Am I crazy?
I recently spoke to thousands at FreedomFest in Las Vegas, and I was heartened to see that even my case for life after death was well-received by the libertarian audience! I was honored to be introduced by Steve Forbes, who explained the topic of my talk, "What It's Like To Be A Political Prisoner? In America." During the keynote, I discussed the lessons learned during my time in community confinement.
I came out of confinement a little bit shaken. Some of my idealistic assumptions about America as it should be have given way to being more alert about America as it is. This tells me not that I'm less patriotic than I was before, but rather we as Americans always have to ask, "Which America are we fighting for?"
Our future is very much up in the air. This is not the America that the founders envisioned, and this is not the America that we believe in, so, as a consequence, politics have become very important. We need to recognize our opposition, we need to mobilize, we need to think about strategy, and until we get our act together, we shouldn't expect a renewal.
The following day, I spoke to a filled arena at Middle Tennesee State University with my friend Tim Tebow. It was an inspiring time discussing God's purpose for America—and I'm sure he appreciated the football tips I gave him in the green room! In all seriousness, I find Tim to be warm, kind, patriotic, and sincere in his faith—it's no wonder the secular left hates him so much!
"When your identity is found in Christ, your identity never changes," Tebow said. "You are always a child of God."
I was on The Kelly File to discuss my latest court hearing with Megan Kelly—and she couldn't quite suppress a chuckle when she asked me if I was crazy!
I have crossed the 200,000 follower mark and Twitter, and I'm so thankful to all you that helped me get there by sharing my profile with your friends! How dismaying this growth must be for the Leftists with 10 followers who rail daily against me. If we're not already connected on Twitter, click here to see what I'm saying.
Sincerely,
Dinesh D'Souza
La Jolla, California
Answer growing persecution of American Christians
Help answer growing persecution in America
Since the Supreme Court's ruling to impose court-created same-sex marriage on America, remarkable things are happening . . .
. . . Remarkable things that call for an answer from all believers in Christ in this country.
First, extremists—including many in government—are seizing upon the Court's decision to attack your religious freedom and beliefs with a fury never before seen in American history.
Second, Christians are responding. They are standing for their faith and freedom in ways that may turn out to be equally historic . . . perhaps a turning point for America not planned by those who want our faith silenced.
But the verdict of history will, by God's grace, largely be determined by the individual actions of people like you at this hour of trial.
For that reason, I'm asking you to join together once again with FRC through your support, which now is especially crucial—and is a way to help inform and mobilize God's people to respond to the crisis the Supreme Court has ignited.
In the roughly half-month since the Court unloaded its decision on America...
The governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear, threatened county clerks with the prospect of stiff criminal penalties if they don't violate their conscience and issue court-created same-sex marriage licenses, and activists have filed lawsuits against the clerks. The ACLU has joined in with intimidation in Kentucky and other states.
Influential media voices have called for legalizing polygamy . . . for censoring religious objectors to court-created same-sex marriage . . . and for ending tax-exemptions for churches and ministries who don't knuckle under.
Left-wing activists are trying to use the Supreme Court's redefinition of marriage as a wedge to influence Christians to abandon their religious beliefs about sexuality.
But on top of all this, there is another reason why it is vital you stand up and voice your opinion through FRC's efforts to tell the truth to Americans, lawmakers, the courts and more.
Opponents of your faith are trying to shut down your right to free speech. Don't let them.
"Progressive" activists flooded a news network with thousands of demands not to even allow Christians like FRC's Ken Blackwell on the air (as they tried to censor me from appearing on CBS two months ago).
Our friends Aaron and Melissa Klein—harassed out of business and fined $135,000 for declining to create an artistic wedding cake for a lesbian couple—have now been ordered by the state of Oregon to stop talking about the issue or face further punishment. (The state was furious, partly because they appeared on FRC's daily radio program.)
They have refused to stay silent!
I urge you to keep standing with those across the country who refuse to give in.
We need you to keep standing with:
Thousands of pastors who used their church pulpits to speak out for biblical sexuality and against the Washington-Hollywood attempt to deceive Americans and silence the church. This includes the 8,000 churches in FRC's Watchman on the Wall Pastor's Network.
Hundreds of government officials—from U.S. Senators, House Members, governors, state legislators, mayors, commissioners, county clerks, justices of the peace and more—who are speaking out for biblical marriage and against the Court-imposed redefinition of marriage.
Ministry leaders, authors, and others joining the wave of Christians rising up in civil but firm protest—taking the opportunity to remind Americans about what marriage actually is and articulating the only hope for America and all humanity, Jesus Christ.
This is a wave that is building, and must keep building . . . because the alternative is unthinkable.
The alternative is the quiet compromise and slow evaporation of the Faith in America, and the withdrawal of the gospel of Jesus Christ and all its life-transformation and social-reformation. And if that goes, so will the moral restraint and social order essential for self-government and freedom.
