WASHINGTON, DC — In a 5-4 ruling in McDonald v. City of Chicago, the United States Supreme Court has declared that the “right to keep and bear arms,” which is guaranteed by the Second Amendment, “applies equally to the federal government and the states.” The McDonald ruling expands on a 2008 decision in Heller v. District of Columbia in which the Court held that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess guns, at least for purposes of self-defense in the home.

The Rutherford Institute had filed a friend of the court brief with the Court in McDonald v. City of Chicago. A copy of The Rutherford Institute’s amicus brief is available here.

“The Second Amendment was appended to the Constitution to provide citizens with the means to protect themselves, and was meant to restrain overbearing legislatures at all levels of government bent upon interfering with the basic right to keep and bear arms,” said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. “In keeping with this country’s historical roots and traditions, the Supreme Court’s decision ensures that state governments cannot ride roughshod over this bedrock principle of liberty—a right which pre-dates the establishment of the United States.”

In its 2008 ruling in Heller v. District of Columbia, the Supreme Court expressly extended the application of the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms to the federal government, holding that citizens of the District of Columbia had the inherent right, as individuals, to keep and bear arms in their homes.

In McDonald v. City of Chicago, the City of Chicago maintained that it had the power to forbid citizens of Chicago from possessing handguns in their homes. However, as The Rutherford Institute pointed out in its brief, under the City’s argument, “virtually nothing prevents states and localities from barring citizens from possessing handguns in their homes, even for purposes of self-defense and irrespective of the serious crime problems encountered by residents of that city and other cities and states throughout the nation.”

Calling the Court’s ruling in Heller “a triumph of individual liberty over encroachment by government of any sort,” the brief went on to state that “although it is clear that militias as the authors of the Second Amendment knew them do not exist today, the need for self-defense and defense of the home has not disappeared.”

is hosting its bi-annual State Convention

Saturday, 10 July, 2010

Registration and Participation

Convention registration starts at 8:00 am. Meeting begins at 9:00 am.

All are welcome to participate in the convention of the Constitution Party of Idaho. This event is open to the public.

To be a delegate one must be a registered voter in the state of Idaho and a member of the Constitution Party. Print, complete and bring to the convention or fax to 866-440-5089.

Red Lion Hotel – Canyon Springs
in Twin Falls

1357 North Blue Lakes Boulevard

Lodging Options:

For those who are traveling, the Red Lion – Canyon Springs Hotel has rooms for convention participants at the rate of $79.95/night + $5 for additonal people in a room.

Call Red Lion reservations at 1-800-RED-LION (733-5466) and request the rate for the Constitution Party of Idaho.

Featured at the event:

Lunch with the Constitution Party - 11:30 am
Tomato’s Italian Grill - 1309 North Blue Lakes Boulevard
Twin Falls

The program for the general public is from 12:30 – 3:30 pm.

A GOOOH Mock Session will be held
– see www.GOOOH.com

Representative Steven Thayn (R) - Emmett
– Empowering Idaho Families

Ron Mann – former special assistant to
President Ronald Reagan

Constitution Party candidates for 2010

—

One more thing… !

Exapnsion Meeting for Twin Falls County
Friday, July 9 - 6:00 pm
Tomato’s Italian Grill

See you there!!

]]> http://www.cpidaho.org/archives/constitution-party-of-idaho-state-convention/feed/ http://www.cpidaho.org/archives/thoughts-on-liberty/ http://www.cpidaho.org/archives/thoughts-on-liberty/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:00:14 +0000 Paul http://www.cpidaho.org/?p=889 by Jack McLain
Constitution Party of Florida

My wife told me with a tear in her eye of something she had viewed on her computer. When I saw and heard it, I shared a tear with her. At a patriotic rally in Georgia, a man stood and asked to sing the fourth verse of “The Star Spangled Banner” which he said was not often sung.

In the political climate of today, it is easy to see why this fourth verse is not often sung. When this man sang this verse, the crowd began to stand in attention and to place their hands upon their hearts. It was indeed inspiring to see and hear:

O thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes, and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just;
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

It is not only patriotic, but also spiritual. This is too much for many today. “Power” is capitalized, referring to God. Our trust is in God, and this is too much for many also.

Liberty is variously defined as “The state of not being in confinement or servitude; freedom; freedom from arbitrary or despotic government; independence; freedom from control; freedom from bondage or captivity.”

