s easy to fool most of the people in Utah with catchy ads, big name endorsements, and lost of name recognition.

Now, the people of Utah are not fools, but we are busy.  We have lives.  We have soccer games, jobs, stress, grocery shopping, church responsibilities, and frankly most of the time, politics isn’t a fun topic.  It can be negative and draining.

So a brilliant system was put in place.  The Neighborhood elections.  The neighbors get together once every two years and hold a meeting (a caucus), and they decide amongst themselves in like-minded meetings (Democrats, Republicans, Constitution Party etc, each in their own meetings) who they would like to have represent their neighborhood on the ballot.

We are busy.  We trust our neighbors.  So we elect them.  Now, they get to really get to know all of these candidates.  From National offices like Congress and Senate, to state offices like Governor, State Legislator, and State Senator.  Right down to the Sheriffs office.  Some people are elected as county representative’s called county “delegates” and others are elected as state “delegates.”  What a beautiful thing…a Republic.

Now, you get to go on with your busy life, go to soccer games, be the Scout leader, do your job, mow your lawn, etc.  And you have someone in your neighborhood that will “vet” all of these candidates.  Slick ads and endorsements won’t be deciding.  Someone will have a chance to meet with all of these candidates and hear them on multiple occasions.  They will see through the rhetoric right to the heart of a person (most of the time.)

You see, Orrin Hatch thought he’d stacked those caucuses so well, and guess what, he did.  But then, those delegates got to know him.  They learned there was a lot more to the picture than what the mainstream media puts out there.  They started looking at his voting record.  Some of them, a lot of them, changed their minds.  He had to go to a primary anyway, even after putting in over $2 million before convention.

CMV sounds good on the surface.  Give the “people” the chance to have their vote heard.  But that’s the amazing thing.  You are heard.  You are heard louder because you have elected someone to represent you from your neighborhood.  You have a true Republic.  Now, I know the LDS church is not getting involved either way on the CMV front, but I would like to quote the LDS church’s official statement from last year.

“Precinct caucuses are the most fundamental grassroots level of political involvement. They are best served by a broad representation of Utah citizens. Those who attend play a critical role in selecting candidates for public office.”

 If you read their statement, they talk about the declining attendance of the caucuses.  We’ve heard all of the rhetoric about how caucus attendance has dwindled.  Funny, nobody had a problem with low caucus attendance when they had their way.  The more people who show up, the more people are heard, and the harder it is to fool some of the people all of the time. I don’t know where their information came from but here are the numbers for you.

Year	Total Attending	Up/Down %
2002	28,207
2004	22,511	-20.19%
2006	34,563	53.54%
2008	23,550	-31.86%
2010	54,841	132.87%
2012	111,944	104.12%

Are you seeing those numbers?  Look at the increase in attendance in 2010 when Lee was elected.  And then again it went up over 100% in 2012.  That is a huge increase since 2002.  That is a 375% increase since 2008.  And I believe it will continue to rise.

The Establishment wants to take the “grassroots” out of the picture.  They know that most people will vote in a primary based on simple sound bites, simple name recognition, catchy slogans, or endorsements.  Principles will be gone, and money will reign.  YOU are the grassroots, and they want to silence that voice.

Read this article about “Big Money Backers.”  That is who wants to take over.  Big Money. 

We have a real issue here, and it isn’t “tea party” or “radical” or anything else. Aligning yourself with our founding documents, our Constitution is not extreme. These are Republicans that are getting educated.  These are Republicans that have watched their country go down the tubes under both sides of the aisle.  These are regular people with jobs, and a mortgage, and kids that need braces, that are tired, and we’ve stood up to our “masters” known as the Federal government, and we’ve said, “Enough!”  And these are Republicans that have begun to see the Democrats eye to eye on civil liberties issues.  Amazing, not radical.

Don’t sign CMV, don’t buy into the trap of the media that are trying to eliminate Mike Lee.  This is the establishment trying to fool you.  Support Mike Lee, because he supports the Constitution.  He isn’t perfect, but everyone who is throwing their hat into the ring has an agenda.  Power.  That’s it.

This is a Fourth Turning.  The time to change things is now.  Leaders stand against all odds.  I was told by a friend that Mike would throw away his political career.  Maybe he has.  But he is a hero.

If you don’t like Mike, show up to caucus.  The caucus system is becoming more and more inclusive all the time.  The SCC (State Central Committee) is working tirelessly on efforts to make everyone feel welcome.  This is your neighborhood.   Make your voice heard.  But do not buy into the garbage of Count My Vote and the media.  They want to take your voice.

To hear how this is happening on a national scale, listen to this.  Glenn Beck fan or not, please realize that the intimidation is real.  We are making a difference, and the establishment is scared.

