Thursday, July 7, 2011

A call to arms: Tyranny and Nullification

Mike Shaner
July 7, 2011


Most individuals understand that liberty is under assault in this country. The federal government, which was born by the will of the states, has grown into an over reaching authoritative monster.

Our local representatives are often even more intrusive than the federal masters they serve, or they are bribed or intimidated by the great Washington leviathan into obsolescence.

For instance, the state of Texas was set to pass a bill that would make it illegal for TSA agents to molest her citizens. This was a moral bill with overwhelming public support, However, the Dept. of justice, with help from Governor Rick Perry, stepped in and bullied the Texas legislature into submission.

It is a sorry day when state lawmakers fear Washington more than the wrath of their own constituents.

At the local level, politicians who are entrusted to protect the liberties of a community, blatantly abuse said trust, in order to do the heavy lifting of the federal government. Representatives who are not bought, are intimidated into compliance.

Property rights have become obsolete. Something even as personal as our own bodies seem to have become property of the state.

Government, at some level, provides everything from water to retirement. Even though private companies have proven they can deliver both at a much higher quality for a fraction of the costs. Does anyone even drink government water anymore?

They have convinced an entire society to celebrate the day, when we (or our children) turn 16, and are allowed to register ourselves, in order to request permission to drive our own car. Is this at all rational? Wouldn't a parent know better when to teach a child to drive and when that child is ready to do so?

State control has become so engrained in our society, that if one dare question it, he is immediately suspected of being anything from a kook to a terrorist.

The news is not all fire and brimstone though. People are starting to wake up. Liberty is an attractive, if (at first) somewhat frightening option.

A large portion of the population is weary from the burdensome chains of government. The movement grows stronger daily. The philosophy of individualism is spreading.

Government has the guns and the media. They are not interested in giving up the power and lifestyle they have become accustomed to. They will not give it up without a fight. I say let's give them a fight. This is a call to arms.

We are at or near critical mass. Revolution is imminent and winnable. When I say "a call to arms,"  I mean a call to action. A peaceful revolution is winnable.  A war of weapons with the largest most powerful military force in the world, is simply a losing fight.

Any violence from our side at all, will cost us dearly. The media would simply love to paint some violent nut job as a picture of the entire liberty movement. Violent action at this point would be the knell signifying the fate of liberty in America. No matter how frustrated one may become, he mustn’t resort to violence. This does not mean we sit idly on our hands.
  
Governments don't just grow into obnoxious monsters against the will of the people. They steal liberty because people passively allow it to happen. In our case it happened small bits at a time. They took little nibbles here and there. We were so fat and happy that we didn't even notice. So we have to take it back in much the same way.

One way to confront tyranny at the local level is to stay informed and to inform others. Write letters to your local newspaper, start a blog or contribute to an existing one. Talk to your neighbors. Attend council meetings and have a voice in the debate. These are interesting times and local voices of liberty are critical.

Local governments grow more intrusive by the day. Often this abuse is presented as some high minded moralistic sounding idea such as “saving the environment” or protecting local beauty, generally it serves to do nothing more than deteriorate private property rights.

These laws are generally accompanied by some cozy sounding name such as sustainable development, which is another term for the U.N.’s agenda 21, and most often, they pass!

Local citizens are generally oblivious to the fact that such proposals even exists, they sleep soundly, as the people who have been elected to represent their interest steal their property and raise their taxes.



Property intrusion is just one example of the atrocities committed by local governments against a benighted township. The tyranny will grow larger if local residents continue to grow distracted with the inefficiencies of the federal government, but if citizens stay informed of what is happening in their own communities and elect local representatives with the gumption to defend liberty and nullify immoral laws, the federal intrusions would be rendered inconsequential.

Another way to resist tyranny at the local level is jury nullification: Jury nullification occurs when a jury returns a verdict of "Not Guilty" regardless of it’s belief that the defendant did or didn’t do the act of which he has been accused.

Most Americans cringe at the sight of a notice to serve on a jury and look for ways to get out of it. However, this can be an excellent opportunity. When an individual is charged with a non-crime (an offense that does not trespass on the rights of nor cause injury to another human being) His fate is often in the hands of a jury of his peers.

Imagine a person charged with using drugs. He has neither harmed nor stolen from another. Is it sensible that he should be locked in a cage? Of course not! If liberty minded individuals sit on juries and consistently vote not guilty on such intrusive charges, soon the arrest will stop all together and such laws will become obsolete.



The basis upon how to judge such laws are simple: Is there a victim? If there is no victim, then there can be no crime. If no crime has been committed, vote not guilty. The power is in the hands of the juror. By shrieking from such opportunities, one could unwittingly, put the power in the hands of a tyrant.

I understand that defending liberty can be a time consuming venture. It is difficult when one has a job, family, and social life. It is much easier to complain for a moment and then read up on the latest celebrity gossip or last nights ball game, but passivity is no longer an option.

If you care about the liberty movement and are unwilling to devote the time to defend it, who will? Ignorance is the ally of tyranny. Silence is consent.



Related Articles:
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Also visit the Ron Paul Page








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