Advancing
the Principles of Freedom
The
people who attend this conference share a common desire to advance the
principles of freedom. We work
through our various organizations, through coalitions, and through cooperative
campaigns, such as Freedom 21, to better coordinate our efforts to prevail over
those people who continue to promote, and advance policies that empower
government to ignore the principles of freedom, in pursuit of an unachievable
social and environmental utopia.
Freedom
cannot be sustained in the presence of “sustainable development.”
The two concepts are mutually exclusive.
Sustainable development can exist only when people are controlled by
government; freedom can exist only when government is controlled by the people.
We hope this conference will provide the knowledge, information, and inspiration for each of us to be more effective in our efforts to advance the principles of freedom – in all that we do
Sponsoring
Organizations:
Committee
For a Constructive Tomorrow
Eagle
Forum
Environmental
Conservation Organization
The
Heartland Institute
The
Paragon Foundation
Sovereignty
International
Session 1 – One Nation Under God
Judge Roy Moore, removed as Chief Justice of Alabama’s Supreme Court
for failing to stop acknowledging God and insisting that the Ten Commandments
stay in the lobby of the Alabama Supreme Court
Judge
Moore was an inspirational speaker. Some
quotes from his speech:
“The
future is certain; it’s the past that they keep changing.”
Samuel Adams once said, “Truth must appeal to the common man.”
Every state in the union has a reference to God in its state
constitution, they open legislative sessions with prayer; and yet, “Can this
state – or any state – not acknowledge God?”
“If
God gives it to you, no man or government can take it away.”
No civil authority can usurp God’s gifts or promises.
On
“Every
elected government official takes their oath of office on the Bible.
Not the Koran, not Buddhist or any other religious tract.
By not upholding their oaths, they are all hypocrites!”
“Are
we following blind leaders?” Matthew
12:12-14
What
is separation between Church and State? Look
at the Ten Commandments. They are in
the form of 2 tablets. The first
tablet (the first 5 Commandments) is for the Churches and stands for man's
relationship to God. The second
tablet gives rules for the State and morality and covers man’s relationship to
each other. “You can’t have the
first tablet without the other.”
According
to the court that stripped Judge Moore of his position, “The Ten Commandments
in a historical context is okay,” but not in today’s world when people
worship the creation, more then the . According
to Judge Moore, the statue is back in the lobby of the Alabama Supreme Court
Building, but it is surrounded by historical information about the state of
“There
is no morality without God.” We’re
starting to “put man above God.”
“The
Constitution is not the problem – we can’t amend it every time the courts go
over the deep end.” Judges today
are “changing the definitions of the laws and when they do this; as a
consequence, they make law, not enforce or uphold the law as they are required
by their oath.” “Judges rule by
feeling (emotion) on First Amendment
cases and not by law. In doing so,
they are not following their oaths.”
Judge
Moore is the founder of the Foundation for Moral Law Inc., based in
Session
2 – Advancing Freedom at Home, and Around the World
Dr.
Michael Coffman developed the maps that were crucial to the defeat of the
Convention on Biological Diversity and that will lay the philosophical
foundation for the choice between freedom and collectivism.
The
father of our form of government is John Locke (1632 – 1704).
“Government by the people is for the protection of their property –
money, rights, contracts, etc.”
Imagine
a pyramid, sectioned off into four sections, top to bottom.
The first section at the wide bottom is labeled “The individual.”
The individual has the broadest control over his life.
The next section up with less control is “County/local government.”
The third and even smaller section is labeled “State.”
At the very top of the pyramid, the smallest section is labeled
“Federal.” That is how our
system of government was set up by the founding fathers and is supposed to work.
But how it actually works today is just reversed.
The Federal government is not sitting at the base of the pyramid with the
most power, while the Individual is now at the top with the least power.
Dr.
Coffman recommended a book for reading called, “The Mystery of Capital”
written by Hernando
The
average income for Americans is $35,000; for
Socialist Europe - $21,000; and for
former communist countries – minus $1,000 (no property rights).
The
average net worth of a
Henry
Lamb provided an overview of how international organizations and agencies work
together to influence domestic policy. His
research and participation in U.N. meetings around the world results in vivid
insight into the machinery that is systematically eroding freedom in
“International
Treaties trump all
This
all started in 1930 with the Migratory Bird Treaty, and today Federal agencies
like the USFWS belong to international organizations that come up with and write
new treaties. These new treaties
then go to the U.N. for ratification by the member nations.
Since the
Paul Driessen, author of “Eco-Imperialism:
Green Power; Black Death” discussed what happens when freedom is
lacking.
Niger
Innis is the national spokesman for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and
focused on the dastardly effects of anti-freedom policies on the poorest people
in the
Underdeveloped countries are starving because of successful “green” attempts to keep genetic modified (GM) foods from the people who are starving. The U.S. sent tons of the same ‘corn flakes’ – that had been eaten in the U.S. for decades – to countries in Africa, but the countries refused to distribute the food because “greens” called it ‘FrankenFood.’ The local governments locked up the food for months and even more people starved.