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” —  Mahatma Gandhi 

 (hashtag) #ILikeMike

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 9.12 Project of New York Takes Education Head On

There is an amazing change happening all across America.  We are learning our real history.   I remember watching The Glenn Beck Program as he stumbled across a thing called “TJed.”  That is the short version of A Thomas Jefferson Education.  This type of education is becoming popular, even if it is not called by that name.  Some call in Student Directed Learning, others Agency Based Education, others Classical Education.

This type of education takes you away from rote work and gives history and literature life.  TJed is getting back to the classics.  It’s experiencing mentors, and real thinking begins to take place no matter how old or young you may be.

I saw a young lady mention this education on The Glenn Beck program a while back.  I could not remember her name, but I remembered she was from New York and was heading up the 9.12 movement in that state.

I have been using TJed in my own personal life, as well as in the lives of my children for the past ten years.  I love learning, and I love the idea of TJed.  I continue to educate myself on a regular basis, so I signed up for a course at a college over the summer, that would enhance and rejuvenate myself about that learning process.  This college is in Monticello, Utah, and is rightly named Monticello College.

 

If you have read my blog over the years, you know I love history, especially the cycles of history, and most importantly, how they affect us today.  This retreat was going to be a camping retreat all about the cycles of history, so I said to my husband, “We’re going.”  He was thrilled, because I’m not really much of a camper and he loves it, and he’s not into the education side as much as I am, so this was a complete win / win.

While I was on this summer retreat, I ran into two 9.12ers from New York, who flew all the way to Utah to go camping and learning in the mountains of Monticello.  And sure enough, the girl on Glenn

Cleve Smith, Jacqueline Smith, Megan Daniel, Eli Schultz, Jeremy Near (Utah and New York 9.12ers)

Beck, Eli Schultz, was one of them.

Many people in the 9.12 movement have made this movement just about politics, and that is a sad mistake.  This movement goes deep into the heart of why our country is in this situation in the first place.  We are here, because we have allowed ourselves to get here.  We have been too obsessed with attainment, and/or entertainment.  We have allowed ourselves to become “the stupid people” that need to be governed, rather than governing ourselves.  Many 9.12 movements (including mine) have weighed-in heavily in the political environment, and while I don’t think that is going to go away, I am seeing a shift into the education side of the movement.  It will not be enough to just read a few popular books, or even a few old ones.  It is time to dig deep.  It is time to become a new American founder.  After all, what comes after a Fourth Turning?  A founding.  We must change our thinking.

I will be spending the next 12 days in New York travelling with Dr. Shanon Brooks, and his daughter around the New York area.  The first two days will be spent on some intense training called The Foundations of Liberty series.  These classes require a deep commitment to education, and while the readings are tough, the results are spectacular. 

After these two classes we will be making a tour here in the New York area called RVA or Re-Value America.  We will also have a special Cycles of History class available for those that ready for a more in-depth study into the broader perspective of the events of our day.  We will be studying the Tytler Cycle, the Toffler Cycle, and of course The Fourth Turning also known as the Kondratiev Wave.  I

Cover of The Fourth Turning

was honored that Dr. Brooks asked me to join him on this tour and teach some wonderful leadership principles to the people of New York through the cycles.

To come to one or both of our events (that are all free by the way) please contact Eli Schultz. elilong141@gmail.com   Here is our schedule:  www.ReValueNY.com

Sept 28            NYC area

Sep 29             Saratoga

Sept 30            Albany

Oct 1               Rome & Watertown

Oct 2               Syracuse & Fulton

Oct 3               Buffalo

Oct 4               Rochester

This is a great opportunity to really heal your perspective and get ideas on how YOU can really make a difference not just in this country, but in your own community, in your own family, and in your own life.   

If you do not live in the New York area, please feel free to contact Dr. Shanon Brooks at his college website www.monticellocollege.org to schedule an RVA tour for your area, and then get the FOL classes in your neck of the woods.

Until we are an educated electorate that understands not only the nuances of government, but also has a deep understanding of human nature and the principles of liberty, we will remain “ruled over.”

“Hope” and “change” don’t come from the top down, but from the bottom up.  We are the hope and the change that the world is waiting to see.  “Be the change.”

If you see a book in these blog posts, just click on it, and it will take you to our STAR store, and your purchase will help promote liberty.

ReValue America is in Utah

 

Dr. Shanon Brooks is giving us the chance to attend ReValue America right here in Utah.  His free class was a few weeks ago, and then the real study begins.   Our first class can be attended on Friday, July 30 from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.  For more details, contact us here.  Don’t wait.  This is an excellent opportunity to be mentored in the classics. 

