by Russel D. Longcore

“God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.” ~ Daniel Webster (1834)

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” ~ Wendell Phillips (1811–1884)

I’ve just finished reading the book Constitutional Homeland Security, Volume 1: The Nation in Arms, by Edwin Vieira, Jr., Ph.D., J.D.

This is the definitive book on (1) how every American State has forsaken its DUTY to maintain a Militia, that force that is “necessary to the security of a Free State,” (2) how states can revitalize their Militias, and (3) how Citizen’s Homeland Security Associations (CHSA) may be organized.

This book should be read by every State governor and every State legislator in the USA. But it should be read by every citizen that desires liberty…true liberty in their lifetime.

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Vieira devotes five of the twelve chapters in the book to the formation and operation of the CHSAs. He contends that a program of public education be instituted to inform the public of the necessity of state militias.

Citizen’s Homeland Security Associations are completely different than the “Committees of Safety” of old. The CHSA is a grass-roots organization that will build awareness in the populace in anticipation of the formation of the Committees of Safety and legislative action on re-forming state Militias.

The original Committees of Safety were composed of actual members of the States’ legislatures, recognized activists and other leaders within the States…who were appointed to theCommittees by the legislatures, to serve as the legislatures’ agents and advisors, and to carry on the legislatures’ work during recesses. The Committees were never independent of the legislatures, and never carried out any plans that were not approved by the legislatures.

The chief concern of the Committees was the safety of the public: “to put the territory under their supervision in a state of defense and maintain it there effectively.”¹

The author wrote this book in 2007, and mentions that we don’t have much time to reinstitute militias in the states before societal events begin to occur that will throw America into chaos. It’s now almost three years since publication, and many of the events have taken place, while more events loom just over the horizon.

We can thank the government schools of the entire United States for the dearth of knowledge in the populace about the Constitution and the necessity of the State Militias. But what could we really expect? The very Federal government that benefits from the LACK of militias could hardly be expected to promote a concept that would diminish their power. Still, remember that the Federal Department of Education did not exist before 1980.

“Those who have been once intoxicated with power and have derived any kind of emolument from it can never willingly abandon it.” ~ Edmund Burke

So, what of the states? Education has always been a state issue. Can you think of any reasons that states would shrink from their obligation under their own state Constitutions to maintain a state militia?

How about these?

(1) State legislators and governors view themselves as servants of Washington.

(2) Maintaining a state militia is expensive. The money could be used for other purposes that would make more voters happier.

(3) Nearly 150 years have passed since the War of Northern Aggression, in which Lincoln called up the state militias to invade the Confederate States of America. So generations of state legislators have not seen a need for militias.

(4) Besides, states have a National Guard, don’t they? What’s the difference?

I’m sure there are others, but those reasons should do for now.

“Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.” ~ John Adams

Here are some of my own thoughts on secession and state militias.

1. Any individual who has reached the age of majority in the United States who does not own a firearm has accepted the position that they have no duty to be a part of the well-regulated Militia that is NECESSARY for the security of a Free State.

2. Any state of the fifty states that comprise the United States of America that either has enacted or will enact any legislation that infringes on the individual right to keep and bear arms has accepted the position that a well-regulated Militia is NOT NECESSARY for the security of a Free State. That state government is an enemy to liberty and a lackey of Washington.

Patrick Henry did not say “Give me safety and security or give me death.”

3. There is seemingly very little interest in the general populace or the state governments to revitalize state militias. But there is interest coming from a restless citizenry about state secession. We must tie the two together into an inseparable bundle, as one relies upon the other.

4. Here is a forecast of how secession and militias will likely play out.

a. Economic meltdown, bank holidays, hyperinflation

b. Societal chaos, riots, rampant crime

c. Washington declares martial law and tries to clamp down

d. The grave crisis jolts states out of their slumber, and secessions begin

e. States NOW begin reformulating their militias

f. The citizenry, in full panic mode, get very focused on liberty issues

g. The United States goes the way of the Soviet Union and dissolves

This is an extremely exciting time in which to live in America. The people of the nation have been lulled to sleep over generations. The tyranny laid upon them is destructive, and any type of destructive force is based in low energy. Happily, freedom and liberty are creative forces of a very high energy level. Just like light dispels darkness, so too will liberty eventually win over tyranny. People will be drawn to the energy of liberty.

You can find Dr. Vieira’s book at Amazon.com.

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. … God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion; what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?  Let them take arms.” ~ Thomas Jefferson, 1787

¹Agnes Hunt, The Provincial Committees of Safety of the American Revolution (Cleveland, Ohio: Western Reserve University, 1904), at 161.

by Russel D. Longcore, DumpDC

In my last article, “Secession, The Second Amendment and Sun Tzu,” I ended by saying that American states that revitalized their militias “may secede knowing that they are capable of defending their decision from all who would attempt to use force to prevent their exit.”

