Fwd: Early Victory in State Sovereignty Battle

Here's a message from the Campaign for Liberty about their role in the recent movement for States Rights through station of the 9th and 10th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Also, just a heads up for any readers I might happen to have, I am going to have to slow down my blogging. I need to find a job and stop disappointing my wife by hardly ever doing any house work while she's away. So I'll be doing one more post tomorrow and then that's it until next Sunday or Monday.

In Love and Liberty from Bergen, Hordaland, Norge,

Christopher D. Osborn

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Campaign for Liberty
Date: Fri, Feb 13, 2009 at 10:56 PM
Subject: Early Victory in State Sovereignty Battle
To: Christopher Osborn

February 13, 2009

Dear Friend of Liberty,

Please take a moment to read the following report from C4L Interim State Coordinator Kirk Shelley regarding recent action in the Oklahoma legislature to uphold the state's sovereignty under the Constitution's Tenth Amendment.

Similar action is being taken all over the country, as resistance to the federal government's continual intrusion into our lives grows. I urge all our Oklahoma members to immediately contact their state representatives in support of final passage for House Joint Resolution 1003. More details are included in this report.

If you are in a state where such a resolution has not been introduced, contact your state legislators today and tell them to stand up for your state's sovereignty.

In Liberty,

John Tate

President, Campaign for Liberty

*******************************

Paul Supporters Lead Fight to Restore State Sovereignty in Oklahoma

"State House to consider historic bill to take back state's rights under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution"

Oklahoma City – For far too long, the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has been known as the forgotten amendment. With power grab after power grab, Congress has slowly eroded the rights of states to keep powers not specifically granted to the federal government.

As more and more citizens and state legislators across the country begin to realize that this loss of states rights is at the core of many of our nation's problems, those legislators have set out to stop the out of control Congress and restore some sense of sanity and constitutional protections to the individual states.

On February 11th, Oklahoma became the first state to act on legislation to do just that. This action was directly brought about by a Ron Paul supporter, and it is Campaign for Liberty members that will see this battle all the way through.

You see, the 10th Amendment in our nation's Bill of Rights has long been despised by our big government foes. That amendment was drafted to enshrine in the Constitution what the Founders and the original states already knew: any power not expressly given to the federal government is kept by the states and the people. Although a lot of freedom-minded individuals have long fought for full compliance with this amendment in modern times, there has been a void of leadership and a lack of focused action - until now.

That void has been filled by the formation of Campaign for Liberty, which was born from Ron Paul's galvanizing 2008 Presidential campaign.

Campaign for Liberty is fighting in state legislatures across the country and in Congress to preserve and restore constitutional rights to all citizens, to subdue an out of control federal government, and to win back our lost freedom.

The fight in Oklahoma is a great example of the kind of battles we face in the next stages of the Ron Paul Revolution.

With the support of Dr. Paul's activists throughout the state, the Oklahoma legislature has taken up a vital bill to put Congress in its place and to remind it that there are limits to federal power.

This past Wednesday, the Oklahoma House Rules Committee unanimously supported House Joint Resolution 1003 (http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10HB/HJR1003_int.rtf), which expresses the sovereignty of the State of Oklahoma and clearly calls for an end to unconstitutional federal government mandates.

Representative Charles Key (R-Oklahoma City), the sponsor of this bill, has spearheaded a national movement to put the federal government on notice that the separate states are sick and tired of having their actions dictated by Washington, D.C.

Rep. Charles Key is a supporter of Dr. Paul – in fact, he was the first elected official in Oklahoma to endorse Ron Paul's candidacy for President (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa5sCO-3ly0) because of Dr. Paul's strong support for the US Constitution.

Oklahoma IS an example of how the R3volution is leading the battle to restore constitutional rights and freedoms to our citizens. The fight to reclaim our Republic and restore our Constitution is just beginning, and, with the continued efforts of Campaign for Liberty members all across the country, it is a fight that we can and will win.

