Rep. Mark Gillen

It has been a week since we met with Rep. Gillen.  Sorry for the delay.

First the good news.  Not long after we started talking Rep. Gillen stated that Harrisburg is the problem, not the solution.  It is nice when the guy you come to talk to tells you what you came to tell him before you even make your point.  Among several impressive things we learned about him in our conversation, is that he also strongly supports the elimination of property taxes.  That’s the kind of guy we’re looking for.

But, now the great news.  He said at the end of our conversation, “I would defend anyone’s 10th Amendment right.”

It seems Lancaster County is in better shape than many of us suspected.

We have yet to put our list of allies to the test, however.  Nothing has been asked of them yet that requires courage or strength of conviction.

That comes next.

We have people that clearly have no intention of ever honoring their oath of office.  All the Democrats, since they appear to be refusing to meet with us, but also one Republican for certain and a couple more trying to ride the fence.

Thankfully, there are a number of people that have said yes to the fact that we have a 10th Amendment right that is being denied to us by our different levels of government.  Now we need to ask something of them that will not get them branded as extremists by both Democrats and Republicans alike.

They are politicians after all, even if they are turning out to be greater men and women of honor than many of us expected.

So it must be a small step, but not so small as to be inconsequential and a waste of time and energy.

There is a tab at the top of this site called “10th Amendment Affirmation.”  The goal was to make a statement that was nothing more than an expanded version of the oath they have already sworn.  This can of course easily be hammered into an acceptable version that could be signed by all at a town hall meeting.

That would be an amazingly powerful declaration and a stand for the Rule of Law and for Liberty, I believe.

But, what we then do with this document would be of the greatest concern to the signers.  Wisdom and humility are necessary to determine what we do next.

It seems to me that, initially, more of the same is needed.  Borough councils, townships supervisors, mayors, chiefs of police, police officers, members of the military – active duty and retired, and everyone else that has sworn an oath to us to hold the line that is defined by our Constitution, need to be called upon to clarify and reaffirm their oath as well.

But this time we can ask the public servants that we have already met with, that have the ability to draw these numerous people and groups together much more easily and quickly, to help us finish what we started.  Our list of those around us who hold our principles is not nearly complete enough.  It would be a benefit to the signers as well to add names of fellow supporters to our list.

I will be posting to the website and emailing all of you a document soon that deals with those principles called “Christianity and Liberty.”

The truth is that I care less about the Constitution than I do about the principles that created it.  The Constitution is simply a reflection of those principles.

A beautiful reflection, but not nearly as interesting as the principles or their source.

 

 

“The Tenth Amendment is the foundation of the Constitution.”  – Thomas Jefferson

“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.”  – Continental Congress to the Inhabitants of the Province of Quebec 26 Oct. 1774Journals 1:105–13

TX 10th Amendment Restoration Bill:  http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/billtext/html/HB00098I.htm

Nullification:  How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Centuryhttp://www.amazon.com/Nullification-Resist-Federal-Tyranny-Century/dp/1596981490