When is the Time to Rise?

Posted on June 11, 2022 by zeev1776

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We’ll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we’ll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.” – Ronald Reagan, “A Time for Choosing,” October 27, 1964

No normal person wants a civil war. No normal person wants to see bloodshed. No normal person wants his country to be ripped apart. However, there comes a time when sitting on your hands crosses the line from common cowardice to criminal complicity.

If the American People do not rise up in righteous fury against the criminal cult that has hijacked our nation and is enveloping us in Satanic tyranny and soul-shattering perversion, then we are shamefully complicit in our own destruction and in the evisceration of our children’s future. Quite frankly, if we sit by as an international clique of Bolshevik gangsters ruthlessly rapes our Republic, we deserve every chain of bondage that will be tightened on our wrists and every divine judgement that will be poured out upon us.

If you think any of this sounds extreme, you haven’t been paying attention and probably shouldn’t be voting, let alone making any other important decisions in society. Consider the past 100 years. What greatness have we achieved as a People? What good has our elected representatives done for us? What wealth has been generated for the nation? Which Liberties have been safeguarded and strengthened?

The past century has been the epitome of “a long train of abuses” pursuing a course “to reduce [us] under absolute Despotism.” An extremely short list of the horrors committed against our People by our so-called “public servants” follows:

The Federal Reserve has made the U.S. dollar increasingly worthless, eating up 97% of its purchasing power since it was foisted upon the nation in 1913 by the international bankers and with the approval of Fabian Socialist Woodrow Wilson
FDR began the process of removing America from the gold standard in 1933 and was mimicked in 1971 by “I-am-not-a-crook” President Nixon
FDR banned production of America’s greatest cash crop and miracle plant, hemp
FDR and his literal Soviet advisors intentionally pushed Japan to bankruptcy and war and then stood down our defenses as 2,000 Americans were killed at Pearl Harbor in retaliation, all so that we could join the broader war and stop Germany from destroying communism in Europe
The national debt has ballooned from $2.9 billion in 1913 to the mind-boggling sum off $30.5 trillion in 2022
Prayer was removed from public schools after the Jewish lobby induced the Supreme Court to heed the complaints of one Jewish father who hated the idea of his son hearing a highly non-denominational prayer at school
Over 70 million babies have been butchered under the guise of “abortion” (more than the total number of people who died during World War II) since a panel of nine unelected, activist judges decided to throw out The Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights in Roe v. Wade in 1973
Under pressure of the Soviet Union and Soviet agents among us, California led the way (under the leadership of Ronald Reagan, of all people) in introducing America to the scourge of no-fault divorce and broken homes
Republican and Democrat administrations have allowed 30-40 million (if you believe the 11-million figure that has supposedly remained unchanged for over twenty years, I’ve got a bridge to sell you) illegal invaders to cross our borders, bringing drugs, criminality, racial division, disease, and other ailments into our communities
The government has run a fake War on Drugs while doing nothing to actually thwart the horrid scourge of drugs on our streets that weakens our nation and destroys the souls of men
On September 11, 2001, traitorous figures in numerous governments, intelligence agencies, corporations, and media organs around the world, combined resources to stand down the U.S. military, commandeer planes, rig buildings with explosives and thermate, murder 3,000 people, commit massive financial theft and insider trading before and simultaneous with the attacks, and run an ongoing coverup that any intelligent person who takes the time to study the facts can plainly see through
Using 9-11 as a pretext, as FDR did with Pearl Harbor, the Elite beat the war drums and used the American military like pathetic pawns to attack, invade, or occupy Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and beyond
During Coronahoax, the governments federal and state violated their express mandates and curtailed the Liberties of the People, including the right to worship, the right to assemble, the right to travel, and the right to work
During the Scamdemic, many Americans were effectively raped by the government which forced them to wear oxygen-inhibiting masks stating on the label that they don’t work to fight caronaviruses, and were penetrated by experimental vaccines (i.e. instruments of genocide) which have already claimed the lives of tens of thousands and maimed many more
In the aftermath of dozens of fishy false-flag shootings, including the stand-down debacle at Uvalde, oath-breakers in government have voiced their despotic desires to strip law-abiding citizens of their God-given right of self-defense explicitly protected in the Constitution
An international cartel, operating both domestically with Marxist mules and digitally out of China and other hostile countries, teamed up to steal the presidential election in 2020 and overturn the will of the American People, installing a doddering puppet “president” who has led us to the brink of nuclear war and economic ruin in just over a year
Mass pedophilia and Satanic Ritual Abuse run by the ruling Elite, CIA, CPS, et al.
Mass brainwashing and conditioning orchestrated to bring about the demoralization, and ultimate destruction of the United States of America

Ladies and gentlemen, dear readers and friends, this is the short version of the long train of abuses pointedly perpetrated against us by Establishment Republicans and Democrats, the Federal Reserve, big bankers, Bolshevik bureaucrats, progressives and liberals, socialists and communists, humanist agents in public schools, powerful global groups like the Committee of 300, Club Bilderberg, the World Economic Forum, and Blackwater, occult organizations like The Satanic Temple and Theosophical Society, Big Pharma, global corporations, and others who have combined in an international network of terror, death, and slavery.

Nothing above is hyperbolic, exaggerated, or conspiratorial. There is no conspiracy theory here; it is conspiracy fact, history, and truth. Write to me if you want additional evidence for any claim I have made.

Fellow patriot, we are at war. You can pretend the war doesn’t exist and doesn’t impact you or your family, but it does. Denying reality does not make it otherwise. Burying your head in the sand does not change reality.

The evil has become so brazen, so vicious, and so vocal, that I fear for those who still can’t see it. Discernment is a gift, but it is also a skill that can be honed by practice and experience. Samuel Adams is said to have written the following warning to James Warren on October 24, 1780:

“If ever the Time should come, when vain & aspiring Men shall possess the highest Seats in Government, our Country will stand in Need of its experienced Patriots to prevent its Ruin.”

How can we claim to be “experienced Patriots,” or expect to be effective in our resistance to tyranny, if we are blind to the machinations of the wolves in sheep’s clothing among us? If we can’t identify the enemy, how can we possibly stop him? If we can’t even acknowledge that we are at war, how can we ever muster the will power, nerve, and resilience to achieve victory?

I repeat what I said at the beginning: No upright man or woman wants civil war. However, there are things infinitely more precious than peace and union. Faith, Families, Freedom – these are more important. Preserving our right to worship God, shielding our children from moral corruption, and jealously guarding our natural rights – these are more valuable.

Today, our burden is not merely to maintain our rights; we must regain them. We have lost many of our rights or, at least, have had them restricted by regulations and bureaucratic policies. From obscene hate speech laws that curtail the First Amendment to gun regulations that infringe upon the Second Amendment to EPA regulations that hamper property rights to TSA policies that restrict Freedom of movement, we are not as free as our ancestors. I repeat: We are not as free as our ancestors.

When we acknowledge that we are not as free, prosperous, or just as our forebears were, and when you admit that we are at war against a ruthless clique of gangsters who have hijacked our society and crave our subjugation, the only real question becomes: “When is the time to rise?”

When will we stand up as freemen and reclaim our heritage of Liberty and self-rule? When will we invoke our right and duty, as recorded in The Declaration of Independence, “to throw off” our despotic government and “provide new Guards for [our] future security.”

Do not misunderstand, I don’t support a coup against the government or overthrowing the Constitution. Quite to the contrary; the Constitution is the only government I will ever submit to. Rather, I suggest reasserting our rights as protected under the Constitution by throwing out of office and prosecuting all those, at any level, who would dare usurp power, abuse the public, break their oaths, lie to the public, or tyrannize America.

Ideally, we should “throw the bums out” on election day. What happens, however, when the ballot box is taken away from us, elections are stolen, and non-elected jackals are installed as our overlords? Should we sit down, shut up, and comply? No! Would George Washington, Patrick Henry, or Samuel Adams submit to such abuse? No!

Our forefathers did not grovel before the Red Coats; they shot them. They stood up to them even when outnumbered at Lexington and Concord. They dumped their filthy tea into the ocean in protest. They drove out, even tar and feathering, bureaucrats who enforced despotic edicts. They used the power of juries to overturn unjust laws. They resisted tyranny when it tried to enslave them, ultimately declaring Independence and establishing the greatest and freest nation in world history through sacrifice, blood, and tears.

Will we follow our ancestors’ example or will we sentence our children to wear chains of crushing slavery? History, and God, will judge us for what we do now at this critical time. At a similarly decisive time in our nation’s history, General George Washington challenged his soldiers in these words:

“The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die.”

We have no choice; we must conquer or die! I ask again: When will we rise? If not now, when? When we have been further enslaved, economically depressed, demoralized, and polarized? When the situation has become worse? When the tyrants are more entrenched?

I have not shouldered a weapon in rebellion or marched physically into the fray because I don’t believe there are yet enough people willing to do so. And without enough patriots willing to risk their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to overthrow the traitors who have usurped our government and perverted our institutions, there’s no point in making yourself a martyr. I have, therefore, devoted myself to educating my fellow freemen. The real revolution that must occur must be in the hearts and minds of the People. When enough men and women have experienced a revolution in principles and spirit, then will be the time to rise and throw off our shackles.

Rise up, freeman! Now is the time to reform yourself, draw closer to God, and proclaim allegiance to the holy principles of Liberty. Now is the time to draw your line in the sand. Now is the time to prepare for the coming day when tyranny knocks on your door and forces you to decide whether you will be a slave or whether you will be free. I have chosen my side and have thrown my lot in with the stalwart Sons of Liberty who won Freedom for America. Will you join us?

“Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace– but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” – Patrick Henry, “Give Me Liberty of Give Me Death,” March 23, 1775

Zack Strong,
June 11, 2022

Self-Defense – The Paramount Right

Posted on November 17, 2021 by zeev1776

Self-defense is a God-given right. Self-defense is a natural right. And, in America, self-defense is a constitutional and legally-guaranteed right.

After the right of life, which necessarily must be considered the first and foundational right, the right to defend life and all the things that make it meaningful – such as Liberty and property – is the paramount right. All other rights rely upon the right of self-defense for their protection. None of our rights are secure without the individual’s prerogative to safeguard them.

Think of a few examples. Freedom of speech means little to nothing if you can’t defend yourself against those who would seek to silence or punish your speech. The right to own and use private property would be precarious at best without the right and means to defend said property against thieves and greedy tyrants. The right to worship as we please would be subject to the mob if we didn’t have a means of defending our beliefs. And the right of life, as noted, would be fragile without a means to preserve it. Choose almost any right that humans hold dear and you’ll see that its security, stability, and tenability depends heavily upon personal, private, and individual self-defense.

I’m bold to state that self-defense is the cardinal right we possess as humans. It is the pinnacle in our canon of Liberties. It is our paramount and premier right. It is the very lynchpin of Freedom.

The influential English statesman John Locke described the supreme importance of the right of self-defense. I quoted him at length in my article “The Natural Law of Self-Defense” and recommend you to read that piece for an enlarged understanding of these principles. But a few crucial lines bear repeating here:

“This makes it lawful for a man to kill a thief, who has not in the least hurt him, nor declared any design upon his life, any farther than, by the use of force, so to get him in his power, as to take away his money, or what he pleases, from him; because using force, where he has no right, to get me into his power, let his pretence be what it will, I have no reason to suppose, that he, who would take away my liberty, would not, when he had me in his power, take away every thing else. And therefore it is lawful for me to treat him as one who has put himself into a state of war with me, i.e. kill him if I can.

“. . . force, or a declared design of force, upon the person of another, where there is no common superior on earth to appeal to for relief, is the state of war: and it is the want of such an appeal gives a man the right of war even against an aggressor, tho’ he be in society and a fellow subject. Thus a thief, whom I cannot harm, but by appeal to the law, for having stolen all that I am worth, I may kill, when he sets on me to rob me but of my horse or coat; because the law, which was made for my preservation, where it cannot interpose to secure my life from present force, which, if lost, is capable of no reparation, permits me my own defence, and the right of war, a liberty to kill the aggressor, because the aggressor allows not time to appeal to our common judge, nor the decision of the law, for remedy in a case where the mischief may be irreparable. Want of a common judge with authority, puts all men in a state of nature: force without right, upon a man’s person, makes a state of war, both where there is, and is not, a common judge” (John Locke, Second Treatise on Government, Chapter 3, Sections 18-19).

Did you catch that? Self-defense is permissible in any situation where an appeal to the courts and law is not immediately available. In situations when force, “or a declared design of force,” is used against you, a state of war has begun and you have a logical right to use force to stop the threat – yes, even to kill the threat. When someone illicitly tries to “get [you] in his power,” you may lawfully prevent it by destroying the threat.

What if you’re merely being robbed? First of all, there’s nothing trivial about property theft or property damage. The death penalty has been the verdict for theft throughout much of history. Second of all, it doesn’t matter what the offense is; you may still kill the aggressor who is attempting to get you under his control or who is otherwise using, or threatening to use, force against you.

Consider it logically. You don’t know what an aggressor’s intentions are. You don’t know, when a masked man jumps out at you on a dark street at midnight, whether he wants to rob, rape, or murder you. You don’t know, when someone busts down your front door while you’re sitting on the couch with your family, what the home invader’s intentions are. You don’t know when mobs chase you and try to put their hands on you what they want. You are justified in reacting aggressively to counter the “design of force” which is evident against you in all of these cases.

Please note that I have yet to refer to firearms or the 2^nd Amendment. Our right of self-defense doesn’t depend on the U.S. Constitution and it certainly has nothing whatsoever to do with guns. Let’s explore these truths a little.

At the outset, I said that self-defense is not only a constitutional right, but a natural and God-given right. What are “natural rights”? The term was routinely used by our Founding Fathers. Natural rights are those prerogatives inherent in every person at birth. They belong to the individual because of his or her humanity and for no other reason. Each person is therefore born with these “natural rights” and does not receive them from government, society, one’s family, one’s church, popular consensus, or any other source. If you were born, you have natural rights.