Kirk Shelley

Oklahoma Interim State Coordinator, Campaign for Liberty

2008 State Coordinator, Ron Paul for President

P.S. If you live in Oklahoma, please contact your State House representatives and senators immediately. You can find their contact information here: http://www.capitolconnect.com/oklahoma/default.aspx

In Liberty,

Christopher D. Osborn
Bergen, Hordaland, Norge

Fwd: How to Cure Political Loneliness

Latest DownsizeDC.org project: the cure for political loneliness amongst liberty minded individuals (Libertarians, Constitutionalists, True Conservative Republicans, etc.) I really think it might work. Too bad it costs money and I have none to give.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Downsizer Dispatch <downsizer-dispatch@downsizedc.org>
Date: Sat, Nov 15, 2008 at 6:02 PM
Subject: How to Cure Political Loneliness

D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h

---

Quote of the Day: "In the long run men hit only what they aim at." -- Henry David Thoreau

Subject: How to cure political loneliness

* How many Americans want smaller government?
* How many Americans would support the "Read the Bills Act" and the "One Subject at a Time Act," if they were introduced to them?

In today's Dispatch we'll answer the first question, and explain how we can use $50,000 in pledges made by two generous donors to answer the second question. We'll also tell you how you can see and receive our new "I Am Not Afraid" t-shirt.

We start by tipping our hat to David Boaz at the Cato Institute for constantly calling attention to the kind of data we're going to share below, and to Ramesh Ponnuru for providing a good recent summary of this information.

CBS pollsters have been asking the following question for decades, "Would you say you favor smaller government with fewer services, or larger government with many services?"

From 1996 through Jan. 2001 the smaller-government side had an average lead of a whopping 20 points. This lead has slipped in the current decade, but as of March-April of this year the sides were tied.

For most of the past three decades a majority of Americans (often a vast majority) have favored smaller government. And even now, when the propaganda drumbeat for more government in areas such as health care and the financial system has been extremely loud, the support for smaller government is close to a majority, according to this poll.

But there are other polls . . .

A similar Washington Post/ABC poll tells the same story. Public opinion swung strongly toward smaller government in the 1990s, and then back the other way in this decade. "But smaller-government has maintained a consistent advantage!"

According to this poll, as of June 2008, the public still favors smaller government 50% to 45%. But there's more . . .

For many years Gallup, ABC and the Washington Post have asked Americans, "is government trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses" or "should government do more to solve our country's problems?" The answers have usually been in favor of smaller government . . .

* By 8-points in September 1992
* By 12-points in October 1998
* By 7-points in September 2002
* And by a whopping 12-points this September, during the height of the financial hysteria!

But it gets even better, because these poll questions are actually rigged in favor of the big government position, and we still win anyway! As David Boaz points out, these poll questions offer a benefit of larger government (more services) without mentioning the cost (higher taxes).

A fair poll question would mention both the cost and the benefit for each side. Has any polling operation asked the question this way? The answer is yes. When Rasmussen asked the balanced version of the question the results were . . .

* A whopping 64% in favor of smaller government with fewer services and lower taxes,
* 14% undecided
* And only a tiny minority of 22% in favor of more government and higher taxes

But these results are even more inspiring than they seem. What's truly amazing is that the vast majority of Americans favor smaller government in spite of the fact that . . .

* They all learned in government schools that government is the font of all things good
* The drama-mongering media constantly promotes the idea that the latest "crisis" is a cataclysmic danger that only government can solve
* Tax-funded "intellectuals" in our universities are constantly at work, pimping for the State
* Politicians spend billions every election telling us that they are the answer to every problem

The case for small government is hardly ever heard by anyone, and yet it still wins in the minds of the American people!

Can you imagine what could happen if our message was heard to the same extent as the propaganda for big government?

How can we make this happen? We think it would only take the organized assistance of a small portion of the 50-60% who already favor smaller government. How could these people be recruited and organized? We have a simple idea -- JUST ASK THEM!

We want to . . .

* Rent lists of politically engaged people
* Send them a letter describing RTBA and OSTA
* Ask them to join Downsize DC for free, by subscribing to the Downsizer Dispatch
* Make a pitch for funds so we can send more RTBA/OSTA letters to more potential recruits

We think this simple plan could make the Downsize DC Army grow very rapidly. Two major donors agree and have pledged a total of $50,000 to help ignite this fire. Their $50,000 is the final piece necessary to raise our entire 2009 budget of $186,000.

