Why Am I The American Refugee

I AM CALLED

An Article by The American Refugee, Roger D'Aquin

 

 

 

 

A friend recently suggested that I hand out Bibles with the Constitutions that I hand out.  First, that is an expense that I am not able to cover.  Also, at this time, it is not something God has put on my heart to do.

Every man has a calling.  No doubt, there are those who are called to greater things than I.  I have been called to preach liberty and constitutionalism.  I have also been inspired to live a life of civil disobedience and poverty. God has provided the way and I have distributed approximately 12,000 constitutions on the streets of New Orleans, since becoming the American Refugee. God has also provided a social media outlet where I have thousands of followers and a BlogTalkRadio program.  So far, he hasn’t called on me to pass out Bibles.  If he does, he will provide the way, and I will.

I also feel called to be a bridge between different kinds of conservatives.  We are all needed.  I believe that in order to resurrect our country, we will need physical warriors, prayer warriors, and political warriors. We will need men in three piece suits and guys with tattoos and earrings.  We need people refusing to pay taxes and going Galt, and those working within the system.  We need mom’s homeschooling kids as well as women like Ann Barnhardt.  We cannot all do every job and would lack focus if we tried.  We can all do what we feel led, inspired, and able to do.

The peace and joy that I currently feel in my heart, is in spite of the loneliness and lack of luxuries.  Believe me, I’d rather be rich than poor.  As much as I love my dogs, and even though I have adjusted to a celibate lifestyle, I’d rather have a wife.  It isn’t comforting knowing that I have made enemies out of some hateful and violent people, as well as rich and powerful people.  I don’t particularly enjoy being laughed at or having beer thrown on me.  These things happen.  But everyday I know that I am following both my conscious and to the best of my ability, the voice of Christ.  This gives me a peace and even a joy in the midst of some very real suffering.  One can experience joy even during moments of fear, doubt, and depression.

I never forget how blessed I am.  God has given me a mind and some very real talents.  Despite the fact that we are living in post constitutional America, the sacrifices that our founding fathers made and the fruits of what used to be our capitalistic society, still fill my life with blessings. I say I’m poor. I have a bathroom, a kitchen, and two rooms to boot. I have air conditioning. I have use of a computer and high speed internet. I am heavily beweaponed. We have an expansive library. I have a back yard and seven dogs. We have more than enough food to eat and, in fact, I struggle with my weight. I have reasonably good health and my healthcare needs are met. I have more friends than I deserve. I have the great honor of knowing that I fight for something bigger than myself everyday, as I fight to restore America. No matter how that fight goes, I know that I am a member of the most important kingdom, the kingdom of God.

1Corinthians12

1Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 2You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

4There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

7A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice* ; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.* 9The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

One Body with Many Parts

12The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,* some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,

second are prophets,

third are teachers,

then those who do miracles,

those who have the gift of healing,

those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.

29Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Step Out in Faith for America

Our Time Has Come

An Article By Roger D'Aquin, The American Refugee

My friends, the time has come for us to take bold action.  We can no longer hide in the shadows as Key Board Commandos, using aliases.  We must be bold and stand up the federal government, the looney left, the Islamists, and the other enemies of our way of life.  I will admit that my decision to go public is made easier by several factors.  I do not have underage kids. I have already gone partially off grid. I have given up private property and bank accounts.  I own nothing for the feds to seize, with the exception of my dogs and weapons.  I do not file income tax returns.  I am on a tax strike. I do not earn an income.  As a mendicant monk for liberty, I have already given up most of what the federal government could take from me.  Of couse, I do still have my freedom and my life.  It is not that I do not fear losing those things.  It is that I have chosen to leave fear behind and step out in faith. What use is a life lived in fear with freedom eroding every day?

I will not condemn anyone who feels that they can not yet make this step.  But I can praise and proudly stand with all who do.  I can also put forth the best case I can to get others to make this step.  On this subject, Ann Barnhardt has made this case more strongly than I could ever do.  When she gave her name, phone number, and home address at the end of her video in which she excoriated Lindsey Graham, exposed the evil political system posing as a religion called Islam, and burned a Koran, she inspired multiple thousands of people.  My Friends, before I close this with Ann’s latest blog, where she makes the case for all of us stepping forward, I will again take an oath.  If anyone wishes to join me in this Oath, call me or send me an e-mail.  I will add your name, home address, and phone number to a web page which will be regularly promoted. I believe that the more of us do this, the bigger an impact we will have and the safer we will be.

