Liberal Logic #3

Nevada’s Cattle and the Federal Government

Get it Right: Nevada’s cattle and the federal government

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Cliven Bundy’s Nevada cattle are part of a crisis that unites western lands, the county sheriff and a governor’s power to nullify federal abuse.
These three issues have grown into a standoff with national implications.
At issue is the question, who owns the land — the federal government, or the people who form the government?

If the federal government owns America, Bundy is an obstinate, stubborn trespasser. If the people own America, they have the right to use it. No federal bureaucracy should own 84 percent of Nevada, or any other state.
America’s Northwest Ordinance of 1787 set the policy that all states entering the Union came in under the same terms. Land within a newly admitted state would be sold to those who then became its residents. Minimal federal lands for postal roads, arsenals and such were purchased from each state.
The vast majority of a state’s land would be privately owned under state administration.
Eastern states were admitted under this policy. It was ignored for western states, the poor stepsisters of the American Union. The federal government refused to sell western lands, and held vast portions of it, which were rich with natural resources. This was unethical and illegal. The federal government now unlawfully owns 35 percent of the United States, mostly in the West.
Though this illegality occurred well over a century ago, time has not rendered it less illegal. Impervious to its misconduct, the federal bully now runs states and individuals off the land it dishonestly withheld from them.

Cliven Bundy knows this history. For two decades he has grazed cattle on “federal” lands that should be state owned. He has refused to pay what he terms illegal federal grazing fees.
The issue has become explosive.
Another problem ricochets through this incendiary conflict: that of environmentalists and the endangered desert tortoise.
Bundy’s grazing areas are near, but not on, the desert tortoise’s designated natural habitat. In a process known as “sue and settle,” attorney Judson Phillips of the Tea Party Nation explains that environmental groups work quietly with the Environmental Protection Agency to take control of state lands.
They bring a lawsuit, and the EPA mounts a tame defense.
When the environmentalists win, the EPA is justified to launch new regulations that effectively strip the land from state jurisdiction.
These are the “tricks of the trade” to escalate federal authority.
Cliven Bundy and his cattle inhabit both issues — land ownership and EPA excess.
There comes a time when those who uphold the law must stand against those who trespass it. The stand against illegal federal ownership of state lands should have been waged and won more than 100 years ago.
After Ronald Reagan’s election in the early 1980s, the Sagebrush Rebellion lit the West to demand that the feds back off.
Those driving the “rebellion” could better have demanded that the feds move off.
Cliven Bundy may have decided to do just that — move the feds off. There is a western movement building under Rep. Ken Ivory (R-West Jordan) and the Utah-based American Lands Council to give misappropriated lands to their rightful state owners.
If Bundy works peacefully and within the law, he could earn public support.
 Will Bundy have the support and authority of his governor and county sheriff to protect him against the federal bully? Clark County sheriff Doug Gillespie can protect him. Governor Brian Sandoval can stand with him and begin the process to nullify unconstitutional federal authority. Will either accept the challenge?
It is a major step to stand against the federal government. That action would not be easy, swift, cheap, placid, or simple. It is, however, necessary.
The only way to stop a bully is to push back, and stick with it. Without that, the bullying continues and results in more confiscations of state authority and lands.
Someone has to start the ball rolling and stand against unfairness. Cliven Bundy may be that person.
Western states need not be Cinderella step-sisters; they have the rights to their territories, just as do eastern states. Bundy deserves the support of his governor, county sheriff, and Utah, as well.

The Gorilla Bully at Mozilla

The Tolerance Terrorists struck at Mozilla, forcing CEO Brandon Eich to resign because he contributed $1000 to Proposition 8 six years ago.

This is ugly. It is also tyranny—the tyranny of those who demand rights for them while stomping rights for anybody else into the ground.

This is bullying—big-time bullying, and it’s a dastardly kind of wrong.

We have the right to believe and support what we want. In our country we are all equal before the law, before the courts and in justice, and before God. That means we are also equal in our right to hold and express opinions. That’s our Constitution—freedom to think, believe, freedom to speak and act. We don’t have a society where some get to have opinions and some don’t. That’s totalitarianism, and its a no-go.

Not for Brandon Eich, however. He got to have an opinion only if it was the opinion activists said he could have. “You think what we say you should think or you’re outta here, buddy!”

