MinuteMom Fall | 4th Quarter | 2012• Volume 2 Issue 2
The Fall of Freedom: Stop ignoring the warning signs!
Giving Thanks Executive Orders in Action: Your rights at stake!
NDAA: The Fight to
protect ourselves from indefinite detention
Guns- Emblems of Liberty
Remembering Veterans UN CRPD Treaty Take action now! So Cal’s Riley’s Farm: Making Americans Daily
YYFrom T he Board
Welcome Dear Moms and Moms-at-Heart, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! If it’s one thing that has been clear to Moms over the past few years it is this one message—you are not alone. Those of you who are really observant noticed that this section is no longer called the “President’s Letter” and with very good reason—I believe in term limits. For the last several months several very dedicated volunteers have worked to restructure the by-laws and stepped up in to positions of leadership. I will be forever grateful to them as they have allowed me to stay in the position of Chairman of the Board—does that make me “National ChairMom?” More on these changes can be found at AsAMom.org. I find I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude to so many people, because As A Mom... would not be a reality without them or you. These past three years have been some of the most incredible of my life. They have proven to me that I am not alone. There are so many that I have met, who have stepped up to help, mentored me, become life long friends and provided leadership to AAM for which I have often been falsely credited. Some of these people are leaving their volunteer roles as members of the Board of As A Mom... at this time. I could spend pages thanking each one publicly for all they have done. I am looking forward to the leadership of our New Executive Board with PJB as the new president and invite you to read more about the new board at the website. None of us are alone in this and although we each take on different rolls at different times each and every one of us has something to contribute. WE ARE NOT ALONE... WE HAVE EACH OTHER.
Pictured: Retiring Members of The As a Mom... Board Anita Reeves: Co-founder & VicePresident, Amber Toone: Vice-President, Mary McDonald: Secretary, Diana Learn: Director of Education, and Nancy Cincotta: Director of Projects
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photo L.. Parker
Lori Parker Co-Founder and National Chair As a Mom… A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots® Inc.
MinuteMom Magazine Fall | 4th Quarter | 2012 • Volume 2 Issue 2
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Features 6 Fight for Freedom
In the early days of this nation, freedom meant enough to the citizens that they went to war… at home! By Kami Watkins, editor MintuteMom magazine
10 Veterans Day
It’s not only the soldiers themselves that sacrificed and faced the unknown, but their family and friends as well.
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By Traci osuna
12 Don’t Melt Ice Cream Victory on U.N. CRPD Treaty Melt Senate Phone Lines With Your Opinions. By Cynthia Hinkle
14 Americans Made Here
As Americans — there is one difference we should NOT celebrate.
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By Jim Riley
16 Thanksgiving: Then and Now a Time to Be Thankful This November 22, let’s take time to really reflect on the blessings in our lives. By Carrie Christiansen
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20 The US Constitution: A PrimerArticles 5 through 7 An instructional look at three more Articles of the Constitution. An ongoing series. By Catherine G. White
24 Executive Orders and the New American Sovyet An open letter to Congress By KrisAnne Hall
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28 Obama Continues the Fight to Retain Indefinite Detention for Americans Under NDAA Court Rulings and Counter suits. By Ed Corcoran
34 I’LL TAKE THE HEAT - Again Be prepared for the cold. Part 2 By Auntie Anne
38 Guns, Liberty, And Freedom
A gun is in fact the greatest proponent of human liberty. By Joshua Durgin
Departments 2
From The Board Welcome
18 Values The George Washington Challenge
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Giving Thanks A Tribute to Lori Parker, Co-Founder of AAM
42 As a Family Christmas on a Shoestring Budget
MinuteMom Magazine is looking for people to share their talents by producing articles, essays, opinion pieces and original poetry. Artists share your original artwork. Send us photos showing your adventures As a Mom... Are you a Graphic Artist using Quark or InDesign? Volunteer to be part of our Team.
Publisher: As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots.® Inc. www.AsAMom.org Editor Kami Watkins Associate Editor Cynthia Hinkle Art Director Lori Parker Contributing Writers: Auntie Anne Carrie Christiansen Ed Corcoran Joshua Durgin KrisAnne Hall Cynthia Hinkle Traci Osuna Jim Riley Kami Watkins Catherine G. White MinuteMom Magazine is published 4 times a year by As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots, Inc. MinuteMom Magazine is available free, on-line. Copyright © 2012 by As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots, Inc. All rights reserved. MinuteMom Magazine is not responsible for errors, omissions or contest fulfillment from third parties. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising or editorial material. Advertisers, and/or their agents, assume the responsibility for any claims against the publisher based on the advertisement. Editorial contributors assume responsibility for any claims against the publisher based on published work. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the official organization policy. As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots® is a registered trademark. Please send all article submissions to: editor@minutemom.org Advertising inquiries contact: sponsor@asamom.org Note that submissions are welcome but are not guaranteed inclusion in the magazine.
For more information contact editor@minutemom.org. 4
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Lori Parker Chairman Of The Board
Pjb - Pat Byers President
Patsy Conreauxvice Vice- President
As A Mom... & Co-Founder
A big change took place on November 1, 2012. So big that you may not have noticed—as only one page on the site has changed along with a few administrative titles. As A Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots, Inc. officially welcomed their new executive board of directors, saying goodbye to several board members that have been giving their dedicated service to AAM since the start of the site just over three years ago. Many of the faces on the board will be familiar to most members. Lori is now the chairman of the board. PJB, formerly the director of groups, now serves as AAM President. She is joined by Patsy who many will recognize as the AAM newsletter editor. Kami Watkins not only steps into the role of MinuteMom magazine editor but secretary too. Kay Bacharach, the new treasurer, rounds out the national executive board and is familiar to all in Virginia as their chairmom.
Stacy F. Director Of Groups
Jenn Jones Director Of Education
Kami Watkins Secretary Publications Editor
Kay Bacharach Treasurer
Introduces New Board of Directors Stacy F. who has long been involved with the chairmoms has stepped up to oversee all groups as director of groups. Jenn Jones joins the board as the director of education. Jeff, one of our favorite Moms-at-Heart, is back as our director of politics. Mama Capps becomes our director at large over communications. With a new title Erin continues on the board as the director over site security. When asked if there were any huge changes in store for the site, PJB responded, “Some of our future direction will depend on the outcome of the election. AAM will continue to follow our values and mission.” We invite you to learn more about the new board at AsAMom.org or by visiting the board page at http://www.asamom.org/page/meet-the-board Welcome to all!
Jeff K Director At Large Politics
Mama Capps Director At Large Communications
Erin W. Director At Large Site Security
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The Delaware Regiment at the Battle of Long Island Domenick D’Andrea Courtsy wikipedia
by kami Watkins Editor MinuteMom Magazine As a Mom... Secretary
It’s been an amazing year thus far. I’ve seen, read, and heard the amazing stories of vigilant citizens who fight for freedom by taking a stand and voicing opposition to blatant infringement on our rights. I’ve seen the hand of God on our side and he expects those that value freedom to continue the fight. And fight we will! While the constant lies and empty words from our government can be discouraging, we must not allow it to override our need for freedom. In the early days of this nation, freedom meant enough to the citizens that they went to war… at home! Some people are comfortable ignoring the warning signs. They look through rose-colored glasses, thinking that if they wait long enough or ignore the warning signs, the issues will be resolved on their own. Well, I’m here to tell you that remaining ignorant will not save us in the long run and it won’t keep any of us safe. When we have no voice, we lose the exercise of a simple right, which is to have an opinion and exercise choice. Our freedoms are being removed ever so slowly and out of sight. We must not let it happen. You see this liberal government is clever. They know that if they give enough handouts, they will have a large percentage of society willing to focus on their new cell phone, a high balance on their EBT card, and any other handout the government uses to lull those who receive entitlements into a false sense of security. These citizens become all too happy to ignore and completely overlook the failures, the lies and the lawlessness of our government. If you have the mindset that you don’t want to make any waves, and that the ‘other guy’ will take care of it, we are defeated already. Prior to Castro taking over Cuba, the people had the belief that he was a freedom fighter and on their side. They believed that he was only after big business and that the small family guy would be left alone. They were wrong! He nationalized business and industry as well as implemented socialist reforms. Sound familiar? Castro took over everything. They don’t call it socialist or nationalist reform for nothing; everything of everyone’s goes into the pot. Then it’s redistributed according to the government’s desires, not according to need. Guns, businesses and personal As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
properties were taken. Castro said and did things that appealed to a large segment of the population. This is what I call a blind following--what happens when we look directly into the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. If we lose our focus on the road ahead, those lights can turn out to be not only blinding, but deadly. The Government in Germany blind-sided citizens as well. After World War II the Soviet Union occupied East Germany and controlled everything. This new government built the wall to divide East from West, separating families. The side that was ultra communist, where people were told what they would do for a living, and where they would live, were often the ones that once the wall came down, didn’t know what to do. While they craved freedom, many of their mindsets were still looking to the government for everything. There have been times in history when people have had an opportunity to exercise choice, and there have been times when the choice was made for them. Right now we have a choice. Once that choice is made, it is done. The citizens in these previous examples were just like you and me. A cunning orator knows that if he or she says something well enough and appeals to enough people who base their decisions on what they see, how cool someone looks or how well they ‘gave it to the other guy,’ then he or she will surely have a substantial following, because there is always that element of the population that focuses on the superficial. If we consider the danger in looking at things at ‘facevalue,’ we would be wise to look past the façade and the double-talk and see our candidates for who they truly are. We cannot afford to remain ignorant of the facts and records of candidates. Much has been said of ‘fact-checking,’ so do it! And what you will find when you fact check your candidates just might surprise you. You see,
In the early days of this nation, freedom meant enough to the citizens that they went to war… at home!
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honest candidates don’t have to paint a pretty picture, it’s already there. Dishonest candidates try hard to not only paint a horrible picture of their opponent, but become habitual liars to protect their own record. Do your own, ‘fact-checking,’ and understand that records and words go a long way into paving the path to freedom or destruction. You choose! I can’t help but feel an increasing need for Patriots to take action. It’s been said many times over that ‘turnout will determine this election.’ Back in September I heard that Military Absentee registration was down 92% in some states. I recently heard of a few other disturbing election activities. In Guilford County, North Carolina, some individuals noticed that the electronic ballot system was not ‘checking’ the candidate they chose. Had it not been for one woman double checking her ballot, she never would have known the machine had some sort of biased malfunction. She checked Romney, but her vote defaulted to Obama. She did it again, same thing happened; a third time, same thing. My advice would be to double check your ballot after you vote, especially with the electronic voting system. It seems that even machines can have a preference.
This is no ordinary country
we live in. It was ordained by God and set apart for those that love truth and
Courtesy Stephani Scruggs
righteousness.