Here is a quick video explaining what you can expect.  For more information visit our meetup site and join at http://www.meetup.com/theSTARforum 

Once you have attended the free class it is time to get busy and start the real work of changing our country.  This 18 month course, called The Foundations of Liberty, will take you step by step through classics, we have discussions, and even simulations.  This is the best way for a busy adult to get in the kind of education that will make a difference in our country. 

We begin by study.  The first books we look at are The 5,000 Year Leap 

The 28 Principles of Liberty

and A Thomas Jefferson Education.  Next we dive head first into The Roots of American Order.  We can only put 50 people in these classes, so please sign up now.  You will be expected to read and participate in class, but this will be one of the best educational settings you’ve ever encountered. 

Many people familiar with The STAR Forum know that I am a huge fan of the Cycles of History.  Here is a quick look at the Tytler Cycle in a video. 

COME JOIN US, and help Save The American Republic, by starting with ourselves, our families, and our community.  FREEDOM CAN WIN!

Lunch with Orrin Hatch and the Glenn Beck Interview

Two weeks ago a group of 9.12 organizers, tea party organizers, and various campaign volunteers, most of which are also State and County delegates for the Republican Party met with Senator Orrin Hatch over lunch.  (The opinions expressed in this article are mine, and are not necessarily the opinions of the other people invited to the luncheon.)

They included:

• Larry Jensen, a Salt Lake County 9.12 Organizer part of Utah Rising, and State Delegate
• Brandon Beckham, from Slate It Up Films                              
• Susan Benson, State Delegate
• Rebekah Whyte, activist, and homeschool mom
• Donald Cutshaw, State Delegate from http://patrioticutahns.com
• Steve Jones, a state delegate, member of Utah Rising and iCaucus, as well as volunteer trainer for Morgan Philpot’s campaign
• Susan Southwick, State Delegate and Tea Party Organizer part of Utah Rising in Salt Lake County
• Jacquie Nelson, State Delegate
• Margaret Wilkin, County Delegate, and 9.12 member
• Marc Pelissie
• Myranda Holgerson, Leg. Chair, Precinct Chair, UHEA Legislative Liason, homeschool mom.
• Jacqueline Smith, State Delegate and Founder of The STAR Forum, the Summit County 9.12 group, part of Utah Rising, and homeschool mom

 

There were others there as well, and I apologize if you were not included in the list.

This lunch was organized by Hatch as a way to reach out to the 9.12 groups and tea party movement.  After the unseating of Senator Bennett, I think that Hatch is smart to reach out.  He bought us lunch, and that was very nice.  He didn’t have a chance to eat much because we were pretty excited about hearing his answers and had a lot of questions.

We had three main questions.  Larry Jensen presented the first question regarding our caucus system.  We asked him,

 

“Each of us here today spent hours, days and weeks of study and civic involvement to become elected representatives of our neighborhoods in Utah’s Republican caucus/convention system.  We are here again today representing our neighbors who elected us.  Senator Hatch, do you favor this traditional form of representative system of choosing candidates for the Republican party or do you favor a direct primary?”

Hatch responded that it has served him well so far, and the reason we have it is so that a relative unknown without a lot of money can actually win the seat for the party.  He said that is the system we have and that he is willing to live with it.

 The next question was asked by me,

 “I applaud your thoughtful and well-reasoned opposition opinion to general Elena Kagan’s nomination for the Supreme Court.  It represents the near unanimous conclusion of everyone I have discussed this with during the last two weeks. Beyond the reasons you cited, there is significant evidence that Ms. Kagan has a history of association with people tied to three interrelated organizations, the Communist Party USA, Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee/Democratic Socialists of America and the far left Washington DC “think tank” Institute for Policy Studies.  We cannot allow a person with her documented background of associations to serve on the court.  What actions do you plan to take to prevent Kagan’s confirmation?”

Hatch feels that a filibuster is unconstitutional and shouldn’t be used.  He has come out publicly with his reasons for opposing Kagan.  He doesn’t want filibuster used by Republicans or Democrats. 

This answer troubled me, because even though I know he is a seasoned politician and well entrenched in the ways of Washington, I believe he is mistaken about the gravity of the current situation we face.  We are facing a near coup d’état of the Democrat Party by the Communists and Socialists in this country.  Has he been there so long and the transition been so slow, that he is unaware of the changes?  Not that he needs to be disagreeable or combative, but is Hatch really willing to call it as it is, instead of hiding behind friendships of the highest aristocracy created in our American system?