The
“greens” want to keep African’s living in huts with no electricity, no
sanitation, and no clean water. This
is a method of controlling the populace by denying desperate people the
necessities of life. This is how
they want the
Session
3 – The Big Picture – Reorganizing Society
Dr.
Michael Coffman reviewed the programs and projects being used to achieve the
goals of the Wildlands Project.
“IUCN
Treaties trump US laws.” “Nature
is God” concept has been forced into our colleges since the 1980s.
The
18-page outline of the Biological Diversity Treaty, Agenda 21, and the Wildlands
Project is available on the UN website. Also
available are the full documents of the three different agendas and if you read
it carefully, you’ll find the ‘smoking gun’ on page 993 where it says that
these three programs are “to protect and recover bio-regions” by
“eliminating two-thirds of the worlds population in the next 100 years.”
This is why we don’t need to preserve farmland.
Dr.
Coffman went on to describe several of the bio-regions listed in the Wildlands
Project agenda.
(Going after whole watersheds
using Atlantic salmon, and since 1992 using conservation easements to get
control of the land. Conservation
easements are not easements at all. They
are a conveyance of rights. A whole
bundle of rights that used to belong to the property owner now belong to the
easement owner. This is stripping
the land from the landowner for a cheaper price then the actual value of the
land.)
Within
the next 100 years, they will continue to do this all over the
Henry
Lamb reviewed the programs and projects that are being used to achieve the goals
of Agenda 21, which proposes “sustainable
communities” as the alternative to people living where they choose.
Democracy
versus a republic. The
“Every
state in this
“Smart
growth and comprehensive planning strips elected officials of their power to
protect private property rights.”
Our
Federal Government has supported and pushed Agenda 21 ever since the presidency
of George Herbert Walker Bush.
How
does sustainable development get started in a community?
Visionary
Councils (call them whatever) in small to large communities start meeting six
months to a year before the rest of the community even knows about it.
Members of these councils are pre-screened to agree to the agenda
consensus. They start meeting to
reach an agreement that was pre-ordained and dictated by Agenda 21.
This includes Comprehensive Land Use Plans.
“An
environmental idiot is one who worships the creation and not the Creator.”
“The Bible doesn’t give government wisdom.”
Where
will we live? In low-rise,
high-density housing developments. Housing
will be located above shops so owners don’t have to travel to work.
“Only government servants will be able to travel freely and own/operate
private vehicles.” The rest of us
will be confined in our small sustainable neighborhoods relying totally on the
food produced in our near by the “buffer zones.”
There
will be 47 different Bio-reserves for all non-human life who will have more
freedoms then humans.
“As
bad as it is, people are starting to wake up and realizing what sustainable
development and smart growth really is.” We
know the problem, now we “have to have a good defense and a good offense
too.”
IDEA:
To disrupt a meeting, as one man did; he took a trailerload of first-year
heifers and another trailerload of their calves and hauled them to the
meeting place. He parked one trailer
on one side of the building and the other trailer on the other.
The noise from the two trailers was so loud that the meeting adjourned
not long after. “Use your
imagination!!”
“If
you are honoring the principal of private property rights as dictated by the
Constitution, sustainable development, and smart growth will not happen in our
local communities. Recommended book
to read: “Facts not Fear”.
“One-world
mentality has been taught in our schools since the 1950s.”
Session
4 – The Impacts of Societal Transformation
G.B.
Oliver, III is the Executive Director of the Paragon Foundation who in very
short order discussed how the ranching industry is affected by domestic and
international policies. Spent
approximately three minutes at the podium. This
man is not a great talker; he’s a great doer!
“Wars
are lost in the mind, long before the battle.”
“This battle is 20% physical and 80% mental.”
Larry
Pratt, the Executive Director of Gun Owners of America discussed disarming
Americans, which is one of the major goals of the sustainable development
movement for years.
“Unless
we are armed, we will be slaves.”
“Bureaucrats
think they are Gods. The work they
do is so important to them that they can’t take the time to leave
“Crime
rates go down when communities follow the Constitution and allow citizens to
carry concealed weapons.” Criminals
don’t follow the rules and laws, that’s why they’re criminals.
“I
love animals. They’re
delicious!”
“Shut
up and listen to us or we’ll shoot you – the attitude of most Feds
and Bureaucrats.”
“[The]
private sector can protect land and animals better than agencies and
bureaucrats.”
“[There
will be] no progress using sweet reason.”
Be troublesome, let them lose their tempers – you keep your cool.
Federal
Border Patrol is not working. Local
militias are, especially in
In
a Collier County, Florida EIS, is a section on non-gun use.