Some of the most discouraging news I’ve heard is that the United Nations actually has facilities here on American soil. They are recruiting people to get involved. This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing if ever I saw one. The news reports that they are monitoring our elections is beyond concern. This is a huge red-flag that should have us all questioning their role in our elections. If you really understood what their agenda is, you would know that this is very dangerous to our freedoms. We each know in our hearts what we want for this country and the person we want to change it. But the choice isn’t merely between two candidates--it’s between having freedom and not having it. Each of us are concerned that our freedoms are nearly eroded. We are close, but we aren’t there yet. As long as there are Patriots around, there will always be freedom. We will hang on to it with every ounce of courage we have left in our souls. Patriots, you love freedom and are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to see that it endures. Do you know how much we need you, our brothers and sisters? We need you to win the fight! If all you do is vote, vote for freedom! Vote for our Constitution and those that uphold it as a beacon of truth and liberty, not those that walk around it or ignore it. It contains sound doctrine that ensures the protection of our God-given rights. There is no absence of those who want to see this country change its direction back to the ideals of a free nation but, when we seek change, we must also be willing to take action. It is not enough to just read something. We must share
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the information with our friends and family. There has been a wave of action these last four years and it needs to continue. We need to ask ourselves will it continue after the November 6th election? Whatever the results of this election, will we ‘stand at the ready… and be at the front’ to be counted among those that are still in the fight? These are the times that try the hearts and souls of freedom loving citizens everywhere. These are also the times that buoy up those that oppose us. We are on the battlefront. We are engaged in a war on the minds and hearts and the freedoms of our people. We have come together to defend what is rightfully ours--Our families! Our freedoms! Our future! This is our right. It is God-given. We must embrace this opportunity to do right by our God, to grasp with every last finger every single unalienable right with which we were born. We must vote for those individuals that ensure those freedoms will be protected. That is our duty! This is no ordinary country we live in. It was ordained by God and set apart for those that love truth and righteousness. We can only come out the victor if we have the valiant by our side. Please know that the battle does not stop on November 6th. It is just beginning! We must remain on the front and be prepared to show our strength…in numbers! Know this, those who have fought and died for freedom are standing by our side to lift us up. So, when you feel that surge of hope, let the whisper of their souls give you strength to do what must be done. They are the countless souls that died in the name of freedom- they are our brothers and sisters- the soldiers of freedom that are still in the battle. They will not abandon their post, nor shall we. Show that you love your freedoms by voting this November 6th and may you be blessed for the cause of truth. Godspeed! http://myfox8.com/2012/10/23/guilford-county-voterssay-they-voted-for-the-wrong-candidate/ http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/01/militaryballot-requests-down-in-key-battleground-states/ http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/21/united-nations-organization-set-to-monitor-us-polling-places-on-election-day/ Kami Watkins is a stay-at-home mother of six children. She has been a community and school volunteer for the past 15 years and resides with her husband and family in Southern California. Kami’s motto for life is: Be of Good Cheer! She serves as the new National Secretary of AAM As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
Be a
Mollytician moll•y•ti•cian |mäl i´ti sh en| noun
1. a mom* who is involved in politics, 2. a mom holder of or a candidate for an elected office. antonym – politician: a person who acts in a manipulative and devious way, typically to gain advancement within an organization.
Regardless of the outcome of the elections. Keep in touch with all of your elected officials. Urge them to follow Constitutional Values. Keep a watch on the lame duck session.
* Mom: a member of Asamom.org may be a mom or mom-at heart.
by tRACI OSUNA
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Library of Congress, George Hand Wright, 1872-1951, artist
Veterans Day
My two boys love for my husband and me to tell them stories. On the way to school, on the way to church, before going to bed, all we hear is “Tell us a story!” I always leave the storytelling to my husband, because, even though I’m a writer, I’m not very good at making up my own stories… at least not ones that appeal to little boys. They like to hear tales about heroes and bad guys; about scary situations and amazing displays of courage. Coming up with those types of stories is not my one of my strengths. I guess I just don’t identify with those things. I started thinking about this when I was asked to write a story in tribute to our veterans for Veterans Day. Of course, I thought this was a wonderful assignment: Honoring veterans who have unselfishly put their country first. Saying thank you to the brave men and women who have to leave their homes and families behind to protect our freedoms. This would be a very interesting article to write. But then as I started to put pen to paper… or, rather, faced the blank computer screen, the idea of writing this tribute became more daunting and out of my grasp. What would I, a stay-at-home mom from the Midwest, know about that kind of sacrifice and bravery? What commentary could I give that would be worthy of being read by anyone, let alone, a veteran who had witnessed the worst of humanity; a veteran who had given more than should be asked of anyone. “Thank you for your service” does not even scratch the surface. “Thank you for laying down your lives so the rest of us can lead the lives we take for granted…” that may come just a touch closer, but there’s still a lot of work to do. When I was younger, I had heard stories of my father’s cousin, Jack Krejci, who was a POW in World War II. It wasn’t until I was much older that I was able to hear the stories in more detail from the man himself. Jack was a big man with a big voice and an even bigger love for his country. To hear Jack tell of his own experiences of being captured by the Germans after his plane crashed in a farm field was surreal. He told of living in subhuman conditions, where a nearly rotten potato would suffice for three meals a day. We learned that 200 men were living in the drafty barn guarded by German soldiers. They fashioned cooking “stoves” out of the c-ration cans allowing them to burn the few lumps of coal they
were given each day. When the coal ran out, they resorted to pulling the boards off the walls to burn them. It didn’t seem to be something that I would hear from a relative, but something I would see in a movie. It was his camp, in fact, that was the basis for the 1953 movie, Stalag 17. It’s not only the soldiers themselves that sacrificed and faced the unknown, but their family and friends as well. In that regard, Jack’s wife Loretta would recall, as his then-girlfriend, how she waited back home in Omaha, Nebraska. Used to getting regular letters from her childhood sweetheart, they suddenly stopped. Loretta and the Krejci family didn’t know whether he was alive or dead. Noticing the letters stopped, the mailman even asked about him. For 18 months they did not know what to think. Thankfully, Jack was able to return home, marry Loretta and raise a family. He went on to head a POW Organization and travel and speak at many events. While this is just part of the story of one soldier from one war, it can at least provide a bit of insight into what they endure, what they sacrifice and how much they love their country. Since the first Veterans Day nearly a century ago, it has gone through a few changes. Originally known as Armistice Day to acknowledge the armistice or cease fire agreement signed on at 11:00 on November 11, 1918, this day was instituted in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson to commemorate the end of The Great War, World War I, or the War to End All Wars. In the President’s words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…” If we look back, it almost seems to be such an innocent outlook of the world and an optimistic view of what the future would hold. Sadly, just a few years later, we entered into another great war, World War II and men were again asked to defend our freedoms and those of persecuted people around the world. Of course, over the coming years, our military would be needed to defend many innocent people in many more wars: The Korean War, Viet Nam, Operation Desert As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
Storm, Iran-Iraq, and the War on Terror, just to name a few. Today, our brave soldiers are fighting in several wars on a much greater scale. Technology has increased our military’s capabilities, but also the threats it faces. Soldiers today are not just fighting to protect our citizens, but citizens of countries all over the world. Rather than being appreciative of their efforts, some of these very people being helped by our soldiers are turning their backs, as well as their weapons on them. We’ve heard a lot of “Green on Blue” attacks – when the Afghani forces have turned on NATO forces - in recent months. Just one more aspect of war that today’s soldiers and their families need to confront. When I think of all that our veterans have faced, both in war and the memories that undoubtedly haunt them, no words seem to even start to show the admiration I have for them. As I go about my daily activities and enjoying the freedoms that I know I take for granted, I need to take a minute and remember how blessed we are to live in this country and to have the veterans and active military that protect us. Even my daily frustrations are actually blessings when compared to so many people in other parts of the world. I know that the veterans and the active military aren’t waiting to hear “just the right words” or are even asking for a thank you. But since I have been asked to write this article, I hope that my feelings of gratitude are conveyed somehow. I may not identify with all that these brave people do on a daily basis, but I am living the fruits of their labors every day and for that I am eternally grateful. Now, when my boys ask me to tell them a story, maybe I will be able to give them something worthy of listening to; a story that will have real heroes and amazing acts of courage. I can tell them about their cousin Jack and his fellow soldiers and of the many soldiers that defended our great country over the years. And they will learn now to be grateful too. Traci Osuna is a happily married mother of two boys, as well as a substitute teacher and teaches Religious Education to 5th graders. She been freelance writing for about 12 years and writes for several publications. She wants to do what she can to preserve the greatness of our country. Fall 2012 11
Don’t Melt Ice Cream Victory on U.N. CRPD Treaty Melt Senate Phone Lines With Your Opinions by Cynthia Hinkle “Go have some ice cream!” urged Michael Farris, august chancellor of Patrick Henry College and Home School Legal Defense Association chairman. [HSLDA] It was a pleasant Saturday. As a mom who was a former member of HSLDA, I was ecstatic. And I was thinking, “Double Chocolate.” Earlier that third Saturday of September 2012, at 4:30 a.m., the Senate adjourned to run the campaign trails until November’s lame duck session. Three Republican Senators joined the Democrats to move a treaty—pushed forward by the President—out of committee and onto the Senate floor for a full vote. Congressional daily digests, however, show that Senator Reid never called for the ratifying vote on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [CRPD]
http://www.foreign.senate.gov/treaties/details/112-7
Like the Home School Legal Defense Association, other parental rights’ groups actively engaged against ratification. They called, texted, petitioned their alarming concern about potential, global sovereignty over parenting choices of special-needs children, from conception to guardian adulthood. 12 MinuteMom Magazine
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© Toxawww | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos
Some legislators stated that, if signed, the convention would bring up the variant countries’ standards to those of the United States, standards that embody high respect for individuals with disabilities. One senator who voted the Treaty out of committee, Johnny Isakson (R-GA), told this writer that the treaty was “non-self executing.” In the Senate declaration, he insisted, there exists language that should “create no new obligations or laws” in the United States by the UN. “Sen. Isakson voted in favor of the Convention in the committee because ratification would signal to the world that the U.S. is committed to continuing its role as the international leader in disability rights,” the senator’s press secretary Marie Gordon said. “It will not erode our sovereignty.”1 Senator Rick Santorum, father to a special child, begged to differ. In his opinion ratification would give the U.N. controlling oversight over the health and educational choices parents of children with disabilities face. On his activist website Patriot Voices, Santorum wrote, “It is outrageous that the government could tell me and you what is best for our children, particularly when they’ve never met the child.”2 Moreover, the former Senator averred that under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, should the Senate ratify CRPD, this global treaty would become “the law of the land.” The federally ratified treaty would thereby trump state laws. This would rile many a states’ rights conservative or libertarian. Director of Communications and Research for ParentalRights.org, Michael Ramey, questioned Senator Isakson’s counterclaim of self non-execution. “If the treaty is to have no effect, why should we ratify it? And why should other nations of the world take our ratification seriously when it is accompanied by the understanding that we will take no action to apply it in our country?”3 For the month and a half before November 6, 2012 the Senate would finally take action, not on Capitol Hill, but at pivotal campaign stops. This mom and other concerned parents and special-needs’ caregivers took a breather from their active D.C. faxes, cell calls, and emails on CRPD ratification. For a time parenting activists could enjoy some ice cream. “Put some toppings on it,” added Chancellor Farris, “Have seconds.” Michael Farris also encouraged two political actions: one, “work hard to elect a President and Senators who believe in the sovereignty of the United States and who will reject these kinds of U.N. treaties”; two, “be prepared for an all-out battle in the lame duck session.”4 For concerned parents and caregivers this is a time to get As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
out and vote. It is also be a time to help like-minded friends and neighbors to get to their respective polling places. To personally share your opinions on this treaty with your Senators, here is the link to the Senate website with phone numbers and web forms that directly reach the D.C. offices. www.senate.gov Be assured, this holiday season. The lame duck Senate will whip up a Mc-Flurry of resolutions, pre-inauguration. Though parents will be just as busy for the holidays, we the People can take a few minutes to tell them to weigh wisely that heavy dollop of global sovereignty over American parental rights.
References: 1.”Undue Influence,” J.C. Derrick, posted: August 14, 2012, 8:00 PM, World Magazine, www.worldmag.com/2012/08/undue_influence 2.”CRPD,” Sen. Rick Santorum, September 23, 2012, Patriot Voices www.patriotvoices.com/crpd 3.”CRPD Passes, Moves to Senate Floor,” Michael Ramey, July 26, 2012, AFR Front Page News afrafrontpagenews.blogspot.com/2012/07/parental-rights-crpd-passes-moves-to.html
4. “Michael Farris Update,” Michael Farris, September 22, 2012, Facebook Cynthia Hinkle, freelance writer, children’s author, wife, and mom to three, including a special needs adult child.
