Friday, January 30, 2009

Jeffersonian Principles and the Contract Between the Several States

Hey, if you're reading this, I'm fairly confident you grasp all of this already. But for those not reading this...

The Declaration of Independence stipulates:
"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"

The US Constitution states:
Amendment X
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Article 1, Section 8, just for example, is pretty explicit about the extent of the general government's "delegated powers."

And according to the NH Constitution, Part First (Bill of Rights, which, interestingly enough, COMES FIRST in the NH Constitution -- oh, it's a fascinating document that way):
"[Art.] 7. [State Sovereignty.] The people of this state have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves as a free, sovereign, and independent state; and do, and forever hereafter shall, exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right, pertaining thereto, which is not, or may not hereafter be, by them expressly delegated to the United States of America in congress assembled."
June 2, 1784

and...
"[Art.] 10. [Right of Revolution.] Government being instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind."
June 2, 1784

(Those are my 2 absolute favorite articles. What are yours?)

Of course, it must be stated without equivocation that no revolution is even needed if a contract has, in fact, been broken. The contract is then simply null and void, the wronged parties free to walk away. (Or additionally sue, of course.) And any attempt by the offenders to continue to enforce such a clearly broken contract is pure, violent, indefensible aggression. Tantamount to brutish imperialism. Hardly what anyone could rationally characterize as "consensual." Let alone "civilized."

So, given increasingly frequent, blatant and unignorable US governmental transgressions against its charter -- i.e., breach of contract BY OUR SERVANTS -- in this 2009 session of the NH General Court (the NH legislature), Rep. Dan Itse submitted a modest bill, House Concurrent Resolution 6.

Essentially, HCR6 determines to hold the "general government" (that's [1] the national third of the "federal" form of government conceived as the Constitutional Republic, which also included [2] the People -- ostensibly represented in the general government by the US House of Representatives -- and [3] the States, the original signers of the contract establishing the national portion for mutual benefit, and originally represented by the US Senate, at least until the general government managed to get its purpose neutered via the 17th Amendment, of course -- so the original contracting parties are actually themselves no longer represented, with no remaining intended influence to keep governance local) -- where was I? oh, yeah -- hold the "general government" accountable for adherence to the contract between the several States known as the Constitution of the United States of America -- enumerated powers, Bill of (representative: remember Amendment IX) Rights, and all.

This shall be -- this must be -- New Hampshire's -- The Free State's -- line in the sand. Because finally, somebody must draw one. Let it be here. Let it be now.

The NH House's public hearing for HCR6 is scheduled for 2/5/2009 at 1:00pm in Rm 203 of the Legislative Office Building in Concord, NH. I would take it as a great personal favor if sufficient liberty lovers turned out to force them to move the whole shindig over to Representatives' Hall, across the street in the State House.
To my Representatives, and the State-Federal Relations Committee,

I support NH's Constitutionally guaranteed sovereignty. I support the NH General Court's (US Constitution) 10th Amendment and (NH Constitution) Part 1st, Articles 7 & 10 authority. They are the law. They are our contract. They are unalienable. They are our birthright.

I support "HCR6: Affirming States' rights based on Jeffersonian principles." I trust you do, too.

And may someone once again channel Patrick Henry.

Contact the Committee and your Representatives. Attend the hearing. Stand up for your right to Constitutionally constrained government. Your general government certainly won't. But your state government just might if you instruct it to. Think REAL ID...

And don't stray too far. Gavel-to-gavel hearing video will be posted right here. Ya knew that was comin', right? This should be a hoot...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Spreading the Philosophy of Liberty...

...with the 'Philosophy of Liberty.'

Members of the NH Liberty Alliance begin the process of delivering DVD copies of the International Society for Individual Liberty's 'Philosophy of Liberty' animation to each and every NH State Representative. 1/27/2009



Thursday, January 22, 2009

NH House Rules Committee debates the fate of Redress of Grievances

Part First, Article 31 of the NH Constitution states
"The legislature shall assemble for the redress of public grievances and for making such laws as the public good may require."

Unfortunately, the NH legislature -- much like its federal counterpart -- hasn't seen fit to address the first part of that mandate in a very long time.

Last session, Fremont Representative Dan Itse forced the issue of the citizen's right to redress of grievance with HB1543, finally getting Legislative Services to acknowledge that they could handle submitting them. Now the battle turns to the House, where the idea of actually doing something with them becomes the stumbling block. Here, 1/21/2009, we learn that the Rules Committee agrees to, umm... "file them."

Still, Rep. Itse sees the bright side, and is hopeful...



NH House Transportation Committee Hearing on HB95

NH House Transportation Committee Hearing on HB95: "relative to motorcycle equipment and noise levels." Too many bikers for a mere hearing room, we repair to Representatives' Hall, 1/21/2009
Contact your legislators.

Union Leader coverage here.