Among the first of these was George Washington, Commander of the Continental Army and our 1^st president.  Had it not been for the courage and dedication to liberty of George Washington, The American Revolution might well have failed.  In his day he was considered one of America’s greatest patriot warriors.  Yet, George Washington was engaged in one of the most brutal and reprehensible practices of his day; the ownership of other human beings.  Slavery was openly practiced throughout the South and was considered an economic necessity.  While Washington did free his slave in his will, he spent his entire lifetime using them to advance his economic goals.  Even so, when the life of the young nation was in peril Washington rose to the occasion as a flawed patriot warrior.

Thomas Jefferson penned our Declaration of Independence.  Considered a genius in his own day, Jefferson, our 3^rd president, was admired as one of the founding fathers of America.  He is widely known for his dedication to freedom and liberty.  We hear many patriots today quoting the inspiring words of Thomas Jefferson.  The Jefferson monument in Washington, D.C. is one of the most impressive and most visited sites in our capital.  Yet, in recent years DNA testing has proven what was widely rumored during his live time.  For a number of years Jefferson carried out and adulterous relationship with a young slave girl named Sally Hemming.  She was forced to comply with his desires and as a result bore him several illegitimate children.  Even so, when the British Empire imposed impossible regulations on the colonies, Jefferson rose to become a flawed patriot warrior.

Benjamin Franklin was the only man to sign all four of our founding documents; the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Treaty of Tripoli.  He is also revered as one of our founding fathers.   Yet, because the lady he loved, Deborah Read had been married and never divorced the two entered into an adulterous common law relationship.   In addition, Franklin fathered an illegitimate son named William by a different woman.  Even during his lifetime, Franklin was noted for his wide spread philandering, both in America and abroad.  However, like Jefferson, the 71 year old Franklin took his stand along with the other flawed patriot warriors to found our nation of freedom.

In 1812 America was again attacked by the British Empire.  Several battles were lost, yet the decisive battle was the Battle of New Orleans.  In this battle Andrew Jackson teamed up with the notorious pirate, Jean Lafitte.  Jackson had moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1788 where he became acquainted Rachael Donelson Robards.  At the time, Rachel Robards was in an unhappy marriage with Captain Lewis Robards. The two were separated in 1790.   According to Jackson, he married Rachel after hearing that Robards had obtained a divorce. However, the divorce had never been completed, making Rachel’s marriage to Jackson technically bigamous and therefore invalid.  After the divorce was officially completed, Rachel and Jackson remarried in 1794.  To complicate matters further, evidence shows that Rachael had been living with Jackson and referred to herself as Mrs. Jackson long before the petition for divorce was even filed.  Jackson had the reputation of being a quarrelsome and vengeful man.  In 1806 Jackson shot and killed Charles Dickinson in a duel because he had written an article critical of Rachael.  Lafitte has been described as, “A man with a thousand vices and one virtue.”  Nevertheless, when our young nation was struggling for survival, he and Andrew Jackson stood together to defeat a far superior British army and preserved our nation and our freedom.  Once again two flawed patriot warriors rose up and stood together in a time of national crises.   In 1829 America chose Jackson as our 7^th president. 

Abraham Lincoln, our 16^th president, was revered as the man who preserved our nation during the bitter struggle known as the Civil War.  Rising from a backwoods lawyer, he rose to the highest position of power in America.  The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. is a shrine to his greatness.  What few know is that, both during his life, and even now, rumors persist that Lincoln may have had homosexual tendencies.  True or not, for most people perception is reality.  In addition, he was considered arrogant, dictatorial and divisive.  Yet at a time of America’s greatest internal crises, Lincoln rose to become a flawed patriot warrior.    

Franklin Roosevelt our 32^nd president successfully brought America through the Great Depression.  His leadership skills and political acumen comforted a nation during the most depressing of times.  Famous for his “Fireside Chats with the Nation,” he successfully let the allies through WWII, although he did not live to see the final victory.  Even so, Roosevelt was anything but a devoted husband.  When Eleanor discovered Franklin’s adulterous relationship with her personal secretary, Lucy Mercer, she gave Franklin an ultimatum: stop seeing Lucy or she would obtain a divorce. Roosevelt did not want to sacrifice his political career, so he promised never to see his mistress again.  However, Roosevelt continued to see Lucy over the years and was with her at the time of his death.  Nevertheless, when the very economic system of America was on life support and WWII was raging in Europe, Roosevelt stepped forward to lead the nation as a flawed patriot warrior.

Dwight Eisenhower was considered one of the greatest military minds of his generation.  As Supreme Allied Commander, Eisenhower led the allied forces to victory in WWII then returned home to become our 34^th president.  However, during his tour of duty in Europe, there is strong evidence that Eisenhower had an adulterous relationship with his driver, Kay Summersby.  Even so, no one can deny his military competence, his strong leadership skills and his love of America.  He was elected president in spite of the rumors of his infidelity.  Once again Americans opted for a flawed patriot warrior to lead America during the peacetime recovery.