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Intro by Kami Watkins Years ago, when my daughter was small, I went on a fieldtrip with her to a wonderful apple orchard, “Riley’s Farm,” in Oak Glen, California. Once the bus arrived, I remember the teachers hurrying off to order apple pie, apparently the best in the west, only to return with not only a box of pie, but a pitcher of cider. Little did I know that not only did Riley’s Farm make a scrumptious dessert, I also discovered that it was also a haven for learning our American history in a real life, interactive sort of way. Using their farm as the backdrop to both the Revolution and Civil War era every visitor comes away with the experience of a lifetime, more aware of the cost of freedom and what it takes to keep it. As I have told dozens of the teachers who visit our farm, when we first began conducting Revolutionary War field trips on Riley’s Farm, I thought we would perform—if we were lucky— perhaps 10 or 20 tours a year. I thought my own passion for 18th century history, and the whole 14 MinuteMom Magazine
story of universal human rights on display in the story of Lexington and Concord, would have— at best—a limited audience. I thought, in other words, I would be preaching to the choir for a few kindred souls who knew Sam Adams was more than a beer label. I could not have been more wrong. From January to the end of June and from October to the middle of December, we are performing the Revolutionary War Adventure for hundreds of visitors a day, five days a week. I had my first inkling of the story’s universal appeal one day when I was leading a group of Korean American boys through the orchard, in military formation, and I heard one of them shout it out behind me, “this is COOL!” The simple truths are universal. They transcend all cultural, economic, and ethnic boundaries. An Italian American, and an African American, an Asian American, a Mexican American, and an Irish American and a Greek American all www.AsAMom.org
From the Riley’s Farm Web site
by Jim Riley Riley’s Farm, Owner rileysfarm.com
American s Made Her e
applaud long and loud when they hear Patrick Henry’s immortal words, “Give me Liberty or Give me Death!” When they stand on the battle line and I shout out the rallying cry, “will you be free or slaves?” They all respond, without hesitation, “free!” When I strike up the tune that was once “God Save the King,” but that is now “My country ‘tis of thee,” the voices start in, and they begin to swell, and some afternoons you can hear hundreds of American voices singing, with deep conviction, “from every mountain side, let freedom ring.” Again, the simple truths are universal. No one wants to be a slave. No one wants to have their parents rounded up and put in cattle cars. No one wants to be told who or where to worship. No one wants to have their earnings, their homes, their children stolen from them, by arbitrary, arrogant, un-bridled authority. Thomas Jefferson had it right. We are endowed by our “Creator with certain unalienable rights.” This isn’t just an outdated baroque English notion—it’s a universal conviction—a granite pillar at the center of our souls. Tyrants can’t stand the notion that we—as Americans— derive our rights not from neighborhood committees, not from academic studies, not from tepid consensus, but from God Himself—from our “Creator.” Tyrants hate this conviction with a passion. That’s why China rounded up another 80 Christian pastors this week. That’s why Stalin and Hitler and Castro and Pol Pot had to subjugate their churches before they could subjugate and torture their own people. Americans HATE tyranny and whether it takes the form of an English aristocrat or a Taliban zealot, they will—as Jefferson predicted—water the tree of liberty with the blood of the tyrant every time. Freedom is what we have in common as Americans, and that is what we teach here. I’m struck—over and over again—by how completely universal that notion is. Left, right, or middle of the road— Americans lock arms on the story of liberty. We spend a lot of time these days talking about—and even celebrating our differences, and I love some of those differences. I married a Greek girl and she feeds me well—with foods that I never grew up with as a child. I love Mariachi bands and German Oktoberfests and Irish music. I am fiercely proud of my pioneer As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
stock—of ancestors who braved the wilderness in four different American centuries. I love New England architecture, but I also love Spanish courtyards and Swedish log cabins and Irish stone walls. I will tell you, though, that—as Americans— there is one difference we should NOT celebrate. There is nothing particularly joyful about Castro’s Cuba or the moral lethargy of modern day France. I see no real cause for celebration in pondering Saudi Arabia’s total lack of religious tolerance or the brutal rape squads of the Sudanese Muslims. The canine appetite for power demonstrated by China’s political leaders isn’t something I quietly celebrate whenever I order—and thoroughly enjoy—Mushu Pork. America’s immigrants should be taught that their cultural traditions are valuable, but their political assumptions should be left at the border. They left slaves; they arrive sons and daughters of Liberty. It isn’t about the differences between the cultures and the ethnicities; it’s about people who believe in freedom and those who don’t. And, perhaps just as important, they need to know that Americans fight for that liberty. A friend of mine has a ministry to recently arrived Christians from the middle east. These are folks who have endured tyrannical Muslim majorities most of their lives, and some of them don’t really believe any government will ever truly honor freedom and promote justice, but immigrants from all nations need to know that Americans will gladly lock arms with people of every color to protect what their ancestors have purchased with blood. Americans don’t stand quivering at the door, asking quietly for their God given rights. They demand them. As one commentator put it, liberty is not really ever given. It is taken. Well, at Riley’s Farm, we teach that story. Along with their teachers, and their parents, we are happy to be teaching a new generation of children the most vital of American truths, and in so doing, we are proud to be, literally, making new Americans every day. http://rileysfarm.com/
Fall 2012 15
Thanksgiving: Then and Now a Time to Be Thankful On the fourth Thursday of November each year, we celebrate Thanksgiving. This important American holiday was inspired by the Pilgrims in 1621 who gathered with the Wampanoag Native American tribe to celebrate and thank God for their first successful corn harvest. We see Thanksgiving as a time to express gratitude for our blessings and share good food and time with our family and friends. This year will mark 391 years since the first Thanksgiving, and while its purpose appears the same, it has actually been through quite a journey leaving it looking different in several ways. Only two writings survive from the Pilgrims’ era about the first Thanksgiving celebration; Edward Winslow’s Mourt’s Relation, a detailed account of the Pilgrim’s experiences from the landing of the Mayflower through their settling of Plymouth Colony, and William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, the most complete account 16 MinuteMom Magazine
of the Pilgrims’ journey from their settling in the Netherlands in 1608 through their travels to and settling in Plymouth until 1647. From these we know that 53 Pilgrims and about 90 Indians made a several day long affair of this celebration. The Indians provided venison (deer meat) and the Pilgrims hunted wild turkey. Other foods that are likely to have been on the menu were swans, seal, cod and bass, lobster and other shellfish. Their harvest of Indian corn, which was much smaller than the corn we grow today, was probably not eaten on the cob, but with the kernels removed, ground, and made into a hominy or soup. There were no potatoes at that time, but they did have small, gourdlike pumpkins to stew, beans and native nuts. Cranberries may have grown in the area, but with the Pilgrims’ sugar stores exhausted, there would have not been cranberry sauce as we know it. Or pie. www.AsAMom.org
© Vasilkova | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos
by Carrie Christiansen
When they weren’t eating or cooking, the Pilgrims and Wampanoag played games and music, ran races, and demonstrated skills, with the braves shooting arrows and the Pilgrims shooting their muskets. This first Thanksgiving, which was in mid- to late-October, was not called “Thanksgiving” at the time, as that term was used to describe any occasion of focused “thanks-giving” to God. In fact, the following year’s harvest was so poor there was no celebration. And in 1623 the harvest was worse still. On November 29, a “day of thanksgiving” was declared in response to the Pilgrims’ answered prayers for rain to save their dying harvest. Thanksgiving did not became an official annual event in America until 1863, when after years of writing letters to newspapers, government officials and presidents, Sarah Josepha Hale’s campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a nationally recognized American custom, grabbed the attention of President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln had issued many orders for the government departments to close for a “local day of Thanksgiving” since he became president in 1861 and many of the Northern states were making a habit of scheduling their own Thanksgiving holidays. Unlike several of his predecessors, who ignored Mrs. Hale’s request, President Lincoln recognized the value of establishing a permanent national “day of Thanksgiving and Praise.” With America fully engaged in civil war, the President stated this in his proclamation: I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union. As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
In the 21st century, the stereotypical American Thanksgiving holiday involves hours of cooking and eating a huge meal for family or friends. Our menu looks different than it did almost 400 years ago. Besides the turkey, we often enjoy turkey stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy, and pumpkin pie. Our activities often include relaxing, visiting, and playing games with each other, and watching football or a parade on television. Some families make a tradition out of volunteering time or giving resources to those in need and retail stores try to start the holiday shopping season off with big sales for the weekend. America has experienced decades of increased prosperity and blessings since the time of the Civil War. Our country has endured major struggles to achieve all that we have to be thankful for, but Thanksgiving has lost much of the serious and religious component that was originally its main purpose. This November 22, let’s take time to really reflect on the blessings in our lives. Consider how fortunate we are to be Americans and beneficiaries of the work of such brave and visionary pioneers throughout our country’s history. Pray for peace, health, and comfort for those in need everywhere, then give thanks for your blessings again. Some suggested Thanksgiving activities to engage your families in are: YY Each day in November, record at least one thing you are thankful for in a journal or on a note card that can be placed in a box. For younger kids, make a tree and cut out leaves or a turkey body and cut out feathers, have (or help) them write one thing they are thankful for each day on a paper leaf or feather and attach. On Thanksgiving weekend have everyone share what they are thankful for. YY Do some reading as a family about what life was like for the Pilgrims and discuss how it compares to your life. YY Research local charities. Pick one to learn about and get involved as a family. Carrie Christiansen is a Seattle native, now residing in Loveland, CO. She earned a B.S. degree in Animal Science from Montana State University, which she now puts to good use as a wife and stay-at-home mom of two young children. Fall 2012 17
YYValues
Title
The George Washington Challenge
This is the month to mark the next four years of our lives. On November 6th we will have a transition taking place, either deeper into or out of our current chain of events. While it is easy to be overwhelmed with the negativity taking place and the anxiety we may feel, it is possible for us to step back and see that even through worst case scenarios, we can show gratitude. And sometimes it takes something fairly spectacular in our lives, usually a trial, for us to have a humble heart to do so. Through humility we are brought to our knees, rising with the unexpected realization that there are many things to be grateful for. These two values are intertwined in such a dramatic way, that they appear as two hands working together to create the best opportunities for change. Humility changes our hearts closer to God’s will. If we allow him to worth within us we can see wonderful miracles take place. Because a teachable moment is often the result of humility, God uses that to show us how blessed we truly are. It is at that moment we can get a glimpse into what he sees for us. It is then that we realize God is a necessity in our lives. It is through him we gain greater wisdom and clarity. We can seek direction from him, even in the 18 MinuteMom Magazine
Humility & Gratiude
Because a teachable moment is often the result of humility, God uses that to show us how blessed we truly are.
most harrowing moments, and he will answer. But, even in those moments we can be grateful. I remember hearing a story that took place back in World War II. The story was of a group of women that were hiding from German soldiers in an underground tunnel. This tunnel was flea infested. It was where animals would often go to hide. And now, these individuals needed a place to hide. They stayed in this tunnel, and kept praying and thanking God, even for the fleas. These people were safe and protected even though there were thousands of fleas biting them. It was later learned that the soldiers would not investigate this tunnel, because they knew it was flea invested. The fleas were a true blessing, not a curse. These fleas offered protection and a barrier between death and life for these people. Do we ever look at life like that? And see those things that we think are a curse or tragedy, only to find later that what we complained about was actually the blessing. Be grateful in all things! Gratitude shows our Creator that we have not forgotten him. Gratitude comes from a humble and appreciative heart most evident through prayer.
www.AsAMom.org
Attorney, Speaker, and Mom
KrisAnne Hall
has some great tools for parents!