You may, in a sense, compare these natural rights, which are a part of natural law, with jungle law. In nature, lions, tigers, baboons, bears, bison, bees, etc., defend themselves, their territory, and their property (food, dens, nests, etc.). It’s not a societal convention – it’s hardwired in their natures. This is their most basic – and essential – right and idea. The only difference is that humans are even more important and valuable and have the seeds of godhood in them (Romans 8:16-17) by virtue of their Heavenly lineage (Psalm 82:6), thus giving them a greater prerogative to self-defense.

Samuel Adams gave one of the greatest explanations of natural rights. He said:

“Among the natural rights of the Colonists are these: First, a right to life; Secondly, to liberty; Thirdly, to property; together with the right to support and defend them in the best manner they can. These are evident branches of, rather than deductions from, the duty of self-preservation, commonly called the first law of nature. . . .

“When men enter into society, it is by voluntary consent; and they have a right to demand and insist upon the performance of such conditions and previous limitations as form an equitable original compact.

“Every natural right not expressly given up, or, from the nature of a social compact, necessarily ceded, remains.

“All positive and civil laws should conform, as far as possible, to the law of natural reason and equity. . . .

“The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but only to have the law of nature for his rule. . . .

“In short, it is the greatest absurdity to suppose it in the power of one, or any number of men, at the entering into society, to renounce their essential natural rights, or the means of preserving those rights; when the grand end of civil government, from the very nature of its institution, is for the support, protection, and defence of those very rights; the principal of which, as is before observed, are Life, Liberty, and Property. If men, through fear, fraud, or mistake, should in terms renounce or give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the grand end of society would absolutely vacate such renunciation. The right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of man to alienate this gift and voluntarily become a slave” (Samuel Adams, The Rights of Colonists, 1772).

Natural rights pre-existed before governments came into being. According to Samuel Adams, it’s “the greatest absurdity” to think that we even have the ability to “renounce [our] essential rights.” We do not. We were created with them and they’re ours by birthright. It’s tantamount to slavery to give up our rights. And, please note, that self-defense is identified as one of our “essential natural rights.” Specifically, Samuel Adams said that it’s absurd to renounce “the means of preserving those rights” and that the very purpose is the “defence of those very rights.”

The Boston Independent Chronicle published an editorial in 1787 that linked self-defense with natural rights:

“It was absolutely necessary to carry arms for fear of pirates, &c. and . . . their arms were all stamped with peace, that they were never to be used but in case of hostile attack, that it was in the law of nature for every man to defend himself, and unlawful for any man to deprive him of those weapons of self defence” (Les Adams, The Second Amendment Primer: A Citizen’s Guidebook to the History, Sources, and Authorities for the Constitutional Guarantee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, 118)

It was clear to the author of that statement that keeping arms was both “lawful” and “absolutely necessary.” It was also completely “unlawful” for anyone to take away private weapons. These weapons were to be kept to preserve peace, pursuant to the law of nature.

Finally, the early American statesman Henry St. George Tucker explained:

“The right of bearing arms – which with us is not limited and restrained by an arbitrary system of game laws as in England; but, is particularly enjoyed by every citizen, and is among his most valuable privileges, since it furnishes the means of resisting as a freeman ought, the inroads of usurpation” (Les Adams, The Second Amendment Primer, 105).

Another time, he elaborated:

“Now the natural right of self defence is nothing more than the liberty which the law of nature allows us of defending ourselves from an attack which is made upon our persons or of taking such measures as may guard against any injuries we are likely to suffer from another. . .

“. . . [A]s the law of nature allows us to defend ourselves, and imposes no limit upon the right, the only limit we can impose is the necessity of the case. Whatever means are necessary must be lawful; for the rule is general, that where is a right is absolutely given, the mean to exercise it must also follow” (Les Adams, The Second Amendment Primer, 105).

These are important clarifications. They explain that not only do individuals have a natural right of self-defense, but that it is unlimited and unlimitable. It is absolute. It is unimpeachable. If we have the right to defend ourselves, we must also have the absolute right to exercise it by any means. I’ve long argued that if Bob down the block thinks he needs a machine gun to defend his family, who am I to say no? If I feel I need hand grenades, what gives you the right to stop me?

If you have authority to limit my right of self-defense in any way, then you can argue that you have the right to restrict it totally. In most cases, our rights are not given with stipulations. Certainly, as was argued above, the right of self-defense must be unlimited, or “absolutely given,” or it can’t truly be said to exist. This is the weight of natural rights – the rights upheld by the Constitution and claimed by all humans at birth.

Now we move on to God-given rights. The concept relies upon one’s belief a higher power – a Creator. Those who acknowledge God’s creative power and authority also acknowledge that natural rights didn’t just pop into existence, but are part of God’s overarching Plan for mankind. Regardless of what you individually believe, Americans have collectively acknowledged God’s authority and in fact identify Him as the source of our natural rights. The Declaration of Independence clearly and firmly states that “all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

If you are a citizen of the United States, part of your political creed, canonized and codified and carrying the force of law, is the belief that humans are given their rights by God Almighty; including, specifically, life, Liberty, and the ability to work out their existence in happiness without interference. If you don’t believe this, I would say you’re not a true American and don’t belong here. At any rate, you repudiate the core of the Declaration of Independence and stand in defiance to the great men who created our Republic.

Alexander Hamilton made this strong statement regarding our rights:

“The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for, among old parchments, or musty records. They are written, as with a sun beam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power” (Alexander Hamilton, “The Farmer Refuted,” February 23, 1775).

It’s “self-evident,” as the Declaration says, that humans are endowed by God with their rights. It is the entire purpose of civil society and government to protect and secure these precious rights. But, in the ultimate sense, the power government has been delegated to protect rights comes from the individual who received his rights directly from his Creator.

Thomas Jefferson reasoned this way:

“And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath?”

John Adams affirmed that American Independence was achieved by implying the principles of Christianity – that conviction in the minds of the People that Liberty is from the Lord. Said he:

“The general Principles, on which the Fathers Achieved Independence, were the only Principles in which, that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite, and these Principles only could be intended by them in their Address, or by me in my Answer. And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all those Sects were United: And the general Principles of English and American Liberty, in which all those young Men United, and which had United all Parties in America, in Majorities Sufficient to assert and maintain her Independence.

“Now I will avow, that I then believed, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God: and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System” (John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, June 28, 1813).

The “only Principles” that united America in 1776 were the principles of Christianity. “Those principles of Liberty” that made America great were built on a foundation of the “general Principles of Christianity.” American Liberty and Christianity are therefore indissolubly linked, and the right of self-defense, therefore, comes from God Himself.

It may surprise some to know that the right of self-defense is written into the Bible and, therefore, constitutes one of those general principles of Christianity referred to. Exodus 22:2 states: “If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.” God clearly justified the killing of a thief, let alone an attacker, rapist, murderer, etc. But perhaps I’m getting off track. The point is that the noble men who founded America believed that rights come from God and stand above the power of government.

If rights are God-given – and I testify they absolutely are – it bears asking how He suggests we defend them. The Declaration of Independence says:

“That 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, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness . . . when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

What is being communicated here? Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and the rest of the fifty-six illustrious men who signed the Declaration proclaimed it to be a right and duty to take up arms to thwart those violating their rights. This includes the right and duty to rebel against and overthrow tyrannical or corrupt government. The means of doing this, of course, is the paramount right – self-defense.

St. George Tucker expounded on this right and duty when he said of the 2^nd Amendment:

“This may be seen as the true palladium of liberty. The right of self defence is the first law of nature; in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible. Wherever standing armies are kept up, and the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction. In England, the people have been disarmed, generally under the specious pretext of preserving the game” (Les Adams, The Second Amendment Primer, 104).

Autocrats and despots hate the right of self-defense and always move to ban it. They know that their tyrannical aspirations would be impossible to get away with in the face of an armed citizenry. In a real sense, they acknowledge the preeminent place of the right of self-defense by focusing their attacks on it.

Noah Webster agreed that self-defense is a remedy to oppression, stating:

“Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any bands of regular troops that can be, on any pretence, raised in the United States” (Les Adams, The Second Amendment Primer, 105-106).

Justice Joseph Story of the Supreme Court chimed in, bolstering the argument that individual citizens may bear arms for self-defense and protection against tyrants:

“The importance of this article will scarcely be doubted by any persons who have duly reflected upon this subject. The militia is the natural defense of a free country. . . . The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a Republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them” (Les Adams, The Second Amendment Primer, 107).

In his book Principles of Constitutional Law, Thomas M. Cooley debunked the erroneous idea that only “militias” can have guns:

“The right is general. It may be supposed from the phraseology of this provision that the right to keep and bear arms was only guaranteed to the militia; but this would be an interpretation not warranted by the intent . . . The meaning of the provision undoubtedly is, that the people, from whom the militia must be taken, shall have the right to keep and bear arms, and they need no permission or regulation of law for the purpose” (Les Adams, The Second Amendment Primer, 108).

Finally, John Adams simply said: “Arms in the hands of citizens [may] be used at individual discretion . . . in private self-defence” (Les Adams, The Second Amendment Primer, 98).

Is it reasonable, in the face of this evidence and logic, to assume government has any right to take guns or restrict them in any manner? Of course not! The American People may use arms to overthrow oppressive government and the individual citizen may use them to defend his person and property. We have at least three sources to appeal to for this reasoning: The Constitution of the United States, which is the supreme law of the land; the law of nature which belongs to each human by right and supersedes the dictates of government; and the laws of God which trump them all.

The reason I chose to write this article at this time is because of the ongoing Kyle Rittenhouse trial. As of the publication of this article, the jury is on day two of deliberation. Anyone who has bothered to watch the trial has witnessed the rampant lies, witness tampering, and evidence manipulation of the smarmy, bitter prosecutors. This case is one of the most clear-cut cases of self-defense I’ve ever seen. It should have never been brought to trial. The only reason Kyle Rittenhouse’s fate sits in the hands of some random people in his community is because of politics. More than an attack on him, this is an attack on the very idea of self-defense and Freedom.

Kyle Rittenhouse must be freed. He used his constitutional, natural, and God-given right to defend himself against pedophiles, felons, and armed attackers who chased him, threatened him, and sought to do him bodily harm. If Kyle was not justified in shooting his attackers, then no one truly has a right to self-defense. Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero and I consider people who think otherwise enemies of the Republic and Constitution.

The Second Amendment is a litmus test for a person’s true commitment or antagonism to Freedom. America became a nation – the greatest nation on earth – because her People believed God had explicitly endowed them with the right to defend themselves against oppression and to safeguard their Freedom by force if necessary. To abdicate their rights without a fight was to consent to slavery. To allow a criminal or aggressor to take your life without a fight is little more than suicide. To take the life of an attacker, by contrast, is justified by holy writ, natural law, and the U.S. Constitution.

The right to keep and bear arms – to possess and use them – in our own personal defense and in the defense of our national Freedom, is our paramount right. Without it, Liberty is a lie. Without it, criminality rules. Without it, all hope is gone.

Stand firm for your rights, fellow freeman. Draw a line in the sand. Hold that line. Don’t fear tyrannical laws, conniving despots, or traitorous enforcers. Be prepared to defend yourself, your family, and your country against criminals, predators, and oppressors at every level. At the end of the day, when we stand up for self-defense – both in a private and national capacity – we stand with George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the other heroes of the Revolution. May God grant us the strength to defend our most paramount right so that we may more easily defend all of His sacred endowments!

Zack Strong,
November 17, 2021

Blood-Bought America

Posted on July 2, 2021 by zeev1776

American Freedom was purchased with the blood of patriots. Liberty has always required tremendous sacrifices to obtain and maintain. Thomas Paine said it best in 1776:

“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: It is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to set a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated” (Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, 1776).

To sum up Paine in modern lingo, “Freedom isn’t free.” As an American, you are indebted to your ancestors for the Liberty and Independence you enjoy. They slogged through the hell of war, waded through affliction and tears, and risked everything dear to them in order to hand down a heritage of Freedom, self-rule, and peace.

John Adams colorfully said:

“Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it” (John Adams to Abigail Adams, April 26, 1777).

It cost a great deal to purchase American Freedom. It cost blood, toil, and treasure. Lives were cut short, families were split asunder, and civic life was upended. Yet, what patriot would dare say it was all in vain? If our forefathers were willing to fight and die for the gift of Liberty, surely we, the beneficiaries of that gift, should feel the stir of gratitude for the patriot blood that was spilled to quench the parched tree of Liberty in 1776.

When you gather with fellow believers and attend the church of your choice this Independence Day Sunday, remember that without patriot blood you might not be able to enjoy this inestimable blessing. The next time you purchase a firearm, consider that it’s not your Visa card that’s buying it, but the patriot blood of ages past that affords you the opportunity to arm yourself as a freeman. The next time you express a political opinion in public, or go to the polls to vote, or throw your name in the hat in a local election, consider that there are billions of people in other countries who cannot do so because the blood of patriots has not fertilized their ground sufficiently for the tree of Liberty to grow.

We live in a blessed land. America is a land of covenant. It’s a sacred spot chosen by Almighty God for special purposes. In 1630, John Withrop envisioned a glorious future for this continent. He expressed it this way:

“The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us, as His own people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness and truth, than formerly we have been acquainted with. We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies; when He shall make us a praise and glory that men shall say of succeeding plantations, “may the Lord make it like that of New England.” For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God, and all professors for God’s sake. We shall shame the faces of many of God’s worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going.”

For many years, America fulfilled Winthrop’s vision. We became, and remain, the envy of the world. The hand of the Lord prospered us, gave us technology, revealed systems of good government, and kept us out of the perpetual wars of other countries. No People has ever been so richly blessed. So startlingly remarkable are these manifestations of divine favor that President George Washington, in his First Inaugural Address, stated:

“No People can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.”

