Archive for the ‘Founders’ Category
by Nicholas Testaccio
During his presidency, Ronald Reagan spoke words of encouragement, and determination that spanned the spectrum of history, law, foreign affairs, and the principles of this nation. Many of his speech’s came from writers who penned some of the most inspiring words to be delivered from the presidential podium.
The words I write here are my own coupled with quotes from our Founders and matters in law. I find that the history, the theory, and the rule of law make for a much more compelling method of conveying a point.
I am not sure that what I place on paper lives up to the standards of the orators who preceded my humble attempts at provoking or educating others. My desire is to reach those who care to learn, which is the basis for all progress. Statesmen, true statesmen, are both students of history and politics. While one study has its value in learning from the wisdom of the successes, pitfalls, and failures of the past, the other seems to be an attempt at psychological aptitude.
History does repeat in a manner. There are those who rebuke that doctrine, but in some way the mistakes of the past keep presenting themselves in one form or another. Politics, as it is today, expresses itself in the form of propaganda, dystopian agenda, and powers that have no regard for the people who suffer under runaway insanity. It should be clear to those who have taken even a cursory look at the Constitution, that government has violated the tenets so clearly enumerated. The document that our servants swore an oath to protect and defend is desecrated at every clause and provision.
At one time we had men and women of steel in this nation. While men cast boxes of tea into the Boston Harbor, the women were securing their place in history. “Yonder, the destruction of the detestable weed, made so by cruel exaction, engages our attention. The virtuous and noble resolution of America’s sons, in defiance of threatened desolation and misery from arbitrary despots, demands our highest regard.", wrote Hannah Winthrop.
John Adams asked his friend and clarion of liberty, Mercy Warren Otis to put her considerable talent to honor that band of patriots. In response she wrote “The Squabble of the Sea Nymphs”
BRIGHT Phaebus drove his rapid car amain,And plung'd his steeds beyond the western plain,Behind a golden skirted cloud to rest.Ere ebon night had spread her sable vest,And drawn her curtain o'er the fragrant vale,Or Cynthia's shadows dress'd the lonely dale,The heroes of the Tuscararo tribe,Who scorn'd alike a fetter or a bribe,In order rang'd, and waited freedom's nod,To make an offering to the wat'ry god.
The poem goes on, but it was not the sum of Mercy’s contribution to the revolution. She wrote plays that helped to ignite the flames of insurrection. Yes, as all our Founder’s knew that the fight for liberty and the dissolution of the bond between Britain and the American Colonies was an act of insurgency worthy of a meeting with the gallows. By today’s standards of censorship, Mercy Warren Otis would have been banned long before the men of the revolution knew her name. She may very well have heard a loud banging on her door in the middle of the night by an agency acting in direct violation of the rule of law.
What a tragedy it would have been if we could not have the pleasure of her wisdom and skill with the pen. To be denied the words that expressed her hopes and fears would make us poorer by far. “I have my fears. Yet, notwithstanding the complicated difficulties that rise before us, there is no receding; May nothing ever check that glorious spirit if freedom which inspires the patriot in the cabinet and the hero in the field, with courage to maintain their righteous cause, and to endeavor to transmit the claim to posterity, even if they must seal the rich conveyance to their children with their own blood.”
And what of today, the rhetoric, and propaganda that has been infused into the culture. Is there an honest voice that shouts of the impending tyranny that will be imposed on us all for the simple fact that we believe in individual freedom, property, and the means by which to protect those elements of our being?
To maintain what is essential to our liberty and the ability to prosper, earn, and enjoy those aspects of life, we must struggle on some level. Thomas Paine wrote, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.” Tyranny presents itself, and yet we are wanting of the ability to recognize its talons and prepare ourselves for the conflict that must ensue.
We are now staring down the barrel of tyranny, and we refuse to acknowledge it is at point blank range. Mao Zedong coined the phrase “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”. While unconstitutional agencies are given more and more power to regulate and enforce the rules that they create, there are private organizations assisting the move toward complete government autocracy by demanding the disarmament of their fellow citizens. For their foolish aspirations I must remind these “useful idiots” that you will gain neither safety, nor security by taking the power of the Sword from those who could and would protect liberty.