Americans of the past enjoyed these freedoms while today much of this liberty has slipped away and remembered with a tear in our eye. Perhaps the saddest part is the fact that many Americans go about unconcerned that we have been at war for many years, that men and women are dying supposedly to preserve our freedoms, that we are being invaded by illegal foreigners who are protected and provided for by our government, that our freedoms of life and liberty are limited, that our money is becoming more and more worthless, that our federal government is out of control while desiring to totally control our people, that our nation destroys its unborn, that crime is rampant, that joblessness has been forced upon millions, and that a multitude believe that the government is our provider and master rather than God and the blessings He would desire to betow upon us.

The following is a quotation from President Abraham Lincoln which is just as true today as it was a century and a half ago:

“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.”

James Patrick, Founder and Pastor of Victory Baptist Church, East Moline (Illinois) Christian School, and the MacArthur Institute recently wrote:

“America is in a Mess! We are living in a day in which foundational principles of liberty are being systematically undermined….We have become a people whose hands are outstretched in hopes that the state and federal governments will issue grants, or increase entitlement programs to meet our every need and want…we are demanding that laws be passed to legally plunder our neighbor to meet our own wants and desires. This, of course, is nothing more than socialism/statism/communism.”

Today, Americans have been told that we are actually a socialist nation. This has been the goal of many unAmericans for many years. Further, socialists have cooperated with communists since their goals are similar. Author John Stormer warned us over four decades ago that socialist doctrine differs from communism only in the fact that the socialist makes the claim that he will not kill to further his program, while communism makes no such claim.

Stormer, in his startling book None Dare Call It Treason (1964), wrote: “Do we face a hopeless battle? Has time run out for America? The answer is up to you. If the battle is lost, the real end will come long before. It will come when those who oppose collectivism have been so discredited by smears, discouraged by disasters, or divided by dissenters that they can no longer continue to fight.” (p. 228)

For many years I have wondered, and have even inquired, as to why the border States have tolerated the invasion of their land by foreign illegals. The only answer that seems to apply is that the States have been unwilling to protect their own borders since it would mean a confrontation with the federal government and potential loss of government funds. For many, the bottom line is always the almighty dollar—and this dollar came originally out of our own pocket!

Now the light has dawned as conditions have continually worsened, and many States are beginning to send an emphatic NO to Washington. This is known as the Tenth Amendment Movement and Nullification. Arizona has taken a stand to protect themselves from illegal, even murderous, invasion from Mexicans and others. Some thirty States have taken, or are considering, a definite stand against the unconstitutional health care acts. What is now needed is for Americans by the numbers to get behind their State Governments, especially to solicit your Legislators to sponsor Nullification Acts opposing federal intrusion into our speech, gun, health, property, and other constitutional rights that the socialist and communist has believed we would surrender without a fight.

Will we pray for the will, desire and strength to take a stand against the evils that engulf America? Or will we continue to naively believe that all will be well and the next election will bring about miraculous results and cures for all the ills? If you believe this, then you don’t understand the enemy!

“If the Federal Government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the PEOPLE, whose creature it is, must appeal to the standard they have formed [the Constitution], and take such measures to redress the injury to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify” - Alexander Hamilton.

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” Prov. 29:2.

Jack McLain
Constitution Party of Florida
June 14, 2010

Jeff Taylor
The American Conservative

Nullification has been gaining popularity in states North, South, and West. One week before Obama assumed office, Joel Boniek introduced the Montana Firearms Freedom Act into the state legislature. The freshman Republican legislator previously affiliated with the Constitution Party was a veteran of Paul’s 2008 campaign. His legislation challenged ATF authority, declaring federal firearms laws within the state to be null and void on the basis of the Second, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments. It was written and advanced by two other Paul admirers between 2004 and 2007, while Bush was president, but was twice defeated by the state senate. It eventually passed both houses and was signed into law by Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat. Firearms Freedom Acts have since been adopted by Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, South Dakota, and Idaho, and are under consideration in 20 other states …more

This past week, my son and constitutional attorney, Tim Baldwin, wrote the following and then delivered it to his elementary age Bible class at our church. It tells the story of our brave forebears’ struggle for freedom and independence in a way that even children can comprehend. Oh! By the way, the class stood up and clapped after Tim delivered this address. I offer Tim’s lesson to my reading audience with the prospect that many of you may want to read this story to your children or grandchildren this weekend, as we celebrate our nation’s independence.