While I don’t think filibuster is necessarily the answer, what else can be done?  Can he get his face and voice out on the radio waves and television enough to send a strong message to the conservatives in other states so they are contacting their liberal Senators and swaying the vote?  Is he willing to bring enough attention to the matter?  Would he sacrifice his position and make some serious enemies to help our country block poor nominees, and put in Supreme Court Justices that will uphold the highest and first law of the U.S., the Constitution?

The third question was asked by Marc Pelissie about auditing the Fed.

“What has to happen for you to champion a comprehensive audit of the Federal Reserve?”  and as a follow-up “What can we do to ensure that happens?” or “What can we do to support you in making the audit happen?”  

 This answer came as a surprise, and a disappointment.  Hatch told us the Federal Reserve does get audited.  I realize it has some type of audit to be in business, because it is a private business remember, but it has not been audited in a way that gives the American people a good look at who is pulling the strings of this country.  Hatch also responded by saying in his 34 years in the Senate they have never had a fiscal majority.  I was 11 years old when Hatch went into office.  Through the Reagan years, through the majority in the Senate when Clinton was in office we’ve never had a fiscal majority?  Since Hatch has been in office the Republicans have held the Senate Majority over the 97, 98, 99, 104, 105, 106, 108, and 109^th sessions of Congress.  He told us to get fiscal conservatives into the Senate with him.  He spoke of his seniority there on different committees and how we need to send “him” back to Washington.

So… is Hatch a fiscal conservative?  Well, he voted for Bush’s tarp, and I haven’t forgotten that.  Is it fiscally conservative to side with a President that says he is “abandoning free-market principles in order to save the free-market?”  The day AIG received it’s bailout, I told my husband we may have just witnessed “Black Wednesday,” instead of Black Tuesday, for our generation.

He also made a really big deal out of the BCS when the health care debate should have been the sole priority. 

Hatch asked us to make sure in November we elected more fiscal conservatives to the Senate.  I have a strong feeling that November will bring a great number of new conservatives in every respect to the Senate.  As sung by Krista Branch in her video “I Am America:”

             “You stuff your pockets while Rome is burning, 

              I’ve got a feeling that the tide is turning.”

 This could go two ways for Hatch that are completely positive.  One, he has two years to prove he’s really fighting for the very threads that bind our country together.  He will need to lead out in ways he never has in the past.  We will be watching him, and we will back him, if he puts himself out there and puts his own personal “career” aside, and has instead public virtue.  Two, he steps down without a fight in two years, and gets behind a freshman and mentors him, as our founders did not want career politicians.  The aristocracy of the Republicans and Democrats must come to an end.  A great book to read on aristocracy is “The Coming Aristocracy” by Oliver DeMille. 

Some of the things we heard him say were also heard on the Glenn Beck program last Thursday.  Here are the clips for you to hear.  Much of the same speech was given to us at the luncheon.   

Hatch invited three of my 9.12 friends to the fundraising event on Friday before Glenn Beck’s Salt Lake City show to have dinner with Glenn.  At $2,500 a plate, that is quite a gift.  Becky Pirente, Darcy VanOrden, and Brian Halladay all attended this very exclusive event.  All three are 9.12 organizers or activists in the more populated areas of Utah.  It was generous, and for a good cause.  Again, he is reaching out hard to the people who are currently now the Republican Party of Utah with the most say.

 It’s the delegates that will be in charge, and Hatch will work much harder than Bennett to ensure he has his delegates in place in 2012.  Based on the cycles of history we will probably be in even more serious political upheaval by then, but time will tell.  In the end the people will decide, and Hatch’s seniority isn’t going to be the thing on which their decision hangs.  Those tactics will not work in this political environment. 

 

Jason Chaffetz is a great example of what attention a freshman can create, and the waves that can be made when you stand for what you believe.  Is he getting anything done?  We don’t care, because we would actually like to see a Washington where nothing gets done and we, the people, are left alone.  Chaffetz is a watchdog, and workhorse for our rights, and he’s not afraid of digging up the dirt.

 Jason received a great amount of applause at the Glenn Beck American Revival in Salt Lake City compared to Hatch.  Hatch should read the writing on the wall, and do the right thing, instead of the thing that keeps him in power.  Chaffetz is well-known, and well-liked by the liberty-loving crowd in Utah.  Rumor is that in 2012, Chaffetz may well be the one to challenge the, by then, 36-year incumbent.  Until then, we can only hope that Hatch pushes hard for the truth, the law, and the correct principles that Save The American Republic.

I Am America

I was visiting another site today and saw this video.  I noticed the pictures used were from the Salt Lake City rally on April 15, 2010 at the Capitol.  I even recognize a few of the people in the video, who happen to be members of The STAR Forum.

