On the first night, Schaeffer Cox of Alaska called for the formation of a caucus within the larger group. The “People’s Action Caucus” would focus on the civic actions that the Congress would recommend to the people. Its mission statement was “Arming the People with recommendations for local action that are not contingent upon government cooperation so they can exercise their inherent right to be free.” The group tackled the issues of the following day: 2nd Amendment and the Money Clause. Cox split the group into two units and I quickly volunteered to work on the money sub-committee. I was chosen as the chair for the night. With the help of Jeanne Golrick (MA), J.D. Shultis (SD), Rick Humboldt (NH), and a few others, we were able to come out with a short, clear statement to offer the people a nudge in the right direction to escape from unwarranted monetary control over their lives. We wrote the statement short and without too much specificity, because it would have to be up to activists in the localities to do the real work. The next morning, our money civic action was quickly passed on the floor. I believe it set the tone for much of the work of the rest of the days because it became clear that small groups could focus on issues and turn out effective resolutions that might have otherwise used up several hours on the floor. Sub-committees were soon created to tackle each of the issues.

They gave us a cheap box lunch on the last Friday. Seated are 5 members of THARs – Total Hard Ass Radicals aka Liberty Kids.

Schaeffer Cox, John Bush (TX), and Catherine Bleish (MO) were youngsters in their twenties who were all extremely gifted and highly charismatic. They and I, along with Kevin Patrick (WV), Ryan McCain (LA), and a few others, soon formed our own little social group, the “Liberty Kids”. It was very interesting to see that factions formed, even in a body with so short a life-span and so focused in purpose. The Founding Fathers warned about factions, or parties, but we had quickly developed them. Most of our differences were not based on ideology, though. It was more a case of target audience saleability. The older, more traditional conservative delegates simply had different constituencies.

via Delegate Wm. H. Ramsey (NE) – Journal of Continental Congress 2009 « Reboot The Republic.

SOMETHING IN THE AIR

'Continental Congress' abolishes income tax

Citizens mobilize in spirit of '76 to help return U.S. to its roots

Posted: November 23, 2009

11:01 pm Eastern

© 2009 WorldNetDaily

'New Continental Congress' session in St. Charles, Ill.

Modeled after the assembly of colonial leaders that formed the original governing body of the U.S., a grass-roots organization has concluded a "new Continental Congress" it hopes will be a catalyst for citizen action that will help return the nation to its roots.

Meeting Nov. 11-21 in St. Charles, Ill., delegates from across the nation gathered to publicly debate the government's "abuses of the Constitution and to consider practical strategies which can bring about compliance with our Freedom documents, not only in our government at all levels, but in our individual lives."

The delegates produced Articles of Freedom which assert "the time has come to reassert our God-given natural rights and cast off tyranny."

"Let the facts reveal – the Federal Government of the United States of America, which was instituted to protect the rights of individual citizens, instead – threatens our life, liberty and property through usurpations of the Constitution; and emboldened by our own lack of responsibility and due diligence in these matters, has exceeded its mandate, and abandoned those founding principles which have made our nation exceptional," the document declares.

The organizers emphasized their "grass-roots proceedings" are not a Constitutional Convention, which the delegates strongly oppose, because it would "only serve to limit our unalienable rights."

The Congress passed a number of resolutions, including measures against the income tax – recognizing it as unconstitutional – and against federal gun-control legislation.

The president of the session was Michael Badnarik, the Libertarian Party's candidate for president in 2004. Dan Gonzales, the Constitution Party's Florida chairman, was the session's vice president.

Robert Schulz Sr., chairman of the We The People Foundation for Constitutional Education, was a chief organizer.

(Story continues below)

The organizers, who state they seek to "legally end certain violations of the federal Constitution," said their next step is to hold their state and federal elected officials accountable to the federal Constitution.

They say they have "exhausted their administrative and judicial remedies" and now wish to "exhaust their constitutional remedies, as guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence and the Accountability Clause of the First Amendment."

"When the People are up against unjust and uncivil government and laws and they are entitled to reform they will achieve it if they are pro-active, non-violent and have a mass-movement," they declare.

'New Continental Congress' delegates meeting in St. Charles, Ill.

Charging the government has violated the Constitution's tax, money, war, general welfare, privacy and other clauses, the organizers have posted petitions for redress regarding the war powers clauses, gun control laws, federal income tax, federal reserve, USA Patriot Act and illegal immigration and a North American Union.

The organizers emphasize the Constitution affords citizens much more than the right to merely send "complaints" to the government, which are usually ignored.

"The Right of Petition embodies the profound Right to enforce the Right to Petition by withdrawing support from the Government until Redress is secured," they state.

The Continental Congress 2009 sought to "take the process of holding Government accountable and restoring the Constitution to the next level by first creating a formal record of the vast violations of the Constitution and Individual Rights now suffered by the People."

The members debated and decided on a series of practical "Civic Actions" citizens can undertake to restore their liberty.

The assembly adopted, for example, formal "Remedial Instructions" to be served on federal and state officials, ordering them to cease and desist their official abuses and giving them formal notice as to the "Civic Actions" of peaceful resistance the people can carry out if their petitions are ignored.

The Income Tax Instruction to the United States Congress adopted by the assembly cites "irrefutable documentation" establishing that the 16th Amendment is void because it was not properly ratified and arguing any direct, unapportioned tax on the labor of any American is unconstitutional.

The resolution cites the U.S. Supreme Court holding that labor and its fruits are "the most sacred and inviolable" property of the citizens of the nation.

The tax resolution also calls for Congress to immediately stop imposition of the withholding of earnings from citizens' paychecks.

via ‘Continental Congress’ abolishes income tax.

I have been at the Continental Congress in St. Charles, IL for several days now. This has been one of the most productive and fruitful experiences of my life, and it is only 1/3 over!

I am working hard with the privacy committee to develop strategies to fight fusion centers in your own state.

John Bush, a successful activist and the executive director of Texans for Accountable Government, speaks on the importance of privacy.

If you have any suggestions with regards to privacy (actions citizens can take) please shoot me an email at Catherine@libertyrestorationproject.org .