Audit the Fed Rally & March- September 15, 2009

Earlier this week Campaign for Liberty California took to the streets of San Francisco for another epic “Audit the Fed” rally. As part of a continuing effort to inform and educate the masses on the need for a proper audit of the Federal Reserve, local members met at the Civic Center Plaza armed with hundreds of petition forms, a handful of pocket Constitutions, and a strong desire to share their concerns with fellow citizens. Only minutes after we arrived and finished setting up our equipment (tables, speakers, merchandise, etc) people passing by on the street began to approach us. Some heard “Audit the Fed” and simply wanted to know where to sign. Others were curious but remained skeptical and hesitant to attach their names to anything. And many people just wanted to know more about our cause. My personal experience canvassing and chatting with people certainly served as a reminder of all those who are still unfamiliar with what plenty of us now consider the basics.

Many, for example, do not recognize the Federal Reserve System as a private banking cartel that creates fiat money out of thin air and, consequently, causes inflation and adds to the federal deficit. Many do not know that Congress lacks the authority to audit the Fed in any real capacity and that the institution which issues our currency has operated under extreme secrecy since its creation in 1913. And many do not know that there are now bills before Congress (H.R. 1207 and S. 604) which would allow for a legitimate audit by removing restrictions and mandating a GAO audit of the Fed to be completed by the end of 2010. I will admit there is a certain level of frustration that arises from recognizing just how many people are uninformed when it comes to an issue of such importance. But I also recognize that people are not necessarily uninformed by choice, and that many are eager to learn what they can do to help fix our broken financial system. And that is where Campaign for Liberty comes in to play. By informing our friends and family, and by them informing their friends and families, the number of informed Americans will inevitably continue to grow and the Establishment will have an increasingly tougher time ignoring our roaring call for transparency and honesty.

After an hour or two of canvassing, collecting signatures, and talking to folks from all walks of life, we packed it up and began our march to Nancy Pelosi’s office where we would later deliver thousands of petitions to her staff. During our brief walk I took a turn holding a great, homemade sign (compliments of Jun Dam) that read “Where’s the vote, Nancy?” I especially appreciated the message of this particular sign as it pointed to the fact that H.R. 1207 already has more than the required amount of co-sponsors (290 I believe) to be brought to the floor for a vote. And yet, for whatever reason, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi seems to support the secrecy of the Federal Reserve and remains content in ignoring the countless number of Americans who demand the transparency we were promised.

Upon arriving at the first building we marched to, our team was met by personnel who informed us that Pelosi’s office had moved. So, despite the anti-climatic nature of the moment, we quickly learned where the new office was and made our way there while continuing to hold signs and chant constructive messages such as “Audit the Fed” and “Where’s the Vote?” We soon made it to the correct office complex and at that point several Campaign for Liberty volunteers entered the building and delivered the stack of petitions to a friendly receptionist happy to pass along them along to her boss. In fact, throughout the day I heard and noticed that all personnel and law enforcement officers were receptive and respectful, and we were all grateful for it.

Then, after a fulfilling victory, our group split into two smaller groups in order to divide and conquer, and deliver the remaining petitions to Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. The event marked my first “Audit the Fed” rally and I must say I was very pleased with the outcome. A good amount of people showed up and most of them were supportive and enthusiastic about both auditing the Fed and Campaign for Liberty’s broader message of individual liberty and Constitutional government. I am very pleased to report that thousands of petitions were delivered to our Senators and Nancy Pelosi, and I appreciate all the work that everyone put in to the day. And lastly, I very much appreciated and enjoyed meeting all of the other Campaign for Liberty members who were present, and working with like-minded individuals interested in defending the freedom and prosperity of all Americans.

Chuck Baldwin Questions Internment Camps

The following article was written by Chuck Baldwin, a radio broadcaster, syndicated columnist, pastor, and 2008 Presidential nominee of the Constitution Party. In his unyielding effort to preserve the historic principles upon which America was founded, Baldwin asks a very simple and very fair question: Why are interment camps being built?

"The Internet is abuzz with news about the construction of internment camps all across America. Of course, 'mainstream' media outlets refuse to touch the subject; or if they do, they pooh-pooh the story; they do what Glenn Beck recently did: try to debunk the story as fallacious and impugn people who speak of it as 'conspiracy nuts.' The fact that the Becks, Hannitys, Limbaughs, and O'Reillys of the media circus refuse to deal with the construction of large numbers of internment camps does not make them disappear, however.

For starters, all anyone need do to begin a serious investigation of the subject of internment camps is Google the phrase 'FEMA Camps.' There is more than enough evidence in that search engine alone to keep one busy with some in-depth private investigation of the subject for quite a while.

