Liberty Lovers Can Make a Difference

To my Libertarian, Tea Party, 912, We Surround Them, WeByFor and other affiliated and like-minded friends and Patriots:




Let me begin by acknowledging that is has been twenty-eight (28) years since I last ran for public office. I haven’t been totally dormant during that time because I have managed or consulted for a statewide ballot petitioning issue, a Congressional race, three County Commission campaigns, a County Auditor’s contest and various and sundry legislative and local campaigns. In addition, my graduate work was in Political Communication while pursuing my advanced degrees within the Mass Communication discipline. In other words, I have been very involved with the electoral process for the past three decades and longer.



Many of you are engaged in the electoral process in a meaningful way for the very first time. Your energy, your passion and your commitment to good Constitutional government are commendable. There is, however, one area where I believe that your efforts are leading to a significant strategic error and a gross miscalculation. Your primary focus based on your rhetoric and efforts seems to be directed toward the national political scene. Granted, Washington is radically messed up, but I believe that your impact and your effectiveness should be targeted toward the state.



Because I live in Ohio, I will use the Buckeye state as an illustration of why I would re-direct my energies if I were you. In my humble opinion the efforts of liberty loving patriots should be directed towards state legislative races. Why? Twelve (12) active individuals can, through their efforts, make the difference in an Ohio House contest. A dozen committed workers can implement a true “feet on the ground” strategy that can overcome most funding inequities, work EVERY neighborhood and capitalize on every outreach opportunity within the district. It takes 50 House members to control the general Assembly, therefore with roughly six hundred (600) active, engaged and dedicated workers, we/you could exercise true power in the state capitol. Clearly, working with candidates who are welded to a nullification agenda is critical. The candidates MUST be strict Constitutionalists who will not waver. Because they represent smaller districts within the state and because Columbus is reasonably accessible, the people can hold “their feet to the fire.” You might counter by remarking that the legislators do not pay attention to their constituents now, so what would change? Well, the new members would owe their positions to you “new activists.”



Similar numbers would have the same impact in the Ohio Senate races. With 25-30 energized team members, a Senate district would be in play. Seventeen is the controlling number in the upper chamber of the Ohio General Assembly, so roughly 500 freedom warriors could change the course of Ohio’s history. Add the House and Senate districts together, and roughly 1100 dedicated, hard working people could transform Ohio’s and the Nation’s political landscape. The Nation’s? Of course, with an Ohio legislature committed to a Nullification Agenda….and if a few other states follow the same path, then 10 to 11 states who refuse to implement any unconstitutional garbage from the feds would cause federal Nannyism to screech to a halt. What response could we (the states, Ohio) expect from Big Brother? National Guard? Can’t do it because too many of our Guard are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan plus are your friends, neighbors, sons and daughters going to forcibly make you comply with illegal federal law? I don’t think so.



So, what about a statewide campaign (e.g. mine)? Won’t the nullification legislature be hamstrung by statewide officials who do not support their principles? Perhaps, but an effective, winning statewide campaign can be waged with 500-600 active workers, however a statewide nullification supporter can get by with fewer because of the carry-over from the legislative races. You might ask what about those critters who represent our state in Congress? First, I’m inherently suspicious of anyone who lusts to serve there, but they are generally quick to jump in front of a bandwagon when they see it coming. Let’s do the calculus: Twelve to 15 people in 50 house (a dozen or so neighbors, co-workers, churchmembers)districts, plus 25-30 people in 17 senate districts and 500 working for a statewide ticket can transform the political structure in Ohio. Ohio will have 16 Congressional seats for the next election cycle (2012). Fewer than 2,000 extremely active Patriots will be altering Ohio politics and governance for the better. If Ohio were to do a political “180,” isn’t it likely that at least 9 Members of Congress will jump on board. If we concentrate on Congress alone without placing Ohio at the hub of reform, then we will be sending people to that den of corruption with little support. They’ll be hours away by plane and surrounded by the culture that got us into this mess in the first place. Even if we can elect people with 100% Constitutional principles over 3 to 4 election cycles, by the time we have a full contingent of Patriots, the early victors would probably have begun the trail of compromise. Let’s begin the cleansing here.