The Gods of the Copybook Headings

by Rudyard Kippling 1919

AS I PASS through my incarnations in every age and race, I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place. Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all. We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn: But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind, So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind. We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace, Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place, But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome. With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch, They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch; They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings; So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things. When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace. They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease. But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “Stick to the Devil you know.” On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life (Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife) Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “The Wages of Sin is Death.” In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all, By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul; But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “If you don’t work you die.” Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more. As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man There are only four things certain since Social Progress began. That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire, And the burnt Fool’s bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire; And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins, As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn, The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!

 

This poem is found in Glenn Beck’s new book.  I hadn’t read this poem before, and I thought it was quite telling.

Where are the Washingtons?

Many of my followers are not necessarily Glenn Beck fans, but recently Glenn Beck said something on his radio show that I would like to share with you.  His words represent the direction I have wanted this 9.12 project The STAR Forum to turn.  We must be educated to win.  We must change our very lives and decide we are willing to make sacrifices so that our children and grandchildren can live under freedom.  We must receive a liberal arts education.

Those that know me are aware that this has always been my goal.  While the politics of this movement can be exciting and interesting, and important, we must not forget the things that will change our society from the bottom up.  We must begin educating ourselves and our families, changing the way schools teach, and how they prepare our children for the world we live in.  Skills will never be enough.  We must have amazing young men and women of real character. We have been raised ourselves in a society that has not taught us to think sensus plenior, we have not learned to look to the great minds of the past that our founders studied.  We are in a 4^th Turning, and honestly time is running out.  What an exciting and important time to live in.  We will only make a difference if we are educated.  This education can come many ways, but I have one solution, that although costs money, will not break the bank.  I have invited Dr. Shanon Brooks, who holds a PhD in Constitutional Law to begin to mentor us through a series of lectures beginning on June 26, 2010.  We only have room for 50 students.  This first of 5 lectures will open our minds and begin the process of all of us thinking on a different level.

To find out more about the Foundations of Liberty Seminar #1 , click here.

Here is the message from Glenn Beck:

May 10, 2010 – 15:29 ET   

GLENN: I’m going to say some things here that are not going to be for everybody, and that’s fine. And if it means that I shake some listeners loose, that’s fine. I’m charting my own course and I am trying to, I’m trying my hardest to preserve the voice of — or a voice of man a’s freedom, individual freedom for as long as possible. And I’m also trying to create other voices that understand the difference between individual freedom, individual rights and human rights. There are two kinds of rights and they are both important. But I’m going to chart a different course than others. Others are going to say get involved in politics and everything else. And while I think that I don’t have any problem with that, not a lot of people have been doing as much research as I have for the last five years. And a lot of people, I mean, everybody has gotten this wrong every step of the way. They’ve had pieces of it here and there but I don’t know anybody that has had the majority of pieces. We have.

This, I don’t even know what you would call it. This plan, this hijacking of our country. It didn’t start with Obama. It’s not about Obama. It’s not. This started a long, long time ago. And you are much farther behind than you think you are. I know. The only thing that gives me peace and comfort is I know what this land is. I know whose rights these are. No sword formed against thee shall prosper. He will destroy the devourer, not you. Not me. For our sake those who want to devour man’s individual rights will be destroyed. My guess is they will destroy themselves. It’s the way it always happens. These people are radicals. They are not rulers. However, I will tell you this, Cass Sunstein is the man that is wildly important. Because I see his fingerprints on almost everything now. So here’s my recommendation. The 9/12 project started a year and a half ago. I haven’t talked much about it because I don’t do anything with it myself. I mean, I’m not — I’m a proud 9/12er but I’m not involved in running it or anything else. This was yours. I will advise the 9/12 group, double your efforts. Get more people into the 9/12 project. Tea parties, while you play a valuable role, be very careful because you are not rooted in values and principles. What are your charting values and principles? 9/12 members, if you are not studying the values and principles and the founding fathers, it was set up as something different. It wasn’t a tea party. It wasn’t a political action committee. It was a preservation committee. As I saw it, it was a way for people to get together and learn and teach each other what values and principles were important. This is important because just like any kind of rights movement, there will be others just like with Martin Luther King, there was Malcolm X, there was William Ayers. Only one succeeded. People are going to be going through — when Europe begins to fall and you are seeing the very beginnings of it now, when Europe falls, the thing will come down, crashing down quickly and people are going to be herded into one direction. And it’s going to be a global direction. You need to be values and principles. You need to teach your children. You must see yourself — how many years have I said this? Wives, mothers, you must see yourself as Sarah Connor. You must. As Ronald Reagan said, if this country falls, where does the rest of the world go for freedom? But he also said this: This is the last stand. On the globe this is the last stand. And if this generation loses man’s freedom, this generation will not see it again.