A historic turning point is happening . . . now . . . in one direction or the other. I urge you to be part of lifting America, by God's grace, in an upward direction, and one way you can do that is through your support of FRC.
Help lift America and continue the momentum we've begun to see since the Court's decision:
#1 Help keep Americans aware, informed and motivated. FRC is on national daily radio, online with daily updates, and our experts are in the news media constantly (despite the Left's best efforts to silence us). We are also informing and mobilizing churches, as I mentioned above.
#2 Help inform key members of Congress about religious freedom protections for fearless friends of natural marriage. Our experts are in close contact with members of Congress about solutions like the First Amendment Defense Act which would stop the federal government from penalizing religious institutions and individuals based on a biblical view of marriage.
#3 Help keep the resistance to redefined marriage building in the states . . . along with more and more laws protecting people of faith: pastors, ministries, Christian schools, county clerks, magistrates, justices of the peace, adoption agencies and more. We must build multiple walls of protection—and FRC's policy expertise is crucial to informing and activating legislators and activists.
We did not ask for this fight. And it is certainly a strain on FRC's resources.
But the crisis is upon us, and we must put our faith into action.
First Corinthians 16:13 exhorts us,
"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."
I count it a privilege to serve Jesus Christ in such a moment. I count it a privilege to serve Him alongside you. I ask for your support now—to help others be watchful, stand firmly, and walk in a manner worthy of the calling of being a follower of Christ.
I will keep you closely updated. But for the sake of the future of the Faith in our country, please help us.
Standing (Ephesians 6:13),
Tony Perkins
President
Family Research Council
My response to John McCain
Once again you see the need to attack those who don't agree with you. Personally I'm offended and fed up with your continuing self righteous indignation.
We are not "crazies, we are awake and we realize that the "old Republican Party" is not and should not be our primary concern. You have shown yourselves to be untrustworthy, a party of cowards and hypocrites who are complicit in the destruction and loss of our freedoms along with the financial ruin of OUR country while you lined your pockets and fluffed up your assets. You, "sir" have sold us out.
Personally this "old crazy" has something for the GOP to consider. Many of us are in the twilight of our lives and do not like what is happening. We no longer want promises, we will no longer accept lies, we don't want the inter party attacks because of policy disagreement. We should not help finance re-elections of over-the-hill, out of touch dinosaurs and self serving frauds. The party should have recognized this by now.
There is a growing number of true American born and bred Patriots that are fast arriving at the realization that there isn't much difference between Hillary and any number of "Republican" candidates. We look back and we see how often we have been deceived and mislead by both the candidates and by OUR party. We are tired of the "it's his turn to run" mentality and what's best for the party. It should always be "Country First and foremost."
The words and messages coming from you and the GOP go a long way in proving that the "party" has lost sight that it's the PEOPLE that are the actual party.
Because of our age, our experience and our ability to recognize right from wrong and bull crap from roses we hold a POWERFUL card. We can withhold our donations to the GOP we can withhold our VOTE. That is also OUR option as actual Americans.
We can sit out an election. If many more feel the same way the GOP will be history and hopefully something better, much better, will rise from the ashes in the future.
Tom Carbone
Cave Creek
Redistricting for Dummies: How to End the Gerrymander
Every ten years, based on the latest census data, the states receive new apportionments of seats in the US House of Representatives. The state legislatures begin mapping out revised districts to accommodate changes in population, population distribution, and increases or decreases in the number of seats.
And five years later, some state legislatures (at the moment, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia top the list) are still fighting over how to divide the spoils. Districts are re-drawn to protect powerful incumbents, give each major party at least token representation, and preserve the political power of labor lobbies, racial and ethnic communities, and other special interests. Each redistricting scheme ends up in court with multiple trips back to the drawing board.
This process is called "gerrymandering," after Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry, who in 1812 signed a state senate redistricting map in which one district resembled a salamander.
It's an ugly process. Everybody claims to hate it. But nobody seems interested in ending it, though it would be simple to do so.
Judge Robert Bork, later a failed nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, was once tasked with submitting a redistricting plan. He suggested starting in one corner of the state and drawing roughly square districts by population, without regard to special interest factors. His suggestion wasn't accepted. But it would be easy to implement. Just plug the map and census data into a computer program and voila -- uniform districts, fairly drawn.
Even better, why not transition to "at-large" elections for all U.S. Representatives?
The district concept was implemented before the invention of the telegraph, at a time when most Americans got their news from a local paper and never strayed more than 50 miles from their birthplaces. Local elections made sense then. Today we cross the continent in hours and read worldwide news seconds after it happens (or watch it AS it happens).
Why not just have a statewide election for (for example) five seats, in which the five top vote-getters are elected? This would not eliminate sectional interests, pork barrel earmarks and other maladies of supposedly representative government entirely, but it would make members of Congress more accountable to large, mixed constituencies and less beholden to the insular coalitions controlling gerrymandered districts.