At present, we raise $97,000, annually, through monthly pledges (and the rest through one-time donations, with little to spare for advertising outreach).

To get the $50,000 in major donor pledges, and to achieve the goal all we need is the help of our supporters to "Close the Gap" of $39,000.

There are two ways you could help . . .

Close the $39,000 Gap from the top down by making a large pledge in concert with the two supporters who have pledged $50,000. Could you join them by pledging something on the order of $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, or $20,000?

If you choose this route, with a minimum $500 donation, you won't have to fulfill your pledge until we have all the money raised. That way there's no risk of your contributing a large amount and then wondering if the goal will really be met. When the goal is met we'll tell you, and only then cash your check or process your credit card.

Better yet, we'll use your pledge, along with the $50,000, as a matching fund to encourage smaller donations to help Close the Gap from the bottom up. If you want to join our top donors by making a larger pledge please go to our secure contribution forms and choose the page for top down pledges.

On the other hand, if the above amounts don't fit your budget, could you help Close the Gap from the bottom up by making a smaller cash donation, or by starting a monthly credit card pledge? You can do this using the special secure contribution form we've created for this fundraising drive. Pick the bottom up page.

Please note, smaller bottom up contributions and monthly pledges are immediate donations, not pledges to be fulfilled later. It's a cash or credit card contribution now. In return, we'll send you a special gift as our way of saying, "Thanks."

Everyone who makes . . .

* A one-time donation of $76 or more, or . . .
* A new monthly pledge of $12 or more, or . . .
* A $5 or more increase to an EXISTING monthly pledge . . .

We'll send you our new "I Am Not Afraid" t-shirt (you can see a picture of the t-shirt on the contribution page).

Thanks to the help of our two enthusiastic donors we're suddenly $50,000 closer to being able . . .

* Tap intro the vast majority that favors smaller government
* Benefit from the wide appeal of RTBA and OSTA
* Grow at a very rapid rate

All we need to get that final $50,000 is raise another $39,000. We hope you can help.

Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army.

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

P.S. There is also a Downsize DC lapel pin available for higher levels of support. And, IF YOU'RE CURRENTLY PLEDGING MORE THAN $50 PER MONTH, just tell us your T-shirt size, and we'll send you one as our way of saying thanks for all that support. See the special Close the Gap contribution form for details.

P.P.S. If tax-deductibility is important to you, or you wish to donate securities, you can make your contribution to the "Downsize DC Foundation."

P.P.P.S. Also, in terms of closing the gap, a monthly credit card pledge is worth the amount of the pledge times 12 months, so this is a particularly powerful way to help Close the Gap.

P.P.P.P.S. If you're going to send a check please print out one of the forms for this in our secure contribution pages. Our mailing address is located on both the Top Down and Bottom Up form.

D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
is the official email list of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation

CONTRIBUTE to the Electronic Lobbyist project

http://www.DownsizeDC.org is sponsored by DownsizeDC.org, Inc. -- a non-profit educational organization promoting the ideas of individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets, and small government.

You are encouraged to forward this message to friends and business associates, and permission is hereby granted to reproduce any items herein as long as attribution is provided for articles and the subscription instructions above are included.

September 17th was Constitution Day

I had planned to post something here yesterday, but being in Norge trying to get settled got in the way. I really I wish I had fit this in though, I feel terrible that I ignored the 2nd most important American Holiday just like most of the rest of my country does. To try to make up for it, I'd like to share with you what Downsize D.C. posted on their website.

I hope it is inspires you.

Quote of the Day:

"Americans just want us to... not be concerned if they can be constitutionally justified... Why, if we had to do that we could not pass most of the laws we enact around here."
-- Sen. John Glenn

Subject: The Unknown Holiday

Today is Constitution Day. Few Americans know this. Neither banks nor government offices will be closed. And most of us will go to work today, spending nearly half our time laboring to pay taxes to the various levels of government. In this sense today is no holiday at all. It's merely a designated spot on the calendar during which Americans are to . . .

Do what?

The politicians won't take notice of the day, though we've joined with the Liberty Coalition to encourage McCain and Obama to discuss Constitutional issues on the campaign trail. We won't be holding our breath in expectation that they will do so.

It remains to us, as individuals, to do something meaningful with the day.