I just read a letter from Thomas Jefferson, between Thomas Jefferson and James — or John Adams, 1823. I read it this morning. In it Thomas Jefferson said, if they lose freedom — speaking of us, future generations, if they lose freedom, there will be rivers of blood back and forth, back and forth. There will be a first attempt and a second attempt and a third attempt. And maybe after the third attempt they will win it back again. You must see yourself as a guardian, as someone who will preserve what is true and pass it on and not be a guardian — not be a militant but a guardian. A leader. Where are the — there are plenty of minutemen. Where are the Washingtons? Where are the Franklins? Where is Sam Adams? Where is John Adams? That is what the 9/12 project is. Not to create a warrior but to create great minds that understand it. To be able to create the next George Washington. That is your role. It may not be you. Find them. Teach them. Guide them. Shape them. Live principles and values. Almost no one in this country is.

The next step, you must know ten people. You must know ten people out of your circle of friends in your area that think like you do. Know them. This Internet nonsense of a public utility and this speech that the president gave over the weekend is positively chilling, especially if you couple it with the knowledge that we have been trying to impart to you for the last year and a half about what they are doing with the Internet and control of language and control of — I’ll show you tonight at 5:00. It is positively horrifying. You say it can’t happen in America. I hope to God it can’t. But it might. It could. All they need is an emergency. Know ten people because those ten people know other ten people. There’s got to be lines of information. If they control everything, you must have lines of communication. But God, I can’t believe I’m saying this stuff. This is the territory of the insane. But you better prepare and then hope for the best. You must prepare a freedom library. You must have the books on paper, have them on paper. You must have the books that are essential. You must have the Federalist Papers, the Constitution, original intent. The 5,000 Year Leap, please, if you haven’t gotten that yet, please get that. You must know, if you are working on the Internet and you see something, don’t just e mail it. Screen shot it. Pull it off. Put it onto a DVD. Save it. I can’t tell you the number of things that we have gone back and they have scrubbed. Things are disappearing like you would not believe. Learn the truth. Live the life of our founders. Be a decent, righteous, forthright honest man or woman in all of your business dealings. Demand it of yourself. Demand a higher standard for your children and do it now. Your children need to know. Your children must be prepared. Your children need to know what is true, what is not, how to work, what merit is. And here’s the part that is going to seem so simple and everybody’s going to say no, it’s better to organize, it’s better to, you know, get behind a candidate. Look, you’ve got to do that, too. When Moses was out in the wilderness, my gosh did the Israelites just, they were constantly complaining, “It’s hot, I’m cold, are we there yet,” over and over and over again. And Moses got to the point to where he was like, okay, you know, God, just kill me, just kill me, I can’t do it anymore with these people. When are you going to do it? Because just kill me, I can’t take it anymore. God didn’t. At some point God was like, I’m sending snakes or scorpions, I’m sending fiery, fiery snakes, man, just kill you all; I can’t take it anymore. He told Moses, put one, put a symbol of one up on a stick and tell everybody to look at it. They will be fine if they just look at it. A lot of them died because they didn’t look at it. It’s too easy, doesn’t make sense. What is the message? The message is look to God and live. Look to God and live. Please, please. It’s not you and me. It’s our children. It’s man’s freedom. Look to God to live.

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

By Jacqueline Smith  

  

Our education system in America must change.  We continue to tax the people to school our children in a broken, progressive, socialistic system.  I love education, and I love all the children in this great country, but an unsustainable system that is not producing the results we need in our country must end, and a new system emerge, or more accurately re-emerge.  

Dr. Brooks

I recently attended a wonderful event called ReValue America.  This class was taught by Dr. Shanon Brooks of Face to Face with Greatness, and hosted by Chad & Christy Watterson.  Because I have known Dr. Brooks for some time, the information was not unfamiliar but reminded me of the path I must take in order to put the values, the culture, the Americanism back into the heart of our country.  And it begins with a different type of education for the whole family.   

We school our children in literacy and skills.  We want them to have good jobs.  But we have killed their creativity.  We have thwarted the genius that all children have within, by saying they must have these skills, or those skills, without any core values, without a sense of the virtues that keep our country headed the right direction.  Throwing good money after a bad system will not fix our problems.  (School Equalization is just a bad bandage to a bleeding artery, that pulls at the heart-strings, but is not the solution.)  Money does not make children’s test scores increase.  It has been proven that our rate of return for our dollar is not very high, especially in areas like Detroit, but even in Utah we are only seeing about a 67% ROI.  (67 out of 100 children graduate)  So what happened?  Are the teachers that horrible, are the classes that under-funded?  No.  We have lost our culture over the last 80 years in America, and we must get our culture back.  Attending this class and implementing a new way of thinking and a new lifestyle of education will be the greatest impact on liberty.  I call upon 9.12 groups, tea party groups, and all other liberty-loving groups to schedule this event.  If we are going to be the ones that bring liberty back to our country, we better understand more than just the founders writings, but what the founders were reading for a decade before they became founders.  We will need an understanding much richer than anything we have received to date.  

