L. Neil Smith's
THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE
Number 302, January 16, 2005

"We now return you to your regularly scheduled agitation."

A Call to Arms
by Ron Beatty
ronbeatty@sbcglobal.net

Exclusive to TLE

Ladies and gentlemen, if you love freedom, it is now time to take action to begin restoring freedom to this country.

As I am sure most of you know, the Patriot Act comes up for review this year, and if not renewed, will lapse, just as the Assault Weapons Ban did this last September.

If you remember, the sheeple were bleating plaintively about the AWB lapsing, wailing that it would lead to an epidemic of so called 'assault weapons' being used in crimes. Well, guess what? This didn't happen, and for a very good reason. The AWB was never about controlling crime, but only about controlling people, keeping them from obtaining the tools to effectively protect themselves against tyranny. Even the oppressors were finally forced to admit that the AWB served absolutely no useful purpose, and it finally died a well-deserved death.

The Patriot Act is the exact same. Supposedly, it is about giving the federal government the power to effectively fight terrorism. Bushwah! The Patriot Act is nothing more than the Enabling Acts of the mid-30's were for Nazi Germany! Just as the Ennabling Acts used a specious threat (communists, jews, gypsies, and other 'undesirables') as a justification for enhanced police state powers, the Patriot Act uses a specious threat (global terrorism) to give the state the powers it needs to protect itself from its own citizens.

Think I'm joking? I'm not. Under the Patriot Act, and the evil twin, the Intelligence Reform Act, anyone, for any reason, can be declared a terrorist, and prosecuted as such. In addition, that person may be declared an 'enemy combatant', and as such, forfeit all Constitutional rights and protections, on no other evidence than an unsubstantiated allegation. In fact, Congress is considering authorizing the indefinite detention of 'enemy combatants', even if there is no evidence against them.

Already, a national ID card is being planned for, as part of the Intelligence Reform Act, even though this has been vehemently objected to, every single time it has come up for debate in the Congress. Evidently, the criminals in office have decided that enough of the sheeple have been so terrified that they can get away with it. In addition, the Supreme Court has decided that ordinary citizens can be required to show ID papers whenever requested, papers which are not even required by law, yet. "Your papers, citizen!"

What's next? Internal passports? Will we have to get permission to take a vacation out of state? How about a holiday visit to family? All signs point that way. Consider the 'no-fly' list, and the fact that there are so called 'secret laws' authorizing the reprehensible conduct of TSA employees, laws which we have to comply with, even if we don't know about them! Add in the fact that the price of gasoline is kept unnaturally high by the refusal of the person occupying the Oval Office to release oil reserves. Now, this may be no more than that person paying back contributors by lining their bank accounts, but if you look at all the facts, it makes a very uncomfortable looking picture. Am I saying that there is some type of conspiracy here? Not at all. I am saying that there are some very strange coincidences, things which, when taken together, seem somewhat ominous.

So why the title "A Call to Arms"? Because that is what this is. Many of us have little or no money. Most of us are ordinary people with little or no political influence, by ourselves. Individually, the congresscritters will pay absolutely no attention to us. What I am proposing is that each of us take five to ten minutes, each and every week until the Patriot Act comes up for review and send an e-mail to each of your representatives and senators. In addition, send one to your governor, to the national party committees, and to anyone you can think of who might be of help in influencing the congresscrooks. If you can afford to, back this up with snail mail copies sent to the individuals in question, as well as your local newspapers. Also, make phone calls. If you can't afford the long distance call to Washington, call the politician's local office, make your voice heard.

Politicians pay attention to only two things, money and votes. Let them know that you will be watching their actions, and will donate, and vote, accordingly. Now is the time for you to decide how much you are devoted to the concept of freedom and individual liberty and rights. You can stand on 'principle', and when you are enslaved or stuck in a gulag someplace, you can console yourself with that. Or you can live up to ideals you claim to believe in.

As always, never, ever take my unsupported word for anything, and still less that of any government or media spokesperson. Make the effort, do the research, find out the facts for yourself. In the end, you, and only you, are responsible for your own safety and freedom.


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