John F. Kennedy our 35^th president was widely known for his various adulterous relationships.  His relationships with Hollywood starlets, including Marilyn Monroe, were the least kept secretes in Washington.  Yet his is considered to have been one of our better presidents. With regard to adultery, he was surpassed by our 42^nd president, Bill Clinton who’s various adulterous relationships, including charges of rape, did not prevent him from being elected and re-elected.  In both cases, the American public chose to overlook their flaws, and instead, opt for their leadership qualities.

Ronald Reagan, our 40^th president is arguably one of the best presidents to ever occupy the Oval Office.  He came at a time of great distress and high unemployment.  A great malaise had settled over our nation.  Many people believed America’s best days were in the past.  The Republican elite argued that Reagan had no business experience, was a right wing radical, a class B actor, and to divisive to ever unite the electorate and defeat Jimmy Carter.  Their candidate was George H.W. Bush, a Washington insider and acceptable as one of them.  Reagan ran on a platform of “Morning in America” and following his victory in the primaries, won a landslide victory over Jimmy Carter.  However, like so many others patriot warriors Reagan came with baggage.  He was a member of the Hollywood class and in 1948 his first wife, Jane Wyman, had divorced him.  He is the only US president to have been divorced and remarried.  Yet, in spite of his “baggage,” Ronald Reagan stands with the best of our flawed patriot warriors and is today considered one of our greatest presidents.

Today America stands at a crossroads.  It is for all practical purposes a repeat of 1980.  America is faced with a choice.  Once again the Republican elite have chosen their candidate.  Once again the people have chosen theirs.  We hear the same criticisms leveled at Newt Gingrich today as were leveled at Ronald Reagan in 1980.  Newt is no angel, but he is a fierce fighter, though flawed patriot warrior, who will represent the people.  The elite know this and want a “get along- go along Massachusetts Moderate” who will not upset their positions of power.  They fear Newt because they know he will.  So, will it be the candidate of the Washington elite or the flawed patriot warrior?  America’s choice will be reflected in Florida on January 31^st.
www.alandcalledamerica.com

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalien­able rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the gov­erned.”

When people are happy and satisfied, there is peace in the land.  But as dissatisfaction with their circumstances increase, so does the tendency to revolt.  Revolution does not begin in a day, but over an extended period of time.  Many people mistakenly believe that the American Revolution began in 1776.  The truth is that revolution must first take place in the minds of the people before a shooting revolution can ever began.  In that sense, the American Revolution actually began in 1760 when King George III, along with the British Parliament, began placing more and more restrictions on the American colonist.  All revolutions follow the same path.  Dissatisfaction becomes discord.  Discord becomes resolution.  Resolution, if not satisfied, becomes revolution. The American Revolution followed this same path over a period of fifteen years.

Today we stand in the shoes of our founding fathers.  They understood the source of their rights and, what is more, they understood that a nation is only as strong as the morality of the people.  Two great institutions, both ordained by God have been the strength of America and the bedrock on which our nation has prospered.  These two institutions are the traditional family and the church, specifically Christianity.  It is correct to say that this nation was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles.  Therein lay our strength and our greatness.  Those who would seek to destroy us understand that these two institutions must be destroyed before the breakdown of morality, essential to freedom, can be destroyed.  It is for this reason that we are seeing a concerted attack on traditional marriage and Christianity.

Coupled with this, and working in conjunction, is the growth of government and the increasing desire for more and more power.  This is exactly what we are witnessing today.  An unholy alliance is being formed between big government and big unions to set themselves up as being above the average people and dedicated to the growth of their power.  Unlimited power leads to tyranny.  We see mobs, representing a collection of minorities, seeking to impose their values on the people of America.  What these uneducated and misguided individuals fail to understand is that there is a limit to how far the American people can be pushed.  The Second American revolution began in the sixties with a dedicated minority demanding the right to practice evil without suffering the consequences.  Today they are an arm of the far left which controls the Democratic Party.  What they fail to understand is that Tyranny breeds resistance.  The American people have reached their limit as can easily be seen in the rise of the Tea Parties, and other like organizations, across the nation.

Yes, revolution is coming to America, but not an armed revolution, unless it is forced on We the People.  In 2012 we will go to the ballot box by the millions.  2010 was but a taste of things to come.  Party labels become meaningless when dealing with an overgrown and tyrannical government.  This government has forgotten the reason for its existence and the time has come to remind them, democrats and republications, that this is a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”  At times of great stress, great leaders emerge from among the people.  Ronald Reagan was such a leader in the mold of Washington and Lincoln.  Other fresh faces are gaining recognition fast.  Keep an eye on Allen West.  He fits the mold. Change is indeed coming, but not the change Obama and his minions envisioned.  Perhaps Jefferson put it best.

“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”

Washington elite; be fearful, be very fearful!

Congressman West,

“I, Allen Bernard West, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

Do you recognize those words?  Do you remember the day you raised your right hand and quoted them?  Does the pride you felt that day still burn in your heart, or is it a thing of the past?  Were you making a commitment, or just taking a job?  Is your commitment to the Constitution or the man in the Oval Office?  Back then there were no eagles on your shoulder, just a single silver bar.