But there may be more players in this drama who would wish to prevent the secession of an American state and ultimately the dissolution of the United States of America. Or, those very players might welcome the sight of the USA going the way of the USSR.

I have also written about the informal group “Oath Keepers,” (www.oathkeepers.org). Oath Keepers is a non-partisan association of currently serving military, reservists, National Guard, veterans, Peace Officers, and Fire Fighters who will fulfill the Oath they swore, with the support of like minded citizens who take an Oath to stand with them, to “support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help us God.” Their Oath is to the Constitution.

To the degree that the Oath Keepers are successful spreading their message throughout the military and law enforcement communities, there will be less and less soldiers, cops and veterans willing to enforce Federal dictates. That will be a godsend for Liberty, but very bad juju for Washington. American military and law enforcement personnel may not be willing to fire upon American citizens who band together to secede, just wanting to be free of Washington’s tyrannical rule.

So, what could Washington do if it wanted to prevent or reverse a secession, and force a state to stay in the Union? How might they respond to a lack of obedience from their military or from law enforcement?

Holler for help from the United Nations.

Do you think that UN troops would have any such moral conflict? Would they be anything but mercenary troops on our soil? I contend that the blue berets would not hesitate to enforce some future UN resolution enacted in New York City against the secession of an American state.

Conversely, the one-world-government types might welcome the dissolution of the USA. They might think that getting Washington out of the way could grease the skids for a one-world government and a new world economic system.

I don’t think there are any blue hats patrolling in Switzerland. But I could be wrong. Think about it. Armed neutrality is the new old way.

The person who spends some time thinking about every possible scenario will make better plans and will have less chance of being surprised by any event.

For a related UN article, read L. Neil Smith’s article HERE.

DumpDC. Six Letters That Can Change History.

© Copyright 2009, Russell D. Longcore. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.

by Michael Gaddy

When a person’s actions are restricted to what can be defined as self-defense, the assailant controls many of the variables they face. Time; place; daylight; dark; cold or hot are many of the variables one must consider. Therefore, the variables that we can control must be mastered if we are to have a chance for survival if ever faced with a do-or-die situation.

Those who own firearms and practice with them enough to be considered proficient in their use, most likely choose good weather in which to practice; light conditions are optimal and a good comfort level is maintained. Sure, you can hit that silhouette at 25 ft with both hands the majority of the time with optimal conditions with your favorite handgun. You can also hit that target at 300 yards with your battle rifle, sometimes putting all your shots in a small group when conditions are great; fine indeed if your attack occurs only during the daylight with no wind and the temperature hovering around 72. How many know how they will perform these tasks when faced with darkness, heavy wind, freezing temperatures or blowing snow? Better yet, how many know how their equipment will perform in less than ideal conditions?

If you can be 100% certain you will only be faced with a life-or-death self-defense situation when conditions are ideal, stop reading now; the following will be of no interest to you.

Monday and Tuesday here in the Rockies witnessed blizzard conditions with 1–2 feet of snow, blowing winds sometimes reaching 50 mph and temperatures near zero. While most folks thought this the best time to hunker down with a good book or movie, I got together all of the firearms, ammo and equipment that I might have to use to defend my life and/or the life of my family and headed for the range. I’m sure any who witnessed me entering the range that day were comforted in the thought that I was totally insane. When the 5-hour session was over, I was very cold and miserable, but I knew how both my equipment and I would function in that environment. I viewed the experience as a variable somewhat mastered.

The things that can be learned about ones firearms and equipment in terrible conditions could be the edge one needs to stay alive at some point in time and most useful when it becomes necessary to provide food for the table. Calculating for point of impact with projectiles down range in a 50 mph wind with numb fingers and blinding snow presented a real challenge. Then, to try all of the tactical sights on targets at less than 100 yards was quite an experience. Which ones work and which ones do not was a question that was answered for me along with what reticle performs best in blizzard conditions. Which action on what rifle actually froze up and would not function at all? What firearms lubricants held up in those conditions? What trigger guards were of adequate size to handle a gloved finger? All questions I had answered for me that would not have occurred had I not taken the time to train in those conditions.

Some time back I spent equal time in training in the desert around Tucson Arizona in the month of June. Again, not everything performs as advertised in a 100-degree plus environment, most of all the owner of the equipment. Taking the necessary time to train in all environs in which one could possibly find themselves is vital. Equipment, physics, physiology and how they relate to your ability to function in a stressful situation are invaluable pieces of knowledge. Once you possess this knowledge, you increase your confidence to deal with any situation ten fold. Confidence and mental preparation will see one through many situations where the ignorant will fail to survive.