It is now some Seventy-Five years since American Liberation Forces marched into concentration camps. There they found death, despair, and horror they could not have fathomed. Despite what you might believe, the Nazi’s left behind video evidence of what had been done in the camps. As told to me by one soldier who saw the malevolence; “We brought people from the town in to look at the films. They left in tears. They were all crying.” The story of one of our WWII ...
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by Nicholas Testaccio
The idiom, “Stupid is as stupid does”, popularized by the film “Forrest Gump” indicates one’s level of ignorance or stupidity. Some definitions grant that it could also indicate one’s level of intelligence but given the fact that the word stupid is emphasized, I am going with the negative.
This is a constitutional Republic as I have noted many times in the past. Yet, we allow the people we send to congress, other public officials, and the media to continually label our nation a democracy. It cannot be a simple mistake because the U.S. Constitution commands that “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government”.
So, is the constant rhetoric about democracy a mistake, a clear violation of the law, or insidious propaganda? Vladimir Lennon is credited with saying that “A lie told often enough becomes the truth”. That particular mode of propaganda has been used quite effectively over the years. For anyone paying attention, we are deluged with it from the same political bent from which it arose. That is to say that it is a tool of the Marxist, elitist, oligarchs, and mainstream media who are all part of the cabal to overthrow liberty. If you question this, refer to the title because I am almost certain that others besides myself see the same picture.
The Founders of this nation were wary and skeptical as to whether we could keep a Republic. They were students of history, and as Patrick Henry conceded, “I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past.”. Given the history gone by, and the character of man, both good and evil, Thomas Jefferson lamented “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”.
It is easy enough to look back at history, and second guess those who lived in some of the most interesting times. We can accuse those who lived in a moment of great importance and question their actions. We can celebrate those who fought for freedom, denounce the evil doers for their wrongs, and learn from the errors that all of mankind makes. Abandoning our history is akin to ignoring that “one lamp by which [our] feet are guided”. That certainly would not be wise for within the dusty pages that comprise our past are the building blocks for a better future.
As astute as the Founders were, they knew that liberty shines brightest when the people, who are for the most part peaceful, have the means to maintain their freedom without the corrosive interference of bureaucrats. Evil doers abound, the murderers, the thieves, the greedy, the power hungry, and the genocidal maniacs do not disappear from the pages of news simply because the law exists to prevent their ambitions. With that in mind, the Framers recognized for the people the tool that they deemed “necessary to the security of a free State”.
It would be simple enough to read the law of the land, and the papers written by those who explained, in detail, what the words meant, and the recognition of the pitfalls that might ensue. Given the predilection of man to be swayed, particularly in today’s world, by silver-tongued viper’s claiming the title of expert, I have little hope that reading every word in the Constitution, and comprehending that it not only must be interpreted by what the Framers understood, it must be enforced as detailed.
I took to writing these articles with the hope that, in their short version, people would take the few minutes needed to read, and gain some understanding of our law. I was prompted to this when I made a statement, years back when debating the application and enforcement of the income tax, that the American people are stupid. I made the claim because the facts are spelled out, and those facts of law are not the same as policies enforced by bureaucrats, and dishonest judges. I was immediately rebutted by another stating that the American people aren’t stupid, they just don’t know. I handed him a stack of papers proving the law as I had claimed, to which he responded, “I haven’t got time to read that shit”, thus validating Forrest Gump’s now famous idiom.
I spend my days reading articles, listening to the opinions of others, and trying to make heads or tails of today’s issues. Sometimes, I am asked to comment on a particularly high-profile case. In many cases, I find that the interpretation does not square with what was opined, ruled, or decreed. I remember the words Paul Simon wrote in “The Boxer”; “Still, a man hears what he wants to hear And disregards the rest…”
How poignant when we consider the rule of law, and the Forty-Two Hundred words of the U.S. Constitution. The document requires that every public official of the federal and State governments, be they elected or appointed, swear an oath to protect and defend. In those Forty-Two Hundred words are delegated authorities, and restrictions that “We the People” have made law. Each word must be given its due force as the Constitution must be read in its entirety in order that the rule of law “[o]ne constructed on the principle that the Supreme Power resides in the body of the people”, be interpreted by “[w]hat *** those who framed and adopted it underst[oo]d [its] terms to designate and include”.
“In expounding the Constitution of the United States, every word must have its due force, and appropriate meaning”, and what could be more important to “the Supreme Power *** of the people” than the ultimate authority “to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections, and repel Invasions”?
