Quote of the Day

"The country that draws a broad line between its fighting men and its thinking men will find its fighting done by fools and its thinking done by cowards."

~Sir William F. Butler

Happy Easter, He is Risen, Alleluia!

Oath Keepers

Oath Keepers

1. We will NOT obey orders to disarm the American people.

2. We will NOT obey orders to conduct warrantless searches of the American people

3. We will NOT obey orders to detain American citizens as unlawful enemy combatants or to subject them to military tribunal.

4. We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a state of emergency on a state.

5. We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty.

6. We will NOT obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.

7. We will NOT obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.

8. We will NOT obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to keep the peace or to maintain control.

9. We will NOT obey any orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies.

10.We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.

Some Thoughts on Laws

Two types of laws, mala in se, are wrongs which are always evil in and of themselves (e.g., murder, rape), and mala prohibita, wrongs prohibited because of subjectivity (e.g., underage drinking, speeding).

What is "legal" is not necessarily right. What is right is very often "illegal".

Just because something is immoral doesn't mean it's illegal (e.g., abortion), and just because something is illegal doesn't mean it's immoral (e.g., prohibition).

Time for a Closer Look

By Michael Gaddy from LRC.


For several decades the state and its willing accomplices in the media and talk radio have marginalized and demonized anyone who alleges involvement of the state in illegal activities or conspiracies to provide false information to support its illegal wars and other agendas. Those who do so are referred to as "conspiracy nuts" or in the case of Rush Limbaugh, Keepers of Odd Knowledge Society members. (K.O.O.K.S)

To believe the state is never involved in illegal conspiracies would require one to believe the state incapable of criminal behavior and Julius Caesar was killed in a random walk-by knifing.

A theory is defined as a guess or conjecture; therefore, once one piece of actual evidence is discovered, a theory no longer exists; it becomes a possibility. The problem Tin-foil hatters face is the lack of any subjective review of that evidence. The state is always in charge of "officially" discovering evidence. When those outside of the state’s influence discover evidence the government has somehow "overlooked," then an "impartial" panel is commissioned to investigate that evidence. The problem is, the impartial panel is always appointed by the state and populated by those with close connections to the state apparatus. Need I say more than the 9/11 Commission, or the Commission led by former Senator John Danforth tasked with investigating the tragedy called Waco?

Even in the event these commissions find wrongdoing by state employees, there are never any prosecutions of those responsible, even when the crime they commit is murder. FBI Agent Lon Horiuchi is a great example. Therefore, it is obvious those who represent the state operate with impunity and/or the state sanctioned "license to kill."

Perhaps the state believes only private citizens are capable of carrying out criminal conspiracies; after all, over 40% of those in federal custody are there for "conspiracy" to commit a crime. But when one mentions the state and criminals, are they not being redundant?

Lately, I have become increasingly skeptical of the timing and circumstances surrounding mass shootings. Any investigator worth his/her salt would question how, within a short time of the state indicating its intention of prohibiting the sale of a certain type firearm, a mass murder occurs in which that type weapon is used.

A prudent individual, unencumbered with emotional or financial connections to the state, cannot logically ignore the similarities in many of these mass shootings.

First, there is the insane and totally explained phenomena of a person becoming angry at someone or something, and then randomly killing people they do not know.

Second, is the almost universal use of mind-altering drugs by the perpetrators of these heinous crimes? Almost all of those involved in school shootings were taking, or had just stopped taking, drugs such as Prozac or Ritalin.

Third, is the fact a great number of the shooters kill themselves after committing their heinous crimes?

Fourth, when the mass shooting does not fit the above profile, the state uses the incident to claim, as they did in the shooting this weekend in Pennsylvania, that the perpetrator feared the state was going to take his guns. This certainly aids the state in its efforts to paint all that are concerned about the possible loss of freedoms and encroachments on the 2A as potential killers and threats to society.

Has the state gained from any of these very suspicious shootings? Of course they have.

After the political assassinations in the 1960s, the state, operating with the fear and outrage of the public, was able to foist on the America the wonderful 1968 Gun Control Act, a law taken almost word for word from the Nazi Weapons Law of 1938. Former NRA President Charlton Heston’s involvement in the promotion of this vile law is a story in itself.

While there are many writers who believe the state is presently too concerned with the economy to concentrate on laws prohibiting the private ownership of firearms, I believe, that because of the economy, the state will be forced to actively pursue draconian firearms legislation as a priority.

As so eloquently stated by many of the economists at LRC, the current actions taken by the government to shore up the economy are all destined to fail. The current bailouts will fill the pockets of those who support and control the state and do nothing but lead to continued unemployment and financial chaos in this country and the world. The coming financial chaos will lead to civil unrest on a huge scale. Those who have been living on the producers in this society have been led to believe (by the state) they are entitled to the property of others and will take whatever action they deem necessary to secure it.

When millions are unemployed and businesses are failing in greater numbers than today, the state will be forced to seek other methods of revenue collection. If there were to be enacted a federal property owner’s tax, and seizures of private property were initiated to supplement the lack of collected revenue to run the state and its empire, state representatives sent to seize the property would prefer unarmed victims. The state will take the necessary steps to protect its revenue collection actions. If not, then why do we have armed IRS agents?

Is the state capable of killing to achieve its goals? One could always ask Randy Weaver and the Waco survivors, not to mention the families of tens of thousands of soldiers and millions of Vietnamese and Iraqis.