It has been over fifty years since I raised my right hand and spoke those same words.  I am proud to be a veteran of the U. S. Military.  To this day I have never been relieved from the oath I took that day, and to my knowledge, neither have you.  I knew Ronald Reagan and worked for Ronald Reagan.  It has been my privilege to have lived under twelve presidents.  It is my opinion that Ronald Reagan was the best of the twelve.  You are the first man I have heard speak who I believe to be qualified to stand in the shoes of Ronald Reagan.

Since the day you took your oath of office you have more than proven yourself on the field of battle.  You were dismissed because of your loyalty to your men.  Your superiors may have disapproved of your tactics, but you won the hearts and gratitude of the American people.  The attitude you displayed in saving your men is the exact attitude we now need to save our country.

I know you feel a commitment to the people of Florida who elected you, and I can appreciate that.  However, what good will your commitment to the people of Florida do if there is no longer a United States of America?  Today we stand on the brink of destruction.  Not from forces gathering on foreign soils, but from the man in the White House and his minions in Congress.  They must be stopped in 2012.  You said, “I will walk through Hell carrying a gasoline can to save my men.”  Will you do the same to save your country?

The American people stand ready to rise up and reclaim our nation.  Not by military force, but by the force of the ballot box.  What we do not have is a leader in the mold of Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan.  You could be such a leader.  Experience is not essential to the presidency.  It was the “experienced politicians” who got us into this mess.  We need a warrior with a fresh face to lead us out.  You can best serve the people of Florida by preserving their, and our, nation. 

When duty called 22 years ago you answered the call.  Will you answer the call of the sons and daughters of America today?  I am enclosing an article I wrote about you on my web site, “A Land Called America.”  You have the three qualifications I believe made Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan great presidents.  I implore you to put those qualifications to work for the people of America.  Please provide us with your leadership.

An old patriot who loves his country,

He has, since the defeat his party suffered in 2010, attempted to portray himself as a Christian and a main stream moderate.  He is neither.  His belief in the stupidity of the American people is unbelievable.  Does he really think we can be duped into forgetting the first two years of his presidency and reward his treachery with another four years?  Obama must be replaced at all cost or we may well see tyranny or even blood in the streets of America.  The only campaign promise he has kept is to “Fundamentally change the United States of America.”  The United States of America was just fine as it was.  We have existed for two hundred and thirty-four years as a Constitutional Republic.  Thousands of men and women have bled and died to defend the Constitution which has enabled us to become the greatest nation in the history of the world.  George Washington said “Americans will die on their feet, before they will live on their knees.”  This is fact that Obama does not understand, but he will after 2012.

The question naturally arises, “Who is the best man to lead our nation back to greatness?”  That man is not to be found among the entrenched Elite in Washington, D. C.  We sent 87 new congressmen and women along with seven new Senators to Washington in the last election.  Yet the entrenched political parties are putting forth the same tired old politicians as best able to represent us.  They are, in fact, recommending the exact people who put us in this deplorable situation to begin with.  What America needs, and Americans want, is a new face to lead this country.  I firmly believe Col. Allen West is that person.  The only criticism I have heard of him is that he needs more experience.  It is those with experience who are responsible for the mess America is in today.  A president doesn’t need experience, especially the type Washington provides.  As simple as it may seem, there are only three things a man or woman needs to be successful as President of the United States.

The first is core values; love of God, love of family, and love of country.  This may seem trite, but take a further look at what this provides.  Core values provide a person with a strong moral compass.  They do not need to be an expert in an area to understand that some things are inherently right and some things are inherently wrong.  Core values provide direction when a person is faced with a difficult decision.  Core values are established by having a knowledge of the Bible and the great concepts it contains.  Before someone starts screaming “separation of church and state,” let’s take a look at our Declaration of Independence.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

The founders of this great country believed that our rights come from God, and the only legitimate role of government is the protection of those rights.  A strong set of core beliefs will provide a leader with that understanding and the moral compass that comes with it.

The second requirement for a successful president is a strong sense of obligation to the men and women of America.  In any situation a successful president will ask, “What is best for the people of America?”  Allen West has already proved himself in that area in no uncertain terms. 

A terrorist was captured in Iraq who had information concerning an emanate attack on Col. West unit.  When he refused to provide the information needed Col. West pulled his service revolver and fired a shot past the man’s ear.  The terrorist immediately told Col. West all he needed to know to protect his troops.  When chastised by his superiors for his actions he answered, “I would walk through Hell with a gasoline can if it was necessary to protect my men.”  That is the attitude of a great leader.  That is the attitude we need in the man or woman who would lead this nation.  Again, look at our Declaration of Independence.

“And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

This concept was well understood by the men who founded this “land of freedom,” as well as the thousands who have bled and died defending it.  It is the difference between a great leader and a poor one.  It is a concept totally foreign to Obama’s thinking.  Any man or woman who would aspire to sit in the Oval Office without the firm belief that he or she is a servant of “We the People” is not worthy of the title.