Teach your children about American Exceptionalism, History of the Constitution and some of the Forgotten Heroes of America’s founding. KrisAnne presents information that you’ll find in no other book or curriculum. Take a look at her books:
Bedtime StorieS For Budding Patriots Essential Stories For Junior Patriots
Not a Living Breathing Document - Reclaiming our Constitution
www.KrisAnneHall.com Prayer should be the first and last conversation we have each day. In all our hurriedness we need to slow down and do those things of most value. Prayer is one of those things. I’ve tried to make it a habit to say my prayers before applying my mascara, because sure enough, I always end up crying my eyes out in gratitude or pleading for help. Ladies, if you go for the mascara, before you’ve prayed, let it be a reminder that God is waiting for a conversation with his daughter. Take the time to pray. Make the time to pray! If ever there was a time for prayer, it is such a time as this. The other night I received a message from my sister telling me that the United Nations was here in America, monitoring our election process. I was shocked! First of all, because the UN has no jurisdiction here, and second of all I was thinking that these As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
people just want to intimidate our friends over at, ‘True The Vote,’ and other like-minded groups trying to make sure the election process is honest. To say that I was feeling anxious is an understatement. I was feeling an ulcer form in my stomach and asked my husband for a special blessing and word of prayer. In it he said, “If you can look back and say you’ve done all you can do, be happy with that and know that where you are lacking, God will pick up the slack. God is aware of the turmoil around us, and if you’ve done all you can do, hand the rest over to God and he will take care of it.” It didn’t matter how many different ways he was saying it, he was trying to tell me that after we’ve done our part to make the change, there is only so much humanly possible that we can do. God is the only one who can make up the remaining difference
now. But, we must still endure and pray with all humility and gratitude for what we have now. Each of us are facing uncertain times with the election, but even outside of that process, we have lives to live and bills to pay. Life doesn’t stop for anyone. But, there are always things we can be thankful for, despite the conflict around us. Take the time this season to truly appreciate your life. Steer clear of feelings that encourage discontent and ingratitude, often noticed as a complaint or poorme outlook. Each part of our lives has a great deal of good in it. Even those parts that we think we messed up on, or didn’t work out the way we had envisioned. In all of the trials ahead or behind us, take the time to be grateful, because we really are living the good life. —Kami Watkins Fall 2012 19
The US Constitution: A Primer Articles 5 through 7
Article V of the U.S. Constitution details how the Constitution itself may be changed. The Founders understood that time and events would highlight errors or omissions that future generations would need to address – so they provided a mechanism by which to amend the Constitution. This process was designed to be slow, deliberate, and laborious; the Founders wanted the people and the states to consider deeply and carefully the ramifications of the changes they were about to make. Here is the entirety of Article V: “The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of it’s equal Suffrage in the Senate.” Article V is Dense and full of information – but a modern grammarian would make hay with the run-on sentence! Let’s parse this out (no sentence diagrams, I promise). 20 MinuteMom Magazine
Agreement by two thirds of BOTH the House and Senate are required even to approach the possibility of amending the Constitution. If the House and Senate cannot agree to begin the amending procedure, another possibility is for the legislatures of two thirds of the states to so demand—at which time, a Convention is called for proposing amendments. We will come back to this option. For now let’s understand how the amending process is designed to work. A properly ratified amendment becomes part of the Constitution, “valid to all Intents and Purposes” as though it had been there from the first ratification. In order for a proposed amendment to be properly ratified, three fourths of all the states must approve the amendment. The states have two ways to give that approval: (1) the state legislatures may vote to approve the amendment, or (2) a state convention—called and held in accordance with state rules—may approve the amendment if the legislature will not. The Founders here were trying to ensure there were several ways for the people and the states to address their concerns even if one or several legislative bodies refused to act in accordance with the people’s will. Congress is not given the only say. states can demand amendments via the method of Constitutional Convention. State legislatures cannot stonewall and refuse to act; the people of the states can call their own conventions and act directly in what they see as their own interests. Amending the Constitution, however, is www.AsAMom.org
WikiMedia statue at Shelby County Courthouse, Memphis, TN, United States
by Catherine G. White
a major act that should not be done quickly or lightly, nor should a bare-bones majority be able to change the laws for the entire country. Accordingly, the Founders required super-majorities – two thirds of both legislative houses (or two thirds of all states) – to PROPOSE an amendment to the states, and three quarters of all states must approve in order to ratify the new amendment and have it incorporated in the Constitution. Let us note here, in passing, that Congress may not pass laws that circumvent portions of the Constitution. Those laws are null and void. Changing the Constitution may only be done by Amendment. The Patriot Act runs roughshod over the 4th Amendment and is but one egregious example of a law which desperately needs to be nullified by the states. The final portion of this Article prohibits any changes to Article 1, Section 9, clauses 1 & 4. These specific clauses forbid the abolition of slavery before the year 1808. Here, they assure the southern states that the limitation on the abolition of slavery could not be abrogated (to put it bluntly, that they could not be double-crossed). Let’s now go back to items we left for later. During the Constitutional Convention, the original text proposed was for only the states to call for amendments. The concern in the convention was that the states would only propose amendments that increased their own power at the expense of the federal areas of jurisdiction (remember, the main flaw of the Articles of Confederation was that the federal government had insufficient power to actually function). Madison proposed an alternative where both houses of Congress, working together, would also be able to propose amendments. This has turned out to be the only method that has been used to date. The alternative method of the states calling a convention leads to a large number of open questions. There is no established procedure for the states to call a Constitutional Convention – what
should that procedure be? Must the states all be asking for the same amendment or can each state be making a different request? Do the requests need to be at the same time, close to each other in time, or can one state after another request a convention over the course of years until the magic percentage is reached? Would a convention be limited to considering the amendment(s) for which it was called or would it then be “open season” to propose multiple new amendments? Could they also add in amendment proposals to overturn prior amendments? Could such a convention overturn the Constitution entirely (as actually happened with the convention to re-vamp the Articles of Confederation)? There is NO LIMIT within the Constitution to the changes a Constitutional Convention could conceivably make. There are those (for example, staunch Libertarian commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano) who call openly for a Constitutional Convention to cure our current ills, while others hold deep fears about the problems the lack of limitations could set in motion. I hold that latter opinion; at least until such a day comes that the bulk of the populace once again understands and agrees with the present Constitution in its original intent. I can easily see a modern-day convention tossing out most of the Bill of Rights simply by lacking the understanding that offensive speech is the only speech that needs protection, that public expression of religion is not “establishment” of a state religion, that the militia is the whole of the people, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. As a final note on the subject of constitutional amendment procedures, starting with 18th Amendment (proposed 1917, ratified 1919) Congress started putting seven-year ratification time limits in the text of the proposed amendment. Why: the intention here (and one of the very few things Congress has ever done that actually works
Agreement by two thirds of BOTH the House and Senate are required even to approach the possibility of amending the Constitution.
As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
Fall 2012 21
as intended) is to prevent “sleeper” amendments from being ratified at a time when they no longer served the intended purpose. For example, the 27th Amendment was proposed in 1789, and was finally ratified in 1992 – 203 years later by the vote of Michigan’s legislature! This particular amendment still serves its intended purpose – but a 7number of other proposed amendments may well not have done so after so many years elapsed. This limitation has caused its own furor on occasion – for example, when the Equal Rights Amendment failed ratification within the time limit imposed. Article VI of the Constitution has three clauses but no sections. The first of these clauses promises that all debts contracted before the Constitution was adopted would be valid and honored. The country had borrowed heavily from France and Spain—and to a lesser extent from wealthy Americans, such as John Hancock—to finance the war against England. The lack of central power under the Articles of Confederation led to widespread money printing by the states and central governments, which led to inflation and economic depression. With the new Constitution superseding the Articles, we could have declared bankruptcy and reneged on all that debt. The Founders chose not to do so, however. There was a reason of principle: we incurred debt and were thus obligated to find a way to pay it off. There were reasons of practicality: if we reneged then, our international reputation would have been “not worth a Continental” i.e. as worthless as the Continental Dollar under the Articles of Confederation, and our chances of financial survival as a nation would have been, at best, rather slim. So we promised to repay our loans—all of our loans—and we did pay them all in full. The next clause of Article VI is crucial today, and so many of the items that offend us as US citizens would be known and considered null and void if we understood this clause! “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, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.” The common misconception with this clause 22 MinuteMom Magazine
is that any law made by Congress, or any treaty negotiated by the President and ratified by the Senate, is the “supreme law of the land.” NO!! Time to go back and re-read this clause. This time, let’s pay attention to the phrases “which shall be made in pursuance thereof ” and “under the authority of the United States,” instead of that “supreme law” phrase. “Which shall be made in pursuance thereof ” clearly limits the “supreme law” to items which are in accordance with the letter and the spirit of the Constitution and which coincide with the principle of upholding individual rights. The phrase “to secure these rights, governments are instituted...” from the Declaration of Independence, tells us that the only legitimate purpose of government is to protect our individual rights. Congressionally passed laws which ignore this principle and/or the letter or spirit of the Constitution are not the supreme law of the land – but instead, by the words of Alexander Hamilton in Federalist #33, are “merely acts of usurpation.” Hamilton also states in Federalist #78, “...every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid.” Nowhere in the Constitution do we, the people (or the states) delegate to the Supreme Court sole authority to nullify unconstitutional laws. We don’t even delegate that authority to the federal government in general. Instead, nullification of unconstitutional laws is required by all who take Oaths of Office (next clause), and by the states! Our rights pre-date and pre-exist the Constitution; nullification of usurped powers is therefore a “natural right,” albeit one not specifically listed in the Bill of Rights—which itself states it does not list them all. Allowing branches of the federal government to be sole arbiter of whether or not it is acting within its purview is really letting the fox guard the chickens. The states were jealous of their prerogatives; the people were wary of government abridging their rights. Why would they agree to let the federal government have the only say in whether or not their actions were acceptable under the Constitution? As for treatiesthe key phrase is “...treaties made under the authority of the United States.” Where do the President and Senate get their authority? www.AsAMom.org
They obtain authority from the powers delegated to them, as enumerated in the Constitution! If the Constitution does not grant authority in an area, no treaty negotiated, signed, and ratified in that area is valid, and surely is not the “supreme law of the land.” Jefferson states in his Parliamentary Manual of 1800, “...the President and Senate cannot do by treaty what the whole government is interdicted from doing in any way.” The Constitution limits the power of Congress in Article I, Section 8—so let’s see what areas of that section could be the subject of treaties. “Regulate Commerce with foreign Nations... and with the Indian Tribes” would be applicable, as would “declare War...and make rules concerning Captures on Land and Water,” and “promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts” (patents and copyrights). In addition, Article II, Section 2 grants the executive branch powers to “... appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls.” The Federal government may not do by Treaty what it is not permitted to do by the U.S. Constitution. Any such treaty (UN Small Arms, Agenda 21, Climate Change, etc.) would not and could not be the “supreme law of the land” because the federal government, has been granted no jurisdiction over those areas! (One of those listed, the UN Small Arms Treaty, is in direct opposition to our 2nd Amendment and clearly cannot possibly become law – what part of “shall not be abridged” is unclear?) Remember that it is the federal government which must get permission from the Constitution, to address any particular area – they do not have “carte blanche” to meddle wherever they wish. The third clause of Article VI requires the Representatives, Senators, state “legis-critters,” all executive and judicial officers (federal and state) to be bound by “oath or affirmation to support this Constitution.” (The President’s oath is stated separately in Article II). Every official (federal or state) who takes the oath to support the Constitution has a DUTY to stop the federal government from over-reaching its assigned powers. Any “treaty” ungonstitutionally signed by a President, and ungonstitutionally ratified by a Senate, is null and void, must be nullified by the states and the people, and must have enforcement of its provisions refused by all officials. Any official who will not comply, has violated his sworn Oath, and must be As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