What is gun control doing in an EIS?
Wayne Hage
shared his years of experience battling for his property rights through the
courts.
Where
does the Hage Case stand today?
There
has been a full-force attack against
ranchers west of the 100th meridian since 1872.
In both of the Hage trials, the courts have found that Hage has property
rights in “fee lands” not public lands.
His property has been traced back to an 1866 Act with
2. “By taking away the use of property, the physical land, water, etc., is still there. You’ve just lost the options to use it. That is a real property right.” Land has no more value, no economic return for your land, no profit, zero value, no net return – this is what they’ve taken.
3. If
you file a lawsuit in
State Courts
handle property claims. Make sure
you file your lawsuit in the right court with the correct jurisdiction.
Some cases have to go all the way to the Federal Court of Claims, then to
the Supreme Court.
Property law
and Common law are the same.
Rules and
Regulations belong in
George Worden is the Gerry Spence of property lawyers and he
discussed
the true rule of law and pleadings.
There
are several traps to watch out for if you are ever arrested.
The
judge will ask you how you plead, guilty or not guilty.
It is not his job to explain to you that you actually have 7 different
options in pleading. Your first huge
job after being arrested is to hire the right attorney.
There
are several rules you must remember:
Number
one: SHUT UP!
Don’t even admit your name. Don’t
say anything; don’t even admit who you are.
Number
two: In order to break any law, you
have to have acted with intent or broken a contract.
Number
three: Get a good lawyer who wants
to win! The minute you win, the
money stops. Some lawyers
intentionally lose cases so the money won’t stop – especially if you have
deep pockets. “Don’t worry,
we’ll appeal” keeps the money flowing from your pocket to his.
Most cases can be won at the preliminary hearing.
Number
Four: How to answer a complaint,
breech of contract – civil or criminal? Plead
or demur, saying, “Yes I did it, so
what.”
Helen
Chenoweth-Hage continued the discussion on the Hage case.
“Why
do we need government permission for anything?”
The Hage case was first filed in 1991. The first court decision was
handed down in 1996; the second decision in 1999, and the best decision came in
2002 – the ruling that Hage had title to “fee” lands.
“A
findable fact is more important then a verdict.”
“A vested right is property which the law protects.”
Session
6 – Congressman Ron Paul
Congressman
Ron Paul, Champion of all who cherish the
I
was unable to attend this session; Tim Findley of Range Magazine was
interviewing me. I understand it was
a wonderful session and I’ll have to wait to see the video of his
presentation.
Session
7 – What “Sustainable Development” is Doing to Freedom
Tom DeWeese,
President of the American Policy Center, analyzed just how sustainable
development is eroding the principles of freedom in local communities throughout
the country. His recently released
DVD, “
“Sustainable
development is hard to describe; it’s
like goo.” Sustainable development
will lead us into the dark ages.” “It’s
either liberty or sustainable development.”
Sustainable
SustainableOregon,
State of Oregon's Sustainability
Initiative - http://www.oregonsolutions.net/
Sustainability
in Oregon
- www.oregonsolutions.net/oregon/index.cfm
Alternatives
to Growth - A Sustainable Oregon
- www.agoregon.org/page83.htm
Resource:
Sustainable Oregon
- www.nextstep.state.mn.us/res_detail.cfm?id=411
[PDF]
A Sustainable
Oregon for the 21 Century - http://egov.oregon.gov/DAS/OPB/docs/Sustain/Guidance.pdf
Sustainability
at Home, Citizens & Communities, Sustainable
Oregon
- www.sustainableoregon.org/citizens/home.cfm
All
states have similar sites.
Michael Shaw is a founder of Freedom 21Santa Cruz – Ground Zero
for sustainable development.
“Private
property is more then a ‘thing’.” “Private
property owners determine use of their property.”
“Sustainable development guarantees us shortages and total control over
our entire lives.”
The
U.N. definition of Sustainable Development:
“Meeting
today’s needs without compromising future generations to meet their own
needs.”
What
is ‘collectivism’?
It is the suppression of individuality by the state with components of state control.
What
will it do?
What
does “Soviet” mean?
Sustainable
development embraces free trade and no borders.
The European Union came about because of sustainable development plus
other important factors. NAFTA,
GATT, and the new proposed FTAA (Free Trade Area of
the
Sustainable
development will revamp our judicial system to the point where you will have to
prove your innocence. (Aren’t we
there already?)
“Sustainable
development borrows equity from communism and economy from fascism.”
(Mr.
Shaw put up a wonderful slide showing where our rights come from.
I was only able to get the following down on paper)
Source
Unalienable Rights
Community Rights
Grantee
Individual Sovereignty
Primary duty to the community
Grantor
Endowed by
Granted by community government
Life,
Pursuit of happiness
“Evil
will triumph when good people do nothing.”
