Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Just Say No

"But there is another group of Christians in the military that there is hope for. This group recognizes that the Iraq war is not a good idea. Some of them would go further and say that it is unconstitutional. Others would even say that the war is unjust. But still, they choose to fight. Why? There are, of course, a variety of reasons for this behavior. " Read More...

Much of the year I spent on "hiatus" was in fact spent dealing with the "demons" that haunt me so fiercely. My various deployments to Iraq have indeed scarred me in deeper and more profound ways that that I can possible understand or explain. I cannot put out of my mind that I have killed, with my own hands and by my own actions in an unjust war.

I remember the Vietnam war only vaguely. When the last plane with American Soldiers left that country I was but seven years old. When I grew older I came to view those that protested the war as something worse than the scum that grows on the bottom of a tarp one might use to cover a swimming pool during winter.

I remember when the American Embassy in Tehran was taken and the "Desert One" mission failed. I wanted to go even though I was still a boy.

In 1979 I asked my mother to let me stay out of school so that I could go and hear a speech by Ronald Reagan. I actually got close enough to shake his hand. I was completely sold on the idea of standing against the "Evil Empire" In 1985, while still a junior in High School, I joined the Army National Guard and went that summer before my senior year to basic training. The Marines would not let me join at that young age so I took what I could get. I graduated and headed off the The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. After that it was into the Marine Corps, a visit to Iraq, then Haiti.


In order for any of these excuses to soothe the conscience of the Christian
soldier, he must subscribe to what I have expressed elsewhere as state-sanctified
murder
. This is the ghastly belief that the commandment "Thou shalt not
kill" (Exodus 20:13) does not apply to killing anyone in any war as long as the
U.S. government says that he should be killed. With his conscience thus
assuaged, the Christian soldier thinks that he will not have to answer to God at
the judgment as to why he killed some nameless raghead who did not want him
occupying his country.

Interesting point, I do not believe that God will judge a man too harshly for making the mistake of going to an unjust war and doing what must be done to survive, at least not if the mistake is only made once. I do wonder what sort of answer is required of someone that makes the mistake more than once.

I cannot say what I want to say better than Vance:

I appeal now to all Christians in the military: Just say "no" when it comes to
killing for the state. To all parents: Just say "no" when it comes to
encouraging your children to join the military. To all pastors: Just say "no" to
glorifying the military in your sermon illustrations. To all church youth
directors: Just say "no" when your young people seek guidance regarding joining
the military. To all school counselors: Just say "no" when it comes to the
military option. To all young people: Just say "no" to the recruiters who entice
you with cash bonuses. To all veterans: Just say "no" when it comes to
recommending a career in the military. And to all voters: Just say "no" to
politicians who start wars.

Wars fought in defence of one's home or in the justifiable defence of an innocent are one thing. Wars of aggression based upon lies and deception; there is no justice, honor or morality in that.



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Saturday, July 22, 2006

War of Secession in Iraq

"In Iraq, the Iraqis fighting against us in Baghdad used to be insurgents, fighting an army of occupation. More and more, it looks like they're fighting in a civil war, faction against internal faction. This is not an improvement, particularly when your troops are caught in the middle. It's distinctly possible that we'll eventually see a war of secession, as Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis draw borders in the sand and ethnically cleanse their respective bailiwicks." Read More...

Not anything different than I talked about so forcefully two years ago.


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Thursday, July 20, 2006

New Hampshire Too

"This is to inform you of the launch of our website representing the New Hampshire Independence Movement. Click here for Republic of New Hampshire. We look forward to working with our neighbors in Vermont to establish true freedom in our lifetime"

Wake up Southerners!!!

SVR Launches The "Vermont Sovereignty Declaration" Ad Campaign! | Second Vermont Republic

"SVR Launches The 'Vermont Sovereignty Declaration' Ad Campaign!"

Why is Vermont leading the way while Southern States sit on their lazy behinds as the leviathan grows in power each day? Shame on us all!!