My Oath I invite you to join me in:

I Roger D’Aquin, known online as The American Refugee, founder of www.TheAmericanRefugees.com, residing at 4402 Eastern St. New Orleans, LA 70122 do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and her citizens against all enemies, foreign and domestic, including against an unconstitutional government; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will not disarm; that I will not recognize ObamaCare as the law of the land, since it is unconstitutional; I will not obtain the insurance it demands nor pay the fine it imposes, that I will not obey any unconstitutional executive orders or laws, and that until the United States has returned to obedience to the US Constitution, I will do my best to starve the beast of the federal government, by paying as few taxes as possible. So help me God. I can be reached by e-mail at AmericanRefugee@theamericanrefugees.com and you can leave me a voice mail at 985-250-9855.

Please Support The American Refugees

 Stating the Obvious and Important Tactical Admonition on Aliases

By Ann Barnhardt Taken from the site www.Barnhardt.biz

Back to my old job of STATING THE BLOODY OBVIOUS: Barack Obama personally and the entire Obama regime is in an EXPLICIT ALLIANCE with the Muslim Brotherhood. Obama personally is a product of the MB and has connections from his university days, Chicago and his putative Kenyan relatives – Malik Obama (putative half brother) is a high-ranking MB player in Africa. Further, Hillary Clinton’s right-hand-man and possible lesbian concubine Huma Abedin (Mrs. Anthony Weiner) is the daughter of two of the MB’s highest-ranking members. The MB has massively, massively infiltrated the United States, the FEDGOV bureaucracy, the intelligence agencies, most particularly the FBI, and the Congress and Executive branches of the post-American regime. Further, nothing will be said about the Christian genocide in Egypt (well over 80 Coptic churches and monasteries burned in the last three weeks) because these people in Washington are evil, evil people and HATE Christianity and the Church. They WANT Christianity and Christians to be exterminated. They relish in the death of the Copts in Egypt. They relish in the genocide and are preparing to carry out the same thing in the former United States eventually in an axis with Sodomites, musloids and militant Marxists – and many of the Sodomites and Marxists will SELF-IDENTIFY AS CHRISTIANS. You mark my words. This war is going to be so unlike anything ever before seen, because the lines of battle are going to be almost impossible to conventionally demarcate. Every population center will be its own discrete theater, and the players, with the exception of gang-bangers, will be almost impossible to visually sort. And yes, there will absolutely be white, middle-class suburban people among the enemy. Been to the airport lately? TSA much?

Which brings me to something I have wanted to talk about for a while. We need to talk about “handles”, “aliases” and “noms de guerre”. Guys, while that tactic may have been sound in previous wars, it is going to be a disaster in this war. It needs to stop. Let me explain. Let’s say I go to some gathering somewhere of counter-revolutionaries. A middle-aged white dude walks up to me and says, “Hi. I’m ‘Disturbed Citizen’ from the Mid-South Shotgun Shooters blog. We have corresponded via email.” Now stop and think about this. How can I possibly, possibly confirm that this guy, who I have indeed corresponded with via email, actually is who he says he is? We all now know for a metaphysical certitude that all of our email has been logged and may have been read by FEDGOV. We MUST assume that FEDGOV is every bit as knowledgable of our data and correspondences as we are. How do I know that this man standing before me really is ‘Disturbed Citizen’? There is no possible way for me to confirm this. I don’t know what ‘Disturbed Citizen’s’ name is, so asking for an I.D. is pointless. I don’t know what ‘Disturbed Citizen’ looks like, so visual confirmation is off the table. And the enemy has FULL ACCESS to all correspondence between myself and the real ‘Disturbed Citizen’, and thus can quote and make references WITH FULL CONTEXT AND DETAIL.

Do you see this? Given the tactical situation, the proper course is NOT for us to hide. That ship sailed a LONG time ago. The only thing that hiding behind aliases, handles and noms de guerre accomplishes is opening a HUGE door to the enemy such that they can infiltrate us with ease never-before-seen in the annals of war. The proper tactic is to BE NOT AFRAID and come out from behind aliases and handles NOW.

Now, take me, for example. If I were to roll into some event somewhere, people would know who I was by name and by sight, and if they did not know who I was, I could quickly and easily confirm my identity and bona fides.

I know it is a big step, but just read over what I have said and then THINK. The tactical table has been inverted. If you all try to fight this war as if it hasn’t, you will get your butt handed to you and you will deserve it. Enough of this prevent defense. The only way to win is to fix bayonets and charge, and in my considered opinion, step one should be establishing identity so that we at least have a chance at a modicum of OPSEC. Counterintuitive? Absolutely. But the truth often is counterintuitive.