removed from office. Article VII is the final Article of the Constitution proper, and consists of one sentence. It states that the Constitution shall be established and put into effect when ratified by nine states. There was controversy and discussion attending the wording of this article. States wanted to be sure that they would not be subject to the provisions of a Constitution they had NOT yet adopted. So this article is written such that the Constitution becomes valid only after nine states ratify, and then only between the States that have ratified. Other states became subject to its provisions upon ratification by their own state legislatures. The end of Article VII affirms that all the states (through their representatives present at the Convention) agreed to the provisions of the Constitution as presented. The final date of approval was September, 17, 1787, now known as Constitution Day. Signatures came from all present that day. It was presented to the states with a letter of recommendation and a plan for the initial establishment of the new government upon ratification by the ninth state. This letter was also presented by unanimous order of the Convention, and signed by George Washington, President of the Convention. It would take another two years and many papers written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, now known collectively as “The Federalist Papers” before the Constitution was ratified and implemented. References: *Constitution of the United States of America *Badnarik, Michael “Good To Be King” 2004 The Writer’s Collective *Skousen, W. Cleon “The 5,000 Year Leap” 2006 National Center for Constitutional Studies *Hamilton, Madison, Jay “The Federalist Papers” 2001 Dover *Heritage Guide to the Constitution www.heritage.org *Justia US Law law.justia.com *Publius Huldah’s blog at http://publiushuldah.wordpress.com *“The Oath of Office” byPublius Huldah at http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/34946 Catherine White grew up in Massachusetts where she also graduated from M.I.T. She is has two terrific daughters and a wonderful husband. She became involved early on in the 912 Project. Catherine has given several presentations on the Constitution in the past year. . Fall 2012 23
by KrisAnne Hal KrisAnneHall.com Editor’s Note: this is an open letter to Congress. May 17, 2012 Dear Mr. Boehner, Mr. McConnell, et. al; Our federal government is out of control. It is not the role of the federal government to regulate the daily lives of the citizens. It is not the role of the federal government to regulate domestic commerce. It is not the role of the federal government to tell farmers what to grow, nor tell people what to eat. It is not the role of the federal government to dictate the education of our children. It is not the job of the federal government to trespass into state criminal investigations. It is not the role of the federal government to control our rural or municipal affairs; yet, the President has now established federal councils for both rural affairs (Executive Order 13575—Establishment of the White House Rural Council June 9, 2011)and municipal affairs (Executive Order — Establishing a White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities 24 MinuteMom Magazine
May 1, 2012). Russia called these councils the “sovyet” and they are the final building blocks to communism. It is not the role of the Federal government to be the people’s nanny. It’s not the role of the Federal government to spend this nation into oblivion. Pardon me if I do not get excited about your current budget debate. That drama has outlived itself, and I say let the government shut down for a while; we might buy a few more days of life for our Constitution. I am also not impressed by your resolution on foreign affairs, encouraging “democracies” in foreign nations, while our republic is being actively destroyed by its own government. It is your role, Congress, to stop the Executive encroachment into the Legislature and it is your duty to stop the Federal encroachment upon individual Liberty. Our founders took great care when creating a federal government that would be limited and always in submission to the states and the people. WHEN is Congress going to www.AsAMom.org
WikiMedia Seal of the President -digitally modified: Stamp- © Begemot_30 | Stock Free Images
Executive Orders and the New American Sovyet
take a real stand against the destruction of the rights and privileges of this people? Will you wait until it’s too late? Mere “outrage” doesn’t get the job done. This Congress is pushing the nation to a point of turmoil it has not seen for 150 years. And make no mistake; each and every one of you will be personally responsible for what will occur. Are you prepared to live with that responsibility and those consequences? It will not fall on the shoulders of the President alone and the blame game will not alleviate the suffering of our children when they are so grievously affected. Yet, we can avoid repeating the mistakes of our history. But we must act now. We must act decisively. If not, we will regret our neglect. We have the opportunity now, but have no guarantee it will be available much longer. Does Congress truly understand WHY people fled communist nations to come to the greatest nation in the world? Do you truly know the cost of such sacrifice and what you are supposed to be defending? You are fooling yourselves if you think one more election is going to fix it. You don’t have that kind of time. The blocks are in place, and you have provided the mortar. Take a stand now. Not a political stand, but a stand that involves integrity, courage, and resolve. No more petitions asking the president to stop stealing legislative power. No more demands that Eric Holder resign. YOU must do your job and YOU must defend this nation and it’s Constitution from these enemies, both foreign and domestic. You must: 1. Put an end to the executive order madness. Exercise your constitutionally given power, as provided through the checks and balances and separation of powers. Show this nation that you understand that Legislative power is not to be As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
shared and it is definitely NOT to be taken. 2. We are not subjects of the United Nations and never intend to be. Get them out of our business. 3. If you are unwilling to impeach, defund any person appointed by the executive branch outside Congressional and Constitutional authority. (i.e. all the Christmas appointments and Czars) 4. Pick up your Congressional oversight responsibility and shut down these executive regulatory agencies whose only purpose is to “harass our people, and eat out their substance.” 5. Get control of the immigration in this nation. We don’t want to see GAO reports telling us that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Department cannot agree on the degree of terrorist association a visa applicant must have to render the applicant ineligible. 6. It is time to indict Eric Holder for the criminal that he is. No more whining, no more demanding for resignations, INDICT him and then FIRE him. 7. Impeach Elena Kagan. She is obviously incapable of using the appropriate professional ethic and judgment needed to be a Supreme Court Justice. Learn from this mistake and actually involve yourselves in the confirmation process. Your employers are sick to death of political games. 8. Repeal The Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act. Now. You are supposed to be protecting the rights of the people, not violating them. 9. End the 4th amendment violations permitted in the Patriot Act. Now. 10. Repeal sections 1021 & 1022 of NDAA 2012. It’s not only about habeas corpus, it’s about a. unilateral power given to the president by Fall 2012 25
congress to determine who is a terrorist and then detain them in secret with no probable cause; b. unilateral power given to the president by congress to invoke the laws of war during a “hostility”; c. unilateral power given to the president by congress to transfer the power under the laws of war to “domestic agencies fighting terrorists” 11. Get the IRS out of the passport business. 12. Don’t just read the Constitution, study it. Not how you studied it in law school, that wasn’t the Constitution, that was Constitutional Law, there is a huge difference. Those of you who went to Harvard, we understand if you don’t know what the Constitution is, it hasn’t been studied there in years. May I suggest a course that I know will teach you the truth and is so simple a Congressman can understand it. I happen to know the teacher personally and I am sure that she would come teach it at her own expense and sacrifice. Interested? Click Here. These are some of the demands of your employers; we demand you do your job. These are the requirements of our founders; they have entrusted
us with the Liberty purchased with their lives. These are the duties imposed upon you by the Constitution of the United States, and your obligations consistent with the oaths you took. And, these are the times that try men’s souls. How will history remember us? The generation that participated in death of Liberty or the generation that gave our last breath to prosper it? I have made my choice. How will you choose? Sincerely, KrisAnne Hall www.KrisAnneHall.com reprinted with permission
KrisAnne Hall travels the country teaching groups the truth about the history of our great founding documents and the government that our founders really wanted us to have. She is a Constitutional attorney and former state prosecutor. She is a disabled veteran of the US Army, a Russian linguist, a mother, a pastor’s wife and a patriot. Author of several books.
Obama Continues the Fight to Retain Indefinite Detention for Americans Under NDAA by Ed Corcoran Survivalandbeyond.net Sept. 19, 2012
Last week, U.S. District Judge; Kathrine Forrest issued a permanent injunction against article 1021 of the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) which allows for the use of military force against American citizens and indefinite detention absent habeas corpus and without due process. Judge Forrest ruled that the language of the NDAA was too vague and opened the door for violations of our First and Fifth Amendment rights. In less than 24 hours the Obama administration filed an appeal on the ruling and was granted a temporary stay on the injunction until Sept. 28th by Appeals Court Judge Raymond Lohier. Obama continues to insist that he will never use the NDAA against American citizens, yet his actions speak volumes to the contrary. If Obama is so dead set against detaining U.S. citizens and violating their rights to due process and freedom of speech, then why is he so insistent in keeping the provision? Moreover, why would he fight so vigorously against this federal court ruling? We have three branches of government and a system of checks and balances for a reason. The Executive Branch cannot overpower the Judicial. If this isn’t a struggle to establish dictatorial power, then I don’t know what is. Let us also not forget that Obama has no compunctions against summarily executing American citizens abroad without the benefit of due process and has also added other American citizens on his drone “kill list“! The Bill of Rights cannot simply be legislated away with the stroke of a pen, but through the NDAA and the miasma of executive orders Obama has signed throughout his term as president, it seems that’s exactly what he’s trying to do! 28 MinuteMom Magazine
From RT.com: Only hours after a US district judge made permanent an injunction that bans the indefinite military detention of Americans without charge, the White House said they’d appeal to continue their efforts to keep a controversial new law on the books. On Thursday, the Obama administration acknowledged that they plan to challenge a ruling made only a day earlier by US District Court Judge Katherine Forrest that concreted an injunction she issued four months prior on a provision included in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act , or NDAA. In May, Judge Forrest said the indefinite detention statute in the NDAA failed to “pass constitutional muster” and ordered a temporary block. On Wednesday, she made that injunction permanent, but not without raising objection once again from the Executive Branch. “First Amendment rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and cannot be legislated away,” Forrest wrote on Wednesday. “This Court rejects the Government’s suggestion that American citizens can be placed in military detention indefinitely, for acts they could not predict might subject them to detention.” Judge Forrest’s decision this week reaffirms her earlier ruling that prohibits the US government from abiding by the indefinite detention provision in the NDAA, a clause that allows for American citizens to be detained and held on the suspicion of supporting terrorists “or associated forces” until a very vague time frame described as only “until the end of hostilities.” After US President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law on New Year’s Eve, a team of journalists and activists challenged it in court. www.AsAMom.org
The White House had originally threatened to veto the act if it came onto President Obama’s desk, but the commander-in-chief signed it none the less on December 31, 2011. When he inked his name to the bill, the president acknowledged that he was authorizing it, “despite having serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation and prosecution of suspected terrorists.” On Thursday, the White House affirmed that they will continue their legal battle to ensure that those certain provisions remain intact. Carl Mayer, an attorney with The Mayer Law Group and legal counsel for the plaintiffs in the case, spoke with RT shortly after he found out that the White House plans to appeal the ruling. Despite the Obama administration’s warning, Mr. Mayer calls Judge Forrest’s latest decision “a huge and historic victory for democracy” and remains optimistic that further administrative efforts to challenge the injunction will be thwarted by the Justice Department. The Obama administration, Mr. Mayer says, “plan to appeal this to the Second Circuit and probably ultimately to the Supreme Court. We think this is ill advised because it contradicts President Obama’s campaign statements, it contradicts his criticism of his own legislation in his signing statement and he knows, as a former constitutional law professor, that this is wholly unconstitutional.” “Because the language is so vague in this law,” Mr. Mayer explains, “if any journalist or activist is seen as reporting or offering opinions about groups that could somehow be linked not just to al-Qaeda but to any opponent of the United States or even opponents of our allies” they could be imprisoned indefinitely. Mr. Mayer adds that “When Congress passes a law that is so vague, [it] always has a chilling effect on everyone’s speech and that is not permitted under our Constitution.” “You can’t chill a journalist’s speech; you can’t chill your speech or your colleague’s speech or your producer’s speech or other journalists who you work with by holding a Sword of Damocles over your head by threatening you of being
detained by the military. That is something that you have a fundamental right to be protected by,” the lawyer says. Also up for debate, says Mayer, is the NDAA’s violation of the Constitution’s right to due process. “Let’s assume they thought a report,” says Mayer, “is engaged in expressive activity that supports terrorists.” Without Judge Forrest’s injunction, that activity could warrant not a federal investigation, but a federal intervention — one that ends up with a suspect behind prison indefinitely. “And that is not how the Constitution works,” he says. “The Constitution gives you those fundamental bedrock protections.” “You have a right to prove that that’s not true in front of a jury of your peers,” Mayer says. Separate from the District Court case against the NDAA, several states have introduced legislation on their own that blocks usage of the indefinite detention provision on a local level. In April, the Virginia legislature voted to approve an act that authorizes law enforcement agents within the state to reject the controversial detention provisions included in the NDAA.Similar efforts were introduced in Washington, Utah and elsewhere. Mr. Mayer says that while he expects to go back to court to fight the White House’s efforts to install the indefinite detention clause on a permanent basis, so far it seems as if their case is for a lost cause. “I think they are ill advised to appeal this at all,” he tells RT. “The Obama administration has now lost three times. They lost the temporary injunction, they lost the motion for reconsideration and they lost the hearing for permanent injunction. I say three strikes and you’re out.”