The third and final requirement is that of the ability to know and accept one’s limitations.  There is no man or woman alive with the ability to be an expert in every field.  Great leaders surround themselves with great people.  They seek out the best and brightest in every field, then listen to their advice.  A president with a great team will be a great president.  Given the best advice in any situation will enable the president to weigh the advice, look to his moral compass for guidance, then make the right decision.  We often look at humility as a weakness, when it is in fact our greatest strength.  The most humble man to ever walk this earth was Jesus Christ.  The most powerful man to walk this earth was Jesus Christ.  The best definition of humility I am aware of is “putting the needs of others ahead of our wants.”  This is what Jesus came to do, and did.  He is the role model every president should look to.

The “fresh face” who can rise up to lead his people and his land back to greatness is Col. Allen West. 

The Tories were those who support King George III and British rule of the colonies.  They were comprised primarily of government officials and those who supported them.  During the war for independence they either returned to England or sided with the British against the Patriots.  Many became spies for the British.  Their objective was to keep the Patriots from gaining independence.  Should the Patriots be successful, the Tories would lose their elite status and lucrative positions with the British government who ruled the colonies.

The Patriots were those who fought and won the war for independence.  They authored the Declaration of Independence and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in defense of it.  The British immediately placed a price on the head of the leaders of the “rebellion” and sought to capture, and imprison or kill, them.  The signers of the Declaration of Independence were declared to be enemies of the state.  They are referred to as our Founding Fathers.

Patrick Henry summed up the position of the Patriots when he said,

“We have petitioned – we have remonstrated – we have supplicated – we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, we may indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free – if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending – if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon, until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained – we must fight! – I repeat, sir, we must fight!… Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we are base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat, but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged. Their clanking may heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable – and let it come! I repeat, sir, let it come!”

George Washington summed up Henry’s eloquent words with one simple statement:

“Americans will die on their feet, before they will live on their knees.”

There is a scene in the movie shown today at the visitors center at colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.  A Patriot is talking to a friend who is a Tory.  The Tory says, “I am sailing on the next ship for England.  I’m going home John, what about you?”  The Patriot replies, “I am home.”   This is our land, the land of our fathers, the land which has been bought and paid for with the blood of thousands of Patriots.  It is our home and will be the home of our children and grandchildren for generations to come.  What kind of land will it be?  

Our founders had three options; the soap box, the jury box, and the cartridge box. They tried the first, were rejected by the second, and forced to resort to the third. They have left for us a fourth option; the ballot box. Our choice is clear. Our duty is plain. Our course is obvious. If our nation is to survive we must rid ourselves of all in Washington, both Republican and Democrat, who would destroy our Constitution, deny our God, and take away our freedoms, and replace them with men and women who will protect and preserve the attributes which have made our nation great.

Today we stand in the shoes of our Founding Fathers. The winds blowing from Washington smell of evil, corruption, and tyranny. We, like them, are faced with a government seeking to take away our cherished freedoms and God giv­en rights. We, like them, have little representation in the halls of government. The hallowed halls of congress, once walked by statesmen dedicated to serv­ing the interests of the people, are now mainly occupied by power hungry politicians who only hear the voices of the special interests who purchase them. No longer listening to the will of the people, they walk in lockstep with congres­sional leaders to do the bidding of Obama, their great proponent of socialism.

Today, there are once again three types of Americans; the Elite, the Patriots, and the indifferent.  Just as with our Founding Fathers, each group represents about one-third of the population.  

         The Elite are basically those entrenched in government jobs.  They support big government and big government programs from which they will personally benefit.  They are both Republicans and Democrats.  With a few exceptions, the letter behind their name means little.  Their only desire is power over the rest of Americans.  In addition to government, they can be found in the mainstream media and Hollywood. They are best referred to as progressives (liberals) and believe America must be changed from the America of our founders to the America they envision.  They are led by their great proponent of socialism, Barack Obama.   Support of this group is also found among proponents of the Gay agenda, amnesty, big unions, and those who would destroy Christianity and the traditional family.  Their primary objective is to keep the Patriots from gaining control of government.

Today’s Patriots are basically Constitutional conservatives, members of the Tea Party and those sympatric to their cause.  They are primarily interested in reducing the size of government, reigning in out of control spending, and lowering taxes.  They have arisen as a result of the socialist policies espoused by the Elite.  They are not by any means an organized, top down, driven movement as has been claimed.  To the contrary, most are unpaid volunteers who think the country is heading in the wrong direction and are fearful for the lives their children and grandchildren will be forced to lead.  Like the Founding Fathers, they possess a great love of country, love of freedom, love of God, and love of family.  They are no longer willing to remain silent.  They have been ridiculed and laughed at by the Elite.  However, after November 2, 2010, the Elite are no longer laughing.  Instead, they have put the Patriots the crosshairs of big government and the liberal left.  If the Patriots should win, the Elite will lose their favored positions in government, along with their outlandish fringe benefits.

