How We Get There Matters (Reboot)
Elected officials with integrity are hard to find. These men and women are to be cherished and supported, especially when they vote against party lines.
Friday, March 11th, 2022
Dear Freedom Friends,
Every day, on the People’s Convoy, I am asked who I am, where I come from, why I’m here? My answer begins, “I’m a Berniecrat, environmentalist, raised Democrat, now an Independent with strong liberal, progressive leanings.”
Eyebrows are raised. Questions asked. Ideas exchanged. And friendships grow.
Why? Simple. The People’s Convoy is filled with people who share solid American values, and one of those is to practice tolerance when we meet with diversity. Without these two traits, liberty will wither and die, choked out by the weeds of elitist bigotry and hubristic cancel culture paving the road to Hell with their good intentions. This is why Bernie Sanders matters. And Tulsi Gabbard. And Kyrsten Sinema.
Bernie Sanders (Vermont)
Bernie Sanders stood out to me, in 2015, because he was so damn unusual. A career politician who never sold out? A Senator who received votes from Vermont Democrats and Republicans alike? A man who gave his life to service, voting his conscience and reaching across the aisle, again and again? An American who, surrounded by wealth-mongering opportunists, resisted decades of bribes offered by the crumbling, immoral political parties of the day? Wow!
Yes, Bernie Sanders is a rare bird. But, he’s not the last of his kind. There are others who we can look to for moral action and integrity during these dark times.
Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii)
On February 8th, 2016, Tulsi Gabbard caught my attention. She stepped down from the coveted position of Vice President of the Democratic National Committee. Positions of favor and power within the Democratic Political Party are the literal rungs in the ladder that people must climb in order to enjoy the tacit and literal support of the party. It was a huge deal when Tulsi Gabbard stepped down from this position, pissing off the Establishment Dems who had thrown their weight behind Hillary Clinton long before the actual Democratic Party Primary even began. Even worse (in the eyes of the Establishment), she threw her support behind Bernie Sanders’ campaign. Listen to Tulsi Gabbard explain her decision HERE.
Tulsi’s integrity didn’t end there. Again and again, she has voted her conscience, including when she did not vote for the articles of impeachment, despite endless pressure from her own political party. What drove her decision?
Read full statement HERE (half way down the article) or listen to Tulsi Gabbard HERE.
Two parts of her statement resonate with me:
(1) “Throughout my life, whether through serving in the military or in Congress, I’ve always worked to do what is in the best interests of our country. Not what’s best for me politically or what’s best for my political party. I have always put our country first.”
(2) “A house divided cannot stand. And today we are divided. Fragmentation and polarity are ripping our country apart. This breaks my heart, and breaks the hearts of all patriotic Americans, whether we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents.”
I wrote about Tulsi Gabbard’s decision and as I re-read the first couple paragraphs, I get chills. Who knew how prophetic these words would turn out to be?
Title: How We Get There Matters
Date: December 26th, 2019
Read: Full Article HERE.
In all things, this is true. Consider overpopulation. Planet Earth would definitely be better off with less humans, but how should we get there? China’s one-child policy, India’s excessive use of ultrasound technology, birth-control tainted tetanus vaccines showing up in Africa, coercive sterilization policies targeting poor/brown/black women in America, war and intentionally released pathogens…are all options.
However, none can compare to a voluntary, planet-wide cooperative movement to reduce our population through wide-scale access to preventative measures and female empowerment.
Clearly, how we get there doesn’t just matter. It matters a lot.
Krysten Sinema (Arizona)
Let’s talk Filibuster. In six words, I think it’s fair to describe “the filibuster” in this way: complicated & simple, powerful & frustrating, useful & problematic. But, fundamentally, the filibuster is all about protecting the minority voice.
My primary memory of the filibuster being used was Wendy Davis’s filibuster attempt of June 2013. “Wearing a smart jacket and pink running shoes, Davis embarked on an epic filibuster attempt to deny the bill passage through the Texas legislature by talking non-stop for 13 hours to prevent a vote.” Historically, the Senate tradition of unlimited debate has allowed for the use of the filibuster, a loosely defined term for action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question, and for me (a minority voice advocate) the filibuster is extremely valuable. It demands that we continue to work toward consensus.
If this seems inherently counterproductive, keep in mind that the United States Government was structured to specifically impede rash decision-making and prevent flip-flopping policies. While “the founders” sought a calm, measured response to life and a slow but steady progression of ideals, those “with power” are often less patient and challenging times are rife with excuses for aggressive power overreach. In 2022, our world is flooded with challenges and governments are thoroughly overtaken by a new “elite class” that has no respect for the majority or patience with a government system that refuses to give them what they want.
Therefore, an attack on the filibuster, by the majority, both makes sense and seems egregiously self-serving to me. How gross to already hold majority power and then, because you want to eliminate any and all obstacles to your desires, you seek to destroy the one remaining tool available to the minority position?
I am far more concerned by the excessive use of Executive Orders. This is how the President’s Administration gets around the Legislative Branch of our government. This is how the White House gets around the elected representatives of The People. That’s you and I. Did you know, Joe Biden signed more Executive Orders on DAY ONE than Trump, Obama, Bush and Clinton combined? Read them all HERE.
Back to the Filibuster vote on January 19th, 2022. I fully support Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s decision to vote against the Democratic Party Line. The proposed rules change — to allow for a "talking filibuster" on the legislation — would have forced lawmakers who want to filibuster the bill to come to the Senate floor and speak in opposition. THEN, once those speeches came to an end, the Senate would have been able to hold a simple majority vote for final passage. The move would effectively eliminate the 60-vote threshold set by the filibuster.
Despite facing tremendous political pressure and potentially skewering her future re-election campaign efforts; Kyrsten Sinema remained committed to her longstanding opposition to "actions that would deepen our divisions and risk repeated radical reversals in federal policy, cementing uncertainty and further eroding confidence in our government." Her speech is powerful and emotional.
I invite you to contact these three individuals. Research them, sure…and then, call them up and ask that they support the People’s Convoy by meeting with the organizers. And call any other Senators, Representatives, doctors, public health officials, or everyday citizens you know of who have demonstrated strength and integrity in the face of extreme pressure. Americans understand the dangers presented by the “Emergency Powers” we have naively or foolishly handed over to our government one “shock doctrine moment at a time” over the past few decades. Now, it’s time to reach out and ask these proven advocates of integrity to stand with us.
The People’s Convoy is ready and waiting to meet with elected representatives who have a strong backbone.
CONTACT Bernie Sanders
CONTACT Tulsi Gabbard
Love your clear eyed assessment about some of the fine, all too rare actual leaders in Washington.
The abhorrent efforts to end the filibuster are a shameful power grab and sign of our dark times
I have had my life turned topsy-turvy by one of Ukraine Joe’s wickedly uninformed executive orders. He sure seems like a globalist puppet to me, set on destroying our nation along with Klaus and company.
Have any Democrat leaders met with the convoy leaders?
I think this is prescient:
https://tritorch.com/united/