Sweet taking oath of office
As reported earlier this week, John Sweet and I had a
fairly contentious exchange regarding a county resolution opposing provisions 1021 and 1022 of the National Defense Authorization Act. At issue is the lack of public testimony supporting his stance against the resolution. Later, I pointed out that when historians compare his voting record with the public record, it will reflect his personal agenda over the will of the people and he said he understood. Nevertheless, Sweet is resolute in his decision to ignore the NDAA and the citizens of Coos County who have taken the time to speak.
At the next meeting of the board of commissioners, on July 30, 2013 beginning at 9:30AM in the Owen Building, a resolution opposing provisions of the NDAA will be on the agenda for board discussion. Please attend, it is so important.
[Video credits: Bill Macy in Fargo]
Representative Disconnect is Sweet
I just watched a video of an out of state County Commissioners’ meeting. A citizen asked a commissioner if he had any feedback to his position that he would not support an anti-NDAA resolution. The citizen was part of a broad coalition of liberal and conservative groups I have been helping to get the resolution passed. He answered that he had only received criticism from across the country and within the state for his position.
The citizen asked if he was therefore representing his own position in opposing it rather than the citizens’ position favoring it. In other words she was asking him his basis for opposing the resolution. His reply was “I am not going to answer your question. The resolution will be taken up next week.”
Many if not most citizens recognize we have a serious problem in this Republic. Many have a hard time putting their finger on the problem but it manifests itself in government officials doing things which the people do not like.
The problem is systemic and it is apparent at all levels of government not just the federal government.
It seems that many of the public officials are determined not to do what We the People want but rather to do what they or a special interest believe, or at least tell us they believe, it best for us. This is the very definition of paternalism. Paternalism is the heart and soul of a Monarchy and totalitarian governments.
Our government is based on personal freedom and personal responsibility. It is modeled after God’s free will. As a free people we get to make our own choices and we get to reap the benefits or bad results from them. That is the essence of Liberty, the corner stone of this Republic. Jefferson said our Liberty ended at the next man’s nose.
This is what has made us the most free and most prosperous people in the history of mankind.
We are not a democracy! A democracy is transitory government that always degenerates into anarchy and ends up in totalitarianism. Our founding fathers hated democracy. Jefferson likened it to ” mob rule” where the majority could vote away the rights of the minority.
Under our Constitutional Republic the fundamental rights of all are paramount and must be respected. The Constitution sets the limits upon the governments i.e., the city, county, state and federal governments on what they can do and specifically that they may not trample on the rights of anyone including the minority even at the request of the majority. Our government is suppose to be based upon the will of the majority within the bounds of the Constitution.
We also have a federalist government. Under this system each level of government has its own sphere of responsibility and the governments interact and are responsible to maintain the proper balance in the system. This interaction is to ensure no one part of the government becomes over bearing and infringes on the responsibility of another sphere of government and of paramount importance do not infringe upon the fundamental rights of We the People.
The health and vitality of the Republic is as much the interest and responsibility of the county government as it is the state or the federal government!
We the People are the sovereigns unlike all other governments of the world in which the government, whether be it an individual (King) or a counsel , is the sovereign.
Our government officials are suppose to be “public servants” not masters or overlords. A “servant” is an employee who is employed to carry out the wishes and attend to the desires of the master i.e. We the People.
Whereas most governments are primarily concerned with continuity of government our governments are suppose to be primarily concerned with continuity of Liberty!
This is the fundamental flaw of the 2012 NDAA, it sacrifices Liberty for security. In this country Liberty is our Security!
If a public servant refuses to answer your questions he / she is asserting a mastery over you which is un-American and dangerous to the principles upon which this Republic was founded. It is no different than you refusing to answer a question of your employer. How long would you last if you told your boss “I am not going to answer your question” or ” I will answer you later when it is more convenient to me” or ” This is not the proper time for me to answer you , I’ll answer you next week”.
The appropriate time to answer the boss’ question is now or when the boss says is appropriate. We have an absolute right to have an answer. We have an absolute right to know what our servant’s position is on any issue and the basis and reasoning for their position and we have a right , regardless of their position, to have them conform to our will not promote their own.
We as citizens have a duty to re-educate or replace any public servant that tries to assert dominance over us by refusing to answer our questions or refusing to obey the directives of the majority within the bounds of the Constitution.
In fact when it comes to the citizen detention provisions of the 2012 NDAA it is our public servant’s duty, under their oath to support the Constitution, and their state sovereign duty of Protection, to oppose the NDAA regardless of what the majority want.
For the sake of Liberty
Richard D. Fry
General Counsel
Patriot Coalition
theintolerableacts.org
To Those Who Believe That This is Not a County Issue.
When our founding fathers sent their continued grievances to King George III and the local appointed British military governors, they were simply ignored and even punished through taxation, liberty reduction and even treason.
Local citizens in all of the thirteen states gathered in tea and coffee houses, churches and taverns to discuss the problems and how to deal with them. They formed committees and began protesting, just like we’re doing today because of all of the usurpation and abuse of government authority against the consent of the governed.
They had no representation in Britain to count on handling their concerns at the local level; much like it is today with the poor representation we have in government. Everything done by federal authorities effects everyone at the LOCAL LEVEL.
U.S. Constitution Article VI clause III states:
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
Marbury VS Madison 1803. Paraphrased. Any law made in contrast to the Constitution shall be null and void as if it never existed.
IX Amendment: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”
X Amendment: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Here, the County Commissioners represent the will of the people and are obligated by Article VI clause III to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
Finally, if you think that this is not a county issue, think again. Once you or a family member have been subjected to the laws of war under subsections 1021 and 1022 of the NDAA, who will you call for help? Your senator, state rep, the sheriff or an attorney? Good luck with that; especially when you’re not granted due process or access to an attorney or phone call. Don’t you get it? The Constitution doesn’t come into play here. The law of war now overrides it. So, don’t think it will be like old times when you could call an attorney and bail yourself out.
It is the duty of the county commissioners and sheriff to impose themselves between their citizens and unconstitutional acts imposed upon them. The Chesterfield, Virginia County Police are being sued for assisting Federal authorities in effecting the unconstitutional arrest of former Marine Brandon Raub,in violating his first and fifth amendment rights.
If county officials refuse to act against unconstitutional laws and executive orders which would protect the rights of their citizens, they are just as at fault for facilitating the unlawful enforcement of these egregious acts, and subject to civil litigation.
In researching the Coos county ordinances, I could not find any restrictions preventing them from acting against unconstitutional laws. The cost of implementing the resolution to protect YOURS and MY rights is zero dollars. In our current economic situation, there isn’t a county in this state than can afford to pay out lawsuits. Now, tell me again that this isn’t a county issue.
Personally, I can’t find one single topic within the County’s agendas or think of one that’s more important in addressing than the anti NDAA resolution, because without liberty, nothing else matters.
This is America! Start acting like an American. Either preserve, protect and defend our U.S. and State Constitutions which guarantees our rights, or stay out of it. Too many Americans have shed their blood and sacrificed their lives and limbs so we can live free. We will not allow their sacrifices to have been in vain. “Not On Our Watch”
Claiming that the few who attended the Commissioners meeting speak on behalf of the entire Coos County populace is a very big stretch. I understand their concerns. In fact, I agree with their position, but I also appreciate John’s understanding that investing time on this issue at the County level would be akin to pushing string uphill. DeFazio, Merkly and Wyden are the people who should be hearing citizen concerns. Unfortunately, I’d put my money on Sweet to impact this issue long before I’d bet on anyone in Congress.