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

States' Rights Bloggers Alliance

I encourage all bloggers to read The Declaration of States' Rights and if you agree join the States' Rights Bloggers' Alliance. Political affiliation does not matter, you must simply agree on the principle of states' rights.


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Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Reading list

Here is a Partial List of Recommended Books that I would recommend to anyone in the Cause or interested in freedom and self determination.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Two Updates and some help please

I spent the weekend updating the code on Shouting From the Mountaintop. During my Hiatus things got a little messy.

I have also been busy reconstructing the American Secession Project. Arkie I am calling you out in public buddy. When you get back in the fight I need your help.

Matt, Lee, Larry, Joseph and any of you other good fellow out there I am calling you out too. Back in 2004 when The American Secession Project began NOBODY was talking about a collaboration of all the independence and secession groups in North America. Now the Middlebuy Institute is hosting the first National Conference this November that will bring together folks from Hawaii, Alaska, California, South Carolina, states from all over New England (to include Vermont of course), Christian Exodus and the League of the South. Major kudos to the Middlebury Institute for making this dream a reality.

There is still a work for the American Secession Project to complete. We must engage in the battle to make States' Rights, self-determination, and secession topics of polite conversation. These issues must enter the mainstream of political thought if we ever truly hope for freedom. Y'all give us some help with ASP!!

Dum Spiro Spero
El Cid

Thursday, July 06, 2006

America: Freedom to Fascism

Take a gander at this trailer. This very well may be the most important film of our time.


Saturday, July 01, 2006

The United States, America and The People revisted


It is again time for Americans of all ilks to place meat on grills celebrate the essence of being Americans. All patriotic occasions dedicated to the symbols of the United States cause me much anguish, it has been ever increasingly so for the last ten years.

I am not un-American, I am certainly not un-patriotic. I love my country, its people and the principles upon which it was built. I loathe the federal government and all that the United States has become. It is entirely possible to have it both ways. The United States government is merely the current executive agent exercising central power. My country and my countrymen are merely subjects to that entity. The flag in the past was meant to represent us, it is now used by them. Many of my countrymen fail to see any difference at all.

Liberty and freedom will not be restored on the North American continent by the under the three national governments. Mexico is a complete failure; Canada has progressed far down the road toward socialism and decay. The United States government long ago abandoned its principles, true direction, republican form of government and Constitution. It is now leading the way toward leviathan.

Being an American and celebrating the 4th of July ought to mean remembering those 13 colonies that each individually declared their independence from the crown and asserted their status as FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES. It is the spirit of those colonies and their people that we ought to celebrate. True nationhood and sovereignty cannot long live in large collectives. Union and collectivism is beneficial for trade and unity of effort toward common goals but such efforts ought never be confused with nationhood. We should look to our proper countries for a true restoration of liberty.

Citizens of Vermont, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Alaska, all of the Southland, Native American tribes and anyone else that desires to establish liberty in our time in their home take note. Celebrate the spirit of those brave citizens of thirteen free and independent states. Reflect on what they gained and what has been lost under the umbrella of Union. Liberty in our time will only come from the local level. Be a citizen of your home first, an American second and refuse to be a subject to the American Empire.

Two years ago on the occasion of the 4th of July I wrote a piece entitled The United States, America and The People. I believe those words still have relevance and have included parts here for this 4th of July.



First of all what is America? In terms of the common usage it is really a confused concept. It is in reality the embodiment of nation-groups of people with a shared history and a shared culture. To be certain within the American cultural group there are many very well defined subcultures; some of these are differentiated enough to qualify as full-blown cultures and people groups on their own. Within what we call Americans exist several bona fide countries. Some have existed in the community of nations as free and independent states. All retain their sovereignty no matter their current condition.

America is not a nation in terms of existing in one particular form of government. Many countries, even most countries, presuppose the current national government that represents them. As one example Russia, as a country, was represented by the Czar. During the revolution of 1917 Russians did not cease to be Russians and take on the mantle of Soviets. Russia was merely submerged for a time under the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union fell, Russians remained Russia; the notion of a country of Russian had never ceased to exist.

