On Being Counted: The Minuteman Caravan 2006
By John Longenecker (04/21/06)
As the Minuteman Project assembles its Caravan due to leave Los Angeles May 3rd, for Washington. D.C., here’s what it’s really all about: your standing up and being counted.
Many, many Americans including many, many emigres to America share and support the values of the Minutemen, meaning family, home, privacy, personal security, sovereignty of the home and of the nation, all of it. There is no question that happy people of all heritages here do not dislike immigrants, but only wish to hold on to their happiness.
Happiness and contentedness is not something you lose by sharing it, but it can be ruined by takers, especially people who cling to wrong-headed, misled perceptions.
The Minuteman Project stands for a lot more than the border; it stands for the values that we all wish to hang onto as uniquely American – values which can be found only here as the core of our happiness – of which we give so generously, and which will probably never run out. But if it’s taken by force, as with anything taken by force, it’s ruined for all, with little gain even to the takers. Why haven’t we stood up for ourselves before?
Thus, it’s not that we support the Minutemen – it’s that the Minutemen support us. We are not reflecting the Project’s values – the Project is reflecting our values.
[Visit www.MinutemanProject.com and e-mail Ed Williams at Ed@MinutemanProject.com for information.]
Legally, The Minutemen cannot be stopped. Since the inception of the nation, there has been a legal reason for not being able to stop them.
Morally, they will never be stopped, because the spirit which drives us all is within them. Sovereignty is a uniquely American value and sovereign authority to act as they must is built into the Law.
This is why it’s so very important to be counted throughout the progress of the Caravan as it visits every town for re-fueling, for visiting and answering questions. Media embedded within the Caravan will be noticing local response and turning in their reports. Think of it as a vote of a sort.
The second feature of being counted I address to the body of people recently identified as ex-republicans. These are people who are so fed up with the performance of the republican party that they exit the party and scatter. Who knows where they go; to Libertarian? To just sit one out? Or to just drop out of the process entirely?
Ex-republicans need to come back into the party and be counted. This is a re-entry point on values shared by the party of electorate if not officials.
Alright, so our officials stink. They couldn’t find their backbones if a blind man guided their hands at the ends of their wrists. They’re either too busy being ladies and gentlemen to act and think that conflict is somehow unbecoming, or too grafted to honor their oath of office, but they do represent the best hope for keeping Congress, the Supreme Court and for reversing oppressive, anti-family measures.
And who knows where they are on other important issues? (They haven’t acted to show where they are, so who knows!)
As a voter, as an American, disgruntled or not, the solution is not to bail, but to stand your post. Your vote is your post, your constituent power in participation and your values in defining your direction. Your strength is the knowledge that your values are shared by the majority. (And why not?)
Officials may not listen, or maybe they just haven’t listened until now, but there are other positive issues and positive outcomes they will be able to act on if we say they remain in office.
Remember, Republicans are fools for compassion and etiquette: it will take a lot for them to take the gloves off and stick to their oath of office, but it can work. Republicans think that serving the people means cooperating with the Left. Combine this with silence from constituents and they believe they’ve heard from both sides.
And the Democrats will hijack the hottest issue if the Republicans don’t pick it up, and fast!
The purpose of the Caravan is not only to send some to Washington, but to magnetize constituents all along the way who resonate and wish to be counted. That is why it is mobile and crossing the nation.
When the Caravan passes by your town while coast to coast and when they make it North and South throughout some parts of the route, bring your cameras and take some good pictures for your kids. Bring signs the media can read.
Remember that when you show up along the route, you’ll be counted.
And that would be good for the country.
John Longenecker Website is www.TransferOfWealth.net
Copyright 2006, John Longenecker
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