Unite for Freedom! (or Conservatives Unite!) | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Requiring Americans to register themselves and their firearms, have a photograph taken, have fingerprints on file, and submit to psychiatric evaluations when the government defines what classifications of free speech are considered dangerous is a prerequisite for government monitoring and then confiscation, which then is the prerequisite for subjugation and totalitarianism. In the extreme cases, it is a prerequisite for the extermination of political enemies.

    Everyone concerned for their Second Amendment security should contact their state representatives, their County Commissioners, and their local Sheriff's department (the enforcement agency closest to the individual) and inquire whether each intends to honor their oath to support and defend the US Constitution (and state constitution, which also contains a Bill of Rights). Please urge your representatives and local officials to adopt resolutions which declare the intent to preserve and protect the rights to have and bear a firearm. Resolutions are being adopted all over - from the state of Wyoming to Beaufort County in North Carolina. Model resolutions are available from the NC Tenth Amendment Center. (www.northcarolina.tenthamendmentcenter.com)

    We need to start treating abuses of the constitution as felonies.

    The unconstitutional, fiscal, social, educational, moral, and criminal problems we suffer today are not the problem. They are the symptoms and the consequences of a people who have turned from God and become a society that encourages the "instant gratification" nature in many of us. It's the American people who need fixing before we can hope to fix the country and our government. A good and moral people require few laws and therefore a small government is possible. And a small government allows for the greatest exercise of freedom. People who can't control their conduct are one of the reasons we have an out-of-control government and a judiciary that thinks they need to deconstruct the Constitution in order to fashion new social norms for these types of people.

    As Tea Partiers, we constantly refer back to the Constitution and our founding principles. It's our respect for the Constitution and Founding Fathers that gave rise to our movement. Governments are an extension of Natural Law - to address the social nature of man and to keep us in ordered societies and to protect our God-given rights. Constitutions, on the other hand, are not of divine origin. They are man-made instruments that restrain the government and prevent it from oppressing the people it is supposed to serve and protect. Laws restrain people but Constitutions restrain government. Luckily for us, our Constitution was divinely-inspired.

    The brilliance of our Constitution is the separation of government powers, each branch jealously guarding its sphere of authority, and the complex system of checks and balances, which includes the states (under the Tenth Amendment) and an engaged and vigilante electorate. Without these effective checks and balances, we would cease to have a constitutional republic. We would, in effect, have a democracy, the one thing our Founders wanted to avoid. The rule of a constitutional majority would simply become the rule of the numerical majority - where the majority would be able to use the full resources of the federal government for its selfish purposes. In times of stress, such as our economic depression and rising unemployment, the rule of the majority can easily become the rule of the mob - with the majority taking what it wants from the minority. Again, this is precisely what our Founders struggled to avoid. Freedom is God-given, but it is up to us, as men and women, to make sure it is secured from the evil tendencies of government.

    The attacks on our freedoms and our property rights are a symptom of a deep problem - an unfortunate shift in the political wind and a calculated re-engineering of American society. Those in power get away with it because we let them. And there are several reasons for this:

    (a) a fundamental disrespect for the Bible and our Constitution
    (b) a failure to stick to our traditional American values
    (c) a failure to hold our representatives to their oaths of office.. (we keep electing them); and
    (d) a failure to find candidates to represent the party who are not afraid to ask the tough question: "What would Thomas Jefferson do?"

    We are facing an unprecedented level of central planning over our lives, our fortunes, and our Pursuit of Happiness. What are our rights worth if the government regulates us so much that we can't exercise them freely and safely? What President Obama implied in his inaugural speech, as he so heavily relied on the memory of Abraham Lincoln, is that the pursuit of happiness is the pursuit of equality of result. Not the equality of opportunity, but the equality of result. He implied that would do what he could to use the government to make everybody more equal, in terms of their income and their life's work. He didn't talk about the rightful reward for effort, sacrifice, and achievement. He didn't talk about the reward for success, which is the natural incentive and which keeps a civilization moving forward and becoming more successful. It was an income-leveling speech... which signals the death of our John Locke foundation of government and the nation's view of Natural Rights.

    As columnist Keith Koffler wrote: "Jefferson, Adams, Madison and Franklin trusted the people with a Republic. Liberals say the people can no longer be trusted alone with such things..... Jefferson wanted to guarantee the pursuit of happiness. Obama wants to guarantee happiness. The former is the philosophy of capitalism. The latter is Socialism, which uses government to reduce freedom, not create it. This is not what the Founders intended."