I don’t know what was behind this—there likely is more to the story than we know. I wish Mr. Eich had stood up to the Tolerance Terrorists. Every person that caves makes it more likely that the next person will do the same—it sets a pattern that haunts us all in the end. We need the integrity of standing up to the bully, not capitulating.

This is an ugly bully, however—a gorilla sized one. It’s so mean and vindictive that most people run from it or buckle before it. This bully plays dirty.

  

DOING GOOD IS PART OF THEIR CODE????!!!!!

 

Stand up for the right—for what’s right and for your rights--on this! You have the right to your opinion, your speech, and your actions. We can’t give those up when we get pushed around, or every opponent to our freedom will take the cue and duplicate the methods.

Speak up for morality—the greater sense of what is right and wrong. Speak up for Christian values. Defend goodness, defend the family, defend truth. It’s time to speak up to friends, family, and to social media.

And while you’re at it, drop Mozilla’s services if you use them. Encourage everyone else to do the same, and tell them why you did. 

Don’t buckle before the Gorilla Bully!

Onward! 

Nullification - When States 'Just Say No'

Governor Gary Herbert has a lot of power. If you don't want Obamacare, ask him to tell the federal government to "take a hike;" we aren't interested. The whole program is illegal and unconstitutional, anyway, and Gov. Herbert, as Utah's chief captain, calls the shots here in Utah. He can tell the feds to move on.
If you are incensed that the federal government illegally owns two-thirds of Utah, talk to Gov. Herbert. He can insist they keep their promise to return our lands, which will give all of us better schools, better living and more money.
If you chafe under illegal immigration, Gov. Herbert is still your man. While he isn't in charge of immigration, the federal government is negligent and we are being invaded. He can insist they act, or lead the state into action if the federal posse fails to show.

The governor, with the state legislature, has the duty to insist that the federal government keep the law. Thirteen states created the Constitution and federal government, so they are "the boss;" they wrote the laws. The federal government's job is to follow them.

The Founders knew something like this would happen, so they built disciplinary tools into the Constitution. Nullification -- the duty of a state to say "NO" to the federal government when it breaks the law -- is one of them. Elections are another. While states cancel illegal federal actions, voters hand eviction notices to elected officials who permitted the problem. Nullification is not rebellion or secession, as some claim; it is a safeguard of the Constitution.
Nullification is not new. In 1798 our infant Congress passed, and President John Adams signed, the Alien and Sedition Acts, which made it illegal to speak out against the government. Stunned at this federal abuse of the First Amendment's freedom of speech, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson taught nullification to Virginia and newly-admitted Kentucky.
This set the precedent and pattern for state nullification that brought down the Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson coined the term and called it "the rightful remedy" to end federal illegalities.

Some of the Founders protested. America was learning how to make the Constitution work in real life, and every new challenge set future patterns. George Washington, in his Farewell Address, explained, "Remember that time and habit ... fix the true character of governments ... experience is the surest standard by which to test ... the existing constitution of a country. ..."
Governments will gobble up power if they can. They are like spoiled, petulant children who throw temper tantrums for more. The states created the federal government; they are the parents, the federal government is the offspring. Like all good parents, the states are to resist tantrums and sly mischief while they insist on obedience.
Today, we have role reversal -- we have let the undisciplined child take control. While states, like parents, are far from perfect, they are still the best restraint for the federal government. Utah baby-stepped in the right direction in 2010. We blazed the constitutional trail back to a sound economy by acknowledging gold and silver as useable money within the state. Twelve other states have followed. More work remains for the governor and legislature, backed by Utah residents who stand firm.
It will not be easy. Like a stormy child, the federal government can get its hackles up and withhold federal funds. It takes real "guts" and determination to hold to what's right, as any parent of a flailing child knows.
Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, made an interesting statement some while back that illustrates Gov. Herbert's position. "It's a lonely thing to be a governor," he said. "You stand isolated at the top of the state, with forces assailing you on every side to win favor for their position. The governor needs to hear from us -- not just when we don't like something, but also when we do. We need to tell him what he has done well."
We can encourage Utah officials to resist the heavy federal hand. If we are willing to sacrifice, we can rebuild the freedoms of 1787. While we encourage Gary Herbert to take a hard stand, let's also give him a hand when he does.