The Fourth Turning is upon us, and our time is limited.  In order to have the type of impact on our society that great leaders of the past have had on their time, we must be educated in human nature, forms of government, family and society.  We must have public virtue being exemplified in our society again, and being taught to our children.  We must understand what it takes and begin getting a liberal arts education.  (Don’t worry, that will not make you a liberal in political terms.)  I discussed this on capitol hill at the Tax Day Tea Party Rally.  

I don’t have the answers, but I know that together we can find the answers, if we are educated.  We have an amazing group of people who have created a strong coalition with Utah Rising, but our efforts must not be lost by focusing only in the political arena.  Glenn Beck has it right when he discusses the 9 Principles and 12 Values.  We must focus on bringing that type of thinking back into the forefront of our country.  

If you live in the Utah area, and you are interested in attending one of these classes, I ask that you send us an email, so we can keep you on a list until our class is put on the schedule.   

I have had this video for a while, but I thought it appropriate with this article.  Enjoy.  

This is the obamacare that tries men’s souls…

The following is a condensed version of the message I shared at our STAR Forum of Phoenix meeting March 26th:

I’ve had a fairly emotional week.  Hearing on Sunday night that Obamacare passed in the house in spite of a complete lack of bipartisan participation and a strong vocal resistance from the people made me lose faith in the legislative process.  It further tarnished my opinion of our president and other federal leaders who seem to have forgotten or just refuse to accept that they are our representatives and our servants.  It sickens me.

As I was looking more into this I found out that the bill actually includes articles providing for the formation of Obama’s “civil army” that will be appointed by him, take their orders from him, report to him, operate on their own ranking and pay scale independent from the one established by congress for our current military.  I wonder just how devious and dark President Obama’s true designs are.

I also know that to get too caught up in the negative points will become destructive to me and my goals.  I have been critical of Glenn Beck at times because I felt that he got too angry and didn’t offer a plan of action to deal with all of the problems he was identifying.  I don’t know how correct this assessment of mine was.  Lately I have appreciated his efforts to educate people.  I also appreciate something I heard him say this week.

He explained that a lot of people were surprised that he wasn’t crying and frothing at the mouth about the Obamacare vote.  He said that the reason why is that he appreciated that those in our government who hate freedom and have a complete disregard for the constitution and for the people they were elected to serve have clearly identified themselves.  Then he reminded us of a powerful lesson from our history.

December of 1776 was a bleak time in the colonies.  General Washington and his armies had lost every battle so far in the war.  They were starving and freezing.  I believe that the states were not sending supplies, reinforcements, or the pay that the army needed.  They were disheartened.  Many soldiers were leaving and choosing to not continue on with the army.  It was a dangerous time during which we could have easily lost our ability to continue fighting for our independence.  It was at this time that Thomas Paine penned his famous words, “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”

His words inspired the troops.  They inspired the people.  The colonies continued their fight, and eventually we were victorious over the oppressive English.

This story reminds me to never give up.  We have lost battles.  We have lost freedoms.  We have strayed too far from the government designed by our founding fathers to protect our liberties and freedom to prosper.  But the war is not yet over.

I don’t know what will happen from here.  I have an idea how it ends, but I’m not certain what route will carry us from point a to point b.  All I know is that I do not want to be counted among the summer soldiers.  I am not a sunshine patriot!  I will continue to educate myself and act on opportunities that present themselves to help others learn and act as well.  I will share the message of liberty.  I will support others who will stand with integrity for the constitution and the principles on which it was designed.

“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered…” but it will be conquered.  Tyrants will fall, and Freedom will ring, and I choose to fight on her side so that I can stand tall and proud when that day comes!

I want to thank Jeffrey, Ed, Jason, Jim, and the wonderfully beautiful Ashlee for your attendance and participation.  I’m especially glad for the example of Ed becoming a GOP Precinct Committeeman and for Jeffrey pointing out that more of us should follow suit.  My email has been sent to our district chair to inform of my intent to become a committeeman myself.

I invite all within my “voice” to educate yourselves.  Read a book about history or government.  Get involved.  Come to a meeting or start your own.

If you live in the Phoenix area you can find our contact information on the tab above or visit www.thestarforumphoenix.wordpress.com.  We have monthly meetings scheduled for the last Friday of each month.

