A Tyrant is Unfit to be the Ruler of a Free People
By Jim MacDonald
The Founding Fathers of the United States were brilliant men. Inspired by their faith in the one true living God, they constructed two incredible documents: the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence. The Founders crafted every word with precise meaning and no fluff.
Before 1776, and with few exceptions, every country in world history was governed by a king or tyrant of some type. For example, during America’s quest for freedom, King George III reigned in England from 1760 to 1820 and was the tyrant in question during the American Revolution.
America claimed her freedom from the tyranny of King George III, as declared in the Declaration of Independence, and victory in the Revolutionary War. This inspiring document listed 27 grievances against the king and pointed out their efforts to resolve them before declaring independence.
Upon enumerating the 27 grievances, the Founders stated: “A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
Thankfully, America was victorious in the brutal war that ensued against England. In 1787, the Founders penned the Constitution of the United States.
“No title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States”
The Framers took great care in designing this Constitution to reduce the possibility of any person or persons becoming too powerful. For example, “No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States” (Article 1, section 9, clause 8).
Nobility, according to Daniel Webster’s 1828 dictionary, is “The qualities which constitute distinction of rank in civil society, according to the customs or laws of the country; that eminence or dignity which a man derives from birth or title conferred, and which places him in an order above common men.”
Although there is no official title of nobility awarded to our “most elite” political leaders in Washington, D.C., one could argue that their “character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant.” In other words, they assume Americans gave them a crown of nobility.
Below are several grievances the Founders had with King George, as listed in the Declaration of Independence. Following each grievance is a similar act by our modern-day “nobility” in the U.S. federal government. For instance:
- He (the king) has refused his Assent (agree or approve of) to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
- ***America’s current President refuses to enforce the laws that protect the people from the invasion of our southern borders.
- He has desolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
- ***Congress, the President, the Supreme Court, and the bureaucracies have continuously invaded the rights of the people. They disregard the provisional design of “checks and balances” and overstep their authority without pushback from other branches: abortions, Covid-19 mandates, gun rights, free speech, freedom of religion, etc.
- He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substances.
- ***Congress has established the EPA, DHS, IRS, FDA, and countless other new offices to harass our people. In addition, the executive branch has used the IRS, the FBI, the CIA, as well as local governments, to harass the people.
- He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation…
- ***Our government has mandated the shutting down of businesses during Covid-19, wearing masks, forcing untested vaccines on Americans, regulating food supply, etc.
America does not have a king ruling over its people. Still, we do have a dictatorial ruling body that, over the years, has usurped unauthorized power from the sovereign states and the people.
Did our Constitution fail us?
The United States Constitution did NOT fail us, but we failed the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson wrote: “We in America do not have government by the majority—we have government by the majority who participate…All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”
Americans have failed their Constitution because we stopped participating in our government. We stopped studying our founding documents. Too many Americans couldn’t tell you the difference between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
In addition, most Americans can’t name their Congressman, Representative, Senator, or State Representatives either. As a result, they have virtually no idea how our government works. This is a huge problem and why Americans continue to vote for corrupt, inefficient, and immoral government officials.
Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.—Benjamin Franklin
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.—John Adams
The Constitution was designed to restrain tyranny and keep the politicians with power in check. However, the people allowed the ruling class to continue to add more and more authority to their position. Because Americans are naïve regarding our Constitution, the swamp in Washington D.C. continues to usurp additional control not originally given them.
In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.—Thomas Jefferson
How can we save our republic?
Thanks to the Founder’s infinite wisdom and reliance on Divine Providence, they knew the people would relinquish power to the federal government. They also assumed the people would eventually awaken from despair and seek to correct the injustices. Therefore, the Founders added a provision in Article V of the U.S. Constitution that, when properly used, can restore our country to a self-governing, virtuous nation.
This provision requires seeking God’s face through prayer and His Word, studying the founding documents, and committing to the hard work of calling a convention of states. And finally, uniting and mutually pledging to each other our Lives, Fortunes, and Sacred Honor.
May God continue to bless the United States of America!
