What Is A Patriot?

It had been eighteen months since Ann and I had introduced the final educational video covering the U.S. Constitution. The academy's media production company, Our Freedom Matters, LLC, had awakened the American electorate, or what our government called the governed, and a sense of pride in America was followed with a lust for regaining the individual freedoms that were being slowly eroded by power-seeking politicians. American citizens became patriots that loved their country and were willing to risk their personal freedom to ensure the preservation of liberty for future generations. Students referred to themselves as the future guardians of our constitutionally guaranteed liberties. Many students formed pacts agreeing in writing that they would not permit further erosion of individual liberties, and they would be willing to fight and, if needed, even give their lives to preserving their God-given rights. Patriotism had swept across the country and landed squarely in the faces of our elected politicians.

Patriots exercised their First Amendment rights and demanded that the president and the Congress uphold the U.S. Constitution or be removed from office. Patriots understood that "when the Government no longer represents the will of the people and such actions and conduct of our elected representatives diminishes our constitutional rights, freedoms and liberty, then it is time for civil discourse and when necessary, civil disobedience, including recalling those elected representatives that have broken the trust of the people" (J.A. Gauthier).

Patriots across the country began attending most public and even some private speeches given by the president and Congress. It wasn't long before many elected members in the House and Senate began announcing their retirement and would not seek reelection for another term.

In his public speeches, the president referred to the patriots as "anarchists," and in his speeches to his constituents, he explained to those that would still listen to him that the anarchists were anti-government domestic terrorists that had no respect for his authority, established order, and the ruling power of his office and Congress. The president and Congress used every opportunity to label the so-called patriots as domestic terrorist bent on the violent overthrow of our system of government to be replaced by anarchy. Conversely, the patriots referred to the president as a dictator and tyrannical oppressor who sought power over the mind of the American electorate. Congressmen and congresswomen began complaining about their perceived threats from the anarchist and demanded that immediate attention was needed to protect them from those that had once elected them into office. Neither the president nor the Congress wanted their authority diminished or challenged, especially by their electorate.

In the wake of all the dissention, Ann and I took every opportunity to remind Americans of what the founding fathers stated in the Declaration of Independence. "... Whenever our form of government became destructive of individual rights and personal liberties, then it is the right of the governed people to alter or abolish the government and institute a new government that would be responsive to the people." Patriots quoted the Declaration in response to the president's ongoing diatribe about who the patriots were as a group. Often bitter words were exchanged between the president and those who would seek to challenge his authority.

Patriots began distributing petitions to remove our ineffective politicians who failed to comprehend or enforce the provisions of Articles I and II of the Constitution. Patriots would yell at the president that his job was to enforce the laws of the nation and that the Congress was to make the laws for the nation. That was why we had a tripartite form of government that had checks and balances to avoid overreaching by the president and Congress. In the alternative, patriots proclaimed that it was now time to institute a new government that would be responsive to the people. The petitions received millions of American signatures, but the leadership in the House and Senate refused to sponsor the initiative at the federal level. Without sponsorship, the petitions went nowhere.

Through our academy studies, Ann and I understood that under Article VI of the Constitution, the founding fathers wrote, "This Constitution and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding Article VI became known as the "Supremacy Clause."

Ann and I brainstormed some ideas to get our government operating under the provisions of the Constitution and back in line with the constitutional duties outlined in Articles I and II. With the assistance of our legal representatives, Ann and I drafted a proposed law that would require all laws, rules, and regulations of any city, county, state, or federal government to be in compliance with the U.S. Constitution. There would be no more laws passed overriding individual liberties, and unilateral lawmaking by presidential fiat would cease. The law was presented to several Tea Party conservative members of the House of Representatives, but the law was refused by the House leadership since so many laws that had been passed by the House of Representatives were self-serving and benefited the Congress and their aides. It became clear that the government was unwilling to be bound by constitutional limitations on their power and authority. The academy funded outreach programs reminding Americans that the Congress was refusing to honor the Constitution and were permitting the president to make laws in derogation of Article I of the Constitution. Americans began to protest more loudly whenever self- serving speeches were made by unethical members of the Congress and by the president. Verbal threats to remove the members from office created fear in the members that they could be removed from office by an angry electorate.

The president and Congress met in a closed joint session to address the domestic terrorist that were interfering in how the government was being managed by the ruling elite, a term adopted by the president and Congress. Many representatives and senators from both aisles of the Congress expressed their concern about the angry electorate and their fear of an outright civil war to remove the government. The president reassured the Congress and reminded them that he had the "power of the pen" and a "bully pulpit" to challenge the conduct of the supposed domestic terrorist. The president's recommendation was to have Homeland Security, by governmental fiat, adopt a series of rules and regulations that would crush the opponents of the existing government. At this point, the Tea Party members and true conservative congresspersons from numerous states walked out on the president and refused to participate in such unconstitutional lawmaking.

One Homeland Security rule would limit protestors to a minimum of one thousand feet from any political speaking event. Signs were posted every time that speeches were given, reminding those who wished to protest that they had to remain at least one thousand feet away. Signs were placed...