So, Charlie, you might ask…what about the courts? What if they strike down all of our nullification efforts? My response is “so what?” An apocryphal story attributes this quote to Andrew Jackson referring to the Supreme Court: They have made their decision, now let them enforce it.” The courts have no police or military units. There is precedent in Ohio for ignoring state Supreme Court edicts---remember the school funding fiasco? OK, what about the Rule of Law that is so instrumental for maintaining a civil Republic? In the words of a five year old in the back seat of a car: They did it to me first. The Congress, the Executive, the Judicial branches on the Federal level plus all three branches of the state level have cavalierly ignored the supreme law of the land while stealing our liberty, our labor and our property.



The May 4th Primaries have come and gone. The results for the Champions of Liberty were rather meager. There were some small victories, but generally speaking, our clocks were cleaned. The diffused nature of our activities doomed us to come up short in the electoral lottery for liberty. So what vehicles do we have available now with the General Election a mere 5 months down the road? My suggestion would be to quickly vet the remaining candidates for the General Assembly and statewide office. If a third party candidate who has ballot access meets all the qualifications for Constitutional restoration and nullification, then we should coalesce around those candidates (obviously, I prefer the Libertarian alternatives). NO CANDIDATE WHO REPRESENTS ONE OF THE MAJOR PARTIES SHOULD RECEIVE OUR COORDINATED ACTIVE SUPPORT. Why? Well, if you haven’t learned from the Primary election that Kevin DeWine and those of his careerist ilk are not your friends, then you cannot seriously be considered a reformist. You could be mildly disturbed with the party apparatus, but you would be willing to give them the car keys again to drive you home from the party. I served in office as a Republican legislator in the ‘80’s. I have watched them become “D-lite” politicians who are more interested in their careers than they are with MY state. The only states that they appear to wholeheartedly support is the state of confusion…the state of economic collapse…the state of political misfeasance and malfeasance, and the state of political corruption. If there is no viable third party candidate available in a given district, then a careful thoughtful vetting of the two remaining Old Party partisans should be undertaken with a bias in favor of the candidate who has served the least amount of time in office. Never forget…career politicians lie…often. The existent party apparatus has fought against Liberty candidates, including GOP State Central Committee, in the past—both way back (I remember Goldwater) and as late as this month. They are untrustworthy. All about power and party…not about principle and posterity.



When one has been assaulted, when one’s loved ones have been abused and when one’s treasure has been confiscated by an irresponsible, out-of-control government, then one is duty bound (to God, to one’s family and one’s progeny) to resist with every weapon in the armory. The strategy that I have proposed herein is non-violent, Constitutional and was anticipated by the Founders. Join me as we forge a new vision for Ohio (and all you other states who have the courage to join us) and restore the great documents that were inspired by God and conceived by men—the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. If we are citizens who cherish our country, our state, our honor and our legacy, then we must engage in a plan that will work in the short term and endure until the people become lethargic again and the process will have to be repeated. Let us hope and pray that future generations will look to us as inspiring beacons of liberty just as we look to our Founding.



Please accept my apology for being so tardy with this observation. I understand that the disparate groups among you have varying goals and objectives. My intent is not to dictate how you advance the cause of Freedom, but I love my Lord, my wife, my family, my community, my state ….. and my country. I am now more than six decades old (60+ for those in Rio Linda). I am sorry that I have not fulfilled my duty as a leader of my family and as a citizen. My disdain for the political class (career politicians) outweighed my alarm and willingness to do battle again. I do not want the same thing to happen to all of you. I can image that if victory and Constitutional restoration are not accomplished relatively quickly, then your frustration and despair will mirror mine. That cannot be allowed to happen. That must not occur. Our children and grandchildren shall not live in tyranny.



Thank you.



For comments, contact:



Charlie Earl

Libertarian candidate for Ohio Secretary of State



www.earlforohio.com



earl4sos@gmail.com