“This is being slipped in under the radar of normal citizens.”
“The
‘Greencoats’ [like: ‘Redcoats’] are Here!”
This
is a big part of the ‘Green Movement’ in this country.
(Special Note: Mr. Shaw will soon be providing the outline and possible transcript of his presentation for inclusion here. - KBB)
Michael
Chapman works with EdWatch and showed how the sustainable development agenda is
embedded in your children’s curriculum and now mandated by federal law and is
part of the “No Child Left Behind” program.
“Preparing
our children to live in a ‘Global Village’ and believe in global
citizenship.”
Check out these two websites:
www.edwatch.org
[ http://www.edwatch.org ]
“On
United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO - http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=15006&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
and click on Education
“Education is a key element to changing our
government toward sustainable
development.” “Preparing minds
for a different future and a total transformation of our nation.”
“Primary elements of education – world citizenship and people of the
world must embrace.” US
Department of Education Home Page
“Education is not about teaching facts and figures anymore.”
“Total transformation of the nation – ‘dumbing’ down of
“Don’t teach the past; keep people uninformed so
they can’t make defined decisions.”
“Don’t teach history; instead, prepare students to transform society.”
In
less then 100 years, this county will be run totally on the collective system.
Sound like communism? That's because it is! There will be no
property rights, everyone will swear allegiance to the state, and our
great-grandchildren will have no liberties at all. Our children are being
taught in school that our Constitution is a dead document and that the Bill of
Rights gives power to the government over us – instead of its original purpose
to put the power of government in the people’s hands and protect us from
the government. All the schools, and I mean all the government-run schools
are using a book they get for free called "We the People."
Sounds like it would teach true American history and the principals we were
founded on. But the truth is just the opposite. Our nation’s
history is being subverted, and this has been going on for almost 30 years.
The really shocking point of all this is that our present government (both
democrats and republicans) are helping bring this about! Our children are
being taught ‘sustainable development’, environmentalism and treason!
The
primary purpose of “We the People” is not to fill your head with a lot of
facts about American history. Chapter
3 explains the future: trans-loyalty
to the global village. “What
advantage might be offered by World Citizenship?”
Knowledge
is no longer the primary purpose of education but has become more of an
“attitude adjustment.”
“More
education increases the threat to sustainability.”
Tests
are being replaced by government “Assessed Attitudes.”
World view attitudes.
Lenin
said, “Take away a peoples heritage and you control them.”
Our
history has been censored in schools for the past 45 years, which has changed
history. Students are no longer
taught about the Constitution, securing
our rights or defining our rights.
“The
Bill of Rights means whatever the current
[Supreme Court] justices declare. The
Second Amendment is not spoken about in school today.”
The Bill of Rights is ‘negative.’ The United Nations is
‘positive.’ Universal human
rights are ‘positive.’ But who
decides what Universal Human Rights are? The
U.N.
The
current curriculum is working in our schools.
“A new God has emerged. “Our
rights come from the U.N. and Man
has become God.”
“Citizenship
means serving your new master and you now owe allegiance to the government.”
“We
the People” is teaching treason.
Tom
DeWeese continued
“And
they arrest parents for child abuse.” “[There’s]
something funny about our children’s schools.”
“We
think our fight is against gun control, the ESA, water rights, democrats, [and]
evil liberals. We’re wrong.
Our fight is against a well-thought-out
plan to destroy
“Transportation,
waste management, employment, guns, schools;
everything is covered under sustainable development.”
“The
rules are changing. A new power
elite is emerging. Sustainable
development is written in almost a foreign language so we don’t understand
it.”
“The
Adkins Diet is not sustainable!” “Grazing
is not sustainable. It’s to stop
us from eating beef. They try to
trick us, using scare tactics like BSE
and meat kills.”
“Behavioral
modification [is introduced] by
scaring us.”
“Political
correctness is sustainable development, mass transit is sustainable development,
suits [lawsuits] against farmers
using pesticides is sustainable development, and zoning is sustainable
development.”
“Sustainable
development is the official policy of the
“This
is not a myth!” “Agenda 21, the Biodiversity
agenda, the Conference on the Rights of the Child – all are sustainable
development.”
“Sustainable
development is being implemented in all government agencies without any new
legislation; it’s growing like a cancer.”
“Bush
hasn’t had one of the Clinton EO’s
[Executive Orders] concerning sustainable development overturned.”
“Christianity
has been attacked by proponents of sustainable development; in such a society
you must not arm citizens.”
“We
just focus on our one issue and don’t see the whole picture.
It’s all part of one big program
attacking
“Property
right activists get it! We choose
liberty over sustainable development.”
“Christians
get it and choose liberty over
sustainable development.”
“Gun
owners get it and choose liberty
over sustainable development.”
How
do we fight sustainable development?