John Locke wrote in his Second Treatise “To understand Political Power right, and derive it from its Original, we must consider what State all Men are naturally in, and that is, a State of perfect Freedom to order ...
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by Nicholas Testaccio
Stephen Decatur Jr. was just Forty-One years of age
when he passed from this Earth, but he had become a legend as a heroic leader
in the early days of our struggle to maintain this country as a free and
independent nation.
He rose to the rank of Commodore, commanded several ships,
fought in the War of 1812, and the Barbary War’s. He is best noted for his
comment, “In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in
the right, and always successful, right or wrong.”
I am among the few who is sometimes praised, or sometimes
demonized for serving the nation. It is difficult giving one, two, four or more
years to a country that demands an allegiance to whatever duty required, for
whatever undertaking.
General Smedley Butler was the most decorated Marine at the
time he served. The General is well known for being distinguished as one of the
few men to receive the Medal of Honor twice, but less known for his book ‘War
Is A Racket’. In it he details some of the wrong doings that were undertaken by
greedy, and selfish men with the assistance of their collaborators in the halls
of government. Young men sent to do the bidding of those who have no regard for
life or liberty. They would gladly sacrifice the life of your child to fill
their wallets.
The general is also known for his outing of a plot to
overthrow FDR, in which he was to lead a march of veterans against the government.
He risked his good name, and reputation against some of the most powerful men
in the country, an act of heroism that should be recognized and celebrated. It
is very unfortunate that most have never heard of this particularly dark part
in our history, but it is essential in understanding why a young man serves his
country “right or wrong”.
We are ultimately a nation of individuals, families, and
communities. Over time, the spirit that was the Revolution faded into a quiet
norm with most going about their daily business, not caring to hold government
in check, or even taking the time to comprehend the dynamic that perverts a
nation and places all of us in jeopardy. When the bullets fly, and the bombs
burst, there is no distinction between those who start wars, those who are
soldiers, and those who are civilians. Indeed, as this Nation’s wars in the
Middle East have reached seventeen years, we should be questioning what
it is that we are trying to accomplish, and if the cost in human life and wealth
has been worth all the toil and suffering.
I can tell you, from my perspective and only from what I
know as an individual, not one drop of American blood, nor a penny from our
coffers has been worth the tragedy that is part of this ongoing war. I’ve not
seen any specific thing that I can lay my hands on to use the word success. Yet
we are trudging along at the cost of the blood of our young, and billions in
wasted dollars. The cost comes by the hands of politicians who are gutless
creatures making promises and then escalating the conflicts.
This was supposed to be a Republic with ultimate power
vested in the good People who “instituted” a nation of sovereigns with
the authority “to alter, or to abolish” government when it runs afoul of
the limited authority we’ve granted. Should those powers that “are reserved
*** to the people” be usurped, it is up to us to remedy the criminality.
In this form of government “We the People” should not
allow any representative, judge, bureaucrat, or agency to infringe in the least
on the rule of law. However, currently it has become clear to me in the many
encounters I’ve had, that most believe that they simply have no authority, and
the only recourse is to hope for the right candidate. It is an attitude that
boggles my mind. It is also inexplicable given the volumes of works from the
time of the revolution, through the ratification of the Constitution, and the
subsequent years of nation building.
I’m certain that at least some of those who believe that
government is the ultimate authority are tools for the communist take down of
America. That’s right, I said communist take down because what we are seeing
today is right from the playbook of those noted for their aspiration to destroy
the Republic and institute a regime to the liking of men such as Karl Marx,
Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and a list of equally infamous tyrants.
Dictators abound. They exist right here in this nation. The
halls of congress and the judiciary are filled with those who believe that they
have some authority beyond the limited delegations specifically stated in the
Constitution. Even in the State houses we see men and women who represent a
growing number of politicians that have absolute disdain for the rules that
were laid down by the Framers. This, in part, is due to a judiciary that has
corrupted the rule of law, sometimes making ridiculous decisions that cannot
possibly be corroborated by any section or clause in the Constitution, and
often violate the Bill of Rights in the extreme.