The Bill of Rights cannot simply be legislated away with the stroke of a pen
As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
Related Posts: • Federal Judge Slaps Down NDAA – Says Obama Must Obey Constitution • Judge Kathrine Forest Issues Permanent Injunction Against NDAA • PANDA: Government Defies Federal Judge on NDAA • Join P.A.N.D.A. in the Fight Against NDAA! • The Federalist Papers
Fall 2012 29
YYGiving T hanks
A Tribute to Lori Parker, Co-Founder of AAM
30 MinuteMom Magazine
the disintegration of our Constitutional freedoms. She worries about her children and what this country will be like for them in the future. She has a meticulous and determined nature that has enabled this endeavor to blossom. Spending countless hours committed to this cause, Lori Parker has sounded the rally cry and attracted like-minded women to the cause of freedom. We will be forever grateful for her wisdom and clarity in initiating this wonderful opportunity for each of us. Bringing thousands of women together for a righteous cause that will snowball into something we never imagined. Here are some special thoughts from some of her Patriot friends. From -PJB Director of Groups
Have our chickens, indeed, come home to roost? That is a question a Tea Party group asked, a take -off on the famous line by Reverend Wright. Many would say a firm “Yes!” The chickens were busy pecking at food, raising chicks and making eggs. And well, frankly, being “chicken.” And a few of the more adroit chickens perhaps were wondering if they would be slaughtered. Perhaps our chicken did come home to roost. And just perhaps this slaughtering of the Constitution and of American freedoms will stop, with this generation. We thank Glenn Beck for waking so many of us up. And for introducing us to Lori P., co-founder and President of As A Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots, a place where we could share information and feel safe as we grew in stature and confidence.
Lori has been like the kindly mom to us - a mom who has had to train us and who has given us wings to fly by ourselves. She has found people who can prepare us to go forth, whether it be politics, book writing, school finance and management and methods of teaching, prepping, and networking. What many don’t know is that Lori has also been on the boards of many other sites, helping guide them through the process of training and mentoring their unique members. Lori also does all the graphics on our site and in this magazine. Of 84,000 women who have visited our site, most are out working for our country, armed with knowledge and confidence. Others remain mostly on the site to meet, inform, and mentor new moms as they come in. We all have made friends here. All will continue fighting for our Constitution, our country and our children’s future. The one thing we all have in common, whether very active or stopping by occasionally is.... Lori. She will be in our collective memories and part of our lives forever. From Kelley-CoCM VA Thank you Lori. Thank you for dedicating the thousands of hours you took from your family to help this mom turn her fears, anxieties and anger into productive action. Prior to becoming involved in As A Mom... I felt alone. I did not realize that thousands of other moms and moms at heart were also afraid for our children’s and grandchildren’s future. AAM empowered me to take action in my community, www.AsAMom.org
Photo K. Watkins
I remember listening to Glenn Beck in 2010 when Lori Parker was sharing her vision for, As A Mom... I thought here’s a woman that knows what she wants for her country. She saw a need and filled it, seizing the opportunity to educate and empower other likeminded women about our Constitution our Country and our Children’s future. Little did she know that she would plant the seed for a Patriot Movement of Mothers. I knew immediately that I wanted to be involved. I went to the website and signed up. When I saw the volunteer page, I signed up again. There was opportunity to make a serious change and influence other women and families, in a place and for a purpose I believed in. From within the walls of our homes a forceful front has begun. An Army of Mothers has gained the knowledge to change their families, communities and country for the better, to ensure that citizens everywhere empower themselves by reading, learning and understanding the Constitution of these United States, all thanks to Lori’s vision. I’ve never seen a movement as strong as this one, one that will save our America, with Mom’s serving at the head. Because of this vision, and because Lori took the initiative to be proactive concerning this need, changes have happened. Women have gotten involved at every level in their communities, government, and families. Lori has been a shining example of strength, perseverance, and compassion. She is a woman who values her role as a Mother, and takes seriously
my county, my commonwealth, and my country. While I know that you ,as well as the other founding moms, are the heart of AAM, you are not leaving us alone, just stepping back from the 12-16 hour days to be present to your family. Thank you and your family for creating this dynamic organization which will continue “Empowering Moms and Moms at Heart in preserving our Constitution, Country and Children’s future”. From Patsy Conreaux I joined AAM way back in the beginning. I saw Lori on Beck. Shortly after that I heard about this group, and knew I had to be a part of it. At that time I didn’t even have an e-mail address, so to say I was a “beginner” in the world of web sites and on-line groups is an understatement. I have learned so many things because of AAM. As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
The greatest aspect of this site are the people. I have made so many friends here at AAM. Little by little you get to know people by a word here or a sentence there. We all have so much in common really—we love our children, families, and country, and we want only the best for all of them. Every day we try to find ways to “make it better” and sometimes we do, and sometimes we can get so frustrated with the “powers that be”, but no matter what, we know we can go to AAM and find others who share our victories and our defeats—no matter what form they take. The “Moms” are friends, inspirations, teachers, debate partners—thoughtful, generous, encouraging, knowledgeable, nice and just “good people.” NO organization could be so much to so many without a wonderful leader, IMO, and that is our Lori:-) I have had the honor and privilege to get to know her over the years. I don’t think I have
ever known a more patient person in my life, which I realized after messaging her for the hundredth time over a problem I was having with the Newsletter. I was really terrible with all things technical in the beginning, and must have been a trial for her as I was learning the ropes, but never once was she anything but sweet and kind and most of all... calm. Even when I had to tell her I lost the Newsletter (don’t ask me what I did—I have no idea to this day). I have talked to her on the phone on several occasions, been on conference calls with her, messaged her, e-mailed her, talked to her in Chat. Always and forever a pleasure to work with and laugh with. She amazes me with how she can juggle so many things so well. She always seems to know the answer to any problem or situation that comes up on AAM, and they are many. She is a wonderful writer and graphic artist and the MinuteMom Magazine is a testament to that. She does all this Fall 2012 31
Pictured: The As a Mom...National Executive Board at the Alamo, Lori Parker, Mary McDonald, Amber Toone and Anita Reeves.
From Stacy Finch I found As A Mom... in 2009 after hearing Lori on Glenn Beck. Something in what and how she said it inspired me to do something. I joined As A Mom... and stayed on the side lines a while. Soon however I started speaking up in ‘chat’. Voicing my opinions and complimenting others on their comments. That landed me an invitation to take on a bigger role in As A Mom... I never thought I would ever be ‘Chair’ of anything let alone a 9/12 group. Lori and the team gave me such confidence that I eventually became active in my home town as well. Going to school board, town, and GOP meetings. Speaking out at them and taking on larger roles within those organizations as well. As A Mom... has taught me more about preparing for the future, physically, emotionally, and 32 MinuteMom Magazine
spiritually. One of the most surprising benefits of my As A Mom... membership happened this fall when my oldest son started Kindergarten AT HOME! Yes, the wonderful Moms at As A Mom... gave me the confidence to home school my boys. Above all, the friendships and connections I have made with the Moms here will last a lifetime. It is amazing how we can all be on the same track and yet all have so many different things to offer. Without Lori and As A Mom... , I don’t think I would have made it the last three years, spiritually or mentally. Lori is an amazing leader with an amazing vision. Her heart is as big as Texas and she will always be in my prayers and on my thoughts. I will always be thankful to her and the team for working so hard. From Terri Hucheson I want to thank Lori first for having the fore site to found a great social group for Moms who were lost and looking for like minded moms. I commend her for the long days and hours she sacrificed for this country. I don’t think a lot of us would have gotten involved in our local communities, state, and local issues. Thank you Lori from the bottom of my heart to help me a better citizen. I will continue to educate others as you
have helped to educate me. From Ginger Platt At a time when I felt impotent and weary of all the talk with no outlet that would lead to action and a sense of community, I saw Lori on Glenn Beck’s first “Mom” show and then on the follow up show where she talked about As A Mom... She inspired me and since then I have been empowered by AAM and introduced to so many Moms who are a great source of information and support. Lori’s vision for AAM has kept the organization positive, gracious, and a safe harbor for Moms. I admire her flexibility, her personal commitment and her knowledge. Her creative and organizational ability are awesome. I have gotten involved with True the Vote, Raging Elephants, and attended many Town Hall events that I would not because of the information and support of AAM. As my children are adults, now I was ignorant of school issues and I am so much more aware now. I am deeply grateful for the firm commitment and courage of all the founding members of AAM. You took www.AsAMom.org
photo L.. Parker
while at the same time caring for her home and family. She is a busy mom like so many of us and I get tired just hearing all the things she is doing with her kids, LOL. I admire her and will be forever grateful that she and all those who got AAM off the ground several years ago, had this vision and have done so much to make AAM such a special, safe place for us all to gather and talk about what is on our minds and in our hearts. She has touched so many people like myself, in such positive ways.... It’s amazing really, and teaches us all what one or a few can do to change their little corner of the world. Thank you Lori:-)
a bold step and a huge leap of faith in establishing AAM then you follow it up with tons of hard work. Lori, thank you for sacrificing so much to be the face of AAM! Your leadership in all areas has been great but I especially appreciated being able to participate in the BBB project and for your graciousness in inviting dh to attend Glenn Beck show with me. From Susan Phenow Lori is a leader - each and every single one of those over 80,000 (think about it . . . that’s EIGHTY . . . THOUSAND) people who signed up on As A Mom learned something or gained something by coming to this site, thanks to Lori Parker, and her desire to bring likeminded people together. Thank you Lori, you have my admiration, my thanks, my gratitude and my love! As A Mom HAS made a difference - and we will continue to do so! \ From Jaime Munns As a Mom has given me a place to connect, to feel there are others out there who care about this country and what is going on. It gave me a place to be motivated to search out classes to become more educated in the history of our country. It has given me a place to feel mentally stimulated and to connect with those in other parts of the country. I have realized there are also other ideas outside of my own world view. It has given me the chance to practice communicating with others from different faiths, backgrounds, and places in life. It has made me feel I am not alone in my thoughts, observations, and ideas. Thank you, Lori, for starting something grand. From Cee Hinkle After dashing through crowds packed along the Reflecting Pool, I was startled as Lori’s doe eyes alone met mine at the Vietnam Women’s As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
A wise woman once had the dream to change the lives of women for the better. Join me in sharing in the commitment of caring and community. That is Mary Kay Ash’s legacy. Let’s all make a difference - one woman at a time. Memorial. Hundreds of As a Mom families from around the nation agreed to gather beside that memorial for the 8/28/10 Restoring Honor Rally. Yet Lori stood alone before the casted image of three women nursing a wounded soldier. For Lori was the first As a Mom sister I met, face to face. As A Mom’s website attracted over 80,000 folks from around the globe to join. Lori and her team had an irresistible mission: to empower moms and moms at heart to preserve our Constitution, our country, and our children’s future. From Susan Rowland Love and respect you all for your tireless efforts to bring the thoughts, prayers, ambitions and American family ideals into focus in one place of community - AAM. Thank you for being such absolutely inspiring friends and mentors.