That is all. - Ann Barnhardt

 

We apologize for the low quality of the video's. This is low budget grass roots stuff and we are learning.

 

 

 

 

Justice For Benghazi 4

JUSTICE FOR THE BENGHAZI FOUR

The American Refugee Gives a Big Shoutout to @StrikeForce911

 

U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, computer specialist Sean Smith, and CIA security contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were killed. We let them die and made no attempt to save them. Woods and Doherty were heroes, who tried to save lives against orders, and they paid the ultimate price. Obama couldn’t be bothered. He went to bed and then was off to a Vegas fundraiser the next day.

The CIA claims it has encouraged employees with information to come forward. Meanwhile it continually polygraphs people to make sure they haven’t, changes people’s names, and moves them around the country.

There are witnesses who want to come forward but are being pressured not to. Meanwhile there is a very disjointed effort spread across five committees, who all have other things to do, the get the witnesses to come forward and get to the bottom of the scandal and subsequent cover-up.

HR. 36, the bill by Congressman Frank Wolf, Republican of Virginia, will establish a select committee to investigate and report on the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. One central committee, holding public hearings, means a person can’t tell one committee one thing and a different committee something else. It means there is a central place people can feel comfortable coming forward. Once central committee could put more pressure on the C.I.A. to comply and have the focus to get to the bottom of all of the central issues.

We, as grass roots patriots can join in this fight. How? Everybody follow @strikeforce911. This is a new account and I don’t know who is behind it, it isn’t me, but he/she/or they, have done an awesome job creating a webpage that makes it very easy to see and contact each member that has not co-sponsored HR-36.  I have embeded their page inside the frame below.  Tweet every member.  Tell them to get on board.  Call every member.  Tell them that the American people want both the truth and Justice for the Benghazi Four.

Who Is Ann Barnhardt

GOD BLESS ANN BARNHARDT

What I am displaying below, is all that is left of Ann Barhardt's website.  She's says she'll be updating it from the road, via her laptop, one of her last remaining possessions.  Ann Barnhardt has gone Galt.  I wish I had discovered her before I did.  It makes me sad that I have not had the chance to interview her and let her know just how much she has inspired me.  I'm not giving up and am constantly trying to get in touch with her.

Ann knows what it means to live for Christ and to have the courage of her convictions. I know that she will continue to fight for liberty. I have learned a great deal from Ann Barnhardt.  I hope one day to have the opportunity to fight side by side with her, in the cause of liberty.

Like Ann, I am on a federal tax strike and I encourage others to joins us.  I have given up all activity that would require me to pay federal income taxes. I no long file a federal income tax return. Since The American Refugees can’t avoid every tax, i.e. taxes on energy, cell phone, internet I do what I must to insure that I bleed more out of the federal government than I pay in. For this reason, I have applied for and receive food stamps.  I use the food stamps to pay for canned goods which I give away to a local mission.

I survive as a mendicant monk for liberty. The money I receive in donations while begging or giving away US constitutions on the street, is turned over to The American Refugees.  I volunteer for the American Refugees maintaining a presence on social media, blogging, hosting a radio program, giving away constitutions, and begging.  All the while, I am fighting for liberty and a return of constitutional government.  I don’t really want to be an American Refugee, living in Ameritopia, a socialist land I do not recognize.

I hope that we can return to constitutionalism through nonviolence. That is where I am putting my efforts. Still, we must all prepare for the worst. It becomes more and more apparent that the federal government is likely to target Christians, charging us with hate crimes. This government will move to disarm and fully enslave the people. We have to be willing to fight, be imprisoned, and die. This is what our founders had to do at we are living in times no less frightening, but also no less filled with opportunity. We must declare liberty. We must fight.

Stand with The American Refugee. Stand with Ann Barnhardt. Stand with our founding fathers. Most importantly, stand with our Creator.

 

Barnhardt

Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta.

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Non-residential mailing address:
Ann Barnhardt
6834 S. University Blvd.
#419
Centennial, CO 80122

Infrequently answered phone:
303-800-6258

I don’t actually live in a Van Down By A River. That is just a more humorous way of saying that I have “gone Galt”. I am with dear friends, traveling around and seeing all kinds of things that I never thought I would be able to see, much less while still young and in my prime. All of my money and property is now gone, aside from a bit of clothing, bedding, a laptop, and a few other trinkets, and I’m happier and more blessed than I have ever been in my life. I aspire to janitorial work, but also realize that might not be the plan. I just don’t know. Be assured of my prayers, and if you happen to find yourself with a spare moment, have prayed to exhaustion for every other person and intention, and have absolutely nothing better to do, please pray for me, particularly that I never, ever be a burden on anyone.

