Author Archive | Joshua Lyons

Wall of Separation: Myth?

By Joshua Lyons on January 19, 2012 in Constitution, Delegated Powers, Federalism, Founding Principles, History, Originalism 2

The topic of “Separation of Church and State” is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the political sphere. I’m setting out in this brief commentary to provide some context on the topic, along with the position of a Constitutionalist.

Some facts:

The phrase is not contained in the Constitution (although the average person may think it is).
The phrase comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to Rev. Roger Williams (of the Danbury Baptists), where Jefferson was borrowing “a wall of Separation” which were words used by Rev. Williams.
The purpose and context of the letter was to assure the Danbury Baptists that the federal government would not establish a single denomination of Christianity as the national denomination.
The phrase/letter was not about divorcing “church and state” as it is understood or referred to today.

The biggest misunderstanding is not even the concept of the “Separation of Church and State” itself, but a misunderstanding of:

federalism
the construction of the US Constitution
the first 10 Amendments (i.e. the Bill of Rights)

The US Constitution documented the powers/authority delegated to the newly formed federal government (i.e. what the federal government could do). The Bill of Rights documented specifically what the federal government was not allowed to do (i.e. power/authority it didn’t have). Continue Reading →

Republic, Yes! Democracy, No!

By Joshua Lyons on March 31, 2010 in Founding Principles 1

I recently came across a very well thought out commentary by Nelson Hultberg titled, “America Is a Republic, Not a Democracy!”

Over the past couple of years, I have desperately attempted to inform friends, family, and even strangers about the form of government our founders designed. Understanding our form of government (and its underlying principles) is vitally important to the survival of freedom and liberty.

This excerpt in Mr. Hultberg’s commentary addresses the confusion most citizens seem to have around our democratic process:

“The democratic process, in its republican form, was meant to be mainly the ability to remove politicians from office peacefully. It was meant to be a method to transfer power, not a method to define the scope and size of government.”

Before we form our opinions of “how things should be,” I caution my fellow citizens to first grasp the scope of the federal government (which is defined in the Constitution) coupled with federalism (i.e. a system of governance where two governmental bodies have jurisdiction over their respective inhabitants). Otherwise, those opinions may continue to lead us down the path of happy-faced tyranny.

Maryland Sovereignty Resolution

By Joshua Lyons on February 24, 2010 in Sovereignty Movement, State Sovereignty 1

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

- Testimony Audio above -

On February 17th, 2010, citizens from counties all around Maryland met in Annapolis to support SJ1: Maryland Sovereignty Under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, introduced by Sen. Alex Mooney. Del. Michael Smigiel has introduced a similar resolution (HJ2) in the MD House of Delegates.

Maryland joins the growing number of States that have introduced non-partisan State Sovereignty resolutions. While a resolution doesn’t carry the force law, it nevertheless delivers a message; A message that firmly supports what the framers intended.

There was standing room only while a panel of six citizens provided testimony and more than 50 citizens filled the Budget and Taxation committee hearing room.

The panel consisted of:

Blaine Young – Newly appointed Frederick County Commissioner and radio talk show host
Scott Guenthner – Outspoken supporter of State Sovereignty and citizen statesmen running for MD State Delegate seat
Michael Hough – Representative of Americal Legislative Exchange Council
Kathy Afzali – Frederick County resident and running for MD State Delegate seat
Mark Kreslins – Co-host of ‘The Forgotten Men’ radio show and co-founder of WST Frederick
Joshua Lyons – Co-host of ‘The Forgotten Men’ radio show and co-founder of WST Frederick

Click HERE for a map showing what states have introduced State Sovereignty resolutions.

Guard the Constitution

By Joshua Lyons on January 22, 2010 in Activism, Constitution, Liberty 3

“Guard the Constitution” monologue (by Joshua Lyons) on the Jan. 16, 2010 “The Forgotten Men” radio show along with commentary by Mark Kreslins.

For the transcript of the Monologue, contact us at ForgottenMen.com.

Excerpt:
its important to understand the nature of how we have gotten here. We as a people, our educational system, the court system, and our elected officials have all justified extra-constitutional legislation little by little over the years and in many cases weve outright redefined the meaning and purpose of sections of the Constitution and even the document as a whole.

“It is our responsibility to demand that our elected officials stay true to the oath taken in which they solemnly swore to support and defend the Constitution regardless of the situation.”

Breaking News: Maryland State Sovereignty Resolution

By Joshua Lyons on January 15, 2010 in Sovereignty Movement, State Sovereignty 4

Maryland, yes…Maryland, will be added to the list of states where State Sovereignty legislation will be introduced during 2010. Senator Alex Mooney is planning to introduce the legislation on Monday evening (1/18/10) in the MD Senate.

Sen. Mooney publically announced his intent to introduce this legislation on “The Forgotten Men” radio show on December 19, 2009. Coincidentally, the special guests on the show that day were TN State Representative Susan Lynn and Michael Boldin, Director of The Tenth Amendment Center.

Upon receiving notice of the legislation’s planned introduction on Friday, January 15, 2010, Boldin stated, “Nearly a century of constant federal overreach into the affairs of the state and the people have left this country on the brink of tyranny. While non-binding, resolutions such as this are an essential first step towards pushing the federal government into its constitutional box. Not only do they bring a discussion of the proper role of government into the public sphere, but if passed, they create fertile ground for the essential next step in state-level resistance: nullification and interposition.”