Uneducated
people think sustainable development
is a plan for recycling, keeping their
neighborhoods ‘family friendly’, zoning
and landuse laws.
“Congress
can’t pass legislation to implement sustainable development because it’s
against the U.S. Constitution!”
“County and city governments need to stop getting grants to implement
sustainable development.” MONEY IS
THE KEY! “If five
counties out of the 3500 [the
3,500 counties in
“To
save
Session
8 – Reports From the Field
Lori Waters is the Executive Director of Eagle Forum’s Washington office and
Loudoun County, Virginia, Commissioner. She
spoke about reversing many of the sustainable development programs imposed by
her predecessors in
When
Lori was running for
Traffic
congestion is a big problem and easing it with more and better roads is
being blocked at every turn by the ‘greens.’
‘Greens’, who see more roads as meaning more people; but if
the people living there now get tired of gridlock
traffic, they’ll move away. (Typical green thought) On
the east side of the major highway
that crosses Loudoun County north to south, zoning
now requires 50 housing units per acre and on the west side
zoning
has one housing unit per 50 acres. The
plan was to make the people living on the east side use mass transit.
Lori
listed some of the regulations in
“Most
people are in favor of smart growth until they have to deal with the regulations
and bureaucracies involved in smart
growth.” Lori wakes up
every morning thinking, “What can I undo today.”
Surrender to Wildfire, by Dr. Madeleine P. Cosman, Esq.
Summary:
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- What you haven’t heard about the San Diego Wildfires and
how changed policies have destroyed lives, property and nature.
Subversive Environmentalism
Federal and state forests long have practiced "Let It Burn" natural
fire management, especially popular during the Clinton administration. No fire
road cutting, no clearing of diseased, dead trees, no disturbing natural
habitat. In San Diego, no aerial drops of fire retardant are allowed on land or
buildings within 300 feet of water. Why? Retardant might pollute the water that
might poison fish and aquatic plants. A few days before San Diego erupted in
fire, the United States Forestry Service's Environmental Ethicists brought suit
in Missoula, Montana, to prevent aerial firefighting drops of fire retardant
chemicals and to prohibit bulldozing of fire-breaks near animals and plants
protected under the Endangered Species Act. Firefighters would be obliged to get
permits for spraying retardant from the Environmental Protection Agency and for
bulldozing, from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Fire-fighters on the line work heroically, valiantly, and merit praise, honor,
and gratitude. They and other citizens are exposed to extraordinary hazard
because bizarre environmental restrictions subvert protections of land,
property, and people. Subversion? The US Forestry Service has adopted practices
called for in the United
Nations "Agenda 21," especially Chapter 13: Managing Fragile
Ecosystems. United Nations' Sustainable
Development plans for global, national, and local economies, ecologies, and
social equities imperil American private property, lives, and livelihoods.
America also is one of twelve nations that signed the Montreal Protocols that
represent control of 90% of the planet's boreal and temperate forests.
Australia's Minister for the Environment ominously stated at the Montreal
Protocol meeting in 1996: The "global forest estate...[is the] common
legacy of all mankind."
California forest firefighting is directly influenced by the United
Nations-inspired international fire policy of the Urban Wildland Intermix Code (UWIC)
that appears in San Diego as law of the Wildland Urban Interface. This local law
copied almost verbatim from the International Council on Local Environmental
Initiatives (ICLEI), overpowers Congress and America's national sovereignty and
bypasses state legislatures. More than 450 cities worldwide, including Santa
Monica, California, Muncie, Indiana, and Chicago, Illinois have signed these
international local government sustainable development regulations. Interface
private land is scheduled soon to evolve into nature preserves or conservation
corridors that link nature sanctuaries. Wildland Urban Interface firefighters
invite US Fish and Wildlife experts to map potentially endangered species, and
then create Habitat Conservation Plans. If your land is in an HCP, it is yours
in name only.
Toxic Regulation
California Department of Forestry (CDF) has an aerial firefighting rule: no
aircraft takes off or flies one half hour before sunset. The Precautionary
Principle governs. If there is potentially risk of any possible harm, no action
is permitted. The Cedar fire was reported 5 minutes after the no-fly cut-off. No
one requested a waiver, no one asked permission to violate this absurd
regulation.
This was the high fire season. Fires burned out of control just miles to the
north. Local San Diego fire crews lent personnel and equipment to fight northern
fires. Fierce Santa Ana winds were forecast. Yet the fire burned, unfought,
throughout the night. Shari Lee, Administrator of Ramona Airport Air Attack, 10
miles from the Cedar Fire ignition site, said that if the fire had been reported
five minutes earlier she would have dispatched two bombers with retardant and
one helicopter with water. But it was not, so she did not. Rule, not reason,
ruled.