Mother of Divine Providence, pray for us!
Divine Providence, have mercy on me, a sinner.

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My Views on Islam are Changing

I Am The American Refugee

 

My real name is Roger D'Aquin.  I live at 4400 Eastern St. New Orleans, LA 70122.  My phone number is (985) 250-0255.  My email is AmericanRefugee@TheAmericanRefugees.com.  I am a Roman Catholic, American, conservative, libertarian, patriot.   I have often stated that I will not comply with ObamaCare.  I will neither acquire health insurance that satisfies the law, nor will I pay the fine.  I have often stated that I will not disarm.  I want to add to that, at this time, that I will not bow down to Islam.  I have recently been inspired to show some balls by Ann Barnhardt. 

If that little combination Jack Russell Terrier, Pit Bull, spitfire can have the kind of guts she does, we all can.  The more of us who stand publicly for what we believe, the better off we will all be.  I am prepared to risk incarceration and death, if necessary, to fight for Jesus Christ, His Holy Christian Church, the US Constitution, life, and liberty.

I don't want to write this article.  One reason, is that I want to stick to my message going Galt, civil disobedience within the rule of law, and constitutionalism.  I don't want to go too far into left field and be bogged down in the weeds.   I also don't want to write this article because I really don't want to be viewed as a hate monger and a bigot and I know that this article will lead to those charges.  I am also not looking to offend and hurt anyone.  I know that I have followers, who will be upset by this.   I may even lose followers over this.  However, my conscious demands that I write this article.  This issue has become too important and I have been inspired by others, who have had the courage to speak.

I have been engaged recently, in looking into Islam more thoroughly than I have in the past.  Allow me to explain what my attitude has always been, what made me feel it was necessary to start looking into it more, and how my attitude is evolving.

In the past while I did not believe that Islam was the one true faith, I believed that the vast majority of its adherents were honestly seeking a relationship with God.  I believed that Allah was simply another title, used as a name, for Jehovah, the God of Abraham and the Father of Jesus.  While I believed that there were extremist elements in Islam, who were at war with the United States, I believed Islam was mostly concerned with peace, doing the will of God, and getting into heaven.  I believed that most references to Jihad in the Koran, referred to the Holy war against the flesh, the self, and sin. I believed Islam was theologically wrong and did not understand Christ, but I believed Muslims and Christians could coexist.

Now, all this being said, I still frequently railed against extremist Muslim Jihadists; and felt that radical Islam was at war with the free world.  I frequently spoke out about how radical Jihadist Islam had been at war with the US since the 70’s.  But I felt that some Christians went too far in their Criticism of Islam as a whole and became offensive and counter productive.  I certainly thought that acts like burning the Koran, were offensive and that the idea of deporting was Muslims was anti-liberty and anti America.

What made me want to start investigating Islam more thoroughly?  First, I simply didn’t see enough Muslims condemning acts of terrorism.  Secondly, it seemed that the amount of hatred I saw coming out of Islam was increasing, and not decreasing.  Third, a lot of people whom I respect disagreed with me.  People who seemed to me to be non bigots and true believers in liberty, were advocating the deportation of all Muslims.   Irish Joe Harrison , is a prime example.  I respect Joe and read his blog regularly.  Was I wrong about Joe? Was Joe wrong about Islam?  Was I wrong about Islam?  I had many other followers and friends on Twitter, whom I respected, who seemed to hold these extreme negative views about Islam.  I decided I had to investigate Islam more.

One of the first things I did was to go to Islamic and pro Islamic sites and began reading about Islam from their perspective. Then I would check that information against information from those who were opposed to Islam.  I also began trying to look at as much objective history as I could.

One of the anti-Islam people I came across was Ann Barnhardt.  Ann’s passion, love of Christ, intelligence, and belief in liberty seemed very strong.  Yet here she was, buring a Koran.  But Ann didn’t just burn it.  She read specific scriptures, talked about them, then ripped out and burned that page.  She was burning the Koran one page at a time and explaining exactly why she was doing it, what she hoped to accomplish, and why she believes that Islam is evil.  Her arguments were intelligent and compelling.  Then she did something that showed she had the courage of her convictions.  She gave her home address and said come and get me.  I was in awe.  This, despite the fact, that I still wasn’t sure that I agreed with what she was doing.  But I believed in her right to do it and I believed that she believed she was right in doing it.