Yet, as we view our beloved America today, we see that she has fallen from her former glory. She’s not as free as she once was. She’s not as virtuous and just as she once was. She’s not even as proud, peaceful, or prosperous as she once was. Lady Liberty took sledgehammer blows to the kneecaps in 2020 and 2021. The hammer (and sickle) wielders are gearing up to swing again even more violently and maliciously as she falters and attempts to rise – as millions of good-hearted Americans realize they’ve been conned and attempt to extricate themselves from the jaws of political despotism, medical tyranny, and media lies.

Some of the finest branches of the American tree of Liberty have wilted and withered. Some have stopped bearing fruit while others produce slightly bitter fruit. Yet, there are many new buds blossoming on some of the younger branches and the harvest looks promising. These new buds must be guarded and nourished as they grow stronger. But how can we nourish and cultivate this precious plant? Long ago, Thomas Jefferson explained the only sure way to do it when he said:

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. it is it’s natural manure” (Thomas Jefferson to William Smith, November 13, 1787).

It will require a Herculean effort to revive the tree of Liberty. Tragically, as the Sage of Monticello observed, it will require, as it always has, the blood of patriots and tyrants. But the prize is worth the price.

It won’t be easy, though. Restoring our lost rights will require a dramatic change in our hearts and minds. Our forefathers didn’t just pick up their muskets one day and fight their British oppressors. Rather, they were schooled in the principles of Liberty for years prior to the fighting. They understood their religious and civic duty to rebel against tyrants and to defend their Faith, Families, and Freedom. They knew about, and participated in, self-rule. They understood what being freemen was all about.

Our patriot forefathers knew that principled patriotism – in private conduct as well as public life – was the panacea to their national maladies. John Adams affirmed:

“This radical Change in the Principles, Opinions Sentiments and Affection of the People, was the real American Revolution” (John Adams to Hezekiah Niles, February 13, 1818).

If we want things to be different, we have to be different. We have to alter our ways of thinking, raise our standards and principles, and adjust our behavior accordingly. Ultimately, we have to turn our hearts and minds back to the Lord of Liberty, Jesus Christ. Atheists did not win the American War for Independence; Christians did.

America’s fiery patriot leaders did not trust in themselves, but, like General Washington who found himself praying mightily for deliverance, had faith in their Creator and Redeemer. Had they not shouted from the rooftops that “for the support of this Declaration [of Independence], with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor”?

Without turning to Christ, everything else we do is a half-measure and will fail. But, with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37). The Lord has clearly promised to prosper and protect those who turn to Him. He said:

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

And again, through Isaiah, the Lord promised to shine upon those nations who embrace His covenants and repent:

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. . . .

“And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city” (Isaiah 1:16-27).

America is the greatest land on earth; the most blessed and amazing nation to be found anywhere. I love her! I love her Constitution, her heritage of Freedom, her pantheon of heroes, her promise of guaranteed natural rights, and her unrivaled opportunities for growth and ingenuity, prosperity and joy. Her fruited plains are beautiful to my eyes and I marvel at how special, how unique, and how blessed America truly is by the hand of the Almighty.

Yet, America needs restoring. She needs mending. She needs once more to bask in the shade of the tree of Liberty. It will be difficult. It demands gut-wrenching sacrifices. The tree of Liberty requires the blood of good men and women – patriot blood – to nourish its fledgling blossoms. With John Adams, I recognize what it will cost. But, with John Adams, I also excitedly envision what we will gain:

“I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. – Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction” (John Adams to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776).

This Independence Day, and every day, let’s triumph in our ancestors’ War for Independence. Let’s remember that we live in a blood-bought Republic. Let’s recall with tender gratitude the sacrifices it took to achieve the Liberty we so abundantly enjoy and let’s steel ourselves for the daunting task ahead – the restoration of our rights and the nourishing of the tree of Liberty. With God’s help, we and our children will one day breathe free air and again bask in the ravishing light and glory of Freedom.

Zack Strong

July 2, 2021

Three Things I’m Thankful For

Posted on November 20, 2020 by zeev1776

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.” – Psalm 136:1

Gratitude is an underrated quality. It has the capacity to expand our souls, lighten our burdens, humble us, give us greater perspective, and fill us with hope. In our me-centered society, however, we often forget to remember the myriad of things our Creator has given us, our family and friends have done for us, and which we enjoy as sojourners in the marvelous 21^st Century. With Thanksgiving just days away, we have the perfect opportunity to express our gratitude and tell people how good God has been to us and why life is not the drudgery we often depict it as.

Among the myriad of things for which I’m grateful, three stand out during this particular season: My Faith, Family, and Freedom. I will endeavor to explain why each means so much to me. As you read, I invite you to consider those things that are truly important to you. I also invite you to share them publicly. Together, we can inspire others to count their blessings as well and thus brighten the world in some measure.

Faith

Of all the things that have blessed and shaped my life, none has done so more than my faith in, and witness of, Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Ghost, I know that Jesus Christ, that humble Man of Nazareth, is the Son of God, the resurrected Redeemer, and the Lord of lords. He died on the Cross of Calvary, but He yet lives in a perfected form, with a body of flesh and bone (Luke 24:36-43). As sure as I know any other thing, I know that my Savior lives.

I’m grateful for the influence the Gospel of Jesus Christ has had in my life. The precepts of the Master have informed my politics and principles and have directed my decisions in every aspect of life. Whatever good qualities I possess today are a result of my faltering attempt to follow the Lord. I’m truly thankful that He does not cast us off when we fail to follow Him perfectly. Instead, the Savior reaches out, takes us by the hand, mentors us, shows us the way, and helps us take each baby step forward when we let Him.

The Lord has always been with me and has helped me – even, and perhaps especially, when I didn’t deserve it. In times I’ve been low, He has raised me up. In times of deep depression, He has been there to comfort me. In times of sorrow for my sins, He has wiped away my tears and lifted me one inch at a time. In times of need, He has provided. In times of stress, He has calmed me when I turned to Him in prayer. In times of joy, He has smiled with me. In times of inspiration, He has assisted me and given me energy to create, evaluate, and excel. And in times of love, He has embraced me and allowed me to feel His infinite love for me.

I’m grateful for the host of answered prayers I’ve received. In big things and in little things, my Father in Heaven has answered my prayers. I can’t claim that every prayer I’ve uttered has been answered, but when I need it most, He always hears me and responds. Moments ago, as I was writing this article, He answered a small prayer. No one can tell me that prayer doesn’t work. It does. I know it does. I’ve had too many experiences to ever believe otherwise. Often, Father has answered my prayers in powerful and immediate ways, obliterating all doubt in my heart about whether He lives and loves me.

I can stand before the world today and declare that I know my Eternal Father lives, that His Son, Jesus Christ, is the Redeemer of mankind, and that the Holy Spirit imparts the truth of these things to the honest seeker of truth. I’m grateful for this knowledge! I’m grateful that I am a son of my living Father in Heaven. I’m grateful to be a follower of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. And I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit has

In my personal life, as in society, faith is the first and most important principle. As individuals, and as a civilization, we must turn our hearts back to Christ. We must begin to believe in His law, love, and mercy once again. We must make the Gospel a part of our daily lives and public conversation. The name of the Lord must be repeated in our hearts, homes, schools, government buildings, and places of worship. Only by reviving and preserving our Faith and becoming a godly society once more can we escape the traps set for us by the enemy of our souls.

I’m sincerely grateful that Faith still burns brightly in the hearts of millions of my countrymen. A remnant of faithful followers of the Lord Jehovah is rising. Let’s show our gratitude to our Savior this Thanksgiving by inviting Him into our hearts and homes. Let’s pray together in His name, read the holy scriptures in our families, publicly express our thanks to Him and our Father, and go about doing good as He did during His mortal ministry and as He continues to do today.

Family

The family is the most important unit in society. Society is but a mirror image of the families that comprise it. If society fails, it is because its families failed first. Truly, society is won or lost at the dinner table. This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to gather your family around you, regardless of the discouragement of politicians and the media, and tell them how much they mean to you. I also take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to God for my family, and to my family for the blessing they’ve been in my life.

Not only do I feel grateful beyond measure for my parents and siblings, without whom I wouldn’t have made it this far in life, but for my own new little family. Last year, I married my beautiful wife. This year, we invited a sweet little girl into our home. My little Evie is the thing I’m most grateful for. I’m thankful for her endless abundance of smiles. No matter what I’m feeling, her radiant smile warms me and makes me smile, too. I’m grateful for her sweetness. I can feel love and joy radiate from her spirit and from her gorgeous, ever-changing hazel eyes. Evie is a reminder to me of what’s really important in life; a living reminder that God is good and wants us to be happy.

The children of God are designed to be happy. The place they can experience the greatest amount of growth, fulfillment, and joy is in the family. It was not happenstance that Father commanded Adam and Eve to unite as “one flesh” and to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:24). The family is the incubator of goodness, civility, citizenship, chivalry, manners, refinement, charity, purity, faith, love, and happiness.

I’m grateful for my upbringing by my parents. They taught me the best they could to know and love God. They taught me about the world. They gave me good examples. I learned the value of hard work and study from my Dad, and the value of selflessness and charity from my Mom. My sisters and brother have also been a source of joy and help. My family are my best friends. And I’m thrilled to add my wife, who tries so hard to be a good mother, and my amazing daughter to that list of best friends forever.

I encourage each of you to spend as much time with your family as possible. We often get so busy in this fast-paced world we live in that we neglect what matters most – our family. An old adage says: Love is spelled T-I-M-E. And so it is. Give your family your time. Husbands, set aside time for your wives. Wives, carve our time just for your husband. Parents, always give the maximum amount of time to your children. Siblings, spend your time with your brothers and sisters. Families that devote their time to God and to each other are families that will survive the storms of life.

Again, I’m more thankful than I can say for my family, my wife, and my little girl. They make life meaningful. Life would be bland without them. I’d lose my motivation to research, write, and do the things I do without the knowledge that it is all to give my family a better world to live in.

Freedom

Our Faith and Families, as wonderful and indispensable as they are, ultimately mean very little without Freedom. Freedom is the spice of life. We are each endowed by God with sacred rights to enjoy and exercise, the agency to choose our course, and personal accountability for our actions. It is Freedom that allows us to worship our God, enjoy our families, and find fulfillment in life. I’m grateful that though it is battered and bruised, Freedom still exists.

I’ve lived on multiple continents and have several years of experience in foreign lands under different systems of government and law. Without question, there is more Liberty in the United States than anywhere else on this planet. And I say this while also acknowledging that we have lost a tremendous amount of our Freedom because of the machinations of traitors. Yet, despite what we’ve lost, we still possess our basic rights, albeit in an embattled state – the right of free speech, the right of assembly, the right of due process, the right to worship the god of our choice, the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense, the right of private property, the right of habeas corpus, and so forth.

I’m grateful for my God-given rights and the inspired Constitution which safeguards them. I’m thankful for the wise and patriotic men who founded America and raised up a free society on its solid foundation of Freedom. I’m grateful for the American heritage of Liberty, Independence, and resistance to tyrants – a heritage unequaled anywhere in the world. I’m thankful for the right to choose my own path in life, which includes my choice to follow the Savior and to be with my wife and daughter. Liberty is the most indispensable of all blessings because it enables all the rest.

I encourage you to exercise your Freedom this Thanksgiving by denying the despotic demands of tyrants who would keep you away from your family on this special holiday. Use your agency and choose to gather with your family, sharing your testimony of God and your sincerest feelings of gratitude with them. We say, “Let Freedom ring.” But Freedom cannot ring if we stifle it in our personal lives. Use your rights, exercise your agency, and show that you are a free individual.

Yes, I’m so very thankful for my Freedom! It is the catalyst for enjoying my Faith and my Family. It is the supreme gem in the crown of blessings given by our Heavenly Father. Without it, nothing else matters. With it, we can choose what matters to us. Choose to exalt, observe, and exercise your Faith, Family, and Freedom this Thanksgiving.

A Challenge

Dear reader, gratitude matters. An attitude of gratitude will go a long way toward healing our broken society. It will bring greater peace and perspective into your life. It will also bring the blessings of Heaven into your home because God our Father loves and prospers those who acknowledge His hand in their lives.

I urge you take this special opportunity to express your gratitude to everyone you can. I invite you to adopt the challenge laid down by Russell M. Nelson, the prophet-president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He challenged us to do two things during this Thanksgiving season:

“Over nine and a half decades of life, I have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a fast-acting and long-lasting spiritual prescription. . . .

“As a doctor, I know the value of good therapy. So, dear friends, may I prescribe two activities to help us experience the healing power of gratitude. First, I invite you, just for the next seven days, to turn social media into your own personal gratitude journal. Post every day about what you are grateful far, who you are grateful for, and why you are grateful. At the end of seven days, see if you feel happier and more at peace . . . Working together, we can flood social media with a wave of gratitude that reaches the four corners of the earth.

“Second, let us unite in thanking God through daily prayer. Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray by first expressing gratitude to God and then petitioning Him for the things we need. Prayer brings forth miracles.”

I know that during those times when I’ve consistently expressed greater gratitude and focused on what’s good in my life instead of what’s wrong in the world, I have felt more Heavenly power, light, and joy. I therefore know that President Nelson’s challenge, if heeded, will yield good fruit.

Let us all work harder to cultivate an attitude of gratitude so that we may reap the blessings of peace and happiness it provides. This Thanksgiving, choose to be grateful. Express your love and sincere thanks to your God, your family, and your fellow beings, even for the smallest of things. This day and always, choose gratitude!

Zack Strong,

November 20, 2020

“Illegal Fireworks” on Independence Day

Posted on July 5, 2020 by zeev1776

“No fireworks on Independence Day, said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. To hell with that, said the people.” – Bruce Haring, “Los Angeles County Residents Ignore “No Fireworks” Order, Celebrate With Massive Display,” Deadline, July 5, 2020.