Worse, CDF Director, Andrea Tuttle, appointed by then newly-recalled Governor
Gray Davis, refused all outside firefighting assistance. Chief Tuttle, an
environmentalist and marine ecologist, directs the largest fire-fighting force
in the world: 4000 full-time employees, 1500 seasonal employees, 1000 engines,
23 air tankers, 13 helicopters, 15 air attack ships (OV-10 Bronco helicopters
for command and control), and an annual budget of $500 million. Though fires
raged out of control, CDF aero-chief Mike Padilla rejected help from US Navy
Helicopter Squadron HC85, based at North Island in San Diego, with 240 active
duty and Naval Reserve officers who exclusively fly firefighting helicopters.
Volunteering by phone, by internet, by flying one helicopter to Ramona Airport
to demonstrate they were ready, willing, and able, they were rebuffed. Commander
Ellinger faxed 26 pages of his flyers' training and personnel records to CDF.
CDF Chief Mike Padilla claimed to not know the Navy flyers existed. Furthermore,
he would not allow them to fly in the same airspace as CDF men for Navy men were
not CDF-tested or CDF-certified. Moreover, he was "overwhelmed." Navy
firefighters spent time in their Ready Room until on Day #6 the Navy Helicopter
Squadron was permitted to make what CDF Chief Tuttle called "cosmetic
waterdrops."
CDF and Governor Gray Davis even refused help from Washington, D.C. On Day #1 of
the fires, San Diego Congressman Duncan Hunter (Chairman, House Armed Services
Committee) got a promise from General Richard Myers, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of
Staff for America's defense to send six C-130 Mobile Aerial Firefighter Units.
He gave Congressman Hunter his home phone number. California had to officially
request; he would provide. Governor-Reject Davis did not respond. CDF Tuttle and
her subordinate Mr. Snodgrass took the offer to "committees." Four
critical days passed. Aircraft never came to San Diego. Duncan Hunter's home was
one of the thousands burned to the ground.
Tolerance for Arson
People intentionally set the Cedar, Paradise, and Otay fires. Whether the arson
was malicious or negligent is irrelevant. Cedar was ignited by a "lost
hunter" named Sergio Martinez, age 33. He lit a "signal" fire in
99 degree heat in the high fire season in a high fire area during daylight. Most
specific information about him is suppressed. He has not been charged with a
felony, not held in detention, but was cited for blameless
"carelessness."
The Paradise fire was set where "young people hang out," suspects
investigated, but no one as yet charged. "We haven't decided yet whether it
was just recklessness or malicious intent, but arson is arson," said CDF
Capt. Gary Eidsmoe. Sgt. Darrell Carr of the Sheriff's Department said, "We
do have witnesses…."
A cooking fire, started by people who illegally crossed the border from Mexico,
ignited Mine Canyon at Otay. 10,000 daily illegal crossings go uncaught.
There was little to no media condemnation of the October arson. Martinez's name
was media-suppressed. But there was media compassion for the fire-setters'
feelings. Some proposed protective custody for Martinez since people were angry
with him. In our colossal politics of deviance, perpetrators were not prosecuted
but venerated as victims.
Sabotage of Intelligent Self-Help
No evacuation plans exist for most San Diego communities. Even today my
vulnerable community is classified for evacuation, not for "shelter in
place." We got tantalizing rudimentary information but no precise
instructions for saving ourselves. Citizen self-defense is not taught,
discouraged ("Call 911 for professional help"), and punished when
caught. Cut a firebreak on your own land to protect your house? You risk fine
and prison if you destroy environmentally protected shrubs.
Advice for disaster preparedness (and terrorism) is condescending, cosmetic, and
aimed at 6th grade reading comprehension. During the October firestorm, San
Diego's Office of Emergency Services (OES) refused to sound the Emergency Alert
System. Terrified San Diegans had no central source for information or advice.
Davis-appointee, OES Chief Deborah Steffen refused to use the Emergency Alert
System because it was "old," the fire was "fast-moving," it
occurred at night-time, and we must avoid "panic."
Saint Paul said it was better to marry than to burn (with passion). San Diego
thinks it is better to burn than to panic.
Surrender to Wildfire is Assault on Excellence
Surrender to Wildfire assaults human excellence. Subversive environmentalists,
toxic regulators, coddled arsonists, and contemptuous Office of Emergency
Services grandmothers protecting citizens against panic do not love the
environment. They hate success, achievement, competence, invention, wealth,
productivity, and happiness. Dangerous nihilists intend death to civilization.
We must choose to surrender to wildfire or to fight wildfire. Surrender to
wildfire is surrender to collectivist America: land of moral ambiguity and home
of pacifist appeasement. Fighting against wildfire is fighting for
individualistic America: land of moral strength, and home of responsible
liberty. As we fight wildfire, so we defend our nation.
Session
8 – Developing Effective Response
Jim Burling is an attorney with Pacific Legal Foundation
who has litigated many important cases that establish case law
pertaining to private property issues.
