Missouri Caucus Anecdotes: Arguments, Arrests, and a Good Day for Ron Paul

The Missouri caucuses may have marked Ron Paul's most successful day of the 2012 campaign, as anecdotes from across the state indicate a strong showing.

To varying degrees, proceedings grew contentious between Paul supporters and local GOP officials. The gist of the disputes: GOP organizers said the Paul backers were boisterous and obstructive. Paul backers wanted to be heard.

While speculation has been noted on a national level that Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are somehow colluding in the 2012 race, anecdotal evidence from Missouri suggests some cooperation: In counties where Paul supporters showed well, Romney supporters and Paul supporters appeared together on mixed delegate slates. Local GOP officials said they couldn't say, one way or another, whether Paul and Romney backers seemed to be cooperating in any organized way at individual caucus sites.

In St. Charles County, organizers and police shut down the caucus amid a bitter dispute between Ron Paul supporters and the caucus chairman. Two Ron Paul supporters were arrested, then released. A police helicopter showed up. The caucus was held in a high school gym, and about 2,500 people attended. "It's like the Hatfields and the McCoys around here," former St. Charles GOP chairman Tom Kipers said of the ongoing dispute between county GOP leaders and Paul supporters. http://abcn.ws/xY22zt

The Kansas City Star reports that things got contentious in Clay County, too: "In Clay County, arguments between Paul supporters and others became so intense that the caucus chairman threatened to have voters removed by force. … [Paul supporter:] 'We raised a number of points of order, points of information, points of parliamentary inquiry, many of which have been ignored.'" http://bit.ly/zV6XxR

Boone County, which encompasses Columbia and the University of Missouri, elected a slate of Ron Paul-backing delegates, after Paul supporters succeeded in electing their own caucus chair. (That's a normal part of caucus procedure: the first vote taken is on who will chair the meeting.) One GOP member described the Paul supporters as "loud, boisterous," and "obnoxious" at the meeting - although the local GOP chairman said things were civil and that GOP officials get along fine with the Paul people there. The caucus elected 48 Ron Paul delegates and 5 Mitt Romney delegates, according to a local GOP official.

Greene County (a large GOP county in Southwest Missouri, encompassing Springfield) elected a mixed slate of 65 Ron Paul delegates, 40 Mitt Romney delegates, and six Rick Santorum delegates. "A few [caucus attendees] got a little loud," said Danette Proctor, the county GOP chair who presided over the caucus. "But I just said, 'Be quiet.'"

In keeping with what seems to be a trend, a Ron Paul supporter in Lincoln County alleged that GOP officials violated caucus rules in an attempt to silence Paul supporters. Quote from a Ron Paul supporter, as posted on a blog: "They practically ignored the State GOP guidelines and rules. The severely butchered Robert's Rules of Order." Note: GOP caucuses (in Missouri, as well as in Iowa) are governed by Robert's Rules of Order, although Missouri counties can use their own rules … and then adopt new rules after electing a caucus chairman. http://bit.ly/xmimXP

More @ Yahoo News

The Vetting – Holder 1995: We Must ‘Brainwash’ People on Guns

Breitbart.com has uncovered video from 1995 of then-U.S. Attorney Eric Holder announcing a public campaign to “really brainwash people into thinking about guns in a vastly different way.”

Holder was addressing the Woman’s National Democratic Club. In his remarks, broadcast by CSPAN 2, he explained that he intended to use anti-smoking campaigns as his model to “change the hearts and minds of people in Washington, DC” about guns.

More @ Breitbart

How To Gum Up Any Institution

Via Patriot's Lament

Four words: "Follow the rules exactly."

That's it? That's it.

Any system? Any system.

There are reasons for this. These reasons are universal.

First, every institution assumes voluntary compliance in at least 95% of all cases. This may be a low-ball estimate. Most people comply, either out of fear or lack of concern or strong belief in the system and its goals.