Yesterday was Independence Day. Independence Day marks the glorious moment that our forefathers declared their total Independence from British tyranny and embarked on the experiment of republican self-rule. It was the formal beginning of the Liberty movement that had been sweeping through the colonies and which today is gaining renewed strength among American patriots. It was, in short, the authoritative expression of our People’s desire to be free.

When the Sons of Liberty finally secured their Freedom and established the United States of America, Independence Day was celebrated from one end of the Republic to the other. As the Union expanded, so, too, did the celebrations. And why should they not have? Independence Day was not only the most significant day in U.S. history, but one of the most defining moments in world history.

John Adams fondly envisioned a day when every American could commemorate their Independence:

“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

“You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. – I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. – Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not” (John Adams to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776).

By and large, Americans have faithfully fulfilled Mr. Adams’ hopes. Though the custom has fallen to the wayside, our People traditionally gave rousing sermons and speeches praising God for delivering us from tyranny and thanking Him for setting us up as a free People. To this day, we host large and colorful parades, brilliant firework shows, and community barbecues. You can still find historical reenactments and readings of the Declaration in locations. Bells are sometimes still sounded from church towers. Patriotic music blares over the airwaves. And in rural areas, we still shoot off guns on this special day.

However, a group of anti-American traitors has wormed their way into positions of power in our federal government and in our states. They control governorships, city councils, seats in Congress, judgeships, and so forth. This is particularly true in states like California, Oregon, Washington, New York, and Illinois where hardcore socialists now rule. This cabal of traitors has used their influence to gradually extinguish the American spirit, stifle our patriotism, and transform our country into a soulless Marxian state.

The hyped Coronavirus “pandemic” has provided the whole nation with proof of how eager this group of gangsters is to throw out the Constitution, restrict our rights, and dominate our lives. They’ve banned church services, arrested mothers playing with their children in public park, dumped tons of sand in skate parks to prevent kids from enjoying the outdoors, mandated the public wear masks that even the communist-controlled World Health Organization (WHO) admits do not work to stop viruses, forced us to stand six-feet-apart from one another like prison inmates, closed down our businesses, arrested people for trying to make a living, freed violent criminals from prisons to allegedly protect them (what about protecting us from them?), restricted travel, closed down schools, prevented people from attending doctors because they were trying to make room for “Coronavirus” patients who never arrived, and so on and so forth.

So blatant have been the attacks on our Freedom – in particular our Freedom of religious expression – that a prominent religious leader, Elder David A. Bednar, said in frustration:

“We cannot deny, and we should not forget, the speed and intensity with which government power was used to shut down fundamental aspects of religious exercise. These decisions and regulations were unprecedented. For nearly two months, Americans, and many others throughout the free world, learned firsthand what it means for government to directly prohibit the free exercise of religion. . . .

“. . . Government power can never be unlimited. In our political system, the government “derives its just powers from the consent of the governed,” to quote the Declaration of Independence. But the just powers of government cannot be unlimited because they exist most fundamentally to secure the God-given rights of life and liberty so that each of us can exercise our moral agency, the ability to act for ourselves and not to be acted upon, and to be accountable before God for our choices and actions. Constitutions, representative government, checks and balances, and the rule of law help constrain the tendency of government to exercise unlimited power. . . .

“. . . despite the obvious need for a proper response to COVID-19, we must not become accustomed to sweeping assertions of governmental power. Invoking emergency powers, government executives summarily impose numerous orders and directives that in many ways are analogous to martial law. These executive orders are unlike laws enacted through the ordinary give and take of the democratic process. No doubt an emergency on the scale of COVID-19 justifies strong measures to protect the public, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that many of these measures are extraordinary assertions of governmental power that can dramatically constrain our basic freedoms. The power of government must have limits. . . .

“. . . we can no more disregard the valid claims of religious freedom in a time of crisis than we can disregard the valid claims of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, or freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. Nor should we prioritize secular interests above religious ones. A health crisis should not become an excuse for a religious freedom crisis.”

Despite common sense of this sort, many states have used the “crisis” as a pretext for ushering in blatant tyranny that strangles our Liberty and extinguishes a multitude of our most precious rights. The abuses have been “sweeping.” They have been unapologetic. And they have been deliberate. Not only have they taken aim at everyday rights like the right to peaceably assemble, but they have been brought to bear on our most sacred national holiday – Independence Day.

If the concocted Coronavirus charade hasn’t been enough to convince you that those in positions of public trust don’t give a tinker’s dam about your Liberty, their blatant display of contempt for Independence Day should have done the trick. California is a case in point. The Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, outright banned fireworks. The L.A. Department of Public Health published a news release ordering beaches closed from the 3^rd through the 6^th, “prohibiting fireworks displays,” banning “large crowds and gatherings,” and going so far as to tell people they could not spend time with anyone except those they lived with – as if they had such authority!

To quote these mini-tyrants in Los Angeles: “Physical distancing isn’t optional, wearing a face covering isn’t optional, spending time only with those you live with isn’t optional – these are requirements.” Los Angeles has essentially become a dictatorship with the Democratic Party calling the shots – your Liberty be damned.

Despotic California Governor Gavin Newsom came out and supported the de facto canceling of Independence Day and declared similar measures across the whole state. Newsom threatened to cut off funds to local governments who did not go along with the plot to cancel Independence Day in California. He bullied local governments in these words:

“A local government that refuses to abide by, ensure compliance with, or take enforcement action against noncompliance with these statewide public health directives, or that takes action that is otherwise incongruent with these directives, could jeopardize their eligibility for state funding.”

California has been enacting Marxist measures for a lot of years, but now, using the 99.8% survivable Coronavirus as an excuse, they have gone full-blown Bolshevik. Various state agencies have created ominously-named “strike teams” to go after those violating “public safety” measures (i.e. exercising their God-given, constitutionally-protected Liberty). Office of Emergency Services spokesman Brian Ferguson warned how the strike teams would be used this Independence Day weekend:

“We will be going directly to those who thumb their nose at public health and safety. State government will be out in force this weekend to make sure all California businesses and service providers are doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

In other words, the Almighty Californian State will use its police power to force compliance with Liberty-violating measures allegedly enacted to “keep you safe.” What makes this all the more insulting is the fact that this comes on Independence Day – a time for the explicit celebration of Freedom from tyrannical government! Surely no right thinking individual can miss the irony of prohibiting Americans from celebrating Freedom on their cherished Independence Day!

In spite of government threats and bullying, thousands of people in Los Angeles disobeyed the mayor’s and governor’s dictates yesterday. A broadcast on KCAL 9 aired helicopter footage of the city. In every direction, fireworks illuminated the night sky. Red, white, yellow – the dazzling colors exploded in nearly every neighborhood. One Californian commenter on Facebook said that the city felt like “Baghdad.” On the same thread, another person replied: “It’s friggin Iraq in the city!! I’ve never heard it like this!”

An involuntary smile crossed my face as I watched Americans doing what Americans do best – defy tyrants and exercise their rights. I watched multiple clips of the fireworks in L.A. Everywhere you looked you could see phenomenal pyrotechnics, reminding me of the “rocket’s red glare” in Francis Scott Key’s immortal anthem.

The same KCAL 9 newscast mentioned earlier noted that police had received over a thousand complaints from people snitching on their neighbors for launching “illegal fireworks” (i.e. any fireworks). The LAPD finally asked people to stop calling 911 about fireworks. Apparently, a lot of people get offended by Independence Day and Freedom in Los Angeles. However, a larger number apparently still retain some sense of love for their country.

Though these same people were the ones who elected those public servants who are now trying to dominate and tyrannize them, this very public display of defiance demonstrates that many are fed up with the oppression and want their Freedom back. At the very least, they don’t want to be treated like children who can’t take care of themselves without a government commissar hovering over them. To be sure, some of the revelers just wanted to party. Who can blame them? But I believe many were using the Independence Day season as a chance to show their disapproval of the government’s heavy hand in their lives.

One article explained that Californians have been defying their government’s fireworks bans for weeks:

“[E]xplosions and roman candles have been going off for weeks, culminating in a massive display on Saturday night.

“Police claimed more than 1,000 fireworks complaints came in to various branches, and they tried to respond. But the task was akin to shoveling the ocean with a spoon . . . the city was ablaze with lights and sounds for many hours on Saturday night.”

I repeat: The fact that governments tried to prohibit us celebrating and exercising our Freedom on Independence Day shows that they hold our rights in utter contempt and seek, regardless of their alleged concern about “public safety,” to control our lives.

All would-be-dictators who seek to dominate the United States need to know that we won’t tolerate it. When our back is pushed up against the wall, we won’t surrender – we’ll fight. Freemen don’t live on their knees. We don’t kneel before thrones. We don’t bow to emperors. We don’t kiss the rings of kings. And we certainly don’t kow-tow to our elected representatives.

American citizens are the masters of their government, not the other way around. We are not governed “masses” or servile subjects. We are American freemen! The blood of patriots runs in our veins. Our ancestors called themselves Sons of Liberty, defied tyrants, and forged their Freedom from the chains created to enslave them.

America has suffered many dark days because we’ve been too kind and forgiving. We’ve tolerated abuses that our forefathers never would have tolerated. We’ve permitted those very things that the Declaration of Independence denounces in plain language, such as allowing government bureaucrats to make us “dependent on [their] Will alone,” establishing “Arbitrary government,” creating “a multitude of New Offices” which send their “swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance,” and “destroy[ing] the lives of our people.”

Yes, we have been far too lenient! We’ve given our public servants the benefit of the doubt that they just want to help us. It should be painfully obvious now to everyone that our representatives look down on us, view us as children to be micromanaged, and spit upon our rights. Their oaths to the Constitution mean nothing to them; they certainly don’t follow them. They’re in it for power, wealth, and fame regardless of how much We the People suffer or how many rights we lose.

I applaud Los Angeles’ defiant fireworks display. It was a very visible symbol of resistance to tyrannical government overreach and a sign that there are few a still embers of Freedom burning in California. However, this defiance must translate into daily acts of resistance or it ultimately means very little. To shoot off fireworks on Independence Day in defiance of government mandates, but to turn around and wear silly masks or comply with “social distancing” dictates, is inconsistent with logic. It also shows that people did not truly comprehend the special meaning of the event they were celebrating.

Independence Day should have been a time for us as a People to regroup, recommit ourselves to the cause of Liberty, and humble ourselves before our Creator. This day, the Lord’s Day, we have the opportunity to again bow ourselves before God, thank Him for His blessings upon our favored land, and petition Him for deliverance from the shackles that our “representatives” are attempting to place on our wrists.

To a great extend, we’ve already fallen from grace and lost must of our Freedom. But the sacred fire of Liberty is not out yet. Millions of Americans honor our forefathers, love our unique American institutions, and will not go down without a fight. Even in California, of all places, thousands are willing to risk police visits and fines by shooting off fireworks to celebrate our nation’s Independence. This should give us hope that though the struggle will be fierce, we can succeed and win back our rights. If we go forward in the power of Jesus Christ, we can restore our Republic.

I express my unshakable belief that Americans will restore their Republic eventually. Our flag will wave proudly on the flag pole. Independence Day will be celebrated precisely as John Adams envisioned – with devotions to God and shows and parades and guns and bells from one end of this blessed continent to the other. However, it will likely require the “Toil and Blood and Treasure” that John Adams said was required to win our Independence in the first place.

God bless this nation! God bless the good-hearted people who inhabit America by the tens of millions! And God help us maintain our Constitution and the precious rights it safeguards, even if it means defying tyrants to do it!

Zack Strong,

July 5, 2020

The Ongoing American Revolution

Posted on July 4, 2020 by zeev1776

The American Revolution was not an event that began and ended at two fixed points in time. We mark the beginning of the War for Independence on July 4, 1776, and traditionally say the Revolution ended in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris, but the reality is that Independence Day merely marked a boiling point in a sweeping Liberty movement that began much earlier and which has not yet reached its culmination. The American Revolution is ongoing! The War for Independence is being waged today as fiercely as when our patriot forefathers squared off against the British invaders.

In 1787, Dr. Benjamin Rush made an illuminating remark. He said:

“There is nothing more common, than to confound the terms of American Revolution with those of the late American war. The American war is over: but this is far from being the case with the American revolution. On the contrary, nothing but the first act of the great drama is closed. It remains yet to establish and perfect our new forms of government; and to prepare the principles, morals, and manners of our citizens, for these forms of government, after they are established and brought to perfection” (Benjamin Rush, Address to the People of the United States, 1787, in Hezekiah Niles, ed., Principles and Acts of the Revolution, 234).

According to Dr. Rush, the genuine American Revolution consisted of the transformation and improvement of the “principles, morals, and manners” of the American People. What’s more, he saw this as a gradual process that, years after the War for Independence ended, had not yet finished. It was one thing to create a new nation with a novel system of government, but quite another thing to create a citizenry prepared for life under that government. Molding such a people – one worthy of republican institutions of self-government – was the true revolutionary task.

Another Founding Father, John Adams, concurred that the real American Revolution was not the short War for Independence, but a vastly more significant undertaking. He observed:

“But what do We mean by the American Revolution? Do We mean the American War? The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the Minds and Hearts of the People. A Change in their Religious Sentiments of their Duties and Obligations. . . .

“This radical Change in the Principles, Opinions Sentiments and Affection of the People, was the real American Revolution” (John Adams to Hezekiah Niles, February 13, 1818).

Both Dr. Rush and Mr. Adams agreed that the betterment of American principles and morals – both religious and political – was the real American Revolution. This Revolution happened in the hearts and minds of our countrymen long before the shot heard ‘round the world and continued long after the cannon ceased firing. One could look back to the Reformation or Renaissance to find the origin of the Liberty movement that eventually found its true expression in America. But for our purposes, we can trace the origin of the flame of Freedom to the First Great Awakening that took place roughly between the 1730s and 1760s.