Jim
started with a joke about property rights that went all the way back to creation
– the first private property was in the Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve’s fig leafs were the first.
“God said have dominion so we own it on orders from God.”
“Property
is something that people are willing to kill themselves over in
“Property
originated men’s work – planting crops, trees, irrigating and harvesting –
per Locke.” “The labor theory
from self to goods to land.” “English
law – Blackstone, the Magna Carta – all traced property rights from the
Garden of Eden to the US Constitution. Jefferson
and Madison all read Locke and used his teachings in writing the
Constitution.”
“The
more you have to beg from a government the less liberty you have.”
The
Pacific Legal Foundation grew out of Reagan’s Welfare Reform in
“Yes
you can fight city hall by knowing your rights.”
“Contact us if you think you have a case.”
Chuck
Cushman known as “Mr. Rent-a-Riot” was unable to attend.
He’s been having heart problems.
Session
8 – More Reports From the Field
Sylvia Allen, Founder of Arizona’s People of the
West in 1992 and now founding President of Freedom for America League, reported
on the events before and after the devastating Rodeo/Chediski fire that burned
500,000 acres – right up to her back door.
I
really wanted to hear Sylvia but missed her presentation.
I got to talking to several people during the break about the current
Klamath situation and we all missed this report from the field.
Clarice
Ryan reported on events and activities in
I
also missed 99% of Clarice’s presentation though I did pick up her handouts.
Session
9 – Reports from
Kent Snyder is the Executive Director of the Liberty Committee, the
Congressional Caucus founded by Congressman Ron Paul.
Mr. Snyder discussed pending legislation which affects the Constitution
and therefore, the principles of freedom.
Mr.
Snyder had a simple message: “You
are making a difference. Networking
between groups is working.”
Current
examples:
Remember
the $87M that was appropriated for our troops fighting in
“Never
let disappointment turn into surrender.” “A
true conservative Republican votes ‘NO’ on every spending/appropriation bill
because it’s all pork.”
Michael
Shaw and Brent Duncan led the conference attendees through a detailed
organizational process that can be used by any organization in any community to
make your organization more effective in advancing the principles of freedom in
public policy.
“How
to advance freedom in your community? Set
up a plan, write a vision statement, set goals.”
“When you fail to plan, you end up reacting and being overwhelmed.
The opposition has been
planning for decades.”
a. Communicating – internet, events, letters to the editor, talk on the radio, get
people together, read “Guerrilla Marketing”
b.
Networking
c.
Research
(tools to prove the truth)
d.
Documenting
Kathy
Benedetto, a staff member of the House Resource Committee working with the
Energy and Minerals Subcommittee, spoke on issues facing the House Resource
Committee.
Ms.
Benedetto reported that 800 million tons of coal was used in the
She
mentioned the Klamath Bucket Brigade in connection with the House Resource
Committee Field Hearing on the Endangered Species Act, which was held in Klamath
Falls July 17th; and brought up the fact that the House Resource
Committee had ‘marked up’ and sent to the floor of the House HR 2993
(Critical Habitat) and HR 1662 (Peer review/Sound science) for votes.
She
went on to speak about new Wilderness land designations that are under review by
the BLM. These designations in the
BLM Wilderness Study are in limbo (some 8 million acres out of 15 million total)
because they don’t meet the criteria of real wilderness and their designation
in the study is causing great hardship on the private landowners around them.
These lands need to be reviewed so they can be released from the study.
Congressman
Richard Pombo, Chairman of the House Resource Committee would like to see a new
Wilderness Bill that contain the following, which the present 40-year old Act
doesn’t:
“The
local people and elected officials need to be fully informed to protect private
property rights.”
Presidential
Candidates:
Michael Peroutka, Constitution Party Presidential Candidate
“Don’t
waste your vote on those who have turned their backs on the Constitution.”
“Defend the family, restore the Republic.”
“What
is the purpose of government?” “Protect
and defend our God-given rights.”
“What
are not the jobs of government? Not
to educate our children, not to take care of the environment, not to protect the
poor, and not to confiscate land.”
“Our
government is ignoring the law of this land and they violate their oath before
they ever take their oath.”
Peroutka
pledges the following if elected: “Honor
God as the source of our government. There
will be no federal lands because there is no authority for the government to own
land, and cut off all funding to the United Nations, Sustainable Development,
Smart Growth, and Agenda 21.”
“Elected
office holders have to uphold their oaths. It’s
our responsibility to hold their feet to the fire to make them uphold their
oaths.”
Michael
Peroutka Website
Michael Badnarik, Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate
“Our
platform supports the Constitution, freedom, and private property rights.”
“Anytime
the government goes beyond that, it is treason.”
“20,000 gun laws aren’t keeping you safe.”