Finally, good job to my fellow liberty lovers in Utah for your participation in the Caucus.  I’ve heard great things about your efforts and results!

Utah Politics – Meet the Candidates (Well….most of them)

 

Independence Caucus on, January 15, 2010, held an event where all candidates officially running for the U.S. Senate Seat, currently held by Bob Bennett, would have an opportunity to speak to the grassroots movement in Utah.  They had to answer 80 questions to become vetted by Independence Caucus.  Unfortunately two of the candidates did not.  One was the Democrat, Sam Granato, and the other was Republican incumbent, Bob Bennett.

 

We had a wonderful time hearing from Bob Basso, who you all know and love from the YouTube videos, as Thomas Paine.  He spoke as expected about common sense.  We are Americans first and foremost.  In addition, although there is a political Left and Right, we must recognize that the people are moving closer to the moral Right, regardless of party. 

He chastened the “non-representing representatives” who would not answer to the people with a simple 80 question vetting process.

He also gave us hope with a wonderful story of 150 senior citizens in Brooklyn, New York called TOBFCS.  That stands for Tough Old Broads for Common Sense.  They are making a difference.  They have recalled two (2) city council members in Brooklyn, just to point out one difference they have made.

There is great hope in our country.  Even if the news ignores the 1.7 million people who marched in Washington DC, and the hundreds of thousands who gathered around the nation on their state capitols, we know who we are.  We were there.  I was there.  Do not wait to have the media take notice.  They report the news (or their supposed to), they do not create it.  WE DO!

I went into the meeting with my favorites and came out with great respect for all four (4) candidates.  In no particular order, I want to share my thoughts on each of them.  Remember, these are my notes, and my take on their words.

Tim Bridgewater:  Well, out of the bunch, he is the capitalist.  You can feel and hear his business experience.  He understands that growth occurs when businesses and people are left alone and entrepreneurs can succeed.  He is definitely a free-market advocate.  He talked about auditing the Federal Reserve.  He believes in a Balanced Budget Amendment.  He wants to see our spending cut over the next 10 years.  He recognizes that Wall Street was never really the problem, but government interference especially through Fannie and Freddie created the current housing mess.  To read more about Tim visit www.timbridgewater.com

James Williams:  Of all the candidates, I felt he is like most Americans.  He is just fed up and he is willing to put himself out there to change things.  I found him to be a humble man with strong opinions.  He discussed changing the way the budget is created.  If a new item needs federal spending 105% of that amount must be cut from some other place.  This will have a two-fold effect.  One, people will not want to create new spending without thinking about the cuts, and each new program actually cuts the budget overall.  He spoke of asking himself three questions when confronted with a decision. “Is it Constitutional?  Is it moral? Will this better the people of Utah and the U.S population?”  James is also for Auditing the Federal Reserve, cutting capital gains tax and corporate taxes.  For more on James visit www.voteforjameswilliams.com

Cherilyn Eager:  You can tell Cherilyn has been in debates before.  She moved quickly to her points and was focused on getting information out there.  She referred often to the founding fathers, and it is obvious she knows the documents.  She believes in the fair tax as proposed by www.fairtax.org and promoted by Joe the Plumber.  She believes in repealing the 16^th and 17^th amendments.  She wants the Dept of Education gone from our Federal system.  She also believes in Auditing the Federal Reserve.  She does not believe in a Balanced Budget Amendment because she believes that it will be misused to create times of war or crisis in our country so the amendment could possibly be ignored.  She agrees with George Wythe University in that they called Glenn Beck the “Cicero” of our time.  For more info on Cherilyn visit www.Eagarforsenate.com

Mike Lee:  Mike was impressive with his legal knowledge on the Constitution and talked about what his job is not.  He reminded us how far the government has moved from its original purpose.  He recognizes that money needs to be spent on a local level rather than on a national level or dictated by a national government.  He believes in Auditing the Federal Reserve, and recognizes that by printing money they are violating our 5th amendment rights because they are making our property (money) worthless.  He would like to repeal the 16^th and 17^th amendment.  He knows that Congress cannot (should not) legislate beyond the ground rules of the Constitution.  The Federal government needs to stop doing what it should not be doing.  We do not need Federal tax collectors either, because that should be the job of the states.  For more info on Mike visit www.mikelee2010.com

The biggest decision for the conservative movement is choosing which candidate to support.  All four of these candidates appear to have Constitutionally based principles.  I recommend you visit their websites, ask them questions, and vote your conscience.  Remember the only way you will get to vote for them is to become a delegate in your precinct.  To get more information on delegate training you can go to www.UtahRising.com find a representative in your county, and coordinate our efforts.  Utah Rising is not associated with the Republican party.