It was during the First Great Awakening, when Americans turned their hearts back to the great God of the universe, that the revolution of principles spoken of by John Adams occurred. Church pulpits were ablaze with fiery sermons on Freedom. Preachers led the way in social reform and prepared Americans to defend their rights and stand like real men against despots. Schools were no less valuable. Teachers instructed children not only in constitutional principles and the science of good government, but in the “perfect law of liberty” given by Jesus Christ (James 1:25). In short, American Christians kneeled before the Lord in genuine humility, and then rose with staunch determination to follow Him and safeguard their God-given rights.

It was a band of Christian militiamen, inspired by their Reverend Jonas Clark, who defiantly stood with Captain John Parker on Lexington green in 1775 as an army of 700 Redcoats came to confiscate their firearms. It was a band of 56 patriots who signed and published the Declaration of Independence, announcing their determination to be free and their proclaiming their “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.” And it was the Christian Father of our Country, George Washington, who told the nation during his First Inaugural Address:

It was this acknowledgment of God and His laws, including the “perfect law of liberty” noted earlier, that gave our forefathers the strength and tenacity to stand against monarchical tyranny. They were an educated and bright People. They understood self-government and cherished their Freedom to worship their God according to the dictates of their conscience, their Freedom to speak, their Freedom to assemble, their Freedom to bear and use arms to protect themselves and their rights, and so forth. In short, it was their mental and spiritual devotion to their Faith, Families, and Freedom, and their fidelity to these loyalties, that called down Heaven’s blessings on their behalf.

Our noble forefathers did not stop progressing when they went back to the business of daily life after the Revolution. Rather, they went on to produce the inspired Constitution and Bill of Rights, expand the borders of the Republic, and, thus, the borders of Liberty, alter their local laws and customs, prepare to end the vice of slavery, and generally became an industrious, enlightened, and patriotic People.

According to one contemporary figure of significant renown, American greatness reached its zenith during the Age of Jackson. He observed:

“In continuation of such noble sentiments, Gen. [Andrew] Jackson, upon his ascension to the great chair of the chief magistracy: said, “As long as our government is administered for the good of the people, and is regulated by their will; as long as it secures to us the rights of person and property, liberty of conscience, and of the press, it will be worth defending; and so long as it is worth defending, a patriotic militia will cover it with an impenetrable aegis.”

“General Jackson’s administration may be denominated the acme of American glory, liberty and prosperity, for the national debt, which in 1815, on account of the late war, was $125,000,000, and lessened gradually, was paid up in his golden day; and preparations were made to distribute the surplus revenue among the several states: and that august patriot, to use his own words in his farewell address, retired leaving “a great people prosperous and happy, in the full enjoyment of liberty and peace, honored and respected by every nation of the world”” (Joseph Smith, General Smith’s Views of the Powers and Policy of Government of the United States, February, 1844).

Andrew Jackson was one of the greatest American heroes. Today, he is hated and castigated by an ignorant generation that has lost touch with America’s original values and has been deceived by culture-destroying Marxists. But the truth is that General Jackson put America first, fought for his country his whole life as a soldier and statesman, fastidiously upheld the Constitution as president, waged veritable war against the conspiratorial banking cartel that wanted to enslave the Union, and was an honorable man of his word.

Additionally, President Jackson was the only president to ever pay off the national debt in full. The American People prospered under his hand and it was during his administration that Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States and remarked:

“The progress of society in America is precipitate, and almost revolutionary. . . .

“. . . The Americans of the United States must inevitably become one of the greatest nations in the world; their offset will cover almost the whole of North America; the continent which they inhabit is their dominion, and it cannot escape them . . . Riches, power, and renown, cannot fail to be theirs at some future time” (Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol. 1, 434-435).

The American People did not stop their rapid progress and march toward destiny after the War for Independence. That was but a prelude to greater things. For them, as for Benjamin Rush, the American Revolution was ongoing; a process, not an event.

However, after the Age of Jackson, the Republic began to decline in important ways. Over time, we became so prosperous, powerful, and prominent in the world that we began to shed our humility, forget our past, and neglect our participation in self-government. We became reluctant to enforce the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and apply the Constitution as broadly as it was intended to be applied. The Civil War later rocked the nation, caused deep wounds, and resulted in a massively enlarged government that began intruding into our lives as never before.

In spite of the trials of the Nineteenth Century, on the whole, our People put their trust in God and looked to the Constitution and the men who made it for guidance. As the decades slipped by, the pull of prosperity and allure of modern conveniences took us away from the pursuit of Liberty and thrust us into the pursuit of materialism. We stopped studying the art of law. We ignored our governmental duties, allowing an organized group of traitors to come to power over us. We lived our lives in relative peace and disinterest as they hijacked our economy through the Federal Reserve. They put their men – FDR, Wilson, Carter, Bush, Obama, and others – into the presidency. They changed our laws and amended the Constitution in frightful ways. They thrust a dagger in Lady Liberty’s back and began twisting it menacingly.

Closer to home, the agents of cultural Marxism went to work to warp our view of marriage and families. They promoted hedonism and placed sex on a pedestal. They pushed filth and degeneracy, greed and selfishness, perversion and humanism. We began to lose our faith in the Creator – the source from whence our forefathers said came our unalienable rights of life, Liberty, and property. And so it has gone for over a century until now we see the fruit of the gruesome harvest – chaos, rioting, violence, hatred, division, unchecked governmental power, neglect of the Constitution, scientific and medical tyranny, anti-Christian bullying, high-tech censorship, societal distrust, and rampant unbelief in God.

Despite this growing darkness, many of the good people of this nation are waking up. It is in darkness, after all, that the light shines brightest. People from coast to coast have realized that the conspiracy – call it the “swamp,” “deep state,” the “Establishment,” or whatever name you will – is very real and threatens to overturn our Faith, Families, and Freedom. The American giant is beginning to stir and push back against the bands that traitors have tied around her. Lady Liberty is waking up from her deep sleep.

A general feeling is beginning to filter out and permeate the nation wherever good people still reside. It’s palpable and vibrant. The feeling is that revolution is upon us – the time for cleansing and refreshing is nearly here. Perhaps unconsciously, millions of Americans feel what Thomas Jefferson felt and articulated. He said:

“[W]hat country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure” (Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, November 13, 1787).

But how will we rally ourselves and refresh the tree of Liberty? Everywhere I go, on every social media page I visit, in church congregations, and in private conversations, I see people asking roughly the same questions: “Where is the next George Washington? Where is our generation’s Thomas Jefferson? When will the next Boston Tea Party happen? When will someone step forward to lead another revolution to reclaim our Freedom?”

As these questions demonstrate, the sincere desire for change – for a return to our roots – is there. It may be in its infancy, but it is growing and rapidly gaining strength. It needs focus, however. It needs leaders. It needs experienced patriots to form us into a fighting force for Freedom.

In an attributed letter of Samuel Adams to James Warren on October 24, 1780, we find these relevant words: “If ever the Time should come, when vain & aspiring Men shall possess the highest Seats in Government, our Country will stand in Need of its experienced Patriots to prevent its Ruin.”

Where are we to find such men and women? Where are the John Adamses and George Washingtons? Where are the Sons of Liberty and militiamen of Concord Bridge? Who will step forward to lead the next chapter in the ongoing American Revolution?

The answer is two-fold. First, though you and I may not be the next George Washington, we may be like those men who marched in his army, crossed the frigid Delaware with him on Christmas morning, and together endured winter in Valley Forge. We may not command the patriot force, but we may be part of it. It may be our eternal honor to march alongside other patriots, either figuratively or literally, to victories as glorious as Yorktown.

No, we may never wear the general’s cap, but we can wear the revolutionary uniform. What good is even the greatest general without his fighting men? What good are fighting men without virtuous women supporting them? And in the war of ideas and principles, women – as mothers and as homemakers – have an absolutely essential role to play. We cannot effect a new revolution without their selfless service in the home, for as goes the home goes the nation.

To elaborate, I ask, what good is a Declaration of Independence without men to win, and then maintain, Independence? There could have been no Age of Jackson with its prosperity and expansion without those willing to establish and sustain the great institutions of our Republic. Thankfully, earlier patriots have already established beautiful constitutional institutions for us. We don’t need to think outside the box – we need to merely dust out the box of the filth that has cluttered it. And we can kick-start the process by educating ourselves in correct principles.

To repeat, this war is primarily waged on the battlefields of the mind and heart. It is waged on Facebook and Twitter, in public school classrooms and around the dinner table, in private conversations with friends and worship services with your neighbors. It is waged on election day as well as every other day. Our just and holy cause is furthered by acts of service in our communities, by giving proper instruction to our children, by coherent and sincere social media posts, by participation in peaceful assemblies, and by a million other little acts, words, and moments that come in daily life.

Together, these seemingly small deeds constitute a revolution in principles, morals, and manners. Do not think you need George Washington to ride before you in order to participate in the ongoing American Revolution. It is your distinct privilege to fight these battles every day in your home, at church, at work, online, and in the most basic interactions with your countrymen. There will be no great political revolution until we first reform our minds and hearts as our ancestors did prior to challenging the British at Lexington and Concord.

Second, though we all must be engaged in the daily acts of revolution just described, there must be individuals who step forward to rally, unify, and lead those who love Liberty. These figures must have dignity and credibility. They must be men of honor, goodness, virtue, truth, and stability. They must be men of high ideals and lofty standards. They must be noble in heart, valiant in spirit, but humble enough to kneel before their God and petition His blessings upon our cause.

Patriot leaders must be found and thrust to the forefront. As it often goes, the most qualified for leadership are those who want nothing more than to live in peace. They don’t seek the limelight, but merely to do their part, quietly, to support their Faith, Family, and Freedom.

It is instructive to know that George Washington did not want to lead the Continental Army. Yet, he threw himself into the task when the People’s representatives called on him to do so. After the War for Independence, he retired to the peace and quite of his farm. Yet, when his countrymen selected him to be the first president, he came out of retirement and fulfilled that duty honorably. The same is true of Thomas Jefferson, who retired to Monticello before being drafted by his country to serve in the government. And that is the key word – serve. We don’t need self-important politicians, but public servants who labor on our behalf to secure for us the blessings of Liberty.

Today, we must find those people in our communities who are prepared for a call to service. They may not want to serve, they may not want to hold a position of public trust, they may not want to wade into the treacherous swamp of modern politics, but they will respond to the call the serve because their hearts burn with the fire of Freedom. It is our duty as citizens to find the next Thomas Jefferson and draft him into leadership. It is our duty as freemen to find the next George Washington and urge him to lead us against the traitors who have entrenched themselves in our nation. In short, we may say that the next George Washington will not appear unless We the People call him into service.

Dear reader, America is the greatest nation on earth, bar none. There has never been a greater Republic. There has never been a People who did more good for the cause of Freedom than the People of the United States. Our country is sick with an alien virus – the Red Plague of communism with its horrid atheism, immorality, and totalitarianism. We must recognize that this plague is hostile to everything our People stands for and that it will result in our demise as a free nation if we do not recognize it, quarantine it, and exterminate it.

Let’s first extinguish the virus in our hearts and minds by turning back to the God who granted us life and Liberty, to the Constitution which holds our Union together, and to the Founding Fathers who marked the path to Freedom for all peoples in all generations. Let’s rekindle the unique American spirit. On the eve of battle in 1776, George Washington encouraged his men to “remember . . . that you are Freemen, fighting for the blessings of liberty” (George Washington General Orders, August 23, 1776). Let’s do our part to remind ourselves, and teach our precious children, that we are freemen fighting for our Faith, Families, and Freedom!

Speaking at Mount Rushmore on July 3, 2020, President Donald Trump made the following pledge which we can all claim as our own. It can be our starting place as revolutionary Americans. It can be our promise to ourselves and our children:

“[L]et us go forward united in our purpose and re-dedicated in our resolve. We will raise the next generation of American patriots. We will write the next thrilling chapter of the American adventure. And we will teach our children to know that they live in a land of legends, that nothing can stop them, and that no one can hold them down. They will know that in America, you can do anything, you can be anything, and together, we can achieve anything.

“Uplifted by the titans of Mount Rushmore, we will find unity that no one expected; we will make strides that no one thought possible. This country will be everything that our citizens have hoped for, for so many years, and that our enemies fear — because we will never forget that American freedom exists for American greatness. And that’s what we have: American greatness.

“Centuries from now, our legacy will be the cities we built, the champions we forged, the good we did, and the monuments we created to inspire us all.

“My fellow citizens: America’s destiny is in our sights. America’s heroes are embedded in our hearts. America’s future is in our hands. And ladies and gentlemen: the best is yet to come.”

Yes, the best is still to come! We will yet see dark days. They will inevitably grow darker than they are now. But even as our enemies make their final, vain attempt to subjugate our nation, our People will awaken, arise, and rally behind the inspired standard of Liberty. We will recapture the Faith of our forefathers, fortify our Families, and reclaim our Freedom. Victory will be ours!

My soul gushes with thanksgiving to my God for the blessings He has rained down upon America! I love America! I love the Constitution and the honorable men who created it, which includes one of my own ancestors, Caleb Strong, to whom I pay tribute. I love the unrivaled heritage of Freedom we posses here in America. Let us never take it for granted. Let’s gather our children around us today, read to them the Declaration of Independence, and convey to them how much we love this land and the unparalleled rights we enjoy here.

This Independence Day, be more than a spectator; participate in your Independence. I urge my fellow Americans to fall on their knees, cry to their Father in Heaven, petition the Lord for His strength, and then rise with renewed determination to be Sons of Liberty. We are American freemen. Liberty is our birthright and our destiny. May God help us become soldiers in this sacred struggle, to find and support our Washingtons and Jeffersons, and honorably play our part in this ongoing American Revolution!

Zack Strong,

July 4, 2020

What Government Can and Can’t Do

Posted on May 11, 2020 by zeev1776

Government is not all-powerful. I know that’s a surprise to government bureaucrats and people in blue states (and too many in red ones). This article will cut through the fog of lies and lay out, in a very concise format, what government legitimately can and can’t do – which powers it actually has and doesn’t have.