The people groups that comprise America have had many governments represent them. We were represented at the signing of the Declaration of Independence by thirteen sovereign and newly independent States. We were represented by a Confederated central government from 1781 until 1791. We did away with that government and created a new central government under the Constitution. No matter what form or name the central government has taken the underlying fact that America still exists, as a nation-group of people, has remained unchanged.

The notion of America predates that of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In fact we began as a people soon after colonization. Shared values, a common sense of purpose, the belief that man ought to be able to determine his own destiny with his own hands and the aid of God, these things bound us together early.What then of the People? We, those fortunate enough to have inherited the birthright that is the American ideal, comprise The People. In 1776, we acted through our sovereign states to demand independence for us and all of our off-spring. This was not the birth of the United States; it was simply the birth of freedom. It was the assertion of the inalienable rights of The People to establish for themselves the forms of government that best suited their needs and values.Americans, i.e. The People, enjoyed for almost eighty years the right and privilege under the Constitution the right to self-government on most matters through their State government. Prior to that, The People enjoyed this privilege to a great degree under the Articles of Confederation and earlier still to a surprising degree of profoundness under the Royal Charters proceeding independence. During the majority of over four-hundred years of American history The People have exercised and enjoyed great latitude in matters at the State level.

The United States is but the executive agent of the will of the people and the formal representation of America. It is neither The People nor America. It is a separate entity that was created to serve the needs of these two other entities. If the United States as a government were to be replaced by a different central government we would remain Americans. If the various States were to reassert their sovereignty and elect to discontinue their participation in the union we would remain Americans in much the same way that Europeans remain European no matter the form of various national governments or unions of states (i.e. European Union).The notion that The United States as an entity is irrevocably meshed with that of America or The People is a dangerous one and acceptance of this idea can and will invariably lead to tyranny. If The People cease to hold dear their right to establish their own form of government and if patriotism to America is so interwoven into patriotism to a government we have no hope of recourse.

Americans of all our various sub cultural groupings must come to agree that it is more important to be an American than it is a citizen of the United States. Better said, it is more important to be a citizen of your state than an citizen of the United States. Being Americans guarantees us the right to self-determination and perpetual freedom. It gaurantees us the right to retain our countries even if we choose to allow our free countried to enter into compacts with others (i.e. united states) Being Citizens of the United States guarantees us only preeminence in the world (for a time) while our true values and principles are eroded and stolen at home.

As you ponder the aftermath of this weekend's celebrations also consider the bold statement of freedom by The People and their States way back in 1776. Try to remember what being American really means. When you feel a surge of patriotism at the waving of the flag remember where that emotion and loyalty truly belongs.Our allegiance is to God, our families, our home, our country and then the government that represents us. So long as that government represents us well it is fit to stand. Whenever it may cease to serve its intended purpose it deserves neither our respect nor our loyalty. That is a very American point of view.


BTW, my old buddy IKANTSPEL recently wrote an excellent piece that drives home the point that the only way to fix what is wrong is the change the system entirely.

Douglas Wilson wrote a pretty amazing piece describing why and how things will fall for the United States government, reemphasising why it is important to place our loyalties with our true various countries.



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Twenty-Four Justifications for Our Cause

A Partial List of Grievances

First: In violation of the War Powers Clause of the Constitution(Article 1, Section 8), the President has colluded with the Congress to pass legislation that transfers to the President the power to apply the armed forces of the United States of America in hostilities in Iraq without a Congressional Declaration of War.

Second: In a hasty response to widespread fear and panic following 911, our elected representatives enacted the U.S.A. Patriot Act (with many having not read it), which by the plain language of the Act, violates and seizes a number of the unalienable rights of the People.

Third: Our government has relinquished direct control of the monetary system of this nation to a privately owned central bank and has transformed our money into nothing but limitless debt. And, a significant portion of the Federal Reserve stock is held by foreign entities.

