Progress in Michigan Against NDAA Detention Powers

via PANDA

This last week was a real whirlwind for Wolverine State NDAA Nullifyers. Patriots showed up in numbers to the Oakland County General Government Committee Meeting on Monday, Sept. 24 in support of Commissioner Jim Runestad’s Liberty Preservation Resolution. This resolution, originally crafted by Blake Filippi – Legal Analyst with the Tenth Amendment Center (TAC) and the Rhode Island Liberty Coalition – expresses defense of Constitutionally protected rights and opposition to the indefinite detention provisions of the 2012 NDAA.

There were many cogent comments by residents, including a particularly moving description by Anna Janek of her childhood living in fear of government and police in Communist Czechoslovakia. The entire session may be viewed here:httpp://www.oakland.michiganliveevents.com/2012/09/board-of-commissioners-committee-general-government-committee-live-sept-24th-2012-930am/ .

The next committee meeting to consider this is scheduled for Monday, October 8 @ 9:30 A.M. Let’s have a really big turnout of folks from all over the philosophical spectrum and from all points in Oakland County.  We need to show the Commissioners how important it is for them to fulfill their oaths of office and protect our rights by upholding the Constitution. Perhaps the Commissioner in the video who tried to demean and distort our efforts by mis-stating them as a partisan political ploy will see the error of his ways.

H.B. 5768

Tuesday, September 25, over 40 folks from around the state attended the Michigan State House Oversight, Reform and Ethics Committee chaired by Rep. Tom McMillin. Representative McMillin has introduced HB 5768, a move to employ the Tenth Amendment and nullify the indefinite detention provisions of the 2012 NDAA, in the State Legislature. Led by new state coordinator Shane Trejo, Michigan Tenth Amendment Center members joined representatives of other groups, such as People Against NDAA, Campaign for Liberty, Downsize D.C., various Tea Party groups, the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, ACLU et. al. in providing favorable testimony for Rep Tom McMillin’s HB 5768. No one opposed it.

This is a bill mandating non-compliance by the State of Michigan when the Feds attempt to steal our rights, safety and Liberty with Military arrest, indefinite detention and/or military tribunals for Americans accused and detained in America. This is the Rosa Parks method of winning our Liberty (back) – noncompliance as opposed to either violent conflict or abject submission.  Cong. Justin Amash (R-MI) was there. He spoke clearly and persuasively in support of HB5768, as did Shelli Weisberg, Legislative Director of the Michigan ACLU.

The public speakers in support of HB5768 (including representation of Michigan Campaign for Liberty, Tenth Amendment Center and People Against the NDAA) all did an excellent job of making the case in favor of state nullification of Unconstitutional laws and protection of Michigan residents when threatened by Washington, D.C. (an all too common occurrence). Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, the meeting was interrupted for half an hour.  When it resumed, some members did not return. Read what Rep. McMillin says about the meeting:http://www.gophouse.com/readarticle.asp?id=9214&District=45. As soon as the next Committee Meeting is scheduled, we’ll share the info so we can have another outstanding group of Liberty Lovers in attendance.

Allegan, Berrien County

Meanwhile, Commissioner Bill Sage of Allegan County has been busy interacting with other county commissioners at the Michigan Association of Counties and spreading the good word through-out the northern and western counties  of Michigan. His goal is to get all 83 counties to pass a county resolution in support of HB5768. Commissioner Sage logs more miles on Michigan highways in this effort than anyone else. His leadership was instrumental as a group of us succeeded in guiding the Liberty Preservation Resolution to an 8 to 3 victory in Allegan County. This is the first county-wide victory  in the state. Bill is headed to Berrien County on Thursday, Oct. 4 to work with Ray Kirkus and other leaders working to achieve victory for that county.

Volunteers from all over the state are doing everything they can to enforce the Constitution, as is their right and their duty. The Tenth Amendment says : “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The significance of this is explained by the Tenth Amendment Center:

http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/about/about-the-tenth-amendment/  – “…the Tenth Amendment was written to emphasize the limited nature of the powers delegated to the federal government. In delegating just specific powers to the federal government, the states and the people, with some small exceptions, were free to continue exercising their sovereign powers. When states and local communities take the lead on policy, the people are that much closer to the policymakers, and policymakers are that much more accountable to the people. Few Americans have spoken with their president; many have spoken with their mayor. Adherence to the Tenth Amendment is the first step towards ensuring liberty in the United States. Liberty through decentralization.”

Thomas Jefferson called this the cornerstone of the Constitution. When Freedom of Speech was under attack by President Adams in 1798, Jefferson went to Kentucky in order to fight back through his Kentucky resolves where he enunciated the concept of Nullification, which he called the “rightful remedy” to D.C.’s lawlessness and violations of the Constitution. James Madison went to Virginia and and wrote the Virginia Resolves calling for state interposition between the people and Feds when the latter unconstitutionally endanger the former. Thus was born “the Spirit of ’98”. The State of Michigan joined other Northern states in employing noncompliance / Nullification to resist the Fugitive Slave Act and government sanctioned kidnapping in the 1850’s.

The 2012 NDAA puts us all at risk of government kidnapping today. Nullify it now!

PS – Federal District Judge Katherine Forrest of the Eastern District of New York has now issued her permanent injunction against the indefinite detention provisions of the 2012 NDAA. As expected the Administration immediately appealed and was granted a stay by a Judge Lohier – on the 225th Anniversary of the Constitution!! The plaintiffs in the case, investigative journalists worried that they might be “disappeared” for performing their constitutionally-protected duties, are concerned that the government might be already engaged in the very conduct which had been enjoined by Judge Forrests’ injunction.

This is just the latest evidence that we can’t rely on the General branch of the Federal Government to reign itself in to the boundaries set for it in the Constitution by it’s creators – the states, which acted as the agents of the people. Please join the local and state nullification efforts of your fellow Michigan Patriots. The very future of our Freedom, Safety and families depends on this. See you at the Oakland County General Government Committee Meeting on Monday, October 8, 2012 at 9:30 A.M.

Thank you for your support.