Those of us who consider ourselves to be a part of this great grass roots movement have a huge fight ahead of us for the heart and soul of America.  For the sake of our children and grandchildren, it is a fight we must not lose, a fight we cannot lose, and with God’s help, a fight we will not lose.   From the day the first pilgrim set foot on these shores America has been a nation protected by the providential hand of God. That protection has been recognized and cherished by those whose lives have written the history of America. Ev­ery monument, every writing, every speech of our Founding fathers, echoes this nation’s reverence toward God. Our reverence for God and our love of freedom cannot be separated. It is impossible to view the history of America, and the freedom we enjoy, without acknowledging the providential care of God. This is the bedrock upon which this nation was built. Therefore, our choice is clear. Our duty is plain. Our course is obvious. If our nation is to survive we must rid ourselves of all in Washington, both Republican and Democrat, who would destroy our Constitution, deny our God, and take away our freedoms, replacing them with men and women who will protect and preserve the attributes which have made our nation great. 

We can no longer allow the Elite to solicit our money, select our candidates, and instruct us in voting.  There are very few entrenched Republicans or Democrats who respect either the Constitution or the will of the people.  They seek only to replicate themselves.  For that reason, they must be replaced in 2012.  In 1937 Supreme Court justice

George Sutherland made the profound and prophetic statement,

“The saddest epitaph, which can be carved in memory of a vanished liberty, is that it was lost because its possessors failed to stretch forth a saving hand while yet there was time”

Yes, the time has come.  As Ronald Reagan said,

“We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of dark­ness.”

Money is considered to be the mother’s milk of politics and for good reason.  Money buys the advertising and name recognition necessary to be elected.  Although Patriots may contribute millions, much of the money never reaches the candidates for which it was intended.  It is siphoned off to cover operating cost of organizations claiming to support a particular candidate or agenda.  We patriots must not allow our money to be wasted in these ways.  A few rules of engagement can put an end to business as usual in the election process.

1.        Choose our own candidates.  There is no use for Congressional campaign committees.  These “committees” only serve to perpetuate themselves.  They want to choose the candidates then instruct us how to vote.  They will give any money they receive to their candidates of their choice, not ours.  The only money they have is that contributed by the people.  Dry up their source of their funds and we eliminate their influence and effectiveness.

2.       Send our money directly to the candidates of our choice.  There is no reason to pay the expenses of various groups claiming to represent us in the electoral process.  This includes Tea Party groups with large operating expenses.  One Tea Party leader, who has gained national attention, made the statement, “I can make a million dollars off this movement.”  There is no place for such individuals and organizations in a grass roots movement.

3.       Ignore the recommendations of the main stream media.  They have their own agenda.  They will often build up and recommend the opponent they consider the easiest to defeat.  They cannot be trusted and their influence in elections must be ignored.  Listen only to the candidate and check out his or her background and/or voting record.  If they pass Constitutional and conservative muster, then support them with money and volunteer efforts.  Then let them know that “We the People” will be watching.

4.       Vote.  The key to every election is turnout.  Only about 60% of the nation will exercise their right to vote.  If 100% of the Patriots show up at the polling places we can remove the garbage and restore our nation.  It is not enough to just claim the title of Patriot.  We must walk the walk as well.

Like our founders, we must pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to the preservation of our freedom.  They lit the Torch of Liberty and passed it through the generations to us. Today we carry that torch. We must not allow it to be extinguished, or the liberty it represents to be forfeited.   

“Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty.”—Thomas Jefferson

Yes Patriots, the time has come.

www.alandcalledamerica.com

Tennessee is a great state which has sent some outstanding statesmen to Washington.  Unfortunately, the two of you are not among them.  You have proven yourself to have the spine of a jelly fish, the mouth of an alligator, and the brain of a mocking bird.  However, mistakes can be rectified and in 2012 and 2014 “We the People” will rectify our mistakes.  The winners of the Republican primaries will go on to become our next Senators in the general elections; elections which the two of you will watch from the sidelines.

As I write this your master, Barack Obama, is on TV crowing about his’ successes in the 111th lame duck congress; successes which the two of you made possible.  In the lame duck session of the 111th Congress you offered yourselves to the highest bidder.  What did you receive in return for selling out your constituents, your state, and your nation?  While elected to represent the people of Tennessee, you have been nothing more than lap dogs for Harry Reid and Barack Obama, thereby condemning yourself to the political grave yard.  You will be removed by “We the People,” one in 2012 and the other in 2014.  Each of you will have a conservative primary opponent, and you will be defeated.  You were warned and chose to ignore our warning.  The time has long since passed when “We the People” are willing to have our future and the future of our children and grandchildren jeopardized by sleazy politicians.

1.        Your vote on START has jeopardized our national security.  You chose to ignore the advice of some of the best military minds in the country, as well as your own constituents, by bowing down to Harry Reid and Obama.

2.       While purporting to be Christians, you have thumbed your nose at God, and jeopardized our soldiers, by allowing DADT, which He has called an abomination to come to a vote.

3.       You have placed a financial burden, which can only be described as obscene, on the backs of our children and grandchildren for generations to come.

4.       You have ignored the will of your constituents which was made well known by letters, telephone calls, faxes, and e-mails, as well as the elections of 2010.

5.       Tennessee is a conservative state and we WILL have conservative representation in the Senate as soon as the two of you are retired.