Another URL to check out is this one from the June 2009 Idaho Observer:

http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20090609.htm

As people read my columns all across America, I have had numerous readers contact me, saying that they have personally witnessed the transportation of construction materials used for internment camps, have actually worked in and around them, or have personally seen such camps. These eyewitness testimonies have come from very credible people, including law enforcement and military personnel, as well as airline pilots and construction workers.

Just a few weeks ago, I was aboard a cross-country flight when the passenger I was sitting next to (a total stranger) asked me to take a look out the window. He asked, 'Do those look like internment camps to you?' I was astonished that the man (1) would even know to notice such a potentiality, and (2) would be so bold as to ask such a question of a total stranger. I must say, I was extremely happy to make his acquaintance. And we had a very warm and invigorating discussion the rest of the trip.

We were flying over Colorado, over extreme wilderness terrain, and, yes, right in the middle of nowhere, the buildings and surrounding features that I saw sure looked like internment camps to me. Of course, flying at over 30,000 feet in the sky makes it difficult for any kind of detailed analysis to take place; that is for sure.

Then, a friend recently brought this URL to my attention:

http://www.nationalguard.com/careers/mos/description.php?mos_code=31E

This is an advertisement by the National Guard promoting the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of 'Internment/Resettlement Specialist.' Question: why does the National Guard need to recruit Internment/Resettlement Specialists? What do they know that we should know?

Furthermore, I have had military personnel tell me that many of the US military bases that have been recently 'closed' are also being prepared as large-scale 'holding areas.'

Obviously, the question that begs to be asked is, 'Who is the US government planning to intern and resettle?' And another question is, 'How many people are they planning to intern that would require the massive number of camps that are apparently being constructed?'

Some suggest that these facilities are being prepared for large numbers of illegal immigrants. This seems extremely doubtful, however, considering the propensity of the federal government to (1) do next to nothing to seriously curtail the flood of illegal aliens into America, (2) do virtually nothing to apprehend illegals known to be in the US, and (3) do everything it can to facilitate the release of those illegals incarcerated by State and local authorities. To think that the federal government intends to place thousands of illegal aliens in internment camps borders on lunacy. If anything, the federal government (with either Democrats or Republicans in charge) has done everything it can to (1) entice illegals to come to America, and (2) provide every incentive for them to stay illegally in this country after having entered. I feel safe in saying that we can eliminate the possibility that these camps are being prepared for illegal aliens.

Others suggest that these internment camps are being constructed to accommodate 'enemy combatants' from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Yet, the total number of these types of detainees is miniscule compared to the detention space being constructed. Can one really imagine the need to build facilities that could accommodate prisoners numbering in the tens of thousands to house a few hundred foreign troops? I don't think so.

Then, of course, there are those who continue to deny that these internment camps exist at all. But then, were there not thousands of Germans who denied the existence of concentration camps during World War II? These types of people would refuse to believe the sun came up in the east if the government spinmeisters told them it didn't.

That our federal government is building large numbers of 'holding areas' or internment camps seems to be an established fact. The only questions that remain are 'Why?' and 'For whom?'

At this point, the imagination can take us anywhere, but it is not a little disconcerting when the same federal government that is building these internment camps begins categorizing Christians, conservatives, people who support the Second Amendment, people who oppose abortion and homosexual marriage, people who oppose the North American Union and the New World Order, people who oppose the United Nations and illegal immigration, and people who voted for Ron Paul or Chuck Baldwin as 'extremists,' or 'potential dangerous militia members.'

Anyone knows that before a government can begin persecuting and imprisoning large groups of people, they must first marginalize them. As someone said, "Just because you are paranoid does not mean they really aren't trying to get you."

In fact, an argument could be made that by today's politically correct definition, America's Founding Fathers would be categorized as 'paranoid,' 'extremists,' or 'potential dangerous militia members.' I would even go so far as to question the patriotism of anyone today that is not a little paranoid. This federal government has certainly earned whatever paranoia citizens feel.

Feelings of paranoia notwithstanding, why is the federal government constructing large numbers of internment camps, and who does the government plan on incarcerating in those camps? Those questions still need to be answered."