We need to start by asking and answering some basic questions: Where does government get its power from? From whom is its authority derived? And what is the purpose of government? The Declaration of Independence answers these questions. The Founding Fathers etched the following truths in stone:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, – That 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, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

From this statement, we learn that government exists for the express purpose of securing the individual’s God-given rights, such as life, Liberty, property, speech, self-defense, and so on. We learn that governments don’t spring up out of the ground, but are created by people. They create them, as noted, to safeguard their rights. Governments are subservient to the people who create them. They may be abolished by the People at any given time – and especially when the government oversteps its obligation to secure people’s rights.

To reiterate, government gets 100% of its authority from you. As James Madison put it, “the people are the only legitimate fountain of power” (Federalist No. 49, February 5, 1788). Thomas Jefferson, concurring, affirmed: “I consider the people who constitute a society or nation as the source of all authority in that nation” (Thomas Jefferson, Opinion on the Treaties with France, April 28, 1793). Therefore, if you want to know what a government can and cannot do, simply determine what you justly can and cannot do. If you do not possess a certain power or authority, neither does government. It’s categorically impossible for government to rightly claim prerogatives and powers that its creator does not have.

Additionally, people acting together in groups does not magically endow the group, or government, with extra privileges and powers. Joint action adds zero authority to anything! Acting with your neighbor doesn’t suddenly grant you privileges you lacked as an individual acting alone. Society cannot justly do a single thing individuals are forbidden from doing. If it is wrong for an individual, it is wrong for the group and for the government.

To make this clearer, let’s consult some basic examples.

Do you have a right to kill another human being for no reason? No. Therefore, government does not possess the authority to take a life without justification.

Do you have a right to kill someone in self-defense? Yes. Therefore, government has the authorization to kill in self-defense; that is, to defend its people against foreign invasion and to secure the rights of citizens, with lethal force when necessary, against criminals.

Do you have a right to seize and imprison someone without cause? No. Therefore, neither does government have that right.

Do you have a right to take money from your neighbor? No. Therefore, neither does government have a right to take money. The obvious exception to this is taxation. In the case of taxation, however, the People collectively consent to giving up a small portion of their income to help the government fulfill its purpose of securing their rights. When it exceeds this purpose, it becomes common theft.

Do you have a right to take money from someone and give it to someone else? No. Therefore, neither does government have a right to take your money and divvy it out to someone else in the community – even for allegedly “charitable” purposes.

Do you have a right to take someone’s property? No. Therefore, neither does government have a just authority to confiscate property. A possible exception is when someone uses their property in such a manner as to infringe upon the rights of other people. For instance, a person cannot acquire property at the head of a river and dam it off so that other people down river suddenly are deprived of their equal share of the water usage. And so forth.

Do you have a right to tell another person what they can and cannot say? No. Therefore, neither does government have that authority. As in the last case, there are exceptions. Slander and libel laws prevent people from lying and intentionally harming the reputation of another individual. You have no right to lie about people. Liars are essentially murderers – murderers of truth, killers of reputations, and destroyers of lives. Just laws protect people against this type of abuse. Similarly, public decency laws protect people against profane language, threats, and so forth.

Do you have a right to control another person’s body? No. Therefore, government doesn’t have authority over another’s body.

Do you have a right to tell your neighbor what they can and cannot put in their body? No. Therefore, government doesn’t possess any such authority. That being said, certain substances, such as alcohol, impair the individual’s judgment and frequently lead them to mindlessly harm, maim, and kill innocent people. Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death, disease, and violence in our nation. Inasmuch as it is a legitimate threat to individual safety, to say nothing of its danger to society by subverting families and morality, government has a legitimate power to protect the rights of its people. You cannot, however, make a similar argument for everything that someone might deem a “threat,” such as fatty foods or guns.

Do you have a right to tell others who the can and cannot marry? No. Therefore, government has no right to dictate in this matter either. The only exception is to prohibit that which is not only unnatural and morally reprehensible, but which demonstrably undermines the stability of the nation and its innocent children. Homosexuality and same-sex marriage is one such example. Lest you protest, remember that the Declaration of Indepedence referenced “the laws of Nature” and “Nature’s God” as the foundation of our entire civilization. To institutionalize violations of the laws of nature is to throw out the entire Declaration of Independence and the very concept of America.

Do you have the right to tell someone what they can and cannot build, do, or grow on their property? No. Therefore, government cannot tell people what they can and cannot do on their property – excepting, of course, criminal activities that violate other people’s rights.

Do you have a right to dictate what other people can and cannot wear? No. Therefore, neither can the government claim authority to dictate in this aspect. Public decency laws apply, however.

Do you have a right to deprive your neighbor of his means of self-defense? No. Therefore, government cannot justly take away a peaceable individual’s means of personal protection. To acknowledge, as the Declaration of Independence does, that our rights come from God is to simultaneously acknowledge that we have an equal right to defend them. You cannot take away this right without jeopardizing all other rights.

Do you have a right to force your neighbor’s children to go to a public institution to study? No. Therefore, neither does government possess authority to separate children from their parents and force them to study in a public school.

Do you have a right to force another person to inject substances into his body? No. Therefore, government has no such power.

Finally, do you have a right to force your neighbor to stay in his home, wear a face mask, or close his business? No. Therefore, government has no right to force peaceable citizens to stay in the homes, wear masks over their faces, or close their businesses and cut off their livelihoods.

Our list of examples could go on almost indefinitely. You can clearly see the picture, however. The key point is that government is only authorized to do what you, the individual, can do. Nothing more. If you have no authority to do something, then neither does government!

The U.S. Constitution has actually simplified this concept by including a short list of enumerated powers. These powers – about 18 in number, depending on how you want to break up the list – are the only things Congress is authorized to do. They are specific, not broad. They cover individual items, not entire classifications of things. They define what Congress can do, and, by implication, dictates they cannot do anything more.

For instance, We the People have delegated to Congress the authority to “provide and maintain a Navy,” to “establish Post Offices and post Roads,” to “coin Money,” and so on. Beyond these rigid bounds, the Congress cannot legitimately go. The same goes for the other branches of government and their limited, specified powers.

It is crucial for us as free individuals to know where our public representatives derive their authority. It is indispensable to comprehend what government can and can’t do. When we understand that government does not inherently possess any authority except that which the individuals in society give it, then we can more easily recognize and prevent abuses of that authority. When we understand this cardinal point, we’ll also understand that we are the true source of power and that our nation’s destiny is in our hands. All political power springs from We the People. Never forget it.

I close by quoting once more from the Declaration of Independence. Internalize the words. Really believe them. Reclaim your rights. Exercise your sovereignty. Know that government is accountable to you, not you to the government. And God give you the courage to rise in defense of Freedom like our forefathers before us!

“. . . to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, – That 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 . . . when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

Zack Strong,

May 11, 2020

“Just Doing My Job” and Other Things Tyrants Say

Posted on April 24, 2020 by zeev1776

Perhaps I missed the “Pandemic Clause” the last time I read the U.S. Constitution, but I don’t recall anywhere in that inspired document where is says that all our God-given rights can be curtailed in a crisis. Yes, the Constitution allows certain specific rights, such as that of habeas corpus, to be temporarily suspended during a time of “Rebellion or Invasion” when the public safety “may require it” (Article 1, Section 9, Clause 2), but, otherwise, the document grants no authority to any officer of government to strip peaceable American citizens of their rights. Yet, during the current Coronacrisis hysteria, which I have openly called a psyop, the Constitution has been almost totally suspended by the president, governors, and local public servants. This article rebuffs that erroneous notion and is addressed to anyone who feels the Constitution can be suspended at their will and pleasure, but more particularly local law enforcement, sheriffs, judges, mayors, city councilors, county commissioners, and so forth.

From New York to California, and from Idaho to Vermont, our sacred rights enshrined in the Constitution have been curtailed as a result of Coronavirus hysteria. Fear has proven to be a far deadlier contagion than this Red Chinese virus. At a time when the economy was booming, confidence in the president was high and rising, and the public was finally starting to talk openly about the dangers of socialism, an illness with an extremely low mortality rate imported from communist China has succeeded in gutting the Bill of Rights and reducing us to patients in a medical police state. In this piece, I won’t discuss the growing mountain of evidence that Coronavirus was and is a false-flag. Rather, I’ll focus my attention on the fact that fear of a limited disease is no justification for violating the rights of an entire nation.

For years, I’ve used the term “mini-tyrants” to refer to those in society, whether private citizens or public servants, who take it upon themselves to destroy people’s rights. In a recent article for The Federalist, John Daniel Davidson used the term “little tyrants” to refer to those who have reacted to Coronavirus by curtailing the American People’s rights guaranteed in the Constitution. In part, Davidson wrote:

“We’ve now witnessed local and state governments issue decrees about what people can and cannot buy in stores, arrest parents playing with their children in public parks, yank people off public buses at random, remove basketball rims along with private property, ticket churchgoers, and in one case try—and fail—to chase down a lone runner on an empty beach. All of this, we’re told, is for our own good. . . .

“Pandemic or not, this stuff has no place in American society. Petty tyranny of the kind these mayors and local officials are scheming is wholly alien to our customs and way of life, and destructive to the social contract on which our nation is built.”

Amen to every word! It is “wholly alien” to American history, heritage, and law to curtail individual rights simply because a crisis situation arises. Few would argue that society has a right to hunt down subversive groups, like the Communist Party or the MS-13 gang, which are attempting to undermine and destroy society or do harm to Americans, but that’s not what’s happening in the present case. Rather, normal, peaceable American citizens are being targeted, by mini-tyrants in state and local governments, as criminals for simply attempting to go about their daily lives, walk outside, play in the park, assemble in groups per the First Amendment, or go to church.

Let’s highlight a few of the horrid rights violations and outright irrational things governments have done because of Coronavirus hysteria:

– In San Clemente, California, the city decided to dump 37 tons of sand onto a skate park to deter skateboarders from minding their own business and harming absolutely no one during the lock-down.

– Near Malibu, California, a man was arrested on the beach for paddle boarding alone in the ocean.

– In my home state of Idaho, in the little town of Rathdrum, a woman was cited by police for holding a yard sale and threatened with jail time.

– In Meridian, Idaho, where I once lived, a mother who was playing in a public park with her kid was arrested for peacefully refusing to obey a cop’s unconstitutional demands to leave. This despicable incident, the protest at the officer’s house that followed, and the rash of pathetic online comments condemning the woman and ripping on anyone who doesn’t grovel before the golden throne of law enforcement and government “authority,” is what finally prompted me to write this article.

– In Kentucky, the governor forbade in-person Easter church services and instructed police officers to take down the license plate numbers of all those evil church-goers.

– The city of Westport, Connecticut is currently testing “pandemic drones” that detect coughs, sneezes, and people’s temperatures. I’m sure that won’t violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.

– In Philadelphia, a passenger was violently dragged off a bus by police officers for what crime? Not wearing a face mask. And how did the police know that some random, peaceful man wasn’t wearing a face mask? Why, the bus driver did his Soviet civic duty and called them, of course.

– The state of Utah has limited public gatherings to ten people. Utah has also considered, though for the moment delayed, a bill that would allow local governments to “establish, maintain, and enforce isolation and quarantine, and exercise physical control over property and over individuals.”

– The Michigan governor has deemed seeds “non-essential” and has forbidden their sale. Yes, seeds. Vegetable seeds. Fruit seeds. Seeds. I can’t think of many things more essential than seeds.

– Walmart, Target, Costco, and other stores across the country have closed entire aisles of products, declaring them “non-essential” to conform with state orders closing all “non-essential” jobs and businesses.

– The Chinese-owned Smithfield Foods meat plants in South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Missouri, the first of which alone supplies 5% of the nation’s pork, have been shut down.

– New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has used Coronavirus as an excuse to close all gun stores. Not to be outdone, Los Angeles ordered gun stores closed during the “pandemic.” An activist judge agreed that guns are “non-essential” and that the city has the authority to close any business it wants to for any reason it deems necessary.

– In Florida, a pastor was arrested for holding church services in violation of a rights-violating stay-at-home order. Pastors in others states have suffered similar persecution.

– A toddler’s birthday party in a southern California public park was broken up by an entire goon squad of baton-wielding police officers. It reminds me of the System of a Down lyrics in the song “Deer Dance”: “[V]isible police, presence-sponsored fear. Battalions of riot police with rubber bullet kisses. Baton courtesy, service with a smile.”

The list of arrests and insane, authoritarian behavior could continue on and on, but these suffice to give you the flavor of what’s happening in America today.

This is the sort of behavior that people’s irrational fear engenders. This is the type of thing that people who support draconian stay-at-home orders allow to happen. This is what anti-Americans and mini-tyrants do and support. This is tyranny!

People who are scared of Coronavirus have the right to stay at home and lock their doors if they please. But they do not have the right to force me and my family to stay locked up in our home. They do not have the right to prevent other people from going to work to earn a living. They do not have the right to stop other people from operating their businesses or selling their products. They do not have the right to keep other people from traveling. They do not have the right to prevent others in their community from playing in the public park. They simply do not have a totalitarian authority over the lives, actions, bodies, and property of other people. The most these timid and terrified people can do is stay at home if they truly think self-quarantine is in their best interest.

The general hysteria has shown millions of people to be hypocrites and supremely inconsistent in their views. For instance, isn’t it ironic that the same people who protest for their “right” to murder unborn babies are now supposedly so concerned about society’s health and well-being that they want us to give up our rights for their own personal safety? What happened to “my body, my choice” in these people’s darkened minds? Apparently this privilege only applies to them. These are the same sort of intellectually-stunted individuals who think that vaccines are safe and effective, yet are worried if you don’t vaccinate. At any rate, whether out of fear or ignorance, these cowed people have thrown their lot in with the mini-tyrants who never let a good crisis go to waste.

There is a lot of blame to go around for the hysterical overreactions and tyrannical impositions that have occurred during this Coronacrisis. We can blame those in government who have usurped power and have taken to dictating how we may or may not live our lives. We can blame police who say “just following orders” or “just doing my job” as they violate the Constitution and arrest innocent people who exercise their rights. We can blame the public for their timidity and for tolerating the tyrannical acts. As noted, however, I’m addressing this to public servants.