Now my study had to expand beyond the study of Islam, to include the study of Ann Barnhardt herself.  Everything I have learned about her has caused me to respect her more and I have also watched more of her videos on Islam.  I have not been able to find adequate answers to disprove the claims that Ann makes against Islam.  I have also found more disturbing information on my own.

I am beginning to find myself moving rapidly towards a position of complete opposition to Islam.  I will clearly spell out the position that I now suspect to be true.  I am also asking for something from Muslims who think I am mistaken. Tell me why.  Show me why.  Show me, if I am wrong.

The Following is becoming my position: Islam is not a religion at all but a perverted and satanic behavioral and political system.  The peace that Islam speaks of is the peace that will follow the destruction or conversion of everyone else on the earth.  Islam does not tolerate other religions.  Islam hates women.  Islam destroys the lives of its children.  Islam actually hates men as well and seeks to pervert men beyond belief.  Islam seeks to genetically destroy and dumb down the human race.  Islam seeks to overthrow every government on the face of the earth and impose world wide Sharia Law.  Islam is attempting to invade and overthrow the United States.  Islam is the enemy of Americans and all free people.  Islam will cooperate with those it hates, in order to destroy those it hates more, then turn on the first group.  Islam is cooperating with the left in this country, in order to destroy constitutional government, our Judeo Christian values, and our culture.  Later, Islam will turn on the liberals.

If you are knowledgeable on this subject and disagree with me, whether you are a Muslim or not, please tell me why.  Explain to me why I am wrong.  Give me your arguments and send me your evidence.  If I am wrong, it is my sincere desire not to remain so.  Write to me and convince me.  My mind remains open to new information.  I am not a hate monger or a bigot and would prefer not to believe that over a billion people are following a satanic and evil political and behavioral system.  I honestly hope that I am making a mistake.  If I am, show me that I am.  I am mainly concerned with truth.  Since I have dedicated my life to fighting for liberty and returning the United States to constitutional government, I must know who my enemies are and are not.

I Think I'm Falling in Love

  ANN BARNHARDT MAY BE THE PERFECT WOMAN

I have no idea how I am only now discovering Ann Barnhardt.  Oh, I had heard of her and knew that she was somewhat controversial.  I also knew that, like me, she had sort of gone Galt.  But I had no idea that she epitomized courage, brains, femininity, and the American Spirit in a way that I have never seen before.

She rips Lindsay Graham to shreds in the first video.  She does it with smarts, facts, and style.  At one point she challenges Graham to go head to head with a person of intellectual parity.  Despite the fact that she is taunting him at this point, she is truly being modest because she has a far more advanced mind than Graham.

I find what she does to the Koran, in the second video I will share, to be offensive and crude.  I cannot deny that it is also brilliant and elegant. It is tough to be crude and elegant at the same time, and Ann has pulled it off. Elegance always manages to simultaneously pull off simplicity with brilliance. This is the essence of Ann Barnhardt.

I don’t like what she does in burning the Koran, but I agree with 99% of what she says and I will absolutely defend her right to do it. This is political speech in your face.  This is the American attitude in your face.  This is a beautiful and brilliant woman with more guts than just about any man I have ever met.  This is kind of strong, independent woman that makes liberals run for the shadows.

I’ll probably be looking at her videos and studying her for the next several days. As someone who is a patriot Christian that has been deeply affected by the objectivist libertarianism of Ayn Rand, I am always thrilled when I find what appears to be, someone with similar ideology and values. I have been deeply disappointed in Paul Ryan. He seemed to be one of us. Now he just seems more and more like a typical Republican establishment wimp. I have a feeling Ann won’t disappoint me. She may challenge me. She may offend me. I’ll be surprised if she disappoints me.

 

 

 

Is it Possibe to support the rule of law and engage in civil disobedience? Yes.

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND THE RULE OF LAW IN THE AGE OF THE LAWLESSNESS OF OBAMA

By The American Refugee

Recently, my tweep friend, Sarah J Butler, @viannahlee disagreed with a tweet I made quoting Jefferson on disobeying an unjust law. Obama’s disregard of the law, and the misunderstanding many people have thinking civil disobedience means doing whatever you want, has assuredly led to her attitude.

