Are You a 9-12er?

A while back (August 2008), I posted a list of items representing the proper role of government. It was extracted from an article written by Ezra Taft Benson, former Secretary of Agriculture to Pres. Eisenhower in the 1960's. That article, as relevent today as ever, was linked to in my post. I encourage you to go back and read it.

My thoughts have lately been consumed with the state of our economy, our God-given, constitutional rights as citizens of the United States of America, and other themes in common with those ideas. It is nearly impossible (if not impossible!) to make sense of it all. Things change in our country and world at a lightning pace, things that potentially affect all of us. Keeping up on it all is hard enough, let alone making sense of it and drawing conclusions from and connections between events.

I also sent out email messages to friends and family regarding my beliefs and feeling that we need to stand up and be guardians of our liberty. After all, if we don't, who will? It is up to us as citizens to watch our government and make sure they are promoting the general welfare and generally doing what they have been hired to do.

I see our government as a pavilion which protects us as individuals and collectively as a sovereign nation as we, as individuals, pursue life, liberty, and our own pursuit of happiness. That is their entire role in my estimation. I think the constitution supports that view. There should only be enough money in government to support its true cost. That means getting rid of all lobbyists and congressional perks and benefits that extend beyond their terms of service. Government should only be involved in the regulation of industry to the extent that individuals' (and their businesses') rights are protected. (Some environmental policies are therefore necessary... for the protection of individual rights of health and happiness). There should be no benefit, profit, or gain of any kind for a politician to be involved in the regulation of industry.

I think our government leaders have been corrupted by the system we have allowed them to install, particularly in Washington. They seem daily to be tripping over each other to blame parties, politics, politicians, and "greedy corporate America" for their failures. (And often they are right!) They continue to enact wasteful and tangential legislation that does nothing but expand their power and influence where it does not belong. Most egregious, though, is that they seem to have forgotten to whom they are really accountable. And if we're looking for someone to blame for that, well, we can look in the mirror.

The time has come for us to find our voice. I believe part of that voice can be our letters, emails, or phone calls to their offices. But that can only be part of it. Individual voices must be joined with a common voice which will be loud enough to get their attention.

As noble as the missions and ideals of third political parties and candidates are, the answer, I believe, is not to align ourselves with a party or a leader (i.e. Libertarian, Constitution, Ron Paul, etc.). Obviously a good and worthy candidate to represent the People is a necessary and natural result of the process, but that person is not the cause. That party is not the cause.

The cause is Principles. We need to unite around principles. The candidate must espouse those principles and it must be evident in their life, in their work, in their public service. Where a severe deficit in principle exists, that person cannot really be the ideal candidate. I'm not calling for a perfect person here, just somebody who ernestly embodies the principles that are the basis for a free people.

That is why I am uniting around the 9.12 Project. I know already that when people hear the name, or the person who is primarily responsible for launching it, TV and Radio personality Glenn Beck, I know that many people will dismiss it right off the bat. What I would tell those people is that Glenn Beck himself is not about making himself the central figure in this movement. He wants the central figure to be me, and you, and our neighbors. He wants the People to be the movers and shakers. His role is to be a national voice. He has already established that and it can only help the cause of the 9-12ers. But it isn't about Glenn Beck. I don't agree with everything he says, I don't agree with all his approaches to issues or all his conclusions. Sometimes he bugs me. (My wife would never believe that). What I do agree with is the principles and values that are the basis of the 9-12 project. So I support this because of those things. I invite you to support it too, to be a part of it, and if you aren't a part of that, be a part of something that unites people around correct principles, not parties or politicians. Then select your candidates because of the principles they live by, not the fake promises they like to make.

See http://www.the912project.com/ for more information.

I would be interested in knowing what you are a part of to make sure the corrupt crop of politicians are replaced with God-fearing patriots.

As for my part in the 9.12 Project, I am trying to organize a family and community group where the United States Constitution can be discussed, founding principles learned, and the 9 principles and 12 values applied individually and as a group. More details to come.

The 912 Project
The Nine Principles
1. America is good.
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whom I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

The Twelve Values
1-Honesty
2-Reverence
3-Hope
4-Thrift
5-Humility
6-Charity
7-Sincerity
8-Moderation
9-Hard Work
10-Courage
11-Personal Responsibility
12-Gratitude