A long time ago, or not so long ago, depending on how you look at it, men, women and children set sail across the Atlantic Ocean in the 1600s to establish their own communities and to raise their families in a country that was inhabited only by Indian tribes and wild animals. By the thousands, they risked their lives by traveling across a vast ocean of rough seas, stormy nights and nauseating waves so they could build their homes in a place called America. Many of them died on their way here, and even more of them died after having reached the shores of the Atlantic coast. Still, with all of the elements of nature against them, including disease, harsh winters and some of the Indians who were very hostile towards them, they were able to build homes, churches and a form of government so that they could live a life pleasing to themselves, their families and their God.

During the 1600s and 1700s, more and more people came from mostly the European countries. There were people who came to America under the authority of the king of Great Britain to establish a colony. A colony is a territory of land that is founded by a people on behalf of their government, even though the government was not anywhere close to that territory of land. Eventually, thirteen colonies were established in America, all of them in the Eastern territories of America. The most northern colony was New Hampshire and the most southern colony was Georgia. When each colony was founded, the people of those colonies formed constitutions so that the people of each colony could enjoy a free society and a free government.

These people had to work extremely hard to make a good life for themselves. It has been described by people who first settled these areas that the trees were so vast and many that a squirrel could travel from New Hampshire to Georgia through trees and never have to touch the ground. Think of the amount of work it took to clear out the land, build their homes and make their food. To live in America was no easy task. It took determination, and no one here could be lazy. You would die if you were.

As the years passed, the people in America became very self-sufficient, relying upon their own hard work and labor to meet their needs. They thanked God for the way He provided for them and all of them celebrated Thanksgiving Day just as their forefathers, the Pilgrims, did, because they knew that God had blessed them with a great country, with great people and great land to live on. With the ability to take care of themselves, to provide for their families, to run their own businesses and to have their own government, there was a spirit of liberty and freedom in those colonies.

However, over time, it became apparent to everyone, including the king of Great Britain and the Parliament of Great Britain, that the resources of America were too valuable not to benefit from. So, Great Britain began passing and executing laws that took advantage of the labor, agriculture and industry of the American colonists. Even though Great Britain had very little to do with the American way of life, their business and the people there, they enjoyed taxing the colonists so that they could get money from them and spend that money for the benefit of Great Britain.

The American colonists at first did not mind the laws that Great Britain passed to tax and regulate them. They saw Great Britain as their mother country and they gave loyalty to the king and parliament. They saw their authority as complying with the British Constitution, which had existed there throughout hundreds of years of their history. Great Britain had a king to execute the laws, which would be similar to a President; it had a Parliament to create laws, which would be similar to our Congress; and it had judges, to apply the laws to individual cases, just as our courts do today. The American colonists were very proud to be loyal to Great Britain, because it was considered to be the greatest country in the world, with the greatest form of government.

But that feeling did not last forever. What began happening was Great Britain started using the American colonies and colonists as a way to obtain more money and wealth for themselves. Finally, they passed a law called the Stamp Act in 1765. This Stamp Act was designed to tax the internal commercial activities of the colonies. Before the Stamp Act, Great Britain taxed only the external commerce of the colonies, that is, where the colonies shipped goods from America to other countries. But now, the Stamp Act taxed goods and products that were made in America and sold in America. This was the first time that Great Britain had tried to interfere with the internal affairs of the American colonies.

To some in America, the Stamp Act was unacceptable, and they would not stand for it. The colonial governments, which had been handling the affairs of their own colonies, began sending to Great Britain their letters of dissatisfaction, requesting that the king repeal this law. These colonists cried out, “No taxation without representation!” See, the American colonies were not involved in the way government operated and what laws passed in Great Britain, because that was across the ocean and they had no representatives in parliament to make sure their interests and their will was expressed and made part of the decision making process. The resistance became so heavy that the king and parliament decided to repeal the Stamp Act. The colonists celebrated as they found out. They had parties, music and gatherings all over to express their joy for what they had accomplished.

However, their celebration was soon to end. See, Great Britain repealed the Stamp Act, but they still declared that they could regulate and tax the colonies at any time they wanted, even though the colonists did not have any representatives in Great Britain. Thus, it is no wonder that the conflict between Great Britain and the colonies would soon arise again, and indeed it did arise again.