You are a disgrace to yourselves as well as the state of Tennessee.  Our nation was built by great statesmen.  We will not have it destroyed by Obama and his ship of fools.  Don’t make the mistake of believing your actions will be forgotten over the next few years.  Having worked so hard to achieve a 13% approval rating, while carrying out the wishes of Reid and Obama, you are both obviously tired and in desperate need of rest and relaxation.  “We the People” of Tennessee will see to it that you both are rewarded with well deserved extended vacations.  

Wayne D. Leeper
Lebanon, Tennessee
www.alandcalledamerica.com

Admiral Michael Mullen

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

9999 Joint Staff Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20318-9999

“I, Michael Mullen, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.” 

Do you recognize those words?  Do you remember the day you raised your right hand and quoted them?  Does the pride you felt that day still burn in your heart, or is it a thing of the past?  Were you making a commitment, or just taking a job?  Is your commitment to the Constitution or the man in the Oval Office?  Back then there were no stars on your shoulder, just a single silver bar.  Nor was there any gold braid on your cap.   Has age and rank diminished the commitment you made so long ago?  Has time behind a desk changed your definition of service, or your allegiance to the people?  I too took an oath when I joined the military fifty-two years ago.  Like you, I have aged.  I walk a little slower these days and my eye-sight and hearing are not what they once were.  Yet, I remember that day, and take pride in the oath I took, the service I performed, and the Constitution I swore to defend.  I feel no less need to defend it today than I did then.

Our nation is facing the greatest challenge to its independence and freedom since our founding fathers penned the Declaration of Independence.  Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, and Iran do not pose the greatest threats to “the land of the free and home of the brave.”  The man sitting in the Oval Office poses a much greater danger to this nation than any enemy assembling on foreign shores.  To support his socialist agenda he has bypassed Congress and surrounded himself with avowed communist and socialist czars.  Together they, along with their minions in Congress, have trashed our Constitution, the Constitution you took an oath to protect.  You swore to “defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

Where are you?

Illegal aliens have flooded across our borders with the blessings of the man in the Oval Office who would give them citizenship to obtain their vote.  They have overloaded our schools, our medical facilities, and our social system.  They are responsible for a far greater percentage of crime than their numbers would warrant.  They have place an unsustainable cost on our states and forced some state governments to the point of bankruptcy.  In the process Obama has turned his back on our friends and appeased our enemies.  The graves of our young men in foreign lands attest to the valor of the American soldier, and the value we place on freedom; ours as well as that of others.  I deny there is any reason to apologize for America.

Where are you?

Foreign insurgents have invaded our nation and taken over parts of Arizona.  They do this unhindered.  When the Governor of that state sought to defend its citizens, she was blocked by the man sitting in the Oval Office.  Instead of defending our nation, signs have been put up warning our citizens to avoid certain areas. Foreign nationals freely ply their drug trade in sanctuary areas on American soil.  With the consent of the man in the Oval Office, they shoot and kill private citizens, as well as members of our border patrol, without fear of reprisal.

Where are you?

A Congressional majority has passed laws that are not only unconstitutional, but are bankrupting our nation.  They have openly trashed our Constitution, and laughed at those of us who would seek to defend it.  They have passed laws detrimental to our national welfare and moved our nation toward socialism, totally disregarding the will of the people they claim to represent.  They try to make a mockery of anyone who would remind them of the Constitution and its limitations on the powers of the federal government.  States rights and citizen rights are being crushed under the tyrannical boot of the federal government.

Where are you?

Two hundred and thirty-four years ago our nation faced similar problems.  King George III placed unbearable burdens on the colonist.  Our founders, patriots all, refused to remain silent.  George Washington commanded an army of 25,000 at its highest point.  With that army he faced the strongest military power of his day.  He led by example.  When his army spent the winter at Valley Forge he was there with them.  The British generals spent their winter in the comfort of their headquarters.  Washington understood his duty, and with a rag-tag army of volunteers saved a nation.  You command the greatest and best trained military power in the history of the world.  Once again unbearable burdens are being placed on the people, and our land is being invaded. 

Where are you?

Today we stand in the shoes of our founding fathers. The winds blowing from Washington smell of evil, corruption, and tyranny.  We, like them, are faced with a government seeking to take away our cherished freedoms and God giv­en rights.  We, like them, have no representation in the halls of government.  The hallowed halls of congress, once walked by statesmen dedicated to serv­ing the interests of the people, are now occupied by power hungry politicians who only hear the voices of the special interests who purchased them.  No longer listening to the will of the people, they walk in lockstep with congres­sional leaders to do the bidding of Obama, their great proponent of socialism.

Where are you?

Obama has stated that if he loses control of congress, he will govern by Presidential Directive.  A one man government is better defined as a dictatorship and tyranny.

Where are you?

Today, America is facing the greatest threat to our national existence since our founding fathers “ordained and established” this land of freedom.  “We the People” have one question.

Where are you?