    It was unthinkable to hear the leader of the United States, the nation founded on the recognition of man as an inherently free creature, and a former Harvard-educated constitutional lawyer, argue during his speech that America has evolved to the extent "our founding documents" no longer require us to "define liberty in exactly the same way." The truth is that Obama's ideology contradicts the Constitution he is sworn to uphold and he is putting his ideology above the one thing that protects the freedom our Creator has endowed us with - the Constitution. Because of this president, we can expect the ideological divide to grow wider over the next four years and time-honored social foundations to be sufficiently eroded. Put on your seatbelts folks.... The carnage we can expect as a result of his divide-and-conquer policies and his policies of national transformation will be immense.

    As if this all isn't enough, the rumor that Obama might seek to repeal term limits for the Presidency so he can run again in 2016 is coming true. On January 4, Democratic US House rep, Jose Serrano (NY), introduced a piece of legislation - Joint House Resolution 15 (H.J. Res. 15) - proposing "an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President." It is currently referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

    What is it about "tyrant" and "dictator" that is attractive to people? And why is the government trying so hard to make it a reality for this particular president?

    But while the pendulum of political ideology swings back and forth, tipping right now at the far left, we have to wonder if the momentum will ever bring it back over to the right. History shows a recurrent movement back and forth in our country, between idealistic big governmental activists and their conservative counterparts who oppose centralized government and believe that government is best when it governs least. These historical cycles have usually lasted for one generation, approximately 20 to 25 years. It's been 25 years since Ronald Reagan left office. It's been 25 years since we last enjoyed a president who actively sought to turn back "big government."

    Let's hope there is a political equivalent of the laws of physics: "For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction." What goes around comes around.

    What will the Republican Party offer in 2016?

    I got a call from the GOP sometime before Christmas, asking for money. It was a call from a Washington DC number. Still being in a funk over the results of the presidential election, I wasn't in a donating mood. But the guy wouldn't stop asking so I asked him what the GOP plans to do going forward to energize the conservative base? This is what he told me --

    1). It will have to support some kind of amnesty - to attract the Hispanic vote (An analysis of the Hispanic community, however, shows that Hispanic voters are not voting for Democrats because the Democratic party is for amnesty or for open borders. The reason they vote for Democrats is the same reason other groups vote for Democrats.. for the hand-outs).
    2). The GOP platform can continue to show its support of the Right to Life and the rights of the Unborn but it should not pursue policy to limit or take any abortion rights or funding from those who believe otherwise.
    3). The GOP platform can continue to show its moral disapproval of Gay Marriage but it should not pursue policy to deny rights to gays/lesbians.

    In other words, the Republican Party intends to sell out its principles and abandon the hope of restoring moral principles to this once moral nation. It is planning to pander to social groups. What party does that remind you of?

    The Democratic Party.

    If the GOP doesn't believe in the Rule of Law, if it believes there are special rights for special groups, and if it is willing to concede our founding principles for a more fair outcome, then it has ceased to be Republican party. It is just another liberal party and should waive the white flag of surrender. If you think it is acceptable that our choice in 2016 will be the party of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and the party of unprincipled conservatives, then our country is lost. If you believe that we should resign ourselves to a culture that lacks the moral courage to discourage envy and covetousness, then you have rejected the American ideal of "Equal Opportunity" in favor of the French model of "Equality of Outcome."

    We have to stand the course and fight as best we can issue by issue, at this point. If we still believe in the notion that we have a government of the people, by the people, for the people, then we have to put the power back in the foundation where it came from - us. We the People. That's what the Declaration of Independence proudly proclaims.

    We have 4 more years with a President who fundamentally stands for everything we oppose and who is as ambitious at transforming America as Kim Kardashian is at finding a husband.... or as ambitious as Chris Christie is at finding a donut shop. Obama has made, perhaps, one too many a mistake by going after our Gun Rights. That might be the issue we can hope to build stronger coalitions against this administration. We HAVE to win more seats in the House and Senate in 2014, and we HAVE to figure out, once and for all, the winning strategy for 2016. Or we may never see a Republican in the White House again.

    If you believe, as the Republican Liberty Caucus believes and as many Tea Party groups believe, that with hard work and determination we can wrestle the GOP from the grips of those who would sell its soul and restore her, then I beg you to please take to heart what you will hear and learn here today.

    Again, we have to get involved to make a difference. The success or failure will rest with us..... working together.


    APPENDIX:

    I. Obama's 23 Executive Orders to Regulate Gun Ownership:

    1). Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background-check system.

    2). Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background-check system.

    3). Improve incentives for states to share information with the background- check system.

    4). Direct the attorney general to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.

    5). Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.

    6). Publish a letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.

    7). Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.

    8). Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).

    9). Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.