Confusion over civil disobedience can often revolve around a person’s understanding of the word just, in the particular context of the law they are breaking. Many would argue that no man is above the law, if you don’t like a law lobby to have it changed. However these same people would generally not expect people to follow a particular law that is immoral and in violation of natural law on it’s face. For example, if the government passed a law requiring that people eat their first born child, few would argue that it would not be the moral requirement of parents to break that law.

Respect for the rule of law is a proud part of the history of our nation. Yet, so is civil disobedience. Our founding fathers broke the laws of the British Crown, to which they were subject.  Jefferson is reported to have said, "If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."  Jefferson is known to have written, in the Declaration of Independence, "...whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..”.  In our more recent history Dr. Martin Luther King said "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws.  Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws."  Yet we would have chaos if every individual was looking at every law and making a judgment about which to follow and not follow.

For me, the issue revolves around how I view the word just.  It is not just, for an individual, to decide completely of his own accord, that a law is unjust and demand that all others heed his judgment.  However, when a law’s injustice is especially grave, and its injustice is self evident, we have reached a point where I believe, as did our founders, that the law must be broken.  In our system of government, the constitution takes precedent over any other written law, so unconstitutional laws should not be followed.

Who decides that a law is unconstitutional? Is it just, for an individual to make that judgment?  There are no kings in America.  We do have a Supreme Court which has asserted the power to rule on the constitutionality of laws, and the other branches of government have allowed them to do it.

This power is not explicitly in the constitution but has been inferred from the history, structure, and provisions of the constitution. The power is called judicial review. The Supreme Court first asserted this power in 1803, in Marbury vs Madison.  In many cases, this has led judicial tyranny where activist judges has decided what they wished the constitution said, rather than what it does, and declared laws in line with the constitution and supported by the people, unconstitutional.  Other times, the court has saved us from legislative overreach.  Still other times, the court has refused to overturn clearly unconstitutional laws.

Are the courts the only ones to decide?  Each president, member of congress, member of our military, and many others take an oath to support and defend the constitution of the United States. Is an individual honoring that oath if he follows a law he believes is unconstitutional on its face? 

My argument is that it goes to clarity, severity, and how many legitimate authorities agree with you.  If the president truly believes that a law is clearly unconstitutional, and gravely unjust, and his most trusted advisors tell him that, I believe he is obligated to ignore the law.  Some conservatives may get upset with me at this point because Obama has done just this, with DOMA, when we disagreed with him.  If we think the president is wrong, it is our job to see to it that he is impeached and convicted. The political process, in the end, is all we have to settle such matters.  Remember, it is in just this way that a future Republican president may refuse to enforce ObamaCare.

This concept does not excuse Obama from not enforcing laws which are clearly constitutional, or laws which he himself fought to pass and argued were constitutional.  It is his duty to faithfully execute all laws of the United States unless he believes they are gravely unjust and unconstitutional.  His absolute ignoring of a host laws is giving the idea of civil disobedience a bad name.

With respect to ObamaCare, I believe it is our duty to disobey this law.  ObamaCare is the greatest assault on liberty in the last 50 years.  I believe it will cause grave injustice.  I believe it is unconstitutional on its face.  ObamaCare makes it impossible to see just what behavior, or non behavior, the federal government can not outlaw or require.  It is the absolute end of individual liberty.

In striking it down, Judge Roger Vinson rightly made many observations. Vinson said Congress exceeded its authority by requiring nearly all Americans to buy health insurance. In fact, the jurist ruled that lawmakers lack the power to penalize you or me for not doing something. He actually compared the "individual mandate" to requiring people to eat healthy food.

Judge Vinson also talked about the Founding Fathers. He stated:

"Congress could require that people buy and consume broccoli at regular intervals, not only because the required purchases will positively impact interstate commerce, but also because people who eat healthier tend to be healthier and are thus more productive and put less of a strain on the health care system."

Now, allow us to examine that the law was not legitimately passed by the legislature.  All means of bribery, blackmail, intimidation, and suspension of rules was used to pass a bill which was never able to make it beyond a Senate filibuster.  Finally, when this unconstitutional law made its way through the court system and the Supreme Court had already written the decision declaring the individual mandate unconstitutional, a Chief Justice was possibly blackmailed into changing his vote at the last minute so that the mandate would survive.  His last minute writing was sloppy and nonsensical, with little in common with his previous writings or thought.