From Janet N. Thank you so much....for putting feet to your convictions and inspiriting so many others to do the same. Alone we can be beaten down..but united we are a voice to make a change! A special thank-you to Anita, Amber and Mary, for getting AAM off the ground and running at full speed, we are forever grateful for your contributions. While we know there are countless people to thank, and many more who would like to share their appreciation, our hope is that each of us will take the time to share our thanks with those that have impacted our lives in a significant way. Thanks again to all who contribute to AAM. You are valued beyond measure. —Kami Watkins & Friends
Fall 2012 33
I’LL TAKE THE HEAT - PLEASE! again As citizens living in a modern society, we find ourselves dependent upon local utility companies for virtually all of the basic necessities – particularly heat and electricity. Most home heating systems require electricity of some kind for ignition or fans or temperature control. When the electric is off, it’s probably not going to matter that you are hooked up to city gas or have a big propane tank sitting out back – no electric is going to translate to no heat; and in some areas of the country, this can be a serious problem. While a generator might be a great short term fix and many homes have traditional fireplaces, there are drawbacks and safety issues to address that may not make them the best solution to what may be a long-term problem. Although there may be no ideal solution, there are a lot of alternatives to consider. 1) Wood-burning stoves are popular and purchase price starts at about $1,000, although you may be able to find a used one for less. They must be properly installed and inspected, so consider hiring an expert to do this. Positioned properly, one small unit can usually heat a small home. If it has a flat top, you can also use it for limited cooking purposes and heating hot water. If you’re looking for something to do double duty, 34 MinuteMom Magazine
there are small cook stoves that can be purchased for under $2,000. They’re specifically designed for cooking meals and have an oven. By the way, many older homes have capped stovepipe thimbles in rooms that were once heated by stoves. These can be uncapped and repurposed for new stoves – just make sure someone that knows what they are doing checks them out for you first. There are a lot of used wood stoves floating around – if you buy one, make sure you’ve educated yourself or take someone with you who knows about them to prevent ending up with a stove that is dangerous to use or needs extensive repair. Pine, cedar, fir, and other soft woods high in resin are not recommended for use in wood stoves because they create too much creosote. While you can use them to start the fire, it’s better to use hardwoods like oak, walnut, birch, cottonwood, and fruitwoods like apple and pear for burning. Even hardwoods will create a black, crusty, creosote buildup in your chimney and pipes so plan on cleaning them out at least twice per year, more often if you use the stove all year instead of only seasonally. By the way, wood should be cut about a year in advance and allowed to ‘season’ or dry out www.AsAMom.org
© Jscalev | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos
by Auntie Anne
properly for you to get the most clean heat out of it. Green or wet wood simply doesn’t burn well at all. Which reminds me – even if you have an entire forest at your disposal, you’ll need a way to cut it. A good quality chainsaw will set you back at least $200 and don’t forget to have extra chains on hand – plus you’ll need gasoline for it. Make sure you wear safety goggles, protective gloves and never, ever operate a chainsaw when you are out in the woods by yourself. I have a relative that heats his small home with a wood stove. He tells me it takes about twelve cords of wood to last a full year. It takes him and one of his buddies a full two weeks to cut, haul, and stack ten to twelve cords of wood each year. And he has two, covered wood sheds – one for aging and one for using. 2) If you’re made of sturdy stuff, you might like to have an old fashioned wood and/or coal stove in your kitchen for year-round use! Households have used them for a couple centuries and they will keep at least a good portion of your home warm. If you have a small home or a large country kitchen adjacent to your family room, you may find it to be a great heat alternative. New ones can be pricey, but you might find a bargain if you look around. Make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing check it out for you and install it properly. There are some configurations which will not only provide you with a cooking surface and an oven, but will also have a warming shelf and a hot water reservoir. I read the blog of one homesteader who opted to have a wood stove and a propane range in her large country kitchen – she uses the propane stove in summer to eliminate some of the kitchen heat and the wood stove in the winter to supplement the winter heating costs of the propane furnace. Of course, she not only lives on 200 acres of forest with unlimited wood at her disposal, she also has two huge propane tanks installed in her back yard that need to be filled now and then. Some stoves are meant to burn only wood, some only coal and some will burn both—be careful what you buy. By the way, and—I emphasize this point—you can NOT use charcoal in these stoves—aside from technical issues—the fumes can be toxic and very dangerous. New stoves can range from $3,000 to $12,000; but smaller ones can be found for around $1,000. Check the Internet for both new and used suppliers. As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
Lastly, keep in mind you will need access to fuel. You can only store so much coal—it’s getting harder all the time to buy it in some areas of the country—and if the EPA has their way, you won’t be able to buy the stuff at all! And... unless you have a lot of land with a lot of trees on it... obtaining wood might become a problem too. 3) You might be able to utilize passive solar heat, although this alternative is best incorporated as part of the original design of a home. There are no mechanical parts to a purely passive system—no pumps, fans, or thermostats. However, to install a totally passive system, you need to observe the “five elements of passive solar design” that include: 1) really large glass windows on the south side of the building with unobstructed sun from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day; 2) a hard, dark wall, floor, or partition to serve as a heat storage element; 3) an exposed, thermal mass surface to retain the heat being produced; 4) conduction, convection, and radiation design and materials to passively transfer heat to the different areas of the house—a modified or “hybrid” system might use fans, ducts and blowers to do this; and, 5) roof overhangs, adjustable vents, and awnings that can be used to restrict heat flow and absorption during warmer months. It’s also recommended that the home have very few, if any, windows on the north side of the house. 4) There are some propane heaters that don’t require they be vented to the outside. New ones range in price from $100 to $1,000, depending on how plain or fancy they are. You may need a propane expert to install it – along with the appropriate tank, regulator and copper gas lines. Check local codes for installation requirements. And remember, you may not be able to get those propane tanks filled up when they’re empty. 5) Kerosene heaters are readily available and come in a variety of models, sizes and prices. A heater can be purchased for around $130.00 and will heat around 1,000 square feet (that’s a space about 31 feet by 31 feet). They do not require Fall 2012 35
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alcohol stove made from a soda can (for instructions on building one, go to www.zenstoves.net/ Construction.htm ) – with a combination primer pan/pot stand made from hardware cloth and a tuna can? There are also a variety of commercially-made stoves that can be purchased. Most are light-weight and well-suited for backpackers, hikers and for bug-out bags. But there are larger, 1 or 2-burner models for cooking too. DIY versions cost between $0 and $5; commercial versions range from $10 to $500. Most alcohol stoves are primarily meant for cooking, but can supply heat in an emergency – although they’ll only heat one room at best. Hikers and climbers often use them to take the chill off their tents at night, before they go to sleep. Some travelers keep them in their vehicles as emergency heaters. They are fairly safe if properly used – but don’t forget they are open flame burners. If you tip them over, you could start a fire – and the flames can get high so watch to see if the flame is getting close to any combustible materials. They also need oxygen and emit carbon dioxide. The larger, two burner stoves are much more desirable for cooking, but are fairly expensive unless you can find a used one. On the bright side, they all run on plain isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. It’s sold in 60% to 90% concentrations – the 90% will burn a little hotter and brighter. Isopropyl alcohol will last for years as long as it is kept in a tightly-closed container. Plastic bottles might be better for travel, backpacking, etc, but transferring the alcohol to a well-labeled, amber glass bottle may help extend the shelf life. Some stoves lend themselves to being easily extinguished, others have valves you can use to adjust the flame or turn them off, still others need to burn all their fuel before they can be extinguished. How much fuel you would need for a full year would depend on the model of your stove and how you utilize it – but I’m guessing you’d need to buy rubbing alcohol by the case, so it would take up quite a bit of space! And while inexpensive, it is highly flammable, so storage precautions would be necessary. 7) Build a small, three-room home using straw bale construction and heat it with something similar to a rocket stove that uses just a very little wood to provide all your heating and cooking www.AsAMom.org
wikipedia.org
special installation and can be easily moved from room to room. Under no circumstances should they be left to run overnight while you sleep; and, they should only be used with adequate ventilation. By the way, while there is some odor when these units are initially lit or extinguished, newer models that are working properly will not have much odor at all during normal use. Kerosene is a very stable fuel. While I’ve never tried it myself, I’ve read that you can toss a lighted match in a pool of kerosene,the match will be smothered out. Kerosene was used for many years in this country without much incident, and is still used by Amish communities and in other countries for both heat and cooking. Kerosene will store for many years if it is kept out of the light and remains sealed to keep out the moisture and prevent evaporation. The best way to store large quantities of kerosene is in a steel drum buried underground; however, smaller quantities can be stored in metal cans – just make sure they’re clearly labeled and not confused with gasoline. Kerosene heaters do not have a thermostat, just high and low. If your house gets too warm, you will have to turn it off and re-start it later. On the other hand, one centrally-located unit will heat an entire small house in only a couple hours. One gallon of kerosene will power a small heater for 12-15 hours…you’ll need to do your own math, based on the kind of heater you buy, the space you want to heat and how many hours each day you think you’ll be running it. And again, there’s no guarantee you will be able to get more if you need it. But one of the nice things is that you can also buy kerosene-burning stoves for cooking (check the Internet) and lanterns/lamps for light – making kerosene a pretty versatile fuel to store. By the way, did you know that it could even replace diesel fuel if necessary? 6) There are DIY instructions all over the Internet for alcohol stoves. How about a very small
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needs. Great insulation, very green, and interesting, but might not work for all climates. Do an internet search on “straw bale homes” to get instructions, plans, etc. 8) Chemical heat packs and hand warmers may come in handy. Activate them and then wrap them in a towel tied well with string or twine. Add them to your child’s bed, pet’s bedding or to the bottom of your small animal or bird cage to provide them with some warmth too. Make sure pets and children can’t get them apart though. They are easily found, but have a fairly short shelf life. Depending purely upon these as a heat source is obviously not practical. 9) Or, try warming some regular bricks (using your alternate heat source), wrap them in a towel and tie the towel around the brick to prevent direct contact. You can add them to your bed, your child’s bed, a pet’s bedding or on the bottom of your bird/small animal cage. But be careful! Bricks can get very hot and hold their heat for a long time. Make sure no one gets burned! 10) Adults, children, and pets can all be kept warmer at night with a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, just heat the water, put it in the hot water bottle, wrap with a towel and tie it up. It’s great when placed in bed by your feet! You As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
can still purchase them at most pharmacies, but they’re also available on Amazon and at many online pharmacy or emergency prep sites – check eBay too. Look for them also on Internet sites or at stores that commonly carry supplies used by Amish communities. You can even find some nifty flannel or knit (crochet) hot water bottle covers so you don’t have to use your towels. There are a variety of alternate heating possibilities, but the way I see it, they all boil down to one thing – availability of fuel. Right now, most of us take our gas or electric heat for granted. When it turns cold, we adjust the thermostat and our home gets warm. We may try to ration it a bit to keep the monthly bill down, but we don’t have to worry about where it’s coming from or how it gets to us. Doing without electricity and/ or gas for long periods of time poses a challenge for most of us that is a bit daunting; and, while there are options, you need to consider all their pros and cons to decide what’s best for you…… After the emergency is not the best time to start thinking about it. Did I mention how wonderful hot water bottles are? Blessings! ~ Auntie Anne
Fall 2012 37
by Joshua Durgin Woe says the faint of heart; guns are the bane of the earth. Guns are killers of men, murderers of life. Guns are the cause of our woes and the great threat to all our liberties. So says the ignorant or the cunning. For who else besides these two would wish to remove guns from the hands of men? Any person who wishes the removal of firearms from the general public is either an ignorant person who does not understand what he says or a cunning person who knows exactly what he is saying. 38 MinuteMom Magazine
To know what a gun is and why it is in fact the greatest proponent of human liberty, one must journey back to the beginning to a time when guns did not exist, and man survived by his hands and crude tools alone. Tyranny! That is what that time was, an age of tyranny. An honest hard working man was ruled by the warlord, forced to give a portion of all his produce to that warlord, and most times was only allowed to keep a token for himself. The honest man’s labor at the instant of fruition was taken by the warlord; the www.AsAMom.org