Police State America - Problem
Convention of States- Solution
By Brian Harris
On Friday, April 8, 2022, a Michigan jury acquitted two men and deadlocked on two more in the infamous alleged kidnap attempt of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The outcome was due to a clear case of entrapment, according to American Thinker writer Andrea Widburg, who also noted that 12 of the 18 people involved in the plot were FBI informants. When the majority of the people involved in an alleged federal conspiracy are working for the government, we should be alarmed.
In recent Senate Judiciary Committee testimony, FBI Executive Assistant Director Jill Sanborn refused to answer when asked by Senator Ted Cruz how many agents, or confidential informants were actively involved in the events of January 6th. Again, we should be alarmed that our federal law enforcement bureaucracies appear out of control.
These are just two of the latest examples in federal law enforcement overreach history.
The most recent estimate of the number of federal crimes on the books is over 4,500. You can throw in an extra 300,000 crimes buried in federal regulations. The true number is elusive, even for the federal government and the US Department of Justice, who have been unable to come up with an exact number. Again we should be very alarmed.
It is nearly impossible to leave your house without running afoul of the feds. Come to think of it; we are probably guilty of some obscure federal crime while minding our own business in our own homes.
There are at least 65 federal law enforcement agencies and 27 offices of inspector generals. Federal agents number in the thousands. The FBI alone employs over 35,000 people.
The federal police state is not what our founding fathers had in mind when they drafted our Constitution. That beautiful and timeless document lists just three crimes for which the federal government had jurisdiction. They are counterfeiting, piracy, and offenses against the Law of Nations. All other matters were the purview of state and local governments. That is the way it should be.
How do we restore our freedom and rid ourselves of the federal police state? Representative Chip Roy of Texas recently attempted to put a dent in this problem when he introduced the ‘Count the Crimes to Cut Act of 2020’. But unfortunately, this bill has languished in committee since June 2020.
Might it make sense to abolish or consolidate the myriad federal law enforcement agencies? The United States Marshal Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency and was created during the presidency of George Washington. Why do we need more than the marshals?
An Article V Convention of States could remedy our police state problem. Its aims are threefold and include the imposition of fiscal restraints on the federal government, limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limiting terms in office for officials AND for members of Congress. Fiscal restraint could be used to reduce budgets and staffing allotments for the police state apparatus. Jurisdictional limits could put the federal law enforcement monster back in its constitutional box. Finally, limiting terms in office for government officials refers to federal employees. This could be used to revert federal law enforcement to civil service rather than positions of profit.
Thomas Jefferson’s vision for the federal government was “a few plain duties to be performed by a few servants.” Do you share this vision? If so, you should care about limiting the runaway federal law enforcement goliath. So check out the Convention of States today and get involved.
Memorial Day Celebration
By Jim MacDonald
We live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. Migrants, both legal and illegal, have flocked to this country since its inception. No other land has seen the influx of people striving for the freedom that America represents. No other people have been more welcoming than the God-fearing people of America.
There are countless reasons for America’s success and achievement, but nothing says more than the willingness of Americans to pay the ultimate price for our freedom. Answering the call to defend America at any cost makes America exceptional.
Memorial Day, celebrated on the last Monday in May, is set aside to remember all the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. In addition, that weekend marks the official beginning of the summer activities such as baseball, softball, pool or beach activities, grilling, camping, and a host of other events.
But when did the Memorial holiday begin?
The first Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was established on May 30, 1868, to remember all the soldiers who died in the Civil War, which ended in 1865. It remained on the 30th of May till 1971, when Congress passed the National Holiday Act of 1971, moving the celebration to the last Monday of May.
Memorial Day was changed to honor the lives of the men and women who died during all wars after World War I. So, this coming Memorial Day weekend, let’s pay tribute to all our heroes from every War since our founding.
When you bite into the hot dog, sip on that beer, or jump into the pool, remember the men and women who made it all possible for you:
- Revolutionary War – about 25,000 heroes died
- War of 1812 – approximately 15,000 heroes died
- Civil War – an estimated 620,000 to 750,000 heroes died
- World War I – over 116,000 heroes died
- World War II – over 400,000 heroes died
- Korean War - over 36,000 heroes died
- Vietnam War – about 60,000 heroes died
- Iraq War – 383 heroes died
- Afganistan War – over 6700 heros died
Freedom is not free. A price must be paid to protect and defend the freedom Americans enjoy. So, this Memorial Day, take a few minutes to thank God for raising heroes who were willing to put their lives on the line so we can enjoy the American way of life.