I will not comply with ObamaCare.  It is an unjust and unconstitutional law.  I will not obtain the insurance the law requires and I will pay no fine.  You see, it is possible to believe in the rule of Law and civil disobedience. The rule of law was not followed in the passing of ObamaCare. This means that we actually support the rule of law by refusing to comply.

The American Refugee is a Blogger,  Radio Talk Show Host, WebMaster, and Social Media Guru. Twitter  FB Fan Page  FB Personal Page  Instagram

He is also a conservative, libertarian, Christian, community activist.

 

When Everyone is a Winner, Everybody is a Loser

 

In a World Where Everyone’s a Winner, the Kids Have Caught On To The Con

By Sasha Mercer Homeschooling Blogger For

The American Refugees

 

In a world where everyone’s a winner, the kids have caught on to the con. I have two children, 10 and 8, and while my husband and I are not those parents that have to have their kid in every sport in every season, attending each sport’s clinic every year since the age of three, you wouldn’t know it by the amount of ribbons and trophies my boys have collected in their short years.  Now to be honest, if it was up to the boys, the majority of those would be in the trash.  Actually, a good portion of what they have accumulated since last year is in the trash, the weird mom side of me that keeps every drawing and every card my little wonders have ever made makes it difficult for me to throw these meaningless pieces of taffeta in the trash.

See, our kids are growing up in the “everyone’s a winner!” age, but the kids have caught on.  All of them, and you can see the proof of this by all of the “blue” ribbons scattered along the floors of the places housing these particular events, whether it be 4-H or a sporting event.  Or they are stuffed in back pockets, crumpled like a test paper that was given a C minus.  Mediocre, nothing to be proud of or hang on the wall, worst yet, everyone got one.  The funny thing of it all is that there still is a winner and a runner up and a third, but to differentiate from the blue ribbons now they are big rosettes but not blue, often they are yellow or purple and that’s what the kids want, forget the participation blue, they want the first place ribbon, whatever color it is.

My youngest came out of the womb competitive.  His dad and I are very laid back, we want to do our best at what we are doing and we both do compete, my husband plays soccer and I show horses, but we don’t throw a fit about losing so we are unsure of where our child got this strange competitive gene.  We are completely fine with it of course.  This is his personality and if he wants to work hard to win, we aren’t going to stop him but we do have repeated talks with him about doing things for the fun of it, to which he resolutely responds “what’s the point of it then?!”   Whether he is showing his rabbit or playing a game of soccer at the park, he wants to win. So this makes the participatory ribbon all that more offensive to him.

He had entered a poster about chickens to our local fair and come judging day we quickly scoured the hall for it.  Upon finding it, I gleefully pointed out that a blue ribbon hung at the corner.  His eyes widened and his face filled with pride, until his eyes found the surrounding posters and his shoulders slumped. “They all have blue ribbons,” he grumbled. Sure enough, he was right.  We discovered the actual winner, a big purple rosette hanging over it. We stepped over to study it and saw that it definitely was worthy of the first placing.  I pointed out the things they had done differently and told my son we needed to remember that for next year’s poster and he agreed.

But it isn’t just the competitive kids that don’t give a rip about these ribbons, my older son, more like his laid back parents, has the same response.  Upon his first 4-H show, he was definitely the novice of the class with a big unruly calf to deal with.  Before any of the actual placings were announced, the judge, a rather bored young twenty something, walked around to all the kids and shoved a blue ribbon in their hands, which quickly got stuffed in pockets or dropped on the way out of the arena.  My son was one of the top three and he came out of the ring with a frown. I assured him that for his first time, and his calf’s first time, they did very well.  “Look bud, you got a blue ribbon,” his grandpa pointed out, not knowing the big scam. “Gramps, everyone gets these.” My dad looked at me quizzically and I shrugged.  Times, have changed dad, apparently you didn’t get the memo that you are a completely screwed up human being because as a kid you use to walk out of sporting events as a (gasp) loser with no ribbon!