We should be mindful of the role the Constitution has played in the success of our own lives. We live the freest and most affluent lives of any people on the planet, or in history. Our Constitution, which is now the oldest governing document in continuous use anywhere, has been crucial to this outcome.

The Constitution gave us a system of government with divided, competing, and explicitly defined powers. It gave us a Bill of Rights with strong limits on government action. The politicians have waged a continuous and largely successful assault on these attributes of our Constitution, but even so, the Constitution has continued to protect us often enough to make it one of the most important, if unappreciated, contributors to our daily lives and personal well-being.

It's easy to forget, overlook, or disparage, the number of times the Supreme Court has declared some act of Congress or the President as un-constitutional. But it has happened often, and has served to preserve our freedom and prosperity. In this we see not only the genius of the separation of powers, but also the continuing efficacy of the Bill of Rights. Without these attributes of our Constitution we would be not only less free, but also more poor.

Likewise, it's easy to under-appreciate the number of times Presidents have vetoed some over-reaching act of Congress, or times when Congress has acted to curtail the power of the Executive. Likewise, the Senate has often blocked actions of the House, and vice versa. And we have also been served when there have been partisan divisions between the Congress and the White House.

The separation of powers works. The Bill of Rights works. The Constitution works.

Look around the world. Wherever governments have less power, and the people more freedom, affluence, security, and peace reign. And wherever governments have more power, and the people less freedom, misery flourishes. And for as long as we have been the most free people in the world, we have also been the most prosperous and secure.

In America, even our poorest citizens live as kings compared to much of the rest of the world, and few of us need fear a policeman's knock on the door in the dead of the night, or that we will disappear into some camp or torture dungeon.

All of this, and more, is primarily a gift of our Constitution, for without it the people would long ago have voted their freedom away, and/or the politicians would have quickly assumed absolute power. A strong case can be made that only the Constitution has prevented these outcomes. So, today . . .

Ask not what the Constitution can do for you, for its gifts have already been conferred upon you in great abundance. Instead, ask what you can do for the Constitution. We would submit that you can, and should, speak up strongly on behalf of the Constitution's preservation. Please remind Congress that . . .

* Today is Constitution Day
* That they swore an oath to serve, protect, and defend the Constitution
* And that you would like to see them take concrete action to honor that oath, on today of all days

You can use your personal comments on two important campaigns to make these points to your elected representatives. First, ask them to pass the "Enumerated Powers Act," which would force Congress to specify their Constitutional authority for every act of legislation. You can send that message here.

Second, ask Congress to repeal previous egregious violations of the Constitution. You can do so by asking your representatives to co-sponsor Congressman Ron Paul's "American Freedom Agenda Act." This bill would . . .

* Repeal the “Military Commissions Act of 2006” and thereby restore the ancient right of habeas corpus and end legally sanctioned torture by U.S. government agents
* Restore the ”Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act” (FISA) and thereby outlaw warrantless spying on American citizens by the President of the United States
* Give Congress standing in court to challenge the President's use of "signing statements" as a means to avoid executing the nation's laws
* Make it illegal for government agents to kidnap people and send them abroad to be tortured by foreign governments
* Provide legal protection to journalists who expose wrong-doing by the Federal government
* Prohibit the use of secret evidence to label groups or individuals as terrorists for the purpose of criminal or civil sanctions

You can send that message here.

Please also support out work to defend the Constitution by making a contribution or starting a monthly pledge. You can do that here.

NOTE: You can remove this funding section if you forward this message to others, or post it on your blog. You can also comment on this message or "Digg it" at our blog.

Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army.

Perry Willis
Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

Another thing I did to commemorate yesterday's holiday is start the process of getting an absentee ballot. There are loads of partisan websites trying to help, while at the same time trying to get you to vote the way they want you to. Here's a great nonpartisan absentee voters website, The Overseas Vote Foundation.

It's very good technologically too. The first page you get to is very simple, simply having links to four different websites. First there is the main page for all absentee voters, then the Youth Vote page for overseas voters between 18 and 28 years old, then the Military Voter Services page for voters either in the military and their eligible spouses and dependents, and finally theirs the low bandwidth version with reduced graphics and a higher speed for all overseas voters who have a slow internet connection. Basically, that last one is a speedier lighter version of the first one.