Raise your flag in remembrance of them, and thank you to all the veterans who were willing to pay the price for freedom.
Biblical Citizenship - Coaches Training in Dallas
By Jim MacDonald
It seems you can’t escape the talk and rhetoric of the Marxist left at every corner of our world. Cable news, social media, talk radio, and your favorite podcast will all confirm there is no hope for our country. Radical Marxism has permeated our whole culture, including the education system, the government, and their media allies.
Every day, someone will spew their hate and disdain for America. A betting man might say the only thing left was to nail the coffin shut. But thankfully, God has other plans for America. For example, it’s no coincidence that Mark Meckler, Co-Founder of the Convention of States, has teamed up with Rick Green, Founder of Patriot Academy. It’s like a match made in heaven or, as they would say: brothers from a different mother. And I’ll put my money on them.
If you’ve seen Mark and Rick together in the eight-week Biblical Citizenship in Modern America course on Monday evenings, you’ll agree it’s truly a match made in heaven. And when you team like-minded people of Patriot Academy with people of the Convention of States Action, it’s a force to be reckoned with.
On April 22 and 23, 2022, about 250 patriots from around the country met in Irving, Texas, for a coaches’ conference. Representing Tennessee were Debbie MacDonald, myself, Jay Walling, and Dean McGhan. It appeared as if Biblical Citizenship came alive. Not only were Mark Meckler and Rick Green there speaking to us, but Adam Bell and Scarlet Lani (Constitutional Coaches) did some outstanding teaching.
But that’s not all. We were blessed with the wisdom of Rob McCoy, Kirk Cameron, Lt. Col. Alan West, Dave, and Tim Barton and entertained by Comedian Brad Stine and opera singer Jonathan Faro. The weekend was fantastic, to say the least.
If I had to sum up the training in a few sentences, I’d say:
The truth is not afraid of a lie, and a lie cannot survive in the presence of the truth. Therefore, we must be bold and courageous. Go forth and speak the truth about Biblical Citizenship and the Convention of States Project. And most importantly, the church must engage in our society, and the people must exercise their right to vote.
All in all, it was an incredible weekend but to top it off, we entered into the infamous “vault” that Rick Green and David Barton always speak about. That was a treat in and of itself. I’ve included some pictures from inside this vault. It’s loaded with treasures from history past! You must put a visit to the vault on your bucket list.
Tennessee on the Move
Patriots from Ashland City, TN
Patriots from Clarksville, TN
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Murfreesboro Gun Show
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Patriots from TN - VA
Knoxville Gun Show
Murfreesboro Gun Show
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Bristol, VA. Saturday, May 14th at Bristol Library at 9:30 a.m.
Gallatin, TN. Saturday, May 14th, at the Gallatin Public Library, 123 East Main St. Gallatin, from 10:00 a.m. Contact: debbie.macdonald@cosaction.com
Greeneville, TN. Saturday, May 14th at Catalyst Coffee Shop at 11:00 a.m. Come join COS Patriots at the Iris Festival on May 21-22; Memorial Day at the Veteran’s Memorial and at the National Cemetary
Knoxville, TN. Saturday, May 21st at Cedar Springs Christian Store at 1:00 p.m.
Loudon, TN. 1st Wednesday of every month at the Tellico Village Rec Center, Room D at 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at 145 Awohili Dr. - Call Terri Hult for more information: 865-304-6997
Murfreesboro, TN. Saturday, May 14th at the Technology Center at 306 Minerva Dr. at 10:00 a.m.
Powell, TN. Saturday, May 14th at Shoney’s on Emory Rd. at 12:00 p.m.
Sevierville, TN. Saturday, May 21st at King Family Library at 9:30 a.m.
BattleCry
Join Mark Meckler for the BattleCry every Sunday night at 8:00 EST on Facebook or Rumble
Biblical Citizenship in Modern America Class
Every Monday night from Rick Green and Patriot Academy - New class starting this Monday, May 16th