The lessons of history, though often distorted by a victor or some agenda driven apparatchik, are there in the whole for the populace to explore and ascertain at least a modicum of information as to what has taken place. History books abound, and while there may be misquotes, distorted causes and testimony, the end results are there to examine. There are varying theories as to why our revolution was fought. What was the last straw that brought about bloody conflict? Can the same be asked about the Bolshevik revolution and the institution of communism across many nations? But in the end, those who fought our revolution created a unique form of government wherein the People maintained sovereignty over the State. However, in Russia they went from one form of tyranny to an even more brutal form. The pages of the books of those who experienced it firsthand are there to investigate, just as the myriad of pages on the development of America.
I noted in a previous article the words of Thomas Jefferson;
“The people cannot be all, & always, well informed.” Herein lies the ...
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by Nicholas Testaccio
This Fourth we should take stock of what we were, what
we are, and what we will be.
There is an effort, an agenda so to speak, to change
what this nation has strived for in the past, what it has accomplished, and the
turmoil that is tossing us all about.
John
8: 2-7
At
daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down
and began to teach them.
The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and
making her stand there in the middle they said to Jesus, 'Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery,
and in the Law Moses has ordered
us to stone women of this kind. What have you got to say?' They asked
him this as a test, looking for an accusation to use against him. But Jesus bent down and
started writing on the ground with his finger. As they persisted with
their question, he straightened up and said, 'Let the one among you who is
guiltless be the first to throw a stone at her.' Then he bent down and
continued writing on the ground. When they heard this they went away one
by one, beginning with the eldest, until the last one had gone and Jesus was left
alone with the woman, who remained in the middle. Jesus again
straightened up and said, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'
This nation was formed in blood by a rebellious people
who were sinners the lot. They were traitors to the Empire of Great Britain.
Their acts were that of people who used any tool, method, and any other device
they deemed necessary to sever ties with those who lorded over them.
After a long and arduous fight, the chains were cut, and a new nation began the complicated struggle to form a Union of independent States. The battle was just beginning for this country, for it was developing in a manner that was unique in all the history of the world. It was to be a Republic wherein the People would be sovereign, and thus hold the reins over government.
“In order to form a more perfect Union” clarity, and determination were essential as it was obvious to the Founders that this nation could not survive as Thirteen small countries at odds with each other. Some compromises needed to be struck so that they could secure for their posterity a form that could flourish with the knowledge that aid and comfort would be provided by a Union.
No one is perfect, and certainly no one is without
sin. We are once again embroiled in a skirmish to save this nation from annihilation.
This time the enemy is not Three Thousand miles away, but is here in the
courts, the legislatures, and sadly the schools and universities that most of
our children attend.
We face a foe that is so insidious that it has absolutely no qualms about lying, deceiving, and even fostering violence in order to secure its goal; a country of slaves as has been created in so many other places. We are being torn apart from within. Marcus Tullius Cicero stated, long before the land we live on became this nation, "A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague."
The struggles that this nation has endured from the Revolution, through a Civil War, a great Depression, two World Wars, and civil strife is a testimony to the fortitude of those who came before us.
Now we are engaged in what appears to be the opening
salvos of a true Civil War wherein race, creed, and ideology clash. The battle
lines are drawn by the one side with the help of their “useful idiots” as
soldiers causing discontent, and chaos. They are led by corrupt politicians who
are on record calling for violence against the opposition. They are supported
by educators who have a deep hatred for what they perceive as some injustice,
or slight. They are bolstered by a judiciary that has long lost its mandate of
justice for all.
The other side is led by those who have long ago forgotten how this nation came into being, and cower at the mere word that might have them perceived as some sort of villain. They “indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. *** [they] cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun!” - Patrick Henry
I am reminded of the words of Thomas Jefferson; “God
forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion. The people cannot
be all, & always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be
discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If
they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner of
death to the public liberty. *** What country before ever existed a century
& half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties
if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the
spirit of resistance? *** The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to
time with the blood of patriots & tyrants.”
History repeats itself in a manner that is often
frightening to this writer, and hopefully to others.
So, this Fourth of July I will look upon the words of
the men who struggled with life and death to
form a new and unique nation. I will remember history as it was with all
its lessons. I will remember ...
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by Nicholas Testaccio
I have struggled over the last few months to complete an article. It’s not because I don’t have something to contribute to the latest problems. It’s certainly not because there aren’t many issues that should be commented on in the face of the propaganda that is being spewed out to the general public. It’s definitely not because there isn’t a myriad of questions that never seem to be asked.