Fourth: the U.S. Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service reneged on their July 2001 agreement to appear at a recorded, public forum to answer the Petition of The People, with its well documented legal charges, relating to the fraudulent origin and illegal operation of the federal income tax system. The United States government as the central government representing the American nation has failed us, The American People. The government itself has thus far been unwilling to seriously address our pleas for redress. It is unlikely that any serious effort will be forthcoming to address the justifications of our cause listed herein or the dozens of other righteous complaints we hold as the tenets of our cause.

Fifth: IRS tax codes relating to churches prevent pastors from speaking out from the pulpit on political matters. Our history is replete with the free exercise of speech from the pulpit. The current laws and regulations amount to nothing more than the denial of a basic human right to a segment of the population.

Sixth: The United States government has ignored the wise words of George Washington and has progressively engaged in foreign entanglements and wars.

Seventh: The United States government has failed to ensure the most basic of human liberty, that of life, to millions of unborn Americans. Furthermore the central government has denied the power of the various states to act on this basic matter of human liberty.

Eighth: The central government through overt and nefarious action has enacted (the 14th) and passed (16th and 17th) amendments to the Constitution that are contrary to the original intent of the compact of union and detrimental to the liberty of the People.

Ninth: The United States government has redefined for itself roles and functions outside the original intent and delegated powers included in the Constitution (ex. Department of Education, Social Security, Federal Police Power).

Tenth: The United States government continues to hold its own judgment of the righteousness, justness and constitutionality supreme above the cries of the States and the people.

Eleventh: The United States government continues to abandon the principles, values and traditions of America, her people and the various States.

Twelfth: The President has, without due process, suspended the constitutional rights of American citizens; detaining them without trail or without bringing charges.

Thirteenth: Taxation of working citizens amounts to nearly 40% of their income. Government takes from those that work without asking; and spends their money without explicit permission or fiscal responsibility.

Fourteenth: The IRS tax code makes guilty men of innocent taxpayers; forcing those accused to prove their innocence. This is contrary to basic American principles of justice that state the accused is innocent until proven guilty.

Fifteenth: Parents of school age children are not afforded real choice in the education of their children. They are instead forced to pay twice for choice; once through taxes and again through tuition to the school of their choice.

Sixteenth: The US government has taken unto itself through the dispensation of funds the management and leadership of our public education system. This is contrary to the powers specifically delegated to the central government and reserved to the States and People.

Seventeenth: Since taking over the primary responsibility for the education of our children the quality of the education provided has steadily deteriorated.

Eighteenth: The United States government has entered into numerous treaties and agreements that undermine the sovereignty and autonomy of the Nation.

Ninetieth: The United States government has abandoned the basic tenets of the American Republic and slowly but steadily replaced it with a social welfare state consisting of two classes; those that work and those that feed at the government trough.

Twentieth: The United States has further abandoned the Republican form of government by dictating the manner in which states elect senators and redefining the role of the individual citizen and their relationship to the central government.

Twenty-First: The United States government has failed in its responsibility to secure the nations borders. As a result many government programs and citizen tax money goes to support illegals.

Twenty-Second: The United States government has failed in the primary task of all good governments; that is to protect the people from evil. Our popular culture has transformed from that of a model for others to aspire to emulate to that of a pariah. Our children are exposed to every form of perversion and right minded Americans have their sensibilities offended at every turn. Instead of protecting the citizenry from this evil, the central government has endorsed an atmosphere that encourages the continued demise of our culture.

Twenty-Third: The sanctity of a man's home and the Fourth Amendment no longer hold any relevance, police may enter homes unreasonably and without even knocking.

Twenty-Fourth: The Executive Branch has assumed powers unto itself that exceed the intent of the Constituion, in effect establishing a Unitary Executive with the power to ignore laws the President deems as contrary to his powers. This novel theory of government makes the Legislative and Judicial branches unnecessary.

The Declaration of Independence listed twenty-eight justifications why the various colonies demanded their independence from Britain. They were demanding outright freedom. I have listed twenty-four valid and pressing justifications here. We are only asking for a restoration of our rights. I think the weight of our grievances is sufficient to justify our cause and this list is by no means exhaustive.

Dum Spiro Spero
El Cid

(originally posted 20 April 2005, list updated 01 July 2006)


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