Defeating Terrorism Is Free

There is a force in America that will defeat terrorism when called.

Americans.

In the war on terror, law enforcement professionals have a role. The media has a role. The government and military have roles, but the American people are the force that is everywhere, always.

As the target of terror attacks, Americans will always be present to defend themselves. To overcome the terror tactic, we require only our second amendment rights. There is a reason why no enemy force has invaded and conquered America. Armed Americans.

America's greatest enemy until World War I was Great Britain. We fought wars, they burned Washington D.C. to the ground. The "bombs bursting in air" were British. British law gave us slavery to supply the empire. They occupied American cities, but in the end "that star spangled banner" yet waved. They lost, not to the Department of Homeland Security or to a policy, but to a people.

The land of the free and home of the brave prevailed, then Americans forgave our enemy. The British have since become our closest allies. Britain did not ally with us because of our kindness or willingness to "coexist." Great Britain allied with us due to our strength. The strength of Americans.

Countless kings and dictators have been frustrated by America's strength. A strength boiled down to a single timeless phrase, "Don't Tread On Me!"

When did "the public" and "law enforcement" stop simply being referred to as "Americans"? Why do politicians make the patronizing assumption that only government can defend Americans? Will the reduction of rights or expensive security measures ever make us safe? These are questions of faith, wisdom and character.

Three hundred million empowered Americans is the best security solution. The Boston attackers were identified by a victim of the crime. The Saudi national linked to Al Qaeda was captured by a bystander. The younger suspect was found by a homeowner. It is clear that the solution to terror is transparency and trust in the American people.

Poway Rally Message: Our Civil Rights "Shall Not Be Infringed"

In February 2009, Doo Doo Economics began with a message of concern about the future of our country.  We issued what we believed to be simple economic message, that "raising taxes during a recession is doo doo economics." For a growing number of Americans, concern for the future of our country is becoming dismay about the present. On Saturday February 23, 2013, our message of concern joined a larger message of resistance at the "Shall Not Be Infringed" rally in Poway, California.

Hundreds of patriotic Americans stood together to say "NO" to anti-civil rights forces in government and on the progressive left. A local news outlet, UTSanDiego.com reported the rally incorrectly:

POWAY — Several hundred people, mostly men, mostly older and almost universally conservative, descended on Old Poway Park Saturday afternoon to take part in a “Pro-Second Amendment” rally.

This statement is incorrect because there were many young, able-bodied military and ex-military at the rally. As I traveled the crowd, handing out invitations to visit The San Diego Local Order of Bloggers, I spoke with maybe a hundred people. Around 40% of the crowd consisted of young able bodied patriots. One of which informed me that he "had our back" and many more who echoed the sentiment of the rally.

The UT San Diego and other news organizations attended the beginning of the rally, but must not have stayed to the end. When we first arrived, along side a group of former Republican volunteer organizers and ex-officials, I was met with the statement "it is good to see younger people here." As the rally progressed, it became clear that the "mostly older" crowd was giving way to a younger, brasher, group of 2nd Amendment supporters.

Local reporter Bridget Naso of KUSI searched the crowd for television interviews. Her trained eye, focused upon scheduled speakers and older, radically dressed attendees. Since I have had the pleasure of talking with this reporter in the past, I reintroduced myself. The last time we met was on a long trolley ride to Comic-Con. She mentioned with surprise that, "this is a very different setting" to see me. I am a tall, young looking, well spoken, "normal" American. It was clear that I was not who she had been trained to find.

The report incorrectly describes the rally as the "Day of Resistance, Anti-Obama Gun Rally" and estimates the number of attendees at about a "hundred and fifty". My estimate of the crowd is three to four hundred. The opening video of the rally (:26) does show a younger crowd gathering in the center, behind the older seated attendees.

Where the tea party was largely comprised of concerned mothers and children, this crowd included a larger percentage of young, physically fit, men. One young, 2nd Amendment supporting, community college teacher informed me, "they have no idea what they are messing with." To put the statement in context, he was voicing the fact that without the Second Amendment, the U.S. Constitution is void, and that will not be tolerated.

The rally included the Citizen's Oath to the Constitution directed by Terri Linnell. The oath was based upon OathKeepers, but designed for citizens who have not served in the military or law enforcement. The crowd of patriots stood with hand on heart and recommitted to defense of the U.S. Constitution.