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GUNS, LIBERTY, AND FREEDOM
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honest man was allowed to keep just enough to live and grow food another year. This was the age of serfdom, the age where good honest men were serfs to the warlords who ruled the realm. Who was this warlord, this king among men, leader and owner of all around him? He was the strongest of course, the most cunning and immoral. The warlord was the evolution of the common bully. In fact, the first warlords, before finding other strong men to fill the ranks beneath him (none as strong or as cunning as him or course), usually got his start as a bully. Yes, the warlord was a thug. He was a man who through brute strength and force would push others into giving him what he wanted, short of killing the golden goose. As time progressed, so did the warlord: growing in power, adding more villains to the ranks, with the spoils of war spurring them onward and upward to seemingly limitless power. The bully became the lord, the lord became the king, and sometimes the king even became an emperor. The spoils system was not that complex at all; the bigger and stronger you were, and the more cunning and manipulative you could be, the more you had and the more you controlled. The peasants, the serfs, and the honest men who didn’t want to control others, but just wanted to earn a living, were the downtrodden. The warlord had no qualms taking their rights from them
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and forcing them down into the dirt to work for just enough to survive, while giving the warlord everything his heart desired. This was a time of tyranny, where the strong ruled the earth and the weak could do nothing; for without strength they had no way to protect their God given rights. Nothing could stand in the way of the warlord; nothing could stop him or his minions. Then there were guns; guns were terrifying weapons of power, not to the people, but to the warlords. The people had already experienced terrifying weapons every time the warlord came to collect his dues; if the people resisted, they were put to the sword. Fear was already known to the people, to the peasant, and to the serf, but power was not known, and guns were power. The people had always been killed, but now they could fight back. Guns gave them the edge; no magistrate’s armor could deflect the fatal weapon’s strike, and they could be used by anyone. For the first time no one was excluded the chance to wield power. Even a child could shoot a gun and could kill the strongest, fastest, and most cunning man. A little girl could fend off
the gun is
indeed the greatest
emblem of liberty
Fall 2012 39
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the most cruel man whose strength otherwise would easily overpower her. The farmer, tired from tending his fields all day, could shoot the brute who had trained his whole life to fight. The weakest were no longer constrained to remain the brutalized. Did this secure liberty? No, but it gave individuals the chance to fight the madmen of the earth, the cruel masters whose all-consuming hunger for power never seemed satiated. An untrained farmer could beat the trained soldier; the warlord’s warriors were effectively nullified. Even when trained to wield the same firearms, the warlord’s minions could still be killed by the weakest of peasants. Yes, guns are terrifying; they are terrifying to anyone who otherwise could strut through life pushing others to do as he pleased. The dictator was now dictated by the gun to watch out, for even he was not immune to its power. There were simple designs at first, not that complex: a simple shaft that would guide a small projectile sped along it by the power of an explosive charge. Guns would evolve over the ages, but the basic idea was always the same: an explosion at the back thrusting a small usually metallic object along the barrel, hopefully straight into the heart of the nearest brute. By the twentieth century guns had evolved to the point that they could fire repeatedly in short order. A single man could fend off an army given the right gun in the right situation. Because of this the gun is indeed the greatest emblem of liberty, giving the right to self-govern, the right to defend oneself, and the right not to be bullied by someone whose only gift is that he’s bigger than you. With this in mind we must look to those who would remove guns from the general public, who call them a hazard against liberty. To say this, such a person must be entirely ignorant of the glorious freedoms guns have bestowed upon our feeble kind, particularly to those of us who would otherwise be battered down by the cruelty of others who are stronger. Ignorant or cunning? I have no doubts that the strongmen of old are ever hungry for the power they once wielded without dispute, longing for the days when no one could stand against their martial prowess, when the weakest farmers knelt before them and begged for mercy in return for anything the warlord wanted: food, property, perhaps even a daughter, anything to appease the warlord’s pitiless gaze and ravenous appetite for more. www.AsAMom.org
Host your own: So who are these people today who say we must absolve gun rights, that it is actually the guns that take away our liberties, not secure them? Who other than the same kind of cunning men who once ruled the meek and took all the land and wealth in the world for themselves, leaving only the scraps for the meek, like crumbs fallen from the master’s table to the dogs. Our ancestors were ruled by kings, and when guns were discovered it did not take long for the king to declare that only his loyal soldiers and followers could wield them. Yet it was too late; the time had come when the weakest among us could stand equal with the strong, where no one man born with a gift of strength could abuse it without fear of reprisal. The same kind of men, generations later, still look upon this once untouchable bastion of power with cravings insatiable. They long for it, they plead for it, and all we must do to let them have it is stand idly by while they take away the one thing that has given us the most liberty in all the millennia of mankind upon this world. Our ancestors were ruled by kings, and they fought long and hard to overthrow those brutes who would have kept us in chains for an eternity just to suit their needs. I will not go back and tarnish the memory of my ancestors by relinquishing the one thing that secured them and me liberty previously unimaginable. The warlord may have my gun when he pries it from my cold, dead, fingers. I will never again be a slave to the whims of a warlord. I will die before I allow myself to lose the one thing that keeps me from becoming a slave. For I am a man, just like any other; the strong, the cunning, and the cruel will never dominate me again! Joshua Durgin is a 22 year-old lobsterman in Maine. He is a steadfast Glenn Beck follower, consistently watching the program for the last three years and reading many of the books recommended by Beck. He became involved in state politics in 2010 and is currently chairman of the Cornish Republican Committee. His main interests are reading history, particularly about the American Founding Fathers. He is also studying the objectives of anti-American groups, then sharing that information with people in the various conservative groups he attends. Article written in Spring of 2010 when he was nineteen. As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
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YYAs a Family
Does the impending holiday season have you stressing already? Most of us, including our bank accounts are still in recovery from last year’s spending spree. Ask yourself if you want a different kind of Christmas this year. If you’re done with the old-school, people-pleasing mentality--that just empties your wallet and leaves you looking and feeling more like the stamp of ‘Scrooge’ is on your forehead--it’s time for a new approach. Many of us have vowed year after year that we would not fall into the trap of becoming stressed out during the holidays. The months speed by and here we are trying to prevent anything remotely close to feeling overwhelmed and overworked. It’s easy to get bombarded by Christmas lists, things to do and activities to plan. Whether we’re trying to budget for a large meal, or find the cash to pay for gifts, we need to slow down and reassess what this season is about. If you’ve been searching for those warm-fuzzy feelings of joy and happiness, you won’t find it in purchasing expensive gifts or bombarding yourself with endless parties and plans. The best idea for a happy Christmas season is to start with a simple plan that puts our hearts in the right place… making the 2012 Christmas season one to surpass all others with both peace and joy. Try these as a family: 1. Call a Family Meeting: Begin by informing family that due to budget cuts things will be changing slightly this year. You don’t want to shock them too much. It is Christmas after all. a. Set a budget and make the family aware (especially older children): Do not go over this budget. Be creative! There are plenty of sites you can go to get ideas. (Try Pinterest. com)
42 MinuteMom Magazine
b. Draw names for your close personal family members (mother, father, and children): Instead of purchasing something for everyone, let each family member draw one name and make or purchase the gift for that person. Whatever you do, make it universal. It might be seen as unfair if someone purchases a gift and someone else makes it. Make sure everyone is on the same page regarding this. And realize that younger children are easier to please and less expensive to shop for. The dollar section comes in real handy when it comes to shopping for little ones. Give a little extra money in the budget towards older children if you plan on spending money on particular items. c. Have your kids make a list: Mind you, you’ll get a list of 25 items of the most expensive things, so remind them of the budget again, and tell them to pick their top 3 choices (with the budget in mind), and you pick from that. If you are one that likes to even the playing field so each child has equal gifts to open, be creative and give things like a large bag of their favorite candy, or a small gift card to a yogurt shop. Whatever you do, when it involves children, keep in mind there are some less traditional and less expensive ways of doing things. Try them! d. Send Homemade ‘Family’ gifts or cards: Instead of going broke buying the ‘best gift ever’ for each member of your extended family, send a homemade family gift. Nothing says I love you and Merry Christmas better than homemade fudge, and Christmas cookies with a card. Gather the family together on the first Sunday in December and make the cookies and treats together. Mail them the next day with photos of your family ‘kitchen’ experience. Your extended family will get a laugh and be filled with sweets and joy! e. Know your Talents: Each family member has talents that could be used in the gift giving. Remember to be creative. 2. Focus on the true meaning of Christmas: This means thinking and doing those things that unite families and friends, building lasting memories while serving others. a. Read or reenact the Christmas story with your family and center this season on Christ’s birth and the blessing of his life. Count the ways he’s enriched your life this year. Starting on December 1st each family member could write in one word or sentence www.AsAMom.org
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how the Savior has enriched their life and put it on a piece of construction paper cutout in the shape of a Christmas tree or holiday object and post it as a garland on your wall or hang from a curtain rod on a string. b. Set a date as a family to volunteer at your local Senior Living home and go caroling. Call ahead and let them know what you wish to do. This is a time of the year when they could use some extra tlc. c. Take some Christmas goodies to an American Soldier or their family that has served or is serving our country. Or send a Christmas package to a soldiers unit overseas. d. Ask for your schools help in writing letters to the soldiers and send them by the week of Thanksgiving to get them overseas on time for Christmas. e. Invite someone over you’d like to get to know, or someone that doesn’t have any family around. (College students, missionaries, young married couples, elderly couples, or individuals). 3. Have a Cookie Exchange: Set a date and time and send out invitations to 10-20 people. Have each person bring 4 dozen Christmas cookies. Have bags, boxes or plates ready. Set out the cookies and let each person take some and fill their boxes to take home. Each person will end up going home with a variety of cookies to share as gifts. That way you don’t have to make 10 different types of cookies on your own spending all day in the kitchen…unless of course you want to. As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots®
4. Make a Memory Book: Get a small picture album and place one picture from each year of life of your child with a sweet memory you have of them at that age. My children love this. Kids love to reminisce while looking at old photos. 5. Ol’ Fashioned Christmas Dinner: Everyone brings something to the table. Don’t do it all yourself. When all is said and done, you won’t miss cooking over the stove, but you will miss the time that could have been better spent with family. Homemade Gift Ideas: YY Christmas Cookies and Fudge YY Ornaments YY Family Portraits made by a child YY Gift for Grandparents: Hand-prints on a blank green (use white paint) or red t-shirt (use white or green paint)that look like a Christmas Tree. Start with Large handprints on the bottom and end with the smaller handprints on the top (fingers facing out as the branches). Have each child write their name in their own handwriting. The handwriting makes it so cute and original, because each child has their own special style. The important idea here is to spend quality time with family with less stress and more peace and joy! Oh, and a couple Christmas cookies wouldn’t hurt. —MMM staff
Fall 2012 43
The Save the Constitution - Read It! Campaign is not a group or a program. It is an Attitude.
The purpose of Save it! Read it! is to encourage patriots everywhere to do two things: 1. Commit to reading The Constitution and review it often. 2. Encourage others to read the Constitution.
We have received challenges to read and defend the Constitution of the United States of America from various sources. All of us must commit to reading the Constitution of the United States of America and review it often. Only by understanding the principles upon which our government was founded can we recognize Constitutional abuses and be able to step up and stop that abuse. The Save the Constitution - Read It! Campaign started as an extension of the Patriot Pin Program developed by As a Mom... A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots to encourage patriots everywhere to save the principles of the Constitution of the United States of America.
Pins, Pendants, bumper stickers and classroom packs of 25 bookmarks are available from www.AsAMom.org
www.SaveItReadIt.org Š2010 As A Mom...A Sisterhood of Mommy PatriotsŽ www.asamom.org