Police are the ultimate public servants. They are where the rubber meets the road. Their job is to “enforce” laws. But which laws? All laws? Or only constitutional laws? History has established that saying “I was just following orders” is no justification for committing immoral or oppressive acts. “Just doing my job” is what mini-tyrants say. Making the excuse “just doing my job” provides no excuse for implementing tyranny.

Any right-thinking individual must conclude that a police officer’s job is to enforce constitutional laws and protect the rights of citizens. By implication, police have no license to violate citizens’ rights regardless of what the law allows. Thus, it is fair to say that there can be no tyranny unless police acquiesce. A heavy burden and responsibility to rigidly enforce the Constitution and reject that which does not comply with it rests on their shoulders.

One of the things that sets America apart from other nations is that we have a national creed – the Constitution. The Constitution is the keystone of Americanism. It holds the Republic together. It is glue which keeps the fifty states in a workable Union. All public officers are bound to uphold the Constitution and the American People are likewise bound to sustain and obey it. It is important, then, that we understand the Constitution’s most important element – the Supremacy Clause.

In the national Constitution, there’s a thing called the Supremacy Clause. You can find it in Article VI, Clause 2. It states that the Constitution and laws made “in Pursuance thereof,” that is, constitutional laws that don’t violate any of its provisions, “shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.” In other words, the national Constitution trumps any and all state and local laws that touch upon the same objects.

Let’s briefly examine,using three examples, what this means in practice. If a governor forbids you from assembling peaceably in your state, this is a direct violation of the First Amendment which guarantees “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” This obviously applies to city and state governments, not merely to the federal government. No city can forbid people from peaceably assembling on public property, such as in a park or the steps of the capitol. Next, if a governor forbids church services, he is violating the First Amendment which guarantees American citizens the “free exercise” of their right of worship. Lastly, if a governor or mayor assumes the authority to ban firearms or firearms sales because of a “crisis,” their declarations are null and void because the Second Amendment guarantees that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

As you see, the Supremacy Clause is the linchpin of the entire Constitution. Either the Constitution is supreme and all citizens and officers at any level of government must obey it and all just laws passed “in Pursuance thereof,” or it’s a pointless document with no purpose or efficacy. If we admit that the Supremacy Clause is valid, which we do when we acknowledge the Constitution and claim the rights of citizens, then we also admit that any public servant – mayor, governor, judge, president, senator, sheriff – who passes or enforces a law, decree, or executive order that violates an individual’s rights is in blatant violation of the Constitution. If we are to remain a free nation, we must reclaim the understanding that was so basic to our Founding Fathers; namely, that the People had established the Constitution and, thus, it was obligatory and binding upon them and their representatives.

George Washington explained it this way:

“This government, the offspring of our own choice, uninfluenced and unawed, adopted upon full investigation and mature deliberation, completely free in its principles, in the distribution of its powers, uniting security with energy, and containing within itself a provision for its own amendment, has a just claim to your confidence and your support. Respect for its authority, compliance with its laws, acquiescence in its measures, are duties enjoined by the fundamental maxims of true liberty. The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established government.”

Notice what President Washington said and did not say. He said that a free people which chooses its own constitution is bound by it. He did not say that the American People are bound to obey any and all laws and dictates that come from government. As noted, the Constitution says that we are bound to uphold the Constitution and laws “made in Pursuance thereof.” A law cannot be in pursuance of the Constitution if it violates portions of the Constitution, such as the First Amendment, Second Amendment, and so on. Any law, then, that violates any provision of the Constitution also violates the Supremacy Clause and is null and void.

To reinforce this crucial concept, which is at the heart of the subject at hand, I give just a few more quotations. In the famous, or infamous, court case Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court acknowledged: “All laws which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void.”

At the North Carolina Ratifying Convention of 1788, Governor Samuel Johnston referred to the Supremacy Clause and reasoned:

“Without this clause, the whole constitution would be a piece of blank paper . . . Every law consistent with the constitution, will have been made in pursuance of the powers granted by it. Every usurpation or law repugnant to it, cannot have been made in pursuance of its powers. The latter will be nugatory and void.”

Finally, in Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton likewise explained:

“There is no position which depends on clearer principles, than that every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid. To deny this, would be to affirm, that the deputy is greater than his principal; that the servant is above his master; that the representatives of the people are superior to the people themselves; that men acting by virtue of powers, may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid” (Jonathan Elliot, ed., The Debates, Resolutions, and Other Proceedings, in Convention, on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, Vol. 3, 166).

Can anyone read the plain language of the Constitution, and the unmistakable explanations of these good men, and conclude that the Constitution is not indeed the supreme law of the land? If it is the supreme law of the land, then state and local governments cannot violate it and still be in the right – regardless of their oh-so-benevolent reasons and intentions. When any governor, police officer, judge, mayor, county bureaucrat, ad infinitum, violates any provision of the Constitution (e.g. your right to assembly, your right to keep and bear arms, your free exercise of worship, your right to operate a business), then they have overstepped their authority and are in open rebellion to the Constitution and to the People who established it. Their dictates and actions, in these situations, are inherently and expressly null and void. One may even say they are even tyrannical.

As noted, the heart of the matter is the U.S. Constitution. There is no “Pandemic Clause” which nullifies the Constitution in the event of a crisis. There is no clause, section, or article of that document which allows it to be suspended at the say so of Congress, the president, the Supreme Court, your state governor, or your local mayor. It simply cannot be suspended except, as President Washington put it, “by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people.” Otherwise, it is in force and any local, state, or federal decrees, executive orders, or “laws” to the contrary are null and void.

Another issue connected with the Constitution and important to our understanding of the contrived Coronacrisis hysteria is that of rights vs privileges. A privilege can be taken away by the one who grants it. A right, however, cannot be taken away. It can be forfeited by violating another person’s rights, but it cannot be justifiably taken away from a peaceable citizen of this land.

Rights existed before the Constitution. They are inherent in man. He receives them as an endowment from his Creator, as the Declaration of Independence states so plainly. No government, then, can justly take them away unless the individual forfeits them by violating the rights of others. Thomas Jefferson explained:

“[R]ightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will, within the limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’; because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual” (Thomas Jefferson to Isaac Tiffany, April 4, 1819).

If Jefferson was correct, and he almost always was, then the measures being taken by both our federal and state governments to curb Coronavirus are, by definition, tyrannical. How can they be otherwise? They most certainly violate our individual Liberty as guaranteed in the Constitution; the right of assembly foremost among them. Ah, but it’s a “crisis,” you say; it’s for the “public safety.” I dispute that putting an entire nation under house arrest can control a virus. But let’s assume it’s true that forced quarantine is good medical practice, where does the Constitution tell government it can nullify my Freedom just so it can fight a disease?

I fully grant that in legitimately extreme situations, such as in the face of a subversive enemy attempting to overthrow society from within, the Constitution is perhaps not sufficient. However, this is not such a situation. We’re supposedly faced with a virus akin to the common cold that has a 99% recovery rate and which can be cured with a simple $20 medication. Cite me the article, section, and clause that tells me the Constitution can be suspended in this situation and I’ll be pacified and remain silent.

If you cannot find a provision of the Constitution which empowers government officers to trample the Constitution in a “crisis” and violate individual rights for the so-called “good of society,” then you must, if you’re honest, conclude with me that what’s being done in the name of fighting this “pandemic” is tyrannical. And if you cannot draw this conclusion, I cannot in good conscience stand with you, but must consider you an enemy who seeks to destroy my rights. If you find yourself on the other side of this equation, you’re a mini-tyrant and a traitor.

I recant what I said a moment ago; we actually are in a crisis. However, the crisis is not because of some sickness (which may not even be caused by so-called COVID-19), but because of the despotic overreaches that have occurred as a result of the unfounded hysteria the media has whipped up. That is the real crisis. It is a constitutional crisis. We’re faced with an epidemic of mini-tyrants who, like cockroaches, have come out of the woodwork to capitalize on the public’s fear and massively expand the size and power of government.

Police, mayors, governors, and others have assisted in this wholesale destruction of the Constitution by acquiescing and going along with the tyranny. Yet, they say they’re “just doing their job.” If their job is to destroy the Constitution and eviscerate our rights, then they are correct. If their job, however, is to defend our God-given rights, then what they’ve done is break their oaths, trample the Constitution, and betray the trust of the American People.

Since few in government, the courts, and law enforcement apparently have any desire to stand up for American Freedom, it is our duty as freemen to declare our rights, to hold up the Constitution, and to punish traitors. George Washington once wrote: “[It] is a maxim with me, that in times of imminent danger to a Country, every true Patriot should occupy the Post in which he can render them the most effectually” (George Washington to James McHenry, February 25, 1799). Now is such a time.

The smallest, but perhaps most effective, thing you can do right now in this time of “imminent danger” to our Republic is to fearlessly vocalize your resistance to the tyrannical, communistic lock-down measures in place from coast to coast. You can take to social media to inform others that what is happening is nothing short of tyranny, that it is not for the public good, that it’s destroying the economy, that it is contrary to the Constitution, and that it severely weakens our Liberty. You can be the one who shares critical information with your family and friends both in person and online, because you can rest assured that the mainstream press won’t share it. Indeed, social media and the controlled media are attempting to silence and censor truthful content about the reality of this “pandemic,” cover up rights violations, and keep you in slavish fear. You can the voice of reason in a time of paranoia and fear.

I urge you, fellow freeman, to lend your voice to the resistance effort. Stand up for your rights and encourage others to stand up for theirs. Help rally your countrymen against the godless Marxist tyranny that oppresses us. Name names. Note those who vote against the Constitution and against personal Liberty. Organize electoral resistance to these charlatans in the next election. Call out and protest your local police for “just doing their job” to put shackles on you and your family. Educate and, if need be, rebuff your acquaintances, friends, and family members who support measures that, by their nature, are unconstitutional, tyrannical, and aimed at the demolition of our Republic.

Never be ashamed to stand up for your Freedom. Stand boldly and know that others stand with you. Be warned that if you cave to the pressure and go along with tyranny, even if it’s supposedly for the “public good,” you disgrace your nation and everything which the title “American” stands for. And also know that if you sincerely resolve “give me liberty, or give me death,” you stand with the great ones whose names we speak with reverence – Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, Henry, Hancock, Parker, and so forth. America needs its Sons of Liberty and Daughters of the Revolution more now than ever. It’s your time to show where you stand.

Zack Strong,

April 24, 2020

Lexington and Concord

Posted on April 20, 2020 by zeev1776

“Lay down your arms, you damned rebels, and disperse.”

On April 18, 1775, 700 British troops slunk out of Boston under the cover of night. Their mission was to march to the little town of Concord to capture and destroy a cache of firearms and gun powder that the American “rebels” were stockpiling there. The outspoken patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock had taken refuge in nearby Lexington and would have also been arrested as the British marched to Concord. In short, the Redcoats planned to arrive in Lexington and Concord at dawn and cut the legs out from under the burgeoning American rebellion.

Fortunately for the cause of Liberty, the patriots had developed an intricate surveillance and information network. Committees of Correspondence carried critical messages between the colonies. Informants spied on British troop movements. And messengers on horseback raced between towns with instructions from leaders like Samuel Adams. These organizations were entirely extralegal, but served critical functions and were indispensable to the American Revolution.

As soon as the British had slipped out of their base, they were discovered by the network of American patriots. A predetermined plan was set into motion, beginning with the famous “one if by land, two if by sea” signal. This signal – two lanterns hung in the steeple of the Old North Church – was flashed from Boston to nearby Charlestown to alert the other members of the network that the Redcoats were rowing across the Charles River.

Paul Revere, who was instrumental in the local courier network and in the secret group of spies called the Mechanics, visited the home of Dr. Joseph Warren of the Boston Committee of Correspondence. Dr. Warren had already dispatched a messenger named William Dawes to Concord with the alarming news. Revere was also sent to Concord via an alternate route.

Revere carefully rode through the countryside warning people friendly to the “rebels” that the troops were on the move. He arrived in Lexington just before Dawes and immediately went to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the danger. Adams and Hancock were staying in the Lexington home of Reverend Jonas Clark (also spelled Clarke) where they were actively guarded by a number of men from his parish.

Revere and Dawes succeeded in convincing the patriot leaders to flee for their safety and then continued on to Concord. On the way, they were joined by yet another rider, Samuel Prescott. The trio was soon intercepted by British soldiers. Dawes and Prescott managed to escaped and rode on to Concord. Revere, however, was detained, questioned, and had his horse commandeered before walking back to Lexington where he arrived before the first shots of the American Revolution were fired.

After the messengers had alerted the people of Lexington, about seventy minutemen eventually gathered on the Lexington town green. They were led by Captain John Parker. Captain Parker ordered his men not to fire when the British arrived. In fact, he decided to place his militia on the neutral town common instead of block the road to Lexington, which would have been a provocative act. He is reported to have said: “[D]on’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”

Nearby, other minutemen gathered at the Fitch Tavern for a quick breakfast. Their leader, Captain Willson, remarked: “It is a cold breakfast, boys, but we will give the British a hot dinner. We’ll have every dog of them before night.” His words would prove to be truer than perhaps he ever imagined.

When the Lobsterbacks finally arrived in Lexington, after roughing up and even arresting various people along their way, they were incensed to the see Captain Parker’s minutemen lined up, rifles in hand, on the town green. The British gathered in battle formation across from the patriots and fixed bayonets. Even before the British appeared, some of the militiamen were spooked and discussed leaving. Captain Parker overheard the murmuring and responded: “The first man who offers to run shall be shot down.”

The British invaders were led by Major John Pitcairn. Pitcairn rode his horse to within earshot of Captain Parker and ordered: “Lay down your arms, you damned rebels, and disperse.” Apparently Captain Parker and his men decided to fall back, but declined to give up their weapons. Pitcairn again demanded: “Damn you, why don’t you lay down your arms?”