Second, every institution has more rules than it can follow, let alone enforce. Some of these rules are self-contradictory. The more rules, the larger the number of contradictions. (There is probably a statistical pattern here – some variant of Parkinson's law.)

Third, every institution is built on this assumption: partial compliance. Not everyone will comply with any given procedural rule. There are negative sanctions to enforce compliance on the few who resist. They serve as examples to force compliance. Conversely, very few people under the institution's jurisdiction will attempt to force the institution to comply exactly with any procedural rule.

These three laws of institutions – and they really are laws – offer any resistance movement an opportunity to shut down any system.

JAMMING THE GULAG

When we think of institutional tyrannies, few come close to matching the system of concentration camps in the Soviet Union: the Gulag. They operated from 1918 until after the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991. It took time to close them in 1992.

In his book, To Build a Castle, Vladimir Bukovsky provides one of the finest descriptions of institution-jamming ever recorded. He organized it.

What you are about to read is like nothing you have ever read. I have spent over 45 years studying bureaucracies in theory and practice. I have seen nothing to match it.

More @ LRC

Child labor law changes 'assault' on farm culture

This is about the most asinine one Hussein has cooked up so far. Screw the government, it's none of their business.

Summit County farmers and ranchers, like others across the nation, aren't looking forward to possible changes of child labor laws, which they believe could heavily impact the culture of agriculture in the United States. And growing debate has sparked a standoff between rural and urban, with rural parties believing changes attack that lifestyle.

The U.S. Department of Labor proposed changes to the law last fall, which would be the first since the law was created more than 40 years ago. The problem farming groups and individual farmers have with the changes is not an increased focus on child safety, but that the new rules would affect children's ability to earn money, work for their families and learn life lessons while training to work in agriculture.

"This is more of an assault on my culture than anything that's going to solve a problem," said East Summit County rancher and father or four Jeff Young. "I just can't imagine that riding a horse that's following a herd of cattle is any more dangerous than skiing or playing football."

More @ Park Record

The Titanic up for auction

Via Ann

The most famous shipwreck of all time is on the auction block, including passengers' personal belongings and even salvage rights to the wreck site at the bottom of the North Atlantic Sea.

The collection includes video footage of the ship and recovery effort, as well as more than 5,500 artifacts recovered from the wreck. The artifacts consist of fine china, silverware, clothing, diamond jewelry and other personal items, decorative items from the boat, and even pieces of the ship itself.

The auction, near the shipwreck's centennial, marks the first time artifacts collected from the Titanic during salvage expeditions will be available for sale, although items gathered from the ocean surface or from survivors have been sold in the past -- for a pricey sum.

More @ CNN Money

"New twist in Confederate Flag flap"

Via Billy

To the Mailbag section, Johnson City Press, Johnson City, TN:

I could not help but notice the article, "New twist in Confederate flag flap" in today's edition of the Johnson City Press, March 15th, 2012. Concerning the positing of the flag pole, this is just another way Dawn Peters, vice president of the Watauga Historical Association, appears to be using to ban the Confederate flag again, the picture showing the pole being positioned in the narrow space between two tombstones, it would be odd if the pole is actually running through the actual remains of someone buried in a grave. With past bigotry related to the Confederate flag by Dawn Peters and some members of the Watauga Historical Association, the Sons of Confederate Veterans should request that the University of Tennessee or State of Tennessee archaeologist come in and investigate this issue. Whose paying for the private firm, Cultural Resource Analysts, findings? Would Dawn Peters and her followers in the Watauga Historical Association accept the findings of University of Tennessee or State of Tennessee archaeologist findings?

The real problem with the Confederate flag flying in the Green Hill Cemetery is what I've been seeing in the past several years in various historic related organizations and societies. Today's historic organizations/societies has turned into either political correctness, membership is for social status (In the minds of many members), outsiders trying to rewrite our history and/or becoming money making organizations/societies that only the membership benefits from, for parties, dinners, etc. These type organizations/societies were organically created to preserving historic facts and the members were those who truly had a love of history of the community, preserving local historic sites, honoring their ancestors who actually took part in historic events of the period, which is why I began joining such organizations about 45 years ago, I loved history of my community, state and country and my ancestors who took a part in many historic events.