“Law enforcement is not there to protect your life, they’re there to
investigate crimes. Protect and
Serve, what a joke. Law enforcement
forces you to become a victim.”
“You’re
working 4 to 5 months a year just to pay your taxes; that makes you a slave.”
“Protecting
our liberty; we need to make our own decisions.
Why are we allowing the government to treat us like children?”
“Protecting
our property; property is an idea that crosses all boundaries.
Food, housing – those things that are essential to survival.”
“The
government is acting like a 2-year-old. In
their minds, everything is ‘MINE’.” “They
want to protect our property by taking our property.”
“They’re
‘supposed’ to work for us, but they are usurping their authority and we all
know that we really work for them.”
“Throw
the bums out!”
Michael
Badnarik Website
California
Congressman Richard Pombo attended and spoke as President George Bush’s
representative.
(California Congressman Pombo with Helen Chenoweth-Hage)
I
took very few notes during the first part of Congressman Pombo’s speech
because I was overwhelmed by my encounter with him before he took the podium.
He was standing out in the hallway with one of his staff members and I
went up to him, re-introduced myself to him ( we’d met in 2002 in
Congressman
Pombo was at the conference to stump for Bush’s re-election and he stated that
Bush is the right man, at the right time, doing the right job and we must
re-elect him even though he was the last Republican member of Congress to
indorse Bush during his first run for the presidency.
“It
is the duty of every American to know the parties and understand what they stand
for.” “The President can really
do very little on his own.”
The
Senate didn’t do anything when he first went to
“If
it wasn’t about private property rights and the Endangered Species Act, I
never would have left the ranch.” “If
it takes implemental change, then that’s what we’re going to do.”
“[The]
first 10 Amendments are our protection against government and none of them are
more important then another.” He
was asked by a reporter one time why he was so passionate about the 5th
Amendment. He answered, “I’m as
passionate about the 5th for the same reason you are so passionate
about the first 1st Amendment.”
It shut the reporter up!
What
is this upcoming election all about? “9/11”
On that day, he was showing a relative the Capital Building and they were
outside on the top of the dome and noticed people streaming out of the building
and running away. Then the plane hit
the Pentagon and he saw the explosion. “The
number 1 target of our enemies is the Capital and I’m proud to go to work
there every day.”
“We
can’t afford to have a John Kerry in the White House at this time.”.
Final
Banquet – Saturday Night
The main
speaker at the Saturday night final banquet was C.J. Hadley, editor and
publisher of Range Magazine. She is
an outstanding speaker, known for her straightforward, tell-it-like-it-is style.
I
took no notes at the Banquet; I was there to enjoy myself and to say good-bye
until the next conference to all the great people I’d met the past 4 days.
And
did I enjoy myself! C.J. had me
laughing, crying and clapping. Some
of what she said made me mad when she told us about some of the stories Range
had covered on government abuse of western resource providers.
C.J.
told about her upbringing in England, her schooling, first jobs (catching rats
in the basement of a pub – first introduction to wildlife & spreading
sawdust on the main pub floor – first introduction to the timber industry),
and why she was shipped off to Canada by her parents before she was sixteen
years old. She told about being a
“wetback” and entering the
C.J.
had worked at many professions besides publishing (and had even lived and worked
in Australia for a time) before ending up in Nevada and turning a Nevada
rancher’s brochure into what is now Range Magazine.
Her
mostly off-the-cuff speech was filled with British witticisms and slang, which
brought lots of laughs from her audience. I
wouldn’t have missed it for the world!
G.B.
Oliver, III of the Paragon Foundation was the master of ceremonies for the
banquet. After C.J.’s speech, he
explained to us what a Paladin Knight was in olden days.
Remember the old “Have Gun, Will Travel” television show?
Paladin, the main character of the program, would be hired for example,
by the huge landowner to run off squatters and by the end of the program;
Paladin would have joined forces with the squatters and helped them defeat the
landowner.
G.B.
told us there are many modern-day ‘Paladin Knights’ fighting for our private
property rights today. He held up a
2 ½ foot tall, solid silver Knight figurine (like from a chess set) and
announced that the first Paladin Knight that the Paragon Foundation wanted to
honor was C.J. Hadley! First words
out of C.J.’s mouth were “You bloody bastard!” and then she lost all her
composure. During her acceptance
speech, she asked how much she’d get if she melted it down as she tried to
hold the heavy thing in one arm. The award was designed and crafted by Wes Smith, a
G.B.
Oliver, III also gave her a check for $10,000 from the Paragon Foundation to
keep Range Magazine going. (She said
earlier that the magazine was $800,000 in debt.)
What
a way to end the conference!
Jay
Walley at the conference
To
learn more about Freedom 21:
Barbara
Hall
The
Klamath Bucket Brigade, Inc.
(Some
photos from Barb Hall; some from the Freedom 21 website 2004
Conference Speakers)
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