Just to really bore you, in case you are blessed to be in an area where kids are allowed to leave an event without a twenty five cent ribbon to remind them that they are good enough, smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like them, I have another story of politically correct-self-esteem-is-more-important-than wisdom-and-knowledge gone wild.  There was a community event put on over the summer in my city to encourage fitness, or at least that’s what the brochure said.  They had track and field events for all ages; shot put, high jump, javelin throwing, all events that my kids had never participated in so they were over the moon excited.  I paid our entry fee and we began our line standing for each event. One event in particular, some sort of foot race that I hadn’t paid attention to the details of, really excited my son.  He came in second the first go round and a green participatory ribbon, that even said “participant,” was shoved in his hand. He quickly ran to get back in line. “ Mom, that was great!” But his bubble was quickly burst when the women handling the race recognized him. “No, you already got a ribbon, you can’t do it again.”  “But I don’t want another ribbon, I just want to run, you don’t have to give me another ribbon.”  She looked confused, she had been thrown off her script and she quickly conferred with another staff member who confirmed that no, he couldn’t run again.  “But I just want to run, you don’t have to keep track of my name, I just want to beat my time.”  He pleaded and I stood back, let them tell a child no, in this event to encourage kids to stay active over the summer, let them make the case to him.  Nope, he couldn’t run.  Sure, there was no line of kids waiting, but apparently the point was to get that ribbon in his hand. They didn’t quite know what to do with a kid that wanted to run just for the sake of running.

Last week I was packing some boxes and came across the inspiration for the topic, a twenty year old, dusty, but not in the least bit crumpled, pink 6th place ribbon.  It brought a huge smile to my face and I remembered the exact day and class I had earned it in on my horse.  It was the only ribbon we had ever earned, in 4-H or anything else, and after a long day of class after class, with my horse continuously embarrassing me as he bolted and attempted to run off, or just plain refused to do something, and again and we placed 7th, 8th, sometimes so low that they didn’t even announce a placing.  Yet finally, in the last class of the day, my heart about leapt out of my throat as we finally placed.  Sixth was the last placing that earned a ribbon but we walked away with it.  As an adult, I have earned a lot of ribbons on my current horse, not participant, but actually earned; blues, reds, high points. I am proud of all the work and time that they represent but not so much as that sixth place.  I am sad that my kids will not have that moment.  As a kid I had dreamed of decorating my walls with ribbons, but all I ever had was one.  Now my kids could easily cover their walls with the ribbons they have accumulated but only a couple have any meaning to them, and they aren’t blue. 

I hope that this generation of kids will grow up and recall the ridiculousness of these participant ribbons and trophies and go back to recognizing hard work instead of just showing up, but in our world of entitlements, earned income tax “credits” and paying kids to go to school, something tells me my hopes will not come to fruition.

Fear Statism Not Libertarianism

Why Does Chris Christie Think We Need to Fear Libertarianism?

An Article By The American Refugee

While Christie is right that we need to have a serious debate in this country, he gets his first job wrong.  His first job is to protect liberty. It is also utterly ridiculous to claim that Obama has not expanded government spying and collection of data.  We are now getting a good look at what happens as a government becomes tyranical.  When the pendelum swings too far in the direction of supposed secuirty and also expansive government, a move back towards libertarianism is the only answer. Christie's emotional argument about 911 widows could be had on any topic. "Why don't you tell the widows and orphans of men killed in automobile accidents that we ought to continue to allow driving?"

There are such things as libertarian anarchists, and also left wing libertarians, but that is not we have in the patriot movement.  We have people who believe in our constitution and in a republican form of government.   We have people who believe that liberty comes first and security second.  Libertarianism is the opposite of authoritarianism and we patriot libertarians believe in personal freedom, private property rights, and freedom of association.  We also believe in secuirty, but we do not believe you must step beyond constitutional boundaries to get it.  Even within patriot libertarians, there is diversity.  We have Christians, objectivists, and those, like me, who are Christian believers that have been heavily influenced by Ayn Rand objectivism. Largely, we wish to be left alone to lead our lives.

Libertarian patriots believe that the only authority government has, is that explicitly given to it in the constitution.  The only time government should even use power given it by the constitution to take away liberty, is when there is a compelling reason, generally the greater violation of another’s liberty.  For example, my right to swing my fist does not extend to the area occupied by your nose.  The right to life movement is consistent with libertarianism, since it argues that the right to life of the unborn child, is greater than the right to choose not to be pregnant, of the woman.

Libertarians argue a federalist point of view with respect to the general welfare clause of Article 1 of the constitution.  This was the view put forth by the majority of the founding fathers, in the federalist papers, and mainly followed in this country until the 20^th century.

Article I states: "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States." The article lists twenty "enumerated powers" granted to the federal government.

The reason for the general welfare clause is to restrict government, not enable it. The 20 enumerated powers are it. That is why they were enumerated.  If the general welfare clause was meant to be seen as elastic, there would have been no reason to list the powers it granted.

Madison also later stated this view in a private letter.  "With respect to the words 'general welfare,' I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators."

It is not libertarians that we need to fear.  It is blowhard statists like Chris Christie.

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