Switching to "at-large" elections might also mitigate the power of the two-party "duopoly" in favor of more proportional representation, especially if better voting systems -- approval voting, single transferable vote and instant run-off are three interesting ideas -- were implemented as well.
Which is why it will never happen. The American political system is brittle. Our politicians would rather break it than bend their will to ours. So maybe we should instead start thinking about what comes next.
Thomas L. Knapp, Director and Senior News Analyst
William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism
The battle against email censorship
This email will serve several purposes as it will provide you with some important information regarding the SAPPA Group Lawsuit and it will provide me with some valuable insight on why so many of our emails are now being rejected by either Gmail, which we use to send, or the other many and varied email services being used by those on our list.
Over the years TPATH has tried very hard to remove people on our lists who ask to be taken off. It's a difficult task since many people have used the signup page on the TPATH website to get on our list and then, after reading something they don't agree with, send a demand to be unsubscribed. Another curious thing that has happened many times – I will get an email, sometimes not so politely, ordering me to remove their email address because they claim, they never signed up. I would then check our sign up sheet from the website and there, as plain as day, their email address has been submitted, so either they are having periods of uncontrolled desire for conservatism and then repenting, or someone else, friend or family, signed them up. For the most part this just causes extra work for TPATH as we try to get them out of the system. So please, don't do that.
As I stated, more and more of our emails are being rejected. Depending on the week's latest controversial article, we have between 8 and 10 thousand in our list. Lately almost 20 percent are being rejected by either my server or the recipients’. It is very difficult to find out just what it is that causes these massive rejections. What I and many other senders of multiple emails have become very certain of is this is a censorship effort and not a spam deterrent as they claim. Very simply they have decided to use the "spam filter" as cover for their true agenda, that is curtailing as much c0n$ervative (this spelling may slip past the censors) communication as possible.
Most of the time we prepare a graphic that relates to or draws attention to an article we write or post. We like to include that graphic with the email announcement of a new posted article. Not knowing exactly what it is that brings the censor into action I have tried several things such as being careful not to use certain words in the notice. It appears now that certain phrases or words along with the graphic and emailing the maximum amount activate the censorship filter.
So, this email has been sent without the words I suspect are plugged into those filter programs and without the attachment of a graphic. The only thing we will do here is provide for you a link to the SAPPA Group webpage where you can read some very interesting things going on with the lawsuit.
If your email server bounces it back, you of course, will never know. There is something very un-American about that. It's a shame but this is just one more area that has taken a beating in these past few years.
Here is the link to the list of activity, actions and reactions concerning the Federal Lawsuit the SAPPA Group has filed.
http://www.tpath.org/sappa-news-and-reports.html
Thanks for taking the time to read this and indulge my ranting.
Warm regards to each of you,
Dwight Kehoe
www.tpath.org
SAPPA Group
Three reasons we need a Convention of States
We the People have two options: triumph or submit.
We can submit to Washington’s imperious national policies or we can use an Article V Convention of States to declare our liberty.
Still aren’t convinced? Here are three reasons we need a Convention of States today.
Think Greece can’t happen here? You’re wrong. Greece’s economic situation is surprisingly similar to our projected economy if we stay on our present course.
The Social Security administration is making some serious errors. The red tape is so thick it can’t even collect overpayments without wasting money.
The massive federal overreach you haven’t heard about. President Obama’s new rule is “on par with Obamacare in its transformative potential.”
P.S. Let your voice be heard! Take our judicial overreach poll and let us know what you think of the recent SCOTUS decisions.
Citizens for Self-Governance
Convention of States Project
We did it!
Dr. Carson has announced that he is running for President of the United States!
Your dedicated support to help us draft Dr. Ben Carson - along with the commitment of RunBenRun staff and volunteers - over the past year has truly paid off.
Thanks to your support, we have assembled an experienced, passionate and dedicated political team that is working with more than 28,000 volunteers across the nation to build an unstoppable grassroots organization in every state.
In addition, we have full-time staff and offices open in Iowa, New Hampshire, and North Carolina with the other three early primary states - South Carolina, Colorado, and Nevada - soon to follow.
The truth is that while this Committee played a very important role in persuading Ben Carson to run for president, it will play an even more important role in helping him win the GOP nomination and the 2016 Presidential Election.
You and I must double-down in our efforts to elect Dr. Ben Carson as President of the United States.
Your continued support is so critical - now more than ever!
By becoming a Campaign Patriot, you will give The 2016 Committee (a.k.a. RunBenRun) the financial backbone required to fund vital operations in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, North Carolina, Nevada, Colorado, and other early primary states.
You will help ensure the Draft Ben Carson Committee has a leg-up on the competition and always has the funds necessary to overcome any and all obstacles along the path to victory!
I know I can count on you! And - as a special thank you - you'll receive exclusive, member-only gear and collectibles.
So join the Campaign Patriot monthly membership program TODAY!
Sincerely,
John Philip Sousa IV
The 2016 Committee