Liberal Logic 101 #3

Vices vs Crimes

 I attended the Newquist breakfast in Salt Lake City Saturday morning—it was an early start at 6 AM!  The topic of one presentation introduced an idea I find valuable and intriguing. Michael Pratt’s presentation was titled “Vices vs. Crimes."

He defined a vice as an act by which one harms himself and his own property, and a crime as an act where one harms the person or property of another.

The thrust of Michael’s presentation was that our federal policies are turning vices into crimes. He states that when we do, we interfere with individual rights and liberty. He explained that in the process of making choices we must experiment with options, some of which will not be good and wise. Nevertheless, that experimentation is necessary for us to grow in wisdom nd experience. The story of Adam and Eve recounts this, as Eve says that we must know the evil in order to appreciate the good.

Consider, then, if we make vices into crimes, we eliminate the ability of individuals to learn the lessons they need to learn. In the end, we destroy the learning process. 

He also compared vices and virtues:  a vice starts with pleasure and gets worse from there, whereas a virtue starts with something challenging and leads to something good.

I’m still mulling over this. It’s a deep concept, and I’d like to hear your ideas on the topic. I‘ll write more on it later, as I understand it better.

Pam

Respect the Constitution of the United States

Everywhere, people are stunned by the new Jell-O standard for federal law: mold it, jiggle it, condense, dilute, disguise or add tutti-frutti to it; anything but enforce the laws as they were passed. National administrators have become master illusionists: now you see the law, now you don't.

The U.S. Constitution sets Congress as our sole law-making body. The legislators try, but their authority is shafted by bureaucratic regulations. Executive orders become law, and administrative whims to enforce, ignore, or rewrite laws are passed. That's trouble, as America's constitutional republic teeters dangerously on the edge of an ugly monarchy. Helplessness generates the oft-heard question, "What can we do?"

There are ways to foil our constitutional hemorrhage. One avenue of action runs straight to the county sheriff's office.

On Jan. 24 the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) met in convention in Las Vegas. This dedicated group has the authority to make a difference. Invited attendees resolved to insist that national officials obey the U.S. Constitution, with its rights that originate in the "Law of Nature and nature's God." The group reaffirmed the 10th 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."

Those who signed the CSPOA resolution unfurled their standard: abuses of freedom "will not be allowed or tolerated." They will only operate legally, in accord with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, with its Bill of Rights. They insist that the federal government and its agents do the same.

Utah County Sheriff James O. Tracy, president of the Utah Sheriffs Association, signed the resolution and now carries it throughout Utah. He says, "The Constitution must be the foundation for all of our decisions and actions, as law enforcement, to protect the citizens from undue government interference into our liberties. State, county, city, or federal -- no one is exempt."

There is nothing revolutionary or exaggerated in this simple insistence that rightful law preside in our society. Without this safeguard, we inhabit a police state, driven by the whims of those in power.

Eight specific rights under current federal attack are the core of the CSPOA resolution. These issues rarely appear in the standard media, but each, with accompanying verification, is making headlines across the nation in the freedom press.

Concerning our Second Amendment rights, signers of the CSPOA resolution declare the registration of personal firearms will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Nor will they allow the confiscation of firearms without probable cause, due process and constitutionally compliant warrants.

The signers of the CSPOA will protect you, personally, from abuse. The audit and search of any U.S. citizen's person, personal affairs or finances, or his detainment, will be permitted only by lawful means: with probable cause, due process and legal warrants. The inspection of all persons or property will be conducted only under legal means. The arrest of citizens, or seizure of persons or property, is allowed only upon notification and express consent of the local sheriff.

No arrests with continued jail time are tolerated except with charges filed and due process, including public and speedy jury trials in the appropriate court. In response to a growing threat, the CSPOA refuses to allow American military or federal agencies domestic use of federal war powers against American citizens.

The Resolution of the CSPOA concludes: "There is no greater obligation or responsibility of any government officer than to protect the rights of the people. Thus, any conduct contrary to the United States Constitution, Declaration of Independence, or the Bill of Rights will be dealt with as criminal activity."

Abraham Lincoln declared that, "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." We currently face attacks against liberty from within. The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association has our back. We urge every county sheriff in Utah, and the nation, to sign this document to uphold the law. Thank you!