Cars.gov: No Privacy Allowed

The Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS, is the Obama Administration's latest attempt to stimulate our seemingly devastated economy. In an effort to help both the economy and the environment by spurring new car sales, the federal government is now offering car owners subsidies of up to $4,500 for trading in their old gas guzzlers. My initial reaction to this program (better known as "cash for clunkers") was that it seems like a simple and effective way to give our economy a much needed boost. So, despite feeling like I had a handle on how the program would work, I found myself interested in learning more and quickly discovered that "www.cars.gov" is the place to go for more information. And if I hadn't come across the following "privacy act and security statement" first, by chance, I would have certainly logged on to the site and may have even brushed past the lovely message supposedly awaiting me:

"This application provides access to the DoT CARS system. When logged on to the CARS system, your computer is considered a Federal computer system and is the property of the U.S. government. Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized CARS, DoT, and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign."

Bottom line? An official government website is supposedly claiming up front that once you log into the system it uses, your computer and all of the files on it become property of the U.S. government. Honestly, I do not know whether to be outraged at the blatant disregard for personal privacy or pleased with the fact that the government is now at least openly warning us of its egregious behavior. I have not yet confirmed this information to be accurate because, if it is for real, I do not even want to type the URL into my web browser. I hate to say that I would not put this past our government, but I am also not sure that an attempt to verify it is worth the potential risk. In my endless effort to encourage others to hold our elected officials accountable, I inevitably asked all kinds of questions regarding the matter. Could the federal government really be preying upon millions of Americans who are simply trying to play by the rules? Could the "cash for clunkers" program be part of a larger agenda to expand the warrantless wiretapping program and spy on citizens? I will be keeping an eye out for updates on this and, in the meantime, I would love to hear reader's thoughts on the issue, especially if you've actually visited the site and can confirm any of what I've presented.

"You Scare Me" by Lou Pritchett

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core..

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd and deliver this message abroad.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett

Origins: Lou Pritchett is a former vice president of Procter & Gamble whose career at that company spanned 36 years before his retirement in 1989, and he is the author of the 1995 business book, Stop Paddling & Start Rocking the Boat.

Mr. Pritchett confirmed to [snopes.com] that he was indeed the author of the much-circulated "open letter" quoted above:

"I did write the 'you scare me' letter. I sent it to the NY Times but they never acknowledged or published it. However, it hit the internet and according to the ‘experts’ has had over 500,000 hits."

Universal Health Care

During a recent and highly televised prime time address, President Obama promised that he will pass [health care] reform that “lowers cost, promotes choice and provides coverage that every American can count on.” Believe me, I wish I could trust the man to keep his word and fulfill that promise. But my gut, and my inability to ignore the promises he has already broken tell me he will inevitably let the American people down again. I want to start by addressing two very important points regarding the reform bill currently working its way through Congress. First, it should be understood that we the people do not have a thorough understanding of what this reform would mean for us. And, really, how could we be expected to, considering that neither Congress or the President have much of an idea themselves? Obama recently admitted that he is “unfamiliar” with one of the bill’s key provisions, which would govern whether or not the public can keep their existing insurance. At the same time, members of Congress who even care to read the bill are just beginning to scratch the surface of the one thousand plus page document. The bottom line is that this is not something that should even be voted on, let alone passed, without Congress reading it and fully understanding it. If passed into law, this bill will transform the way in which we are able to receive medical care. That could be a good thing, or it could be a very bad thing. I’ll get into that more later. The second important point I want to make is this: the President and members of Congress will not be required to abide by this new law. Congress will pass it and Obama will sign it, but none of them will have to play by its rules. This is not good. In an effort to sum up my concerns, I ask you this: “How can we possibly have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people if those elected to create laws are not required to abide by them?

There is so much more to say about this health care reform, and more posts on the issue are sure to ensue. I assure you I’m not trying to write a book here, but allow me to briefly address some of the negative aspects of adopting a universal, single-payer health care system that perhaps you have yet to consider. Again, we do not yet know exactly how these provisions would govern our care. But, we do know some, and many of us recognize the overwhelming amount of power that would be granted to the federal government if we were to implement a traditional universal health care policy. Please understand, I believe every American citizen deserves and should have access to affordable, quality care. But the reality is that universal health care, or socialized health care, will not achieve this. In fact, it would be terribly ineffective. If we look to other parts of the world, we can already see what we would face if we were to adopt this system. In Canada, for example, citizens have no freedom of choice when it comes to receiving medical care. And, as a result of so many people seeking care from the same federally mandated clinics and hospitals, the system is overburdened and underfunded. What’s worse? The only way the government is able to keep spending to a minimum is by rationing the care. That is exactly what will happen here. A person in need of immediate surgery could end up having to wait months or longer. Ultimately, this system will give the federal government the power to decide what kind of care you get and if you'll get it in time. There is so much to consider, and I urge you to continue to listen to arguments from both sides. As you continue to learn more, consider this recent quote from Congressman Ron Paul, who is also a practicing physician of over thirty years: “Trust me, with managed care, and now with socialized medicine coming, quality will go down, costs will go up, there will be shortages, there will be lines, and nobody’s gonna be happy.” Lastly, if you support a government run health care system, I would very much like to know why. This is important, and we should all be talking about it.