Not too long after Great Britain repealed the Stamp Act, Great Britain passed another law that taxed the America colonies, just as they did before. Great Britain declared to the colonies that their laws were the supreme law of the land and that they were constitutional. To resist these laws was treason and worthy of extreme punishment. The colonists had mixed feelings about what was going on before them. Some thought that Great Britain had the constitutional right to regulate them because the constitution allowed them to do so. Others did not care one way or the other. However, there were others in America who believed that their natural rights from God allowed them to govern themselves based upon their own consent and not upon the will of some ruler who did not have their interests in mind. These people were called Patriots.

In 1775, the intensity was becoming more and more heavy. Each colony was trying to figure out what to do. Some suggested that they send more letters to Great Britain, expressing their loyalty to the king and to the constitution, just hoping that the king and parliament would listen to their complaints and would grant them relief. But others were not so hopeful. One man in particular believed that action was required and that mere words were a waste of time. He believed that the time for taking up arms in defense of their liberty was required, and that the king should know that they were free people and would not stand to be trodden under the foot of the king. This man was Patrick Henry.

The story goes that Patrick Henry delivered a speech that was so moving and so full of wisdom and inspiration that he convinced the colony of Virginia to do just what he said they should do: prepare for war! And that they did. Now keep in mind, the colonists did not start a war, but they were preparing for a war that Great Britain was launching against them. During this time, Great Britain had sent soldiers to the colonies to make sure that the colonists behaved and followed the laws passed by Great Britain. Patrick Henry knew that those soldiers were not there to play games but to enforce Great Britain’s rule, and if necessary, kill those who refused.

A year of struggle between the colonists and Great Britain took place, but the one incident that cemented in the minds of the people that they must break away from their government was when Great Britain’s soldiers tried to disarm the people by taking away their guns and ammunition. During that effort, some people died as the American colonists tried to defend what was rightfully theirs. In the colonists’ minds, like Patrick Henry, there was no way that Great Britain and America could ever be reconciled with each other. America must be free from them, for as Patrick Henry said in his famous speech to take up arms in their defense, “Give me Liberty or give me death.”

So, on July 4, 1776, after representatives were sent from each colony to meet at a convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, each colony declared its independence from Great Britain and America was born as a nation to stand above all other nations. It was the place that God used to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the rest of the world. It was the place where men and women sacrificed their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, so that you and I could have a legacy of freedom.

© Chuck Baldwin

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?p=1845

Let’s face it: most Americans live in a world of false security. This is somewhat understandable, given the fact that the majority of the U.S. population was born after 1945. Few remember the dangers and hardships of World War II; fewer still remember the Great Depression. Few Americans know what it’s like to not have some sort of “supercenter” nearby with shelves stocked with every kind of food imaginable, twenty-four hours a day. Few know what life was like before there were restaurants of all sizes and types on virtually every street corner in America. And only a handful remembers when most roads were unpaved, or when sports were truly a pastime and not a megabuck obsession.

Modern living within the world’s only “superpower” has created a giant unsuspecting, soft, lackadaisical, and lethargic society. We expect the government to keep our streets safe, our roads paved, our stores stocked, our jobs secure, and our enemies at bay. However, in the desire to make government the panacea for all our problems, we have sold not only our independence, but also our virtue.

Where the federal government was contracted (via the U.S. Constitution) to accept limited power for the overall good of both states and people, it has become a monster of gargantuan proportions, claiming authority over virtually every liberty and right known to man. And in the process, it decided it didn’t need God, either.

It is no hyperbole to say that the U.S. federal government has been on a “Ban God” bandwagon for the past 50 years. Whether it kicks prayer and Bible reading out of school, bars military chaplains from praying in Jesus’ name, burns Bibles in Iraq, removes state supreme court chief justices from their positions for posting the Ten Commandments, or threatens high school principals with jail for asking the blessing, the federal government has invoked the judgment of Heaven upon our country as surely as did Old Testament Israel.

Although the comfortable, sports-crazed, TV addicts probably aren’t paying attention, this country is on the verge of an implosion like you cannot believe. For anyone who cares to notice, the signs are everywhere.

First of all, Israel and Iran are on the verge of war. And right now, I’m not concentrating on the “why” or “who’s right or wrong” of the equation. I’m simply telling you, war between Israel and Iran could break out at any time. And when it does, the chances that it will not become nuclear and not become global are miniscule. Yes, I am saying it: the prospects for nuclear war have never been greater. The CBS-canceled TV show, JERICHO, could become a reality in these United States in the very near future. (I strongly urge readers to purchase both seasons of JERICHO and watch them, because this could be our future.)