A rousing, poetic rally cry was also mustered.  Organizer Roger Cotton did an excellent job finding speakers. One blogger who spoke was Robert Morse of Slow Facts. Robert did a great job in an interview for the KUSI story linked above. His blog features photos of the rally.

The take-way for the event is simple. The divisive and false rhetoric of the left is pushing more Americans into irreconcilable differences over our constitutional civil rights. As Roger Cotton put it, "They HATE us. We do not hate them." Many Californians are fed up and Saturday they reminded us, "Don't Tread on Me" is a warning not a slogan.

President Romney Avoid Obama's Tread On Tea Party

The Cato Institute put together a presentation on the Libertarian Roots of the Tea Party. This information is key to understanding the mistake made by President Barack Obama against the tea party. A mistake that doomed the presidency of Barack Obama and left America divided and economically damaged. It is a mistake that President Mitt Romney must avoid for the good of the country. President Obama proved incapable of compromise and instead ignored, opposed and tread upon the tea party.

President Obama could have found compromise with the tea party if he had listened to our concerns. First, the tea party was not solely comprised of Republicans who opposed him. The tea party is a grassroots movement that continues to gain support in 2012.

About half of the tea party is comprised of libertarians who share some commonalities with liberals. Economics and lifestyle liberty are highly valued by libertarians. Lifestyle liberties include gay marriage and opposition to the anti-drug war. While the tea party is focused upon economic liberty issues, a competent politician uses common ground as a basis for negotiation and compromise.

President Romney has an easier path in shaping a coalition with the tea party to help fix America's economic problems. However, Barack Obama could have listened to the concerns of the tea party and formed a powerful political movement. Democrat President Bill Clinton compromised with Newt Gingrich's Republican Congress during the late 1990's to solve the economic issues of the day.

One key reason that President Obama did not compromise was due to his dangerously rigid progressive ideology. Barack Obama was unable to recognize that anger against the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in September 2008 had lead to his election. TARP angered future tea party supporters and partisan Republicans. Senator John McCain failed to challenge the TARP program as anger mounted in his core constituent group.

President Obama could have administered TARP while pursuing a more conservative economic policy. Instead the Democrats pushed through a failed stimulus package widely known as "Porkulus" in February 2009. The program famously featured jobs that "was not as shovel ready as we had thought" as President Obama put it. The President continued the failed policy through September 2011 with "Porkulus II." These programs ran up trillions of dollars in national debt while ensuring union labor jobs, funneling money to political donors and "picking losers" in the green energy sector.

President Romney has an excellent opportunity to reverse these failures with broad-based support for fiscal austerity and economic conservatism. If Mitt Romney does not make these tough economic decisions, it may be seen as betrayal of the tea party support that currently accounts for 6 out of 10 Republican primary voters.

Future Vice President Paul Ryan is the leading voice for economic sanity as Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget. This will help team Romney, but the tea party will be watching closely. Tea party libertarians are neither loyal and devout Republican partisans nor supportive of authority.

The goal of the tea party movement is to restore economic liberty. The movement knows that liberty requires diligence. The diligent efforts of tea party organizers, activists and supporters has lead to growing popular support for nearly four years.

If tread upon by a Romney administration, the tea party movement is capable of reaching out to disaffected liberals. Americans will be facing a difficult economic situation in 2013. The mainstream media will quickly turn hostile to the Romney administration.  Administration lies like 9/11 Benghazi would be met with vicious reporting. Left-wing media and organizers will be receptive to criticism against a Romney administration from battle tested tea party activists who appeal to their sentiments on loyalty, authority and sanctity.

President Romney avoid this mistake, Don't Tread on Me.

Letter to the Anti-Defamation League - Don''t Tread on Me in Hebrew

Dont Tread on Me in Hebrew

I read an article in the Union Tribune by Leslie Berestein titled "Israel's flotilla raid sparks local protest."

I have been very active in the Tea Party movement here in San Diego. The overwhelming majority, approaching unanimity, support Israel.

Tea Party patriots are highly educated politically. We have many extremely media savy and articulate participants who regularly appear on various news outlets. Of course, as a threat to both political parties, we are independant and passionate. If you are to hold further rallies, please include us as participants.

The peaceful and creative media power of the Tea Party movement is available in support of Israel.

P.S.