I am frozen by the fact that despite the evidence
placed right in front of us, most Americans will do nothing at all, while some
will do nothing more than contribute to the downfall by either applying the
same methods that are proven failures, or actually promoting the divide.
One of the issues we face today regards immigration. Let’s
set the record straight right from the start so that readers will go into this
article with a clear picture. I am not against lawful immigration wherein a country
has the Sovereign authority to protect its borders, and its people from harm of
any type.
The Declaration of Independence reads that “[King George] has endeavoured to prevent
the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for
Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their
migrations hither…”
At the time that our first law was ratified, the
population of the Colonies was approximately Thirteen Million people who occupied approximately Four Hundred Thirty Thousand, square miles,
or more than Two Hundred Seventy-Five
Million acres.
America was sparsely populated, and would certainly
benefit from an influx of people, particularly those who would be needed
tradesmen. There was also the fact that Westward of what was to become the
United States, was a vast landmass. The Founders were cognizant of the fact
that there were Hundreds of Millions of
acres that could become productive parcels of land.
Simply put, the Colonies needed an influx of migrants
who were capable, adventurous, and hungry for Liberty as it was hitherto unavailable
to the World’s population. America needed immigrants willing, and able to
create a great nation.
Do we need migrants today that are unskilled? Do we
need to have millions come across our borders who pillage our coffers? Do we
need to have those entering the country and shouting that we should leave here
as it is no longer our country? Do we need to have violent gang members coming
here to establish their brand of crime?
The answers to these questions should be obvious. We
need to protect our sovereignty, and not allow this nation to become a staging
ground for civil war, and the loss of all our rights.
Next up is the question of taxation. Despite what may
or may not be believed about this point of law, taxation as it is today saps
billions of dollars out of the economy and accomplishes next to nothing other
than pilfering the wealth of the nation in order to promote an oligarchy. It is
done by convincing the people that taxing provides for the running of government,
offers assistance to the needy, and a host of other, often unnecessary, and
unconstitutional acts.
Taxation as it is applied today is unlawful to begin
with. As the Supreme Court stated in Stanton v Baltic that “it was settled that the provisions of the 16th Amendment conferred no
new power of taxation”. So why are we paying a direct tax on the wages, or
income we receive?
In 1947, undersecretary of the Treasury Beardsley Ruml
concluded that if we start withholding small amounts of money from paychecks of
Americans that they would simply go along with it. 26 U.S.C. requires that the
Secretary send, by December 31 of that particular year, a notice to anyone who
owes money to the government. Ruml reasoned that people would not voluntarily
comply with a large bill received at the end of the year. However, taken in small
doses there would not be any pushback.
While there is no law that anyone can find that
requires the individual living and working in the United States to pay a direct
tax on the money he earns, the government takes Trillions of dollars from the American people by the hands of an
unchartered agency that the Supreme Court has stated was not created by any
organic act of Congress. It simply exists to terrorize the public into handing
over their property to an out of control government.
So, the question often comes, why do people who don’t pay taxes go to jail? Simply put, we currently lack the courage, spirit, and knowledge to act as the Founders of this nation did and had hoped that future generations would. However, there are a few out there who rise to the occasion, listen, comprehend, and act accordingly; see The Government v Whitey Harrell.
What Marcy Brooks, the foreman in the above case, did was
to go beyond the indoctrination, and take a stand for justice. That jury did
something that most would never consider. They rendered a just decision based
in fact as applied to law, and justice.
Next up, the legal profession and the courts. Those
who opposed the Constitution during the ratification debates realized that given
time, and the position that they were granted, the judiciary would corrupt the
rule of law, and centralize power to the government. It should be fairly
obvious that we now have a judiciary that does not follow the limited delegated
authority granted by We the People in our Constitution. The judges placed in
such high positions work to implement their own agenda, and thereby place
liberty in jeopardy.
Anyone who has gone through the court system can tell
you that it does not serve justice at all, it functions to create a criminal
base, and therefore wealth for those who belong to the private organization
known as the Bar. It is also creating a class of elites who are not brought to
justice for any of their crimes.
While I could go on about the condition of our legal
system, none said it better than H.L. Menchen who wrote; “All the extravagance and incompetence of our present government is
due, in the main, to lawyers, and, in part at least, to good ones. They are
responsible for nine-tenths of the useless and vicious laws that now clutter the
statute-books, and for all the evils that go with the vain attempt to enforce
them. Every ...
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