Training with your chosen equipment in optimal conditions is fine and should be done on a regular basis to become as proficient as possible and to understand exactly how your equipment functions. This should include being able to make adjustments and repairs as might be required and assembly and disassembly of your chosen firearm. Having necessary spare parts is also a must. Say you have a bent charging handle on your AR platform; do you know how to replace it? What about replacing a broken firing pin?

Equally important is knowing and understanding how you and your equipment function in extreme environments. Once you understand how everything works, take it all out during extreme cold and heat; try them in a pouring rain and windy conditions; disassemble and assemble in low-light situations without giving away your position. All of the above could be the determining factors in whether you and your family are able to survive an attack or able are to provide food for survival if/when the situation demands.

by Russell D. Loncore

Today, I’m going to tread ground upon which many fear to tread by discussing the first two phrases of the Second Amendment.

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution states thus: “A Well-Regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the Right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

Seems to me that we have either ignored or simply missed a very vital component of liberty in our discussions and writings about secession…or about the Second Amendment. That very vital component is the existence and use of force.

No reasonable proponent of state sovereignty wants to propose secession and state nationhood through armed overthrow and insurrection. All of the thought leaders of secession that I have read concentrate on the orderly and lawful methods of secession, and eschew any ideas of military resistance. That’s fine.

But James Madison, John Adams, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson had a different perspective.

The Framers knew that when tyranny advanced against any state, the state’s last option to resist that tyranny was to take up arms and fight. They had just proven its effectiveness by seceding from Great Britain through the use of state militias.

Most of the words I’ve ever seen written about the Second Amendment had to do with the last phrase of the Amendment. Even when I wrote about this subject HERE, my emphasis was about firearms.

My only paragraph about the militia said this:

“Any State with a well-regulated Militia would be capable of defending itself from Federal tyranny. Over the past two hundred years, the individual States have forgotten that their security as a free State relies upon a well-regulated Militia. The first two phrases in the Amendment shed light on today’s power structure in the United States. The Federal government now has standing armies, navies and an air force that far outnumbers any state militia. So, state sovereignty has been destroyed. Now states are more like counties…no sovereignty, only slave territories of a cancer-ridden Federal system.”

The very nature of government is force. It is not governed itself by anything but raw force. Bullies and tyrants never are. If you doubt this, go find a woman who has gotten a restraining order against an abusive ex-husband. See how safe she feels. A week hardly goes by in which there is not a news story about an ex-husband or boyfriend who murders a woman, even though she got a court-issued restraining order. But courts don’t enforce restraining orders because cops are not personal bodyguards. They only deal with violations after the fact.

In like fashion, courts and Congresses, resembling murderous ex-boyfriends and looters, are only stopped from wreaking their mayhem by force or the threat of force.

Do you notice that American armed forces are in Afghanistan and Iraq, not walking the streets of Pyongyang, North Korea? That’s because North Korea is very willing to defend itself. Washington bows up like a banty rooster about the lawful Iranian civilian nuclear program, but sends bribes to “Dear Leader” Kim Jong Il.

Even if secessionist and nationalist leaders champion the cause of non-violence and secession through lawful means, they do themselves and their followers a disservice by refusing to broach the subject of armed resistance to Federal tyranny. That position is akin to posting a sign in your front lawn that reads “Gun Free Zone.” You’ve just announced that you have no means of defending yourself against attack and violence. Ask those at Fort Hood, Columbine High School and Virginia Tech.

There is a fine line between acknowledging that you’ll fight tyranny and picking a fight with a tyrant. The first trick is to know enough not to cross that line. The other trick is to be aware that the bad guys keep moving the line.

I think of a state like Texas and its very exciting nationalist movement. I encourage a free and open discussion of militia re-building as they move forward. With a Texas population of over 24 million, the militia could easily become a force of 1–2 million able-bodied adult men.

Secessionists in every state needs to talk about this subject.

Any state that seriously contemplates secession must reconstitute and rebuild its own Militia. This will be one of the most solemn indications of that State’s seriousness about its own liberty and the liberty of its citizens.

by Dr. Edwin Vieira

[The following is the full text of an address presented to the National Heritage Center for Constitutional Studies at its 2009 Constitution Day conference.]

The Tenth-Amendment Resolutions from State Legislatures, the Tea Parties, the Town Hall Meetings, and other manifestations of WE THE PEOPLE’S feedupidness with monkey-business as usual in the Disgrace of Columbia—even the massive congregation on the Mall last September—are some of the most enlightening, encouraging, and energizing developments that American patriots have witnessed in a long time. For these events are all premised on the idea: “We don’t want you!”—that WE THE PEOPLE do not want any more, indeed they demand a great deal less, interference in their lives from rogue public officials in the General Government.

These events notwithstanding, the problem remains that too many among WE THE PEOPLE will start but then stop right there, with “We don’t want you!” That is not enough.

