Kansas City, MO | 02.01.2009
This was supposed to be a blog about the street action that Liberty Restoration Project had over the past weekend. We spent two days handing out constitutions, fliers, and "Freedom to Fascism" DVDs on the main corners in the Westport area of Kansas City. However, It is very difficult for me to describe an experience in terms that will provide someone with enlightened ways to view the world around them. A day handing out materials is not very unique, and I think the more important thing to examine are the unique details of a particular event.
The last time I'd done flier handouts, I found myself in two arguments. One was from a self-described liberal, who asked what my issue was. When I replied "I want to see the government return to the Constitution." His response was: "Even the part about Promoting General Welfare?" I didn't have much time to really discuss things with him, but he did mention how he felt the need for the income tax and the Federal Reserve Bank as tools of taking care of fellow citizens who suffer. I got distracted by someone else who ran up and asked me things, and he took off. I wish I could have had more time to engage him in discussion, because he was receptive.
The second person who argued with me was a self-described conservative. (I use the adjective self-described, because I do not believe in the left-right paradigm, and I find flaws in the overall terms in relation to the details and descriptions in what the two sides actually believe.) She had stopped and wanted me to wait for her to read along and answer questions for me. She immediately questioned my position as a "Free-Market Conservative" because of the language of the flier was pointing out the absurdities in centralized business. Before she threw the materials back at me and into my box of fliers, she made the comment "You call yourself a Capitalist, and yet you are against the banking structure?" and then she stormed off....
So here we have both sides of the left-right paradigm both turning off the freedom message at the exact moment that the superiority of the central bank is questioned. Now, the role of the central bank and taxable wages are outlined in the Communist Manifesto, which is widely viewed as very opposite to our form of a Republic.
But, I've digressed. This column, again, is supposed to be about this more recent street action. Reception of the public, is always viewed as critical to the freedom movement. This is why I've focused so much on the examples above. Over the past weekend, however, I focused much of the theme of the day on the holiday. National Freedom Day. I quickly seen what that term does to people. Everyone wants to participate in freedom.
"Happy National Freedom Day, Would you like to celebrate with a free pocket constitution or a movie about the income tax?" How many people do you think would say "no" to that question? Actually, more people than I thought did refuse a constitution.
Most of the street action I've done so far has been handing out constitutions, and the people who say "no" usually give one of a few different responses. "I have it memorized" "I already have one" "I'm a foreigner"
And then there is my favorite....which I've gotten this response from both people who do not want one, and from people who accept one with gratitude. "I'm a Teacher." I assume those who don't want one, wish to make me think that because they are a teacher, they know enough about the constitution and do not need a pocket version. Those who do take one, seem to be honestly interested in the fliers and other materials I hand out with the constitutions, and act so encouraging, that I wonder if they ever talk about freedom with their students.
My wife noticed another common thread of responses...The Cynical Response. It often comes from those who know that we have a problem with the constitution, but don't seem to want to do a whole lot about it. The Cynical Response is intended to be a joke, one that is both intended to relate to our cause, and insult our intelligence in just a few phrases. "Which Constitution is that?? The new one or the old one?" So then we try to mention something about the United States of America, 1787 and founding fathers etc. and the reply is.... "Good Luck, that thing doesn't exist any more" as they snicker and leave.
On Saturday, we ran into a few fellow patriot types, who engaged us in a discussion. They quickly became rallied into an excited frenzy seeing us out there, and started feeling insulted when members of the public did not wish to take a constitution.
Sunday was a pretty slow day, Bryon Huber wound up being the only person in the group who really got into a discussion on relevant topics. I'm hoping that the reason for a day with no conflicting paradigms, was that the kind of people who would be hanging out in Westport on National Freedom Day a.k.a. Super Bowl Sunday, are the kind of people who will accept information and paradigms as opposed to looking for a fight.
Which brings me to the holiday. Many people have never heard of National Freedom Day. I must admit, that I'd never consciously known about it before 2009. Apparently, National Freedom Day was created by President Harry S. Truman. There was a movement at the time to create a holiday to celebrate the freedom of former slaves. President Truman took the idea one step further and created a holiday to celebrate the freedom of everyone under our form of government. National Freedom Day may be over, however, my hope is that anyone reading this will take that spirit to heart deep into this 21st century.
So often the centralization I spoke of earlier, masquerades as real choice and competition. It is my opinion that true free market capitalism must incorporate some sort of competition or it becomes almost monopolistic. Monopolies are one step away from having one national business in a sector, and once a market is nationalized, it is said to be communist/socialist and slowly our "freedom" is losing out to "the way things are done."
You see standardization can free a society, by allowing the people to be on the same page, or standardization can enslave a society by allowing those at the top to control exactly how a particular product can be used.
Please think about your freedom of choice when it comes to what is important in your life. Don't be buffaloed or fooled into false choices. Keep your eyes open for future opportunities to join us in our street action. Visit http://www.
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