January 3, 2012 Meeting Follow-Up

A few follow-ups from the meeting…

We heard a presentation from Duke Energy about the smart meter technology that is being rolled out in Ohio. Our own Calvin Pauley provided a list of pros and cons, and we had a lively discussion. Here is a link to some FAQs on the topic from Duke.

In a separate discussion, we talked about collectivism and the danger of favoring the rights of “men” (the collective) over the rights of “man” (the individual).

In this dialog, we touched on two tragic stories.

• One was a story from the French Revolution of the “Martyrs of Compiegne.” The martyrs were a small group of nuns who were sentenced to death in 1794 by the French “Committee of Public Safety.” They were condemned in part because they were judged to be unproductive to society. The nuns courageously faced the guillotine, singing together. One by one, they were cut down, their voices dropping from the song until the last voice – then silence. Read more about them here.
• Another story was from Germany in 1945. The National Socialists (Nazi’s) carried out the killing of millions of people in the name of the collective state. Here is a link to the YouTube clip from the Band of Brothers series that we watched. Note the role of the Americans as liberators.

There are many tragic stories such as these. The greater point is that when a society forgoes the rights of individuals, anything goes. Focused state power and the abandonment of individual rights provide fertile ground for disaster.

Americans must continue their vigilance in upholding limited government and the protection of the individual and unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (i.e. property). It is essential that we champion these rights in order to sustain the greatness and freedom of America.

We talked a bit about Trevor Loudon’s recent book, Barack Obama and the Enemies Within. This book illustrates in detail the leftist (communist/socialist) political collaboration that helped bring Barack Obama to the national scene. We must work to do the opposite! We must build a strong local political foundation from which strong conservative leaders can emerge.

We watched a brief video from the Clermont Liberty PAC on the topic of local engagement. Learn more about the PAC at this link.

The next class in the Making of America Series will take place on Monday, January 9th, 6p.m. at the Union Township Civic Center. Admission is free. Come learn more about America’s founders and the fundamental structures of our government. All are welcome!

Our next countywide meeting will be Tuesday, February 7th, 7p.m. at the Holiday Inn Eastgate.

Please mark your calendar and bring a friend!

Yours in Liberty,

Ted Stevenot
Clermont Tea Party
www.clermontteaparty.org
“The battle did not last long. Around noon, everything was calm again. The SS had fled and the resistance had taken charge of the camp. At six o’clock that afternoon, the first American tank stood at the gates of Buchenwald.”  Elie Wiesel, Night, pp. 115