But in many of today's community historic organizations/societies leadership and members actually knows very little about the actual history of their area, historic sites, etc. that their suppose to be preserving and teaching others about through their organization/society and they give the wrong information when asked at events. I've been known to step forward and correct the person giving the wrong information.

It appears in the case of Dawn Peters, the Watauga Historical Associations vice president, she seems to know very little of the actual causes of the War Between the States, that slavery wasn't even an issue until 1863. That there were slaves in the North, there were former slaves who later became slave owners themselves. According to the country's leading African-American historian, Duke University professor, John Hope Franklin, records that in New Orleans over 3,000 free Negro's owned slaves, or 28 percent of the free Negro's in that city and there is a lot proof related to other cities. One of the fifth biggest and richest slave owners in the Charleston, S.C. area was a freed slave who illegally had his name changed to William Ellison. On August 6th, 1824 he and his family who were members of a predominantly White Episcopalian Church were allowed to put a bench on the first floor, among those of wealthy White families. Other Blacks, free and slave, and poor Whites sat in the balcony. Later another wealthy Black family joined the first floor worshipers. The last U.S. President of the U.S. to ever own slaves was U.S. Grant.

Does Dawn Peters and her followers approve of flying the United States flag, if so why? The U.S. flag flew over slavery of Blacks for over 80 years, whereas the Confederate flag flew over slavery for less than 4 years. And what about Native Americans? But, the politically correct never has stood up for them and most Americans don't realize that Native Americans are the only race of people in the U.S. that has to recognized as a people by the state or the federal government, Tennessee state government still won't recognize Native Americans in Tennessee as a people after 216 years as a state.

Also, if you look at the large KKK marches of Southern and Northern members during the 1920's-30's in Washington, DC, you won't see Confederate flags, just hundreds of U.S. flags. And yes, skin heads and other racist groups, I'm sorry to say, carry the Confederate flag, but they also carry the U.S. flag and the Nazi flag, to bad the politically correct won't get as upset about the Nazi flag, as they do the Confederate flag.

Also, the Sons of Confederate Veterans has African-American members, they and their families enjoy fellowship with the White members. The Sons of Confederate Veterans also marks and dedicates Black Confederate veterans graves and presents the descendants with a Confederate flag.

I have no idea if Dawn Peters is from East Tennessee or not, but as a vice president of a East Tennessee historical association should have some knowledge about the history of the War Between the States. A large majority of native East Tennesseans had ancestors who fought in both the Confederate and Union armies. One branch of my family had a father and son who were officers in the 37th Tennessee Infantry, Confederate Army and the fathers brother had two sons in the Union Army, all four were killed in action during the war. And if a person like Dawn Peters and any of her fellow members of the Watauga Historical Association thinks we shouldn't honor our ancestors who fought and died under the Confederate flag and only should honor our ancestors who fought and died under the Union flag, they're a disgrace to their family bloodlines.

If Dawn Peters and her followers wants to do something constructive in the community and keep our history alive, quit being bigots to promoted their personal political correctness feelings that isn't backed by historic facts, with no knowledge of historical facts of the area, and quit worrying about being a money making organization. I have quit every organization that made money the topic of meetings instead of having historic subjects with speakers, etc. Also, Ms. Peters, there were Peters from this area who served in the Confederate Army and like the vast majority of the Confederate soldiers, White and Black, they owned no slaves, since your like to use slavery as an issue for your bigotry views against the Confederate flag.