I tip my hat to Sen. Mooney and the bill’s co-sponsors and thank them for taking an important step on behalf of the people of Maryland. Press on my fellow Marylanders – because for us and our posterity…there WILL be LIBERTY!!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Also being introduced is a sovereignty resolution in the House of Delegates.

CLICK HERE to view the Tenth Amendment Center’s 10th amendment resolution tracking page

CLICK HERE to view the Tenth Amendment Center’s model 10th Amendment Resolution, which you can send to your representatives when urging them to introduce one in your state.

10th Amendment Radio!

By Joshua Lyons on December 16, 2009 in Announcements, Sovereignty Movement, State Sovereignty 6

This Saturday we will have some very special guests on The Forgotten Men radio show:

Tennessee State Rep. Susan Lynn
Michael Boldin – Director of the Tenth Amendment Center

Rep. Lynn in a member of the Tennessee General Assembly and is the Chairman of the Committee on State Sovereignty. Because of the work of the committee, the General Assembly passed a State Sovereignty Resolution that includes:

Seeking repeal of the assumption of powers and the imposed mandates [by the federal government]
Calling for a joint working group between the states to enumerate the abuses of authority by the federal government

The Tenth Amendment Center works to preserve and protect Tenth Amendment freedoms through information and education. The center serves as a forum for the study and exploration of state and individual sovereignty issues, focusing primarily on the decentralization of federal government power.

This topic is a vital part of the battle plan for We The People to take back control of a bloated federal government. We have incumbents and candidates in our states who need to hear from us about starting this process. You won’t want to miss this show as The Forgotten Men will ask Rep. Lynn and Michael Boldin how we get started!

Listen live on AM930 WFMD in the Frederick, MD (Balt/Wash) area or online at www.WFMD.com. The program is from 12-1pm Eastern on Saturday, December 19, 2009. Visit us at www.ForgottenMen.com for more information.

The Paradigm Shift: Shedding Predictability

By Joshua Lyons on December 9, 2009 in Activism, Big Government, Nullification, Sovereignty Movement 7

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Our Federal representatives are more intent on getting reelected than actually protecting our freedoms and liberties. They don’t listen to constituents, but are hell-bent on either placating us with bribes or instilling fear in us if their legislation doesn’t pass. All of this is in conjunction with a voracious usurpation of authority and accelerated centralization of power.

Much of this is our fault as we have been one issue voters and beholden to our beloved parties for so long. If we’re honest, we’ve left it to the politicians and think tanks to come up with the solutions to our ills; most of which include an ever- swelling federal bureaucracy. Continue Reading →

Do You Think They Care?

By Joshua Lyons on December 2, 2009 in Activism, Big Government, Republocrats, Sovereignty Movement 11

Do you think our Federal representatives (or their staffers) care one iota about representing us?

How many dozens of letters and emails have you sent your federal representatives in the past year? How many ridiculous form letters (that didn’t even address your concerns) have you received in return and how long did it take? The federal reps don’t care.
How many calls have you placed to them just to have a patronizing staffer thank you for your call and say they’ll pass on your opinion to Sen. INSERT THEIR NAME? The federal reps don’t care.
How many polls are available where the people are against any recent INSERT EXTRA-CONSTITUTIONAL LEGISLATION? The federal reps don’t care.
How many of us told them “no”, “slow down”, “stop”, and “you are out of line” at town hall events this summer to be told that they know better than us little citizens? The federal reps don’t care.
How many of us citizens participated in multiple tea parties around the country to try and make our voices heard only to be ridiculed as extremists by those elected to represent us at the federal level? The federal reps don’t care.
How many of us citizens sent a message on September 12, 2009 only to be marginalized by our federal representatives and most media outlets? Pssst…The federal reps don’t care.

How many times have you said to yourself, “it’s like they don’t care!” Continue Reading →

Cat Out Of The Bag?

By Joshua Lyons on November 11, 2009 in Big Government, Health Care 6

I can’t recall how many times I’ve written or talked about the Healthcare legislation not being about healthcare. It is interesting that a recent Wall Street Journal article validates this notion. The author of the article covered a piece on the New Yorker’s website from the week before by John Cassidy.

The WSJ article states:

Mr. Cassidy is more honest than the politicians whose dishonesty he supports. “The U.S. government is making a costly and open-ended commitment,” he writes. “Let’s not pretend that it isn’t a big deal, or that it will be self-financing, or that it will work out exactly as planned. It won’t. What is really unfolding, I suspect, is the scenario that many conservatives feared. The Obama Administration . . . is creating a new entitlement program, which, once established, will be virtually impossible to rescind.”

Why are they doing it? Because, according to Mr. Cassidy, ObamaCare serves the twin goals of “making the United States a more equitable country” and furthering the Democrats’ “political calculus.” In other words, the purpose is to further redistribute income by putting health care further under government control, and in the process making the middle class more dependent on government. As the party of government, Democrats will benefit over the long run.

This reminds me of another recent article by Judge Andrew Napolitano, were the he closes with the following:

America, this is not an academic issue. If this health care bill becomes law, life as you have known it, freedom as you have exercised it, privacy as you have enjoyed it, will cease to be.

When Congress takes away our freedoms, they will be gone forever. What will you do to prevent this from happening?

So how about you my fellow lovers of liberty – what will you do?

I promise you that I will not be inactive. I will not stay silent.

I will stand up! I will speak up!

Because for me and my posterity…there WILL be LIBERTY!!

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