The Memory Hole

Collecting hundreds of books and using an entire room to store them is a thing of the past...if you’re willing to shell out four hundred dollars. A couple of years ago, Amazon.com released the Kindle and revolutionized the way people buy and read books. The compact, lightweight device allows users to purchase books directly over a wireless network and store over one thousand titles that can be accessed with the push of a button. In considering convenience and the notion of never having to turn another page ever again, potential customers often ask themselves, “Why would I ever choose the real thing over this?” Well, the answer, or at least one of the answers, can be summed up like this: “As Amazon.com giveth, Amazon.com taketh away.” In a recent stunt that has caused a fair amount of outrage, Amazon.com recently remotely deleted some digital editions of both George Orwell’s “1984” and “Animal Farm” from the Kindle devices of readers who had bought them. In my opinion, the frustration and the outrage is justified. Not only did the company remove the files from their database, they took them away from people who had already purchased them. It is important to note that not even Amazon’s own terms of service agreement permits this. But even more importantly, one must recognize that in our ever increasing digital age, this is the equivalent of someone coming into your home, taking a book off the shelf, and leaving with it. Granted, Amazon.com claims to have refunded customers their money, but there is a much bigger issue at hand. The harsh reality that customers are facing is that they can no longer trust that all of their books, which they payed for, will be available to them tomorrow. Even worse is the fact that any and all annotations created by users for those works disappeared along with the rest of text. Justin Gawronski, a 17-year-old from the Detroit area, was a victim of this and explains that “they didn’t just take a book back, they stole [his] work.” While focusing on the broader issue of censorship, we must not allow ourselves to ignore the specific works that were deleted. In “1984”, government censors erase all traces of news articles embarrassing to Big Brother by sending them down an incineration chute called the “memory hole”. As our government grows more and more secretive, and breeds more and more opposition, it does not surprise me that a book warning us of the overwhelming force of government would be removed. If we value free speech and care to protect it, we must raise our voices and let it be known that this is unacceptable. If a whole lot of people don’t make a fuss now, they’ll have no reason to expect the masses to complain when government officials actually do enter our homes and start removing books from our shelves.

End the Fed!

Last night, my brothers and I went to In-N-Out for dinner. When we stepped into the restaurant, I suddenly remembered that I was wearing my “End the Fed” t-shirt. “Okay, that’s a good thing to have in mind”, I thought. “I should be ready for some nasty glares or even some voiced opposition.” After this internal dialogue, I said out loud, “Oh crap I forgot I was wearing this”, or something to that effect. In response, my brother Bryce asked me, “Why would that be a bad thing?” His question made me realize that I had failed to tell him about a recent experience I had at Walgreens in which an older man saw my shirt before giving me a nasty look. A real nasty look. The guy looked angry, and he even looked a little scared. To be honest, I was nearly convinced that he was about to hit me or tackle me. But, he didn’t, and I just walked on by, left to think about what had just happened. The story definitely surprised both of my brothers, but they were under the impression that my experience was rare. One of them said, “I doubt too many people are so pro-Fed that they would be offended by your shirt. I don’t think most people are walking around shouting, ‘Man I friggin love the Fed! Yea!’” I laughed at that and appreciated the point they were making. But the real reason for this post is to tell you about what happened next. We had ordered and were waiting for our food. In fact, I think the food had just arrived at the table, but I hadn’t touched it yet. As I sat there, thinking only about the Double-Double in front of me, I suddenly heard a voice behind me. “End the Fed!” I turned around, saw a man in his late 40s or early 50s, and replied, “What’s that?” And from there, the exchange went something like this:

Stranger: End the Fed!

Me: “Oh, yea, absolutely!

Stranger: Bunch of gangsters.

Me: That’s what I’m saying.

Stranger: Controlled by the Bank of England.

Me: That’s what I’m saying! I’ve gotten some nasty looks for wearing this.

And then, we came to the part of the conversation I remember the most. This is the part that is really sticking with me. After making my last comment, this guy looked me dead in the face and said, “The masses...they don’t know.” Without skipping a beat, I looked back at him and said, “No...they have no idea." At that point I turned around to take a bite out of my burger and, minutes later, I looked back and he was gone. For a second I actually started to question if the conversation had really taken place. But I quickly learned that Bryce had overheard small parts of it, and knew then that I had not imagined the very odd but pleasant encounter.