At this crucial point, another British officer behind Pitcairn prompted the troops to fire at the retreating American minutemen. Most books today claim that no one knows who fired the first shot, but the evidence suggests it came from the British side – not from the American militiamen who were at the time falling back. At any rate, Pitcairn then formally ordered his men, with profanity and anger, to fire. The American patriots returned fire and the War for Independence had begun.

Ebenezer Munroe, one of the first patriots hit, yelled out to John Munroe as he turned to fire: “I’ll give them the guts of my gun.” He and the other stalwart militiamen of Lexington exemplified the “Don’t Tread On Me” American spirit. This spirit had long been cultivated by Reverend Jonas Clark and other patriots.

On December 13, 1773, in response to the Tea Act, the men of Lexington had actually adopted a resolution written by Rev. Clark – an early version of the Declaration of Independence, one might say – in which they had declared: “We trust in God that should the State of Our Affairs require it, we shall be ready to Sacrifice our Estates, and every thing dear in Life, Yea & Life itself, in support of a Common Cause.” Facing off against British tyrants on the town common was only the natural next step in their commitment to Liberty.

The battle on Lexington Green lasted only a couple minutes. But when the smoke cleared, eight Americans lay dead and nine others were wounded. Some of those who died had been shot in the back and others were bayoneted by the British jackals. The others melted away into the town or nearby countryside. The British wasted little time in Lexington and marched on to their real goal: The Americans’ guns and ammunition stored at Concord.

While the drama was unfolding in Lexington, numerous messengers were sent into the countryside to inform as many people as possible that the King’s troops were on their way. Samuel Prescott had reached Concord and the local minutemen had gathered together. They were later informed by Reuben Brown that shots had been fired in Lexington. They didn’t know the outcome of the fighting there, but braced for a battle in Concord.

As the British approached Concord, they saw a Liberty pole that had been erected. Tellingly, they cut it down. They began seeing militiamen in the hills along the route. By the time they arrived in the town to confiscate and destroy the patriots’ firearms and ammunition, the minutemen had left the town and spread out into the surrounding areas.

The British immediately embarked on their search-and-destroy mission, aided by lists of patriots’ names provided to them by Tory traitors. Some weapons were successfully hidden and certain townswomen were instrumental in diverting the British away from others. Other public provisions were likewise protected by villagers pretending it was their private property. Despite these efforts, the British soldiers looted a number of the homes, burned some of the buildings, and found some of the armaments, which they destroyed.

With their tyrannical work complete, the British prepared to return to Boston. Their return trip would not go off without a hitch, however. Before the Redcoats could exit Concord, hundreds of militiamen from surrounding areas had gathered under the command of Colonel James Barrett. A war council was held. When smoke and fire were seen in Concord, the patriots decided to move into the town. Colonel Barrett ordered Major John Buttrick to advance on the British, though not to fire unless fired upon. Major Buttrick was heard to say they would “march into the middle of the town for its defence, or die in the attempt.”

Before they could enter the town, the patriots had to cross Concord Bridge which was guarded by British troops. The British fired upon the militiamen as they approached, killing one man. The militia returned fire, killing several British and wounding others. The British withdrew and were joined by others from the town. They squared off with the militiamen for some time. When they finally began their journey back to Boston, they were ambushed on the way by as many as one to four-thousand men from nearby communities who had responded to the warnings of British invasion into their area.

As the Redcoats marched to Boston, they were sitting ducks for militiamen concealed in the trees and hills along the roadside. For hours, the British endured guerrilla fire from American muskets. Along their march, a particularly interesting incident occurred. Samuel Whittemore was seventy-eight-years-old at the time. His house, in the small village of Menotomy, sat on the road that lead to Boston. As the British fell back after their attacks upon Lexington and Concord, Whittemore was warned that they were coming. Instead of running, he prepared to defend his home.

Whittemore set up his musket, pistols, and sword and prepared for the Redcoats. In due time, the British marched through the village, smashing everything as they went. When his door was kicked in by British regulars, Whittemore didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger of his pistols, felling the intruders. He then shot another British soldier who rushed at him. Finally, he went for his sword as still other British soldiers burst into his home. They shot him in the head and bayoneted him thirteen times before ransacking his house and leaving him for dead. But he didn’t die. Incredibly, this brave patriot not only survived, but lived to the age of 98 – living to see America freed from British domination. When asked by his wife if he regretted engaging the British instead of hiding, he promptly replied: “No! I would run the same chance again.”

The Redcoats were harassed on all sides by the American patriots as they rushed back to Boston. They only found relief when they reached the city and General Gage’s reinforcements. The bloody march came to be known as “Parker’s Revenge.” The Battles of Lexington and Concord were costly for the occupiers. At least 73 British were killed with dozens injured and even more who went missing. On the other hand, the “shot heard ‘round the world” ignited the revolutionary spirit throughout the colonies and made a full-scale war for Independence inevitable.

The “shot heard ‘round the world” has been remembered and commemorated by many as Patriot’s Day. In one particular Patriot’s Day address, Major T. Harrison Cummings noted:

“Perhaps the most important date in our national calendar, therefore, is the nineteenth of April, 1775. Since, on that day, the blood that was shed in Cambridge and Lexington, marked the first brave resistance of our ancestors to English tyranny, injustice, and oppression, and that resistance brought about the birth of a new nation of freemen.”

Surely April 19, 1775 deserves its place among other special dates such as July 4, 1776 and September 17, 1787. But how many of us remember, let alone go out of our way to commemorate, this exceptional day? How many of us even know the names of national heroes like Captain John Parker and Colonel James Barrett? We have so much to be grateful for as Americans – more than any other people on the planet – yet our forgetfulness of our past, our heroes, and our principles, is nothing short of deafening.

There’s another reason beyond mere gratitude that we should remember the noble American blood spilled at Lexington and Concord. Our national situation is analogous to 1775. The major difference, however, is that the tyranny we face today is far worse than the tyranny our forefathers faced in on the eve of the Revolution. Our ancestors would have never tolerated the abuses that are daily heaped upon us. Yet, most of us pathetically tolerate and endure violations of our sacred rights.

Despite the cowardice that has a hold on so many people, there are millions of us who are not so timid; millions of American patriots who understand our rights, comprehend the Constitution, and prefer to die on our feet as freemen than live on our knees as slaves. The powers-that-be who have hijacked our government believe we will roll over and continue to submit to their dictates because there are many who loudly profess their subservience to the state. But “therein lies the road to war, because those voices don’t speak for the rest of us. You and I know and do not believe that life is so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery . . . Where, then, is the road to peace? Well it’s a simple answer after all. You and I have the courage to say to our enemies, “There is a price we will not pay.” “There is a point beyond which they must not advance.”” (Ronald Reagan, “A Time for Choosing,” October 27, 1964).

We don’t know where the next “shot heard ‘round the world” will be or what will spark it. It may be in Virginia where the newly-elected Democrat regime is busy pushing through egregious gun control laws. It may be in New York where they want to confiscate firearms just like the British hordes who descended upon Lexington and Concord. It may be in Utah where the state government is attempting to usurp a totalitarian authority over people and property. It may be in the mountains of Montana if the national government ever attempts to once and for all abolish the Second Amendment. It might be on a ranch or farm that the government is attempting to steal like they did in the 2014 “Battle of Bunkerville.” We don’t know where or when the government’s despotism will be opposed with deadly force and the powder keg of resistance will be ignited – but it will be eventually.

The best case scenario is that the American People wake up and we only have a limited revolt against the tyrants entrenched in government. The worst case scenario – the scenario that is, unfortunately, most likely – is that the Elite will get their way and plunge the Republic into an everyone-against-everyone melee of mob warfare. In either case, American patriots have a tremendous need to remember the men who stood on Lexington Green and at Concord Bridge.

Americans need to imbibe the spirit of our forefathers. They were real men. They had courage. They knew their rights. They were armed both intellectually, spiritually, and physically against tyrants. They resisted infringements of their rights as all freemen do. They were willing to give their lives to defend their Faith, Families, and Freedom. If we are not prepared to sacrifice everything that they sacrificed in the common cause of Liberty, we’re not worthy to enjoy the level of Freedom they won with their gallantry.

May the names Paul Revere, Jonas Clark, John Parker, James Barrett, and Samuel Whittemore rest on your mind. May the hallowed scenes of Lexington Green and Concord Bridge play continually before your eyes. And may the spirit of Freedom that animated the minutemen who fired the “shot heard ‘round the world” flow through you and inspire you to act against abusive government, when the time comes, as bravely as they did. Long Live Liberty!

Zack Strong,

April 19, 2020

See the following for more details about the battles:

The Battle of April 19, 1775 by Frank Warren Coburn

Lexington: From Liberty’s Birthplace to Progressive Suburb by Richard Kollen

The Minutmen and Their World by Robert A. Gross

Battles of Lexington and Concord by John Hamilton

Fanatic

Posted on April 15, 2020 by zeev1776

Many times during political discussions and debates I have been called a “fanatic.” So it’s time for a confession: Yes, I am a fanatic! I’m a fanatic for Freedom. I’m a fanatic for truth. I’m a fanatic for the Constitution. I’m a fanatic for America.

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a “fanatic” is “a person who is extremely enthusiastic about something” or “a person who holds extreme or dangerous opinions.” The word’s etymology is intriguing. Our modern term stems from the Latin words fanum and fanaticus. Fanum means temple or shrine. And fanaticus has several meanings, including “of or pertaining to a temple,” “divinely inspired,” or “possessed.” Both words denote religious behavior – sometimes in a good sense and sometimes in a bad sense. Perhaps it is appropriate, then, to say that a fanatic is one who is fired with a religious zeal for something.

If we accept this definition, I must again confess: I’m a fanatic! I’m extremely enthusiastic about Freedom. I’m exceedingly eager to regain and maintain my individual rights. I’m dedicated to my own self-government. I’m hell-bent on safeguarding my Faith, Family, and Freedom.

I believe in the American Gospel of Liberty. I worship at the altar of Freedom. I bow before the throne of Independence. I give obeisance inside the temple of sacred, undeniable, and God-given rights.

My love for Freedom is fanatical, aggressive, and uncompromising. I believe in militant Freedom. I’m a hardened devotee of the principles of Liberty. I believe that only an unflinching and spirited defense of our natural rights can succeed in securing them in the face of the devastatingly evil, vicious, and cunning enemy that opposes us.

President Calvin Coolidge affirmed:

“The issues of the world must be met and met squarely. The forces of evil do not disdain preparation, they are always prepared and always preparing . . . The welfare of America, the cause of civilization will forever require the contribution of some part of the life of all our citizens to the natural, the necessary, and the inevitable demand for the defense of the right and the truth. There is no substitute for a militant freedom. The only alternative is submission and slavery” (Calvin Coolidge, The Price of Freedom: Speeches and Addresses, 159).

Our situation is dire. Society is crumbling around us because of the machinations of a worldwide cabal of gangsters. Our families are imploding, by design. Cultural Marxism is running rampant and corroding everything. Things have reached such a critical point that our only option is Liberty or slavery. With everything hanging in the balance, isn’t militant Freedom warranted? Aren’t we justified in being radicals for the cause of our country?

The socialist historian Charles A. Beard did a lot of damage to the Republic by pushing his flawed economic interpretation of the American history, but he did make at least one worthwhile comment. He said:

“You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for independence” (M. Kenneth Creamer, The Reformation of Union State Sovereignty: The Path Back to the Political System Our Founding Fathers Intended – A Sovereign Life, Liberty, And a Free Market, 265).

Repeating the Founding Fathers’ slogans gets you branded as a “dangerous” extremist these days. Saying “Liberty or death,” like Patrick Henry did, can get you on a government watch list. Repeating Benjamin Franklin’s motto “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God” can get you labeled a potential domestic terrorist. Should being considered an “extremist,” a “radical,” a “zealot,” a “Nazi,” a “fascist,” a “white supremacist,” a “racist,” a “homophobe,” or a “fanatic” deter us from doing what is right? Of course not!

Remember, part of the definition of a fanatic is one who holds “dangerous opinions.” Dangerous to whom? Dangerous to traitors. Dangerous to tyrants. Dangerous to liars. Dangerous to communist riffraff. Dangerous to Satan worshippers. Dangerous to the parasites who feast on the lifeblood of society.

At the end of the day, unless we’re prepared to become die-hard radicals, entrenched extremists, and uncompromising fanatics for our Faith, Families, and Freedom, we don’t deserve any of them. Thomas Jefferson, one of the truest fanatics in all of recorded history, stated: “[A]ll timid men . . . prefer the calm of despotism to the boisterous sea of liberty” (Thomas Jefferson to Philip Mazzei, April 24, 1796). Which are you – timid or brave, afraid or indomitable, servile or independent?

Timid men are not worthy of the blessings of Liberty. Weak people are not capable of self-government. Cowardly nations do not deserve to be free. “The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves” (George Washington, General Orders, July 2, 1776). When the day of decision comes, and it will come, where will you stand?

I challenge you to become a Freedom fighter. I urge you to become a dyed-in-the-wool American patriot. I appeal to your inner sense of honor and invite you to become an adamant defender of the sacred rights of mankind. I plead with you from the depth of my soul to become an extremist in the cause of justice, truth, and Independence. I call upon you to become dangerous like our Founding Fathers and the Sons of Liberty – dangerous to any who would destroy our birthright of Liberty. I implore you to become a Freedom fanatic.

Zack Strong,

April 14, 2020.

The American Citadel

Defending our Faith, Families, and Freedom.

Tag Archives: Freedom

When is the Time to Rise?

Self-Defense – The Paramount Right

Blood-Bought America

Three Things I’m Thankful For

“Illegal Fireworks” on Independence Day

The Ongoing American Revolution

What Government Can and Can’t Do

“Just Doing My Job” and Other Things Tyrants Say

Lexington and Concord

Fanatic