Secondly, America is on the verge of total financial collapse. By the end of this year, America’s budget deficit will stand at around $2 trillion. The debt gap is many trillions more than that. But the nail in the coffin for America’s fiscal health will be the decision by China to dump the U.S. dollar. Ladies and gentlemen, this will be the death knell for our financial stability (and a painful lesson in sowing and reaping).

It is estimated that China owns around one-third of all U.S. debt. If and when China dumps the U.S. dollar, there would be nothing left to stabilize it, and Weimar Republic/Zimbabwe-style inflation will ensue. America will be thrust into financial chaos. (If one doubts that China is planning to dump the dollar, consider that China is currently purchasing and stockpiling gold at an unprecedented level. This is why gold has suddenly surged to over $1,000 per ounce and why it will continue to rise.)

Third, the paranoia regarding the Swine Flu being demonstrated by both government and media spokesmen begs a giant push for some type of “government solution.” If they keep hyping this “pandemic,” mass hysteria and fear (created by the government and its lackeys in the media) will result. This would, no doubt, necessitate some form of forced vaccination, quarantine (maybe this is what all those internment camps will be used for), and martial law.

Exactly how and when all of the above will actually materialize is yet to be seen. There is no doubt in my mind, however, that within the next few months, the world that we know today is going to vanish. And most Americans are totally unprepared for what’s coming.

If you are able to get out of debt, do it. If you need to scale down your lifestyle in order to be better prepared for difficult days, do it. If you don’t have guns and ammo, buy them. If you have not prepared some sort of preserved food pantry, do it. If you don’t have some kind of survival plan in place for you and your family, get one. If you are not physically fit, get in shape. If you are able to move to a more secure, out-of-harm’s-way location, do it. (During any kind of financial or societal meltdown, urban areas will quickly turn into war zones. Can anyone say, “New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina”?) In other words, get your nose out of the boob tube, get your bottom off the easy chair, and get busy.

Am I worried or discouraged? Absolutely not! (But I am preparing.) The potential good that may result from all of the above is that perhaps God will protect and raise up a remnant of people who would be willing to rebuild a place where Natural Law is respected, constitutional government is revered, and where a ubiquitous, loathsome, overbearing federal government is far, far away. You know, like America’s Founding Fathers did 233 years ago.

In the meantime, get ready. It’s going to be a rocky road.

——————–
This commentary archived at Chuck Baldwin Live:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20090922.html
(c) Chuck Baldwin

Obama is scheduled to address school children ostensibly to “challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.”

Constitution Party National Committee Chairman Jim Clymer recommends parents send a note to their children’s teachers advising them they will be keeping their children home that day for a “Parent Approved Stay Home from School Day” or asking that their children be sent to study hall during the time the president is speaking to the children.

“The parent-free environment chosen by our most socialist president to date does not stop with the televised address to young, impressionable schoolchildren. The youngsters will be encouraged to read books about Barack Obama“, Clymer noted. Books on Obama contain material of concern to some parents (http://www.puma08.com/2009/09/02/sept-8th-here-are-two-of-the-books-on-obama-your-kids-are-expected-to-read/).

“Should parents opt to keep their children home from school on September 8th, we encourage instruction about the Constitution of the United States and the role of each branch of government. Instead, parents could spend time teaching about our country’s Founding Fathers and their vision for a Constitutional Republic wherein the education of children is not controlled by a central government”, Clymer added.

The Liberty Counsel points out that in addition, our Federal law prohibits the Secretary of Education or any officer from implementing “any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system.” 20 U.S.C. § 3403.

Syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin wrote:” Instead of… reviewing multiplication tables, diagramming sentences, or learning something concrete, America’s kids will be lectured about the importance of learning. And then the schoolchildren, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, will be exhorted to Do Something — other than sit in their seats and receive academic instruction that is.”

The Constitution Party applauds those states which have decided against airing the Obama broadcast. Oklahoma State Sen. Steve Russell said the September 8th address to school children “…is something you’d expect to see in North Korea or in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq”.

The Constitution Party echoes the sentiments of Arizona state schools superintendent Tom Horne, who said lesson plans for teachers created by Obama’s Education Department “call for a worshipful rather than critical approach.”.

“President Obama is failing in his efforts to push an extreme agenda on the American people. Now he’s focusing his efforts on young, impressionable children, bypassing the filter and influence of their parents. This is a shameless attempt to co-opt our children. It must be challenged”, Clymer warned.