In future writings I will detail the similarities of mass killings perpetrated by Charles Whitman, Patrick Purdy, Klebold and Harris, Seung-Hui Cho, and Jiverly Wong, and the evidence that takes state involvement from guess and conjecture to a possibility

Obama Expands Bush's Defense of Wiretapping

In a stunning defense of President George W. Bush's warrantless wiretapping program, President Barack Obama has broadened the government's legal argument for immunizing his Administration and government agencies from lawsuits surrounding the National Security Agency's eavesdropping efforts.

In fact, a close read of a government filing last Friday reveals that the Obama Administration has gone beyond any previous legal claims put forth by former President Bush.

Responding to a lawsuit filed by a civil liberties group, the Justice Department argued that the government was protected by "sovereign immunity" from lawsuits because of a little-noticed clause in the Patriot Act. The government's legal filing can be read here (PDF).

For the first time, the Obama Administration's brief contends that government agencies cannot be sued for wiretapping American citizens even if there was intentional violation of US law. They maintain that the government can only be sued if the wiretaps involve "willful disclosure" -- a higher legal bar.

Raw Story has the rest of the story.

Photo of the Day

A Letter to the Federal Government

Dear Mr President, Your Cabinet, Members of Congress and The US Senate, with all due respect . . .

You were not elected by nor do you serve any particular ethnic, economic or religious group or any particular political party. You were elected by the citizens of this great country and you serve us all equally.

This great nation was created over 200 years ago by leaders with vision, courage and humility. They created a nation based on freedom. The freedom to fail and the right to inherit the consequences of failure, the freedom to succeed and the right to enjoy the benefits of that success and the right to speak out without fear of criticism or retaliation.

You are all dangerously close to trashing over 200 years of blood, sweat, effort, passion and patriotism. I strongly urge that you let go of your arrogance, shortsightedness, special interests, stupidity and lack of courage and recognize that you enjoy your position at the discretion of your employer, The Board of Directors of America, its citizens.

When the President of the United States believes he has the authority to fire the President of an American Corporation, regardless of whether that organization was the beneficiary of US Government funds or his effectiveness as a leader is not consistent with the purpose under which this country was founded.

When members of the President’s cabinet refuse to accept responsibility for mistakes, poor judgment or poor vision this is not acceptable behavior by your Board of Directors.

When members of Congress and the US Senate continue to play politics while denying that they are doing so, do they really believe that the average American citizen doesn’t see through their behavior?

When our government in general acts as if it is not accountable to all of us but just a few of us.

When your Board is treated with disrespect, lies, misrepresentations and manipulation, we do not treat these lightly.

As the signer of this letter I am only speaking for myself, but please keep in mind that I am a member of your Board and you do serve only at my discretion and the discretion of my fellow board members.

Here’s what I suggest.

1) You stop worrying about keeping your jobs and start doing your jobs.

2) Recognize that you are responsible to all of us not some of us and that includes all of the people who will be members of your future Boards for years and years to come.

3) Start acting with integrity and not party affiliation. You are Americans first - don’t ever forget that. Although many of you say the right words, but your actions continue to be partisan. We are not stupid.

4) Recognize that this country, in less than 250 years, has become one of the greatest countries in the history of the world. And this greatness was accomplished by us, your Board and not you, our leaders.

5) Get back to the values grounded in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Stop apologizing for our greatness, our spirit and our goals. We want to be good Global neighbors, but in the end, we are your Employer not other Countries.

6) We accept that we are part of a Global Village, but we are entitled to out unique values, rights, economic lifestyle and individual future regardless of the views of other Countries and their temporary leaders.

7) Stop patronizing us and treating us like children. We are adults and we can handle truth. We might not like it, but no matter what, we will deal with reality and we will overcome as we always have for over 200 years.

8) Stop rewarding failure and punishing success.

9) Accept the simple fact that increasing the money supply will not rebuild our confidence in this economy or your ability to manage it.

10) Stop dealing in fear tactics and threats.

11) You wanted the job. You ran and were elected. Stop blaming the previous administrations or people for your problems. Grow up and deal with them without blame.

12) Take responsibility for your actions, decisions and behaviors and stop hiding behind anyone who is willing to act as your shield.

Therefore; Mr President, You’re Cabinet, Members of Congress and The US Senate, with all due respect . . .

We want you to recognize and accept that your position is only a temporary one and that if you continue to try and shove bad decisions, poor judgment, a lack of integrity and allegiances to only a few of us rather than all of us, down our throats, we will terminate you.

Remember, you report to us, we don’t report to you so start acting with all of our present and future best interests and not just a select few of us - in mind or you will be fired.

Feel free to contact me if you would like some other recommendations for improving your behavior.


Sincerely,
an American Citizen
Member of the American Board of Directors

Thought for the Day

"The Statue of Liberty on the East Coast should be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast. Freedom and Responsibility are two sides of the same coin, you cannot truly have one without the other."

~paraphrase of Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

Conservative Talk Radio Hypocrisy

Debt Prison has great piece on the hypocrisy of "conservative" talk radio pundits. Here's a brief excerpt:

The same Conservatives, who complain so loudly about the involvement of government in our private market (and rightfully so I believe) never seem to complain when we use government force to manage the affairs of other nations. As was clearly demonstrated by our invasion and continued occupation of Iraq, Conservatives maintain the position that our government knows what is best for the people of Iraq.

According to these radio hosts “the government screws up everything they touch”… with the acute exception of foreign policy.

How can these Conservatives complain that the U.S. government isn’t capable of centrally planning the economy, but still insist that our government is perfectly capable of centrally planning the government, economy, and culture of another country via perpetual war and nation building? Their vision is crystal clear on government intervention in the economy but dismally naive in the realm of foreign policy.

Read the entire article here.