The complaint “We don’t want you!” needs to go further, to the resolve, “We won’t have you!” — that WE THE PEOPLE intend to rid themselves of the General Government’s interference.

And to make this resolve effective, WE THE PEOPLE need to design and put into effect remedial action, so that they can say with finality: “We don’t need you!”

The sequence must be—

(i) We don’t NEED you!” which makes it realistic to say:

(ii) We don’t WANT you!” which combined with the ability to make WE THE PEOPLE’S wants effective will lead to the necessary and sufficient action:

(iii) We won’t HAVE you!” and finally will yield the desired result:

(iv) We are RID of you!”

If WE THE PEOPLE have the ability they can give “teeth” to the desire, take the necessary action, and thereby accomplish their goal.

But what will all of this require?

• WE THE PEOPLE need to create actual workable institutions that take advantage of the political and legal position THE PEOPLE hold—i.e., as the ultimate sovereigns.

• WE THE PEOPLE need to create actual workable institutions that take advantage of the economic resources THE PEOPLE command—that THE PEOPLE are the true source of all real wealth in this country, and are in actual physical possession of most of it.

True enough, the Establishment holds bundles of paper claimsto wealth, many (if not most) of them generated through the unconstitutional Federal Reserve System. But the insuperable problem for the Establishment will be how to collect on those claims if WE THE PEOPLE simply refuse to honor them. Anyone in the paper-currency racket who doubts that these claims can be declared unenforceable should read the Supreme Court’s decision in Craig v. Missouri, 29 U.S. (4 Peters) 410 (1830).

• WE THE PEOPLE need to create actual workable institutions that are politically, economically, and legally independent of the General Government:

Institutions that can compete with the faulty and fraudulent mechanisms that rogue officials in the General Government have foisted on this country in the key areas of economic and political control, particularly in the areas of (i) money and banking and (ii) what is called “homeland security”.

Institutions that can replace these fraudulent control-mechanisms with proper means to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”. And

Institutions that will enable WE THE PEOPLE to defend themselves against retaliation from rogue officials in the General Government and from the private centers of multinational economic power.

In sum, WE THE PEOPLE must combine their economic resources and abilities with political and legal authority in large-scale organizations that will reflect the power inherent in numbers.

This cannot be done by or through the General Government at the present time, because the General Government is the main locus of this country’s problem, not the source of any solution for them.

It cannot be done through political parties, because parties (along with other factions and special-interest groups) are the control-mechanisms in the “divide and conquer” strategy the Establishment employs to prevent WE THE PEOPLE from asserting their political sovereignty in their own interest.

It cannot be done by individuals or private groups alone, primarily because: (i) private individuals and groups enjoy no independent legal authority; and (ii) there is probably no way to create a sufficiently large and effective private operation in any State, let alone throughout the entire country, in time.

It cannot be done by the State governments alone, because it is not simply a political question of governmental finance and administration, but will require a revamping of the entire private economies in each State, too.

Therefore, it will require both (i) participation by the State governments, because they have the legal authority and the ability to mobilize people in sufficient numbers, and (ii) mass action by WE THE PEOPLE as a whole.

The only establishment or institution that combines all of these elements is “the Militia of the several States”, the “well regulated Militia” that the Second Amendment tells us are “necessary to the security of a free State”.

But a true constitutional “well regulated Militia” exists in not one State in this Union today.

So, WE THE PEOPLE need to revitalize “the Militia of the several States” in order to regain and retain popular control over State governments, and through them to regain and retain control over the two fundamental powers of sovereignty: (i) the Power of the Purse—i.e., currency and credit, and (ii) the Power of the Sword—i.e., community self-defense.

Revitalization of the Militia will enable WE THE PEOPLE to exercise community self-reliance and ultimately true self-government in “a free State” with a sound free-market economy.

Americans need to combine all of the following elements in a single plan for mass action:

1. Revitalization of “the Militia of the several States”.

·The Second Amendment instructs every American that “[a] well regulated Militia” is “necessary to the security of a free State”—not just “useful”, and certainly not “optional”, but“necessary”. And not “necessary” in only some general sense, but specifically with respect to “the security of a free State”—which means that, according to “the supreme Law of the Land” itself, the very survival of constitutional freedom in this country depends upon the Militia.

The Constitution identifies no other establishment, institution, or entity as “necessary” for this vital purpose, or for any other purpose.

(i) total organizing, arming, disciplining, and training of THE PEOPLE to handle any emergency;
(ii) State production and provision of arms, ammunition, and accoutrements for the Militia—with all individuals to possess their arms and ammunition, whenever obtained from whatever source, as part of their Militia service—thus ending all of the General Government’s oppressive “gun control”; and, perhaps of most immediate importance,

(iii) assignment to the Militia of oversight over all new institutions of “economic homeland security” within the State.