Respectfully,

Wayne D. Leeper

www.alandcalledamerica.com

“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.”
-Thomas Jefferson

Fourteen years later, another ship arrived off the shores of America. Originally bound for Virginia, it was blown off course by a storm and landed instead off Cape Cod. It was named the Mayflower and carried 120 “pilgrims” to the New World. The ship arrived on November 21, 1620 but the passengers decided to remain on the ship through the winter. On March 21, 1621 the first pilgrims stepped ashore at Plymouth Rock.

What brought those people here? Why would they leave the security of Eng­land and the families they loved to sail 3,000 miles on small ships with noth­ing to eat for weeks except salt pork? Many did not survive the voyage while others died soon after arriving. They arrived in a wilderness with little except a few tools and the clothes they were able to bring.

Some were very religious while others were reprobates. Some came seeking riches while others came to escape from the authorities. Some brought large sums of money while others signed on as indentured servants just to cover the cost of their passage. So what was their reason? Was it religion, potential wealth, a sense of adventure, or refuge from the authorities? The answer is, all of the above.

Yet there was something else. Something often described as, “better felt than spoken.” It was a yearning that lives deep in the soul of every human; a burn­ing desire that cannot be quenched. All have felt it, many have proclaimed it, and some have fought and died for it.  It began at the dawn of time and survives even as I type this article. It can be boiled down to a single word. A word which can make the heart beat faster and bring a lump to the throat. The word is FREEDOM!  They risk all to gain it, and one hundred and forty-six years later their descendents pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to defend and preserve it.

Through hard work, and a reliance on divine providence, they carved a nation out of the wilderness.  By the eighteenth century this “land of freedom” which they created had grown thirteen colonies.  In 1754 war broke out in America between the British and colonist on one side, and the French, aided by some Indians, on the other.  Known as the French and Indian War in America, it was but a portion of the Hundred Year War between France and Great Briton.  On October 25, 1760 George William Fredrick was anointed King George III of England.  Victory in the French and Indian War was costly for the British. At the war’s conclusion in 1763, King George III and his government looked to taxing the American colonies as a way of recouping their war costs. They were also looking for ways to reestablish control over the colonial governments that had become increasingly independent while the Crown was distracted by the war. Royal ineptitude compounded the problem. A series of actions including the Stamp Act (1765), the Townsend Acts (1767) and the Boston Massacre (1770) agitated the colonists, straining relations with the mother country. But it was the Crown’s attempt to tax tea that spurred the colonists to action and laid the groundwork for the American Revolution.

The Boston Tea Party, was carried out on the night of December 16, 1773.  The Boston chapter of the Sons of Liberty, dressed as Indians, boarded three British ships in Boston Harbor and threw the cargos of tea overboard. The crisis escalated and, with “The shot heard round the world,” the American Revolutionary War began at Concord, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775. Six years later on October 19, 1781 General Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington at Yorktown, Va.  Although the war would last another year, the British defeat at Yorktown, for all practical purposes, ended the American Revolutionary War.

Six years later, on September 17, 1787 the Constitution for the United States of America was signed into law.  Its preamble made it one of the most unique documents ever drawn up for governing mankind. 

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”   

Committing on the Constitution, Daniel Webster warned,

“Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world.”

For two hundred and twenty years America headed the warning given by Daniel Webster.  However, on January 21, 2009, Barak Hussian Obama was inaugurated as the 44^th President of the United States.  Aided by a Democratic Congress, He immediately set out to “fundamentally transform” the United States of America from a Constitutional Republic to a Socialist state.  America was suddenly faced with the greatest threat to our national sovereignty since the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Our founders had three options; the soap box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.  They tried the first, were rejected by the second, and forced to resort to the third.  They have left for us a fourth option; the ballot box. 

Our choice is clear.  Our duty is plain. Our course is obvious.  If our nation is to survive we must rid ourselves of all in Washington, both Republican and Democrat, who would destroy this great nation, and replace them with men and women who will protect and preserve it.  On Nov. 2^nd  every true patriot must make their vote count.

We have held Tea Parties throughout the land, attended Town Halls, and made our voices heard from sea to shinning sea.  All to no avail.  The time has come to end the talking, and fight the war, just as our founding fathers did in 1776.  Today we stand in their shoes.  The winds blowing from Washington smell of evil, corruption, and tyranny.  We, like them, are faced with a government seeking to take away our cherished freedoms and God given rights.  We, like them, have no representation in the halls of government. The hallowed halls of congress, once walked by statesmen dedicated to serving the interest of the people, are now occupied by power hungry politicians who only hear the voices of the special interest who purchased them.  No longer listening to the will of the people, they walk in lockstep with their congressional leaders to do the bidding of Barak Obama, their great proponent of socialism. 

The time for talk has ended and the time for action has arrived.  “We the People” must take back our country, and restore our Constitution on November 2^nd , or condemn our children and grandchildren to live forever under a socialist system.  Ronald Reagan, the last of our great Presidents, laid it out as well as anyone can.  His words, echoing through the ages, are even truer today than when he spoke them forty-six years ago.

“This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves…

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”

Obama is the best thing that has happened to America in many years.  He has shown us the face of evil and of socialism.  He has drawn our attention to what is going on in Washington, and We the People have had all we are going to take.  We are going to take back our country, and guess what?  There is nothing you, or anyone else in Washington, can do about it. 