Actually I would like to see a historic organization created in this area with no dues, no meetings that are mainly related to making more and more money, where true lovers of the area history can meet others with the same interest, true heritage and culture education, historic facts not rewritten history to suit a few bigots and racist, no matter if their Western European-American descent, Native American descent or African American descent. And so called historic organizations/socials that promotes false history, members who uses the organization for personal politically correct feelings, bigotry, racism, making it a money making organization, etc. needs to be boycotted and any activities where they charge entrance fees needs to be boycotted also, until the organization goes back to being what it was founded for, preserving historic sites, preserving historic facts, promoting area heritage and culture events for educational and family activities not to pad the organization/society bank accounts.

Thank you,

Capt. Lynn R. McR. Hawkins, Ret., FSA Scot
Bluff City, TN
538-4216

"New twist in Confederate Flag flap"

CSS ALABAMA CANNON

Via Jamey

My thanks to Phillip Nasser for this interesting piece!

Ian Dewar

Gentlemen:

Today the 32 pounder was delivered to the Museum of Mobile in grand style, and many pictures were made. The one in the Museum is in front of an enlarged to life size photo from 1864, showing Kell right by the cannon on deck.

The conservation in Charleston was superb. It looks almost new.

The carriage was constructed by the experts at the Mobile shops with great pride. The wrought iron fittings were made by the Gulf Coast Blacksmiths Association. All precisely to the original plans that Andy Bowcock obtained for us.

This was a great day, the culmination of 7 years work by many people.

St. Pat's Day massacre of religious liberty & First Private Lawsuit Filed Against Contraception Mandate

St. Pat's Day massacre of religious liberty

While much of the nation was focused on the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, the White House quietly released news that has nonetheless caught the attention of – and outraged – many Catholics and defenders of religious liberty.

In a late-week news release, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Resources announced it was taking “the next step” in implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – commonly called Obamacare – by finalizing a rule that requires universities offering insurance to students to add contraception coverage, regardless of the school’s moral or religious stance on the issue.

In other words, if a Catholic university like Notre Dame offers students insurance plans, those plans must also, after a one-year transition period, include birth control coverage, despite Catholic doctrine to the contrary.

Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, blasted the news as a “profound violation of religious liberty.”

More @ WND

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First Private Lawsuit Filed Against Contraception Mandate

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on behalf of a private business owner from Missouri who claims that the HHS contraception mandate is in violation of his First Amendment-protected religious liberties. The lawsuit is the first filed by a private citizen against HHS regarding the contraception mandate that requires employers to purchase health insurance coverage, for their employees, that includes free contraceptives, sterilization procedures, and abortion-inducing drugs. To date, six lawsuits have been brought against HHS by religious schools and institutions that are challenging the mandate.

More @ Breitbart

No martial law

I’ve received a number of e-mails and comments about an Executive Order signed by Obama on Friday, titled National Defenses Resources Preparedness, and what it means.

It appears that this Executive Order is an update of prior Executive Orders signed in 1988 and 1994 which elaborate similar powers in time of war or national emergency. The 1994 Order in particular was not limited to national emergency:

The United States must have an industrial and technology base capable of meeting national defense requirements, and capable of contributing to the technological superiority of its defense equipment in peacetime and in times of national emergency.

Now I’ve not redlined the various versions, and if someone wants to make the argument that this is an expansion of presidential powers, then do so based on actual language.

There is enough that Obama actually does wrong without creating claims which do not hold up to scrutiny.

I’m not ruling out the possibility that this is more than it seems, but unless and until someone does more than merely state that martial law is coming, I’ll consider this to be routine.

Update:

More @ Legal Insurrection

We shaped the chaos

With the War in Afghanistan dwindling in in the rear-view mirrors of an administration gunning for an exit in time for the election and a conflict in Syria cresting the hill just below the sunset, it may be time to revisit the just war.

Whether a war is just or not has nothing to do with multilateral approval. An unjust war can be approved of by a hundred nations. A just war may be entirely unilateral. International parliamentary procedures are a process and like all processes do not make a course of action just or unjust, they only make it legal under international law. Legal and just are not the same thing.

More @ Sultan Knish