In this message from the American Policy Center, learn which seven Idaho localities have signed on to Sustainable Development. How does this affect your property rights?

Remove ICLEI - Restore the Republic – Tom DeWeese

Many Americans ask how dangerous international policies can suddenly turn up in state and local government, all seemingly uniform to those in communities across the nation and around the globe.

The answer – meet ICLEI, a non-profit, private foundation, dedicated to helping your mayor implement all of his promises. Originally known as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), today the group simply calls itself “ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.”

In 1992, ICLEI was one of the groups instrumental in creating Agenda 21. The group’s mission is to push local communities to regulate the environment – and it’s having tremendous success.

I have included a list of 544 American cities in which ICLEI is being paid with tax dollars from city councils to implement and enforce Sustainable Development. ICLEI is there to assure that the mayors keep their promises and meet their goals. Climate change, of course, is the ICLEI mantra.

Here’s just some of the programs ICLEI provides cities and towns, in order to spread their own particular political agenda in the name of “community services” and environmental protection, they include:

Software programs to help set the goals for community development – which leads to taking control of your private property;

Access to a network of “Green” experts, newsletters, conferences and workshops – to assure the indoctrination of city employees is complete;

Toolkits, online resources, case studies, fact sheets, policy and practice manuals, and blueprints used by other communities – so you know you are not alone;

Training workshops for staff and elected officials on how to develop and implement the programs — wanna bet they never seem to mention that thousands of scientists around the world now say man-made global warming is a myth and none of these programs are necessary? Probably doesn’t make it into the workshop;

And, of course, there’s Notification of relevant grant opportunities – this is the important one – money – with severe strings attached.

ICLEI recommends that the community hire a full time “sustainability manager,” who, even in small towns, can devote 100% of his time to assure that every nook and corner of the government is on message and under control.

As I said, it’s not about protecting the environment; it’s about reinventing government with a specific political agenda. ICLEI and others are dedicated to controlling your locally elected public officials to quietly implement an all encompassing tyranny over every community in the nation.

Like a disease, ICLEI (or others of its kind) is entrenched in most American cities, dictating policy to your locally elected officials, controlling policy and making sure they do not listen to your protests. To truly see tyranny in action, one only needs to go to a city council meeting and attempt to ask questions or discuss a sustainable development program. Most who have tried it have been literally physically removed from the chamber.

It’s time to remove ICLEI. Look at this list of communities where they currently hide behind the curtain — and take action to remove them. Now, before your community is run like a soviet, where there is no debate, no regard for constitutionally-guaranteed rights, no property rights, no free markets, no alternative thought. Through ICLEI there is only top-down control – just like a soviet. Remove ICLEI - Restore the Republic!

ICLEI Cities Across the Country

(Discover the seven Idaho locales involved from the link above.)

Action to Take:

ICLEI is one of the most dangerous forces in the nation, particularly because so few people know if their existence. But your mayor and city council know. They are in regular meetings with them, They get memos on policy. They are told what to support and who to silence. What they fear most is exposure.  Now, we can turn the tables on ICLEI by shining a bright spot light on their activities in your community.

First, go to a city council meeting and listen to the discussion. Are they talking about land use, water control, development control? Are they using the language I have described in this issue? If so, Sustainable Development is ruling your community.

Second, begin to ask questions. You may have to do it after the meeting, but if you can, ask during… Ask where these policies they are discussing come from. Ask if your community is now paying dues to a group called the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Once you have determined that ICLEI is truly in your community, they the battle can begin. Remember, the list of ICLEI cities on this page came directly from the ICLEI web page – so you already know they are there.

Third, do not begin to discuss “UN” policies. Instead, keep your discussion on a local level, as in how such policies may impact local citizens.

Fourth, I have enclosed a petition. Make copies of this petition, which calls on your city council to stop paying dues to ICLEI and to remove them from policy making in your community. Pass out your copies and get as many citizens as possible to sign it. Make copies of this issue of The DeWeese Report to educate your neighbors on the dangers of Sustainable Development. Deliver the singed petitions to City Council and cause a firestorm of protest if they ignore you. And do not stop until ICLEI and Sustainable Development are removed from your community. REMOVE ICLEI - RESTORE THE REPUBLIC.

Tom DeWeese is the President of the American Policy Center and the Editor of The DeWeese Report.