You think We the People will vote based on the letter behind a candidates name, and that you can choose that candidate.  Those days are history, and most of you are history too!  You have allowed bills to pass that were detrimental to our country, which you could have filibustered.  You have allowed far left Justices to be appointed to the Supreme Court whom you could have filibustered.  Yes, you have chosen to represent the elite in Washington rather than the people who sent you there.  You are a disgrace to America and to our founding principles.

Within minutes of her win in Delaware you announced that you would withhold support from Christine O’Donnell.  Big mistake!  Our fellow patriots in Delaware have selected their candidate.  What makes you think you have anything to say about it, or that you are her only source of support?  Don’t be surprised when your contributions begin to dry up.  You may be able to control a few fat cats, but we number over a hundred million.  If you will not support our candidates, we will support them ourselves rather than supporting your committee.  Beginning now, our money will go directly to the candidates of our choice.  You can no longer be trusted.

You need to read the Constitution as modified by the 17^th Amendment.  We the People have the constitutional right to elect whomever we see fit.  There is no requirement that our contributions be filtered through committees, pacts, or any other organizations.  Nor is there any requirement that we support the candidate of your choice.  You have ignored the Constitution long enough.  We the People intend to enforce it!  In the future every one of you will be judged by your actions and by your vote.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is just about Christine O’Donnell.  It’s about you and your arrogance.  It’s the height of stupidity to believe you can pick and choose who you want in congress, then ram that person down our throats.  Those of you who hold that attitude will soon find yourselves on the outside looking in.

Nancy Pelosi proved unwilling to drain the swamp, so it is necessary for We the People to drain it ourselves. We will be watching closely between now and 2012 to determine which additional swamp rats need to be eliminated.  Those remaining after 2012 will be eliminated in 2014.  Get ready for a new day and a new era.  We are taking back our country and those who refuse to stand with us will be history.  This nation was founded by statesmen.  We don’t intend to have it run by sleazy politicians.

We will not make the mistake of creating a third party.  We will take over the Republican Party and return it to its roots.  You have no source of funds, or votes, except from We the People.  If you refused to support our candidates you will find yourself without funds to support any candidate. 

Oh, and have a nice day.

But before writing us off completely, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration.  In school we studied English, history, math, and science which enabled us to lead America into the technological age.  Most of us remember what outhouses were, many of us with firsthand experience.  We remember the days of telephone party-lines, ten cent gasoline, and milk and ice being delivered to our homes. For those of you who don’t know what an icebox is, today they are electric and referred to as refrigerators.  A few even remember when cars were started with a crank.  Yes, we lived those days. 

We are probably considered old fashioned and out-dated by many.  But there are a few things you need to remember before completely writing us off.  We won World War II and fought in Korea and Viet Nam.  We can quote the pledge of allegiance, and know where to place our hand while doing so.  We wore the uniform of our country with pride and lost many friends on the battlefield.  We didn’t fight for the Socialist States of America, we fought for the “land of the free and home of the brave.”  We wore different uniforms but carried the same flag.  We know the words to the Star Spangle Banner, America, and America the Beautiful by heart, and you may even see some tears running down our cheeks as we sing.  We have lived what many of you have only read about in history books and we feel no obligation to apologize to anyone for America. 

Yes, we are old and slow these days but rest assured, we have at least one good fight left in us.  We have loved this country, fought for it, and died for it, and now we are going to save it.  It is our country and nobody is going to take it away from us. We took oaths to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that is an oath we plan to keep.  There are those who want to destroy this land we love but, like our founders, there is no way we are going to remain silent.  It was the young people of this nation who elected Obama and the Democratic congress.  You fell for the “Hope and change” which in reality was nothing but “Hype and lies.”  You have tasted socialism and seen evil face to face, and have found you don’t like it after all.

You make a lot of noise but most are all too interested in their careers and “Climbing the social ladder” to be involved in such mundane things as patriotism and voting.  It appears that we care more about our grandchildren than some care about their children.  Many of those who fell for the “great lie” in 2008 are now having buyer’s remorse.  With all the education we gave you, you didn’t have sense enough to see through the lies and instead drank the kool-aid.  Now you’re paying the price and complaining about it.  No jobs, lost mortgages, higher taxes, and less freedom.  This is what you voted for and this is what you got.  We entrusted you with the Torch of Liberty and you traded it for a paycheck and a fancy house.

Well, don’t worry youngsters, the Grey Haired Brigade is here, and in two months we are going to take back our nation.  We may drive a little slower than you would like but we get where we’re going, and in November we’re going to the polls by the millions.  This land does not belong to the Muslim in the White House or to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.  It belongs to We the People, and We the People plan to reclaim our land and our freedom.  We hope this time you will do a better job of preserving it and passing it along to our grandchildren.  

So the next time you have the chance to say the Pledge of Allegiance, stand up, put your hand over your heart, honor our country, and thank God for the old geezers of the Grey-Haired Brigade.

“The silver haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness.  Proverbs 16:31