For all of you not voting because they don't think it'll matter. Remember, you are not alone. If everyone who isn't voting because they don't think their vote will really matter decided to vote, we would have a very different election.

Happy Constitution Day!

In liberty,
from Bergen, Norge,

Christopher D. Osborn

Seeking redress, M.V. Times Letter

Hey, gues what? I sent a letter to the editor of the Martha's Vineyard Times, the Cape Cod Times, and the Vineyard Gazette, and the M.V. Times published it. I don't know if the Cape Cod times published it... I'll have to find a copy, and the Gazette doesn't come out 'till tomorrow, so we'll see then.

For now, here's the text of the letter:

Seeking redress

To the Editor:

Monday, June 30, may be remembered in history as the day Americans began, in earnest, the moral and solemn process of holding their servant government accountable to the constitution, under threat of withdrawal of allegiance, support and tax money.

To secure this end, the people have begun to claim and exercise a little known, but unalienable, "Right of Redress," rather than depending upon the will of the majority as defined by precinct voters, those who cast votes on Capitol Hill, and those that vote from the inner sanctums of our courthouses.

Most do not know that this profound natural right, first articulated 800 years ago in the Magna Carta, is embodied and protected by the petition clause of the First Amendment, the same amendment which protects your voice in the defense of freedom. Very importantly, academic research since 1986 makes clear that the right to petition for redress is not a redundant statement of the right of speech. It is in fact, the individual exercise of popular sovereignty.

To be sure, the widespread exercise of this Right holds significant implications for our nation and is most worthy of your interest. Here's what some of the Founders, sitting as the first congress, had to say:

"If money is wanted by rulers who have in any manner oppressed the people, they may retain it until their grievances are redressed, and thus peaceably procure relief, without trusting to despised petitions or disturbing the public tranquility." - Journals of the Continental Congress, 1:105113

On June 30, approximately 1,200 American citizens will begin the process of exercising the right by formally serving a legal notice and demand for redress upon the president, the attorney general and every member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, at their local district offices. This includes our own.

Demanding an official response within 40 days, the notice includes seven petitions for redress of grievances regarding substantial violations the constitution:

1. The Iraq invasion in violation of the war powers clauses.
2. The Federal Reserve System's violation of the money clauses.
3. The USA Patriot Act's violation of the privacy clauses.
4. The direct, unapportioned taxes on labor in violation of the tax clauses.
5. The federal gun control laws in violation of the Second Amendment.
6. The failure to enforce immigration laws in violation of the "faithfully execute" clause.
7. The construction, by stealth, of a "North American Union" without constitutional authority.

We the people cannot elect our way out of tyranny. Any assertion that by electing either Sen. John McCain or Sen. Barack Obama we can cure the ills that now plague America is simply naive or based on a lack of information regarding the corrupting forces that truly influence and control our government and political process.

Remember, when our president originally led us to war in Iraq, he did so with the majority support of not only Congress, but of the people. Credit or blame for whatever actions our government takes, whether it turns out to be for better or worse, cannot be laid upon just one man, administration, or congressional gathering. Whether through apathy, ignorance, vigilance, or brilliance, all our nation's citizenry have some responsibility for what our government does.

We urge you, the media, to learn about this profound right and to cover this event. Our republic faces a watershed moment no less historically compelling or newsworthy than the emergence of the civil rights movement. If liberty is to survive through peaceful means, you must embrace your ability to bring this critical information to your readers.

I know our local papers don't usually cover national news so much, but this really does have the potential to affect us all personally.

I also must admit that I am not as well versed in constitutional law as some, but in the past couple of years I do feel I have learned enough to support this cause and wish that others would do the same. If you wish you may visit www.givemeliberty.org/revolution for details about the plan to restore constitutional order.

I also recommend that every citizen take a closer look at our constitution than most of us do. Some of it is a tough read, but during a time when there is significant discussion about what it's all about and how important it is, I think it's a good thing for every one of us to take a good look at.

Christopher D. Osborn
Vineyard Haven

I look forward to seeing what people have to say about it in the comments section of the website. Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod, and Massachusetts in general actually is a great haven for big government Democrats.