    10). Release a Department of Justice report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.

    11). Nominate an ATF director.

    12). Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.

    13). Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.

    14). Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.

    15). Direct the attorney general to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun-safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.

    16). Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.

    17). Release a letter to healthcare providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.

    18). Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.

    19). Develop model emergency-response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.

    20). Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.

    21). Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within Affordable Care Act exchanges.

    22). Commit to finalizing mental-health parity regulations.

    23). Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.

    Reference: http://www.newsmax.com/headline/obama-guns-executive-orders/2013/01/16/id/471689#ixzz2JgW48lwc ("Obama's Executive Orders to Address Gun Violence Reduction?)

    Also see: Scott Coffina, "Gun Control by Executive Order," National Review Online, January 16, 2013. Referenced at: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/337789/gun-control-executive-order-scott-coffina?pg=1

    II. Obama's First Term by the Numbers

    At the beginning of January 2013, the RNC Research arm released a list of how much President Obama's first four years cost in terms of deficits, regulations, stimulus spending, and the underemployed and unemployed individuals. The following are a few of those figures:

    • $25.4 Trillion: Projected federal debt in 2022 due to Obama's binge spending (Office of Management and Budget, 7/27/12).
    • $16.4 Trillion: Current national debt (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • $9.2 trillion: Amount Obama's FY2013 budget would add to the debt through FY2022 (OMB, 7/27/12).
    • $5.8 Trillion: Added to the national debt since Obama took office (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • $2.6 Trillion: True cost of ObamaCare once fully implemented (Office of the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Report 1/6/11).
    • $1.75 Trillion: Annual cost of federal regulations (Small Business Administration, September 2010).
    • $1.18 Trillion: Total cost of Obama's first stimulus with interest (CBO, 1/31/12).
    • $1.17 Trillion: American debt held by China (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • $1.090 Trillion: Federal budget deficit for FY2012--Fourth Highest in U.S. History (CBO, 10/5/12).
    • $833 Billion: Price tag of Obama's first failed stimulus (CBO, 8/23/12).
    • $820 Billion: Amount of taxes in ObamaCare (CBO 3/13/12).
    • $518 Billion: Amount of regulatory burden since Obama took office (American Action Forum, 1/14/13).
    • $447 Billion: Price tag of Obama's second stimulus (The White House, 9/8/11).
    • $236.7 Billion: Amount of regulatory burden in 2012 (American Action Forum 1/14/13).
    • $188 Billion: Taxpayer funds for Fannie May and Freddie Mac (ProPublica, Accessed 10/10/12).
    • $28.5 Billion: Outstanding government investment bailouts of the auto industry (Treasury Department, 1/10/13).
    • $24.3 Billion: Amount government expects to lose on bailouts of auto industry (Treasury Department, 1/10/13).
    • $535 Million: Stimulus loan to the failed solar company Solyndra (The Oakland Tribune, 11/4/10).
    • 46.2 Million: Number of Americans receiving food stamps (Department of Agriculture, 1/4/13).
    • 22.7 Million: Americans unemployed, underemployed, or have given up looking for work (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • 12.2 Million: Unemployed Americans (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • 2.6 Million: Unemployed workers that have given up looking for work (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • 757,000: Unemployed veterans (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • 226,000: Unemployed post-9/11 era veterans (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • 89,000: The number of stimulus checks sent to dead or incarcerated people (The Wall Street Journal, 10/7/10).
    • $53,224: Your share of the national debt (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • $18,804: Increase in your share of the national debt since Obama took office (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • 45,696: Pages of new rules added to the federal register during Obama's first two years in office (Competitive Enterprise Institute, 2011).
    • $15,500: Annual cost per household from federal regulations (Small Business Administration, September 2010).
    • 61%: The amount by which new offshore leases for oil and natural gas drilling has declined under Obama (FactCheck.org, 10/19/12).
    • $3,065: Amount of increase of average cost of family health care premiums since Obama took office (The Kaiser Family Foundation, 2012).
    • 7.8%: The current unemployment rate, which is the same as when Obama took office (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/17/13).
    • Since Obama took office, the unemployment rate for women has increased from 6.9% to 7.8% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/4/13).
    • In December 2012, the unemployment rate for women spiked from 7.6% to 7.8% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/4/13).
    • Since Obama took office, the African American unemployment rate has increased from 12.7% to 14.0% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/4/13).
    • In December 2012, the African American unemployment rate increased from 13.2% to 14.0% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 1/4/13).

    Reference: Figures compiled by the Republican National Committee

    Publisher's note: Diane Rufino has her own blog, For Love of God and Country. Come and visit her. She'd love your company.