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CPofWashingtonState · (This post was last modified: 04-08-2009 04:51 PM by CPofWashingtonState.)

Disclaimer: all opinions on this thread are solely those of the writer, who happens to be a member of the Constitution Party of Washington, and is not to be considered an official statement of the party.

The past couple of weeks, a quiet historical battle against political profiling has been going on behind the scenes in our struggling America. The State of Missouri, whose motto is “The Show Me State”, was recently shown, rather blatantly, that profiling American Citizens as potential enemies of the State, who are simply exercising their Unalienable Right to Free Speech in the political arena, is not the best possible way of protecting the Homeland. Libertarians and presidential candidate Bob Barr, Constitution Party members and presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin, as well as followers of presidential candidate Ron Paul, who exercise their right to display bumper stickers, were the among the subjects of a report by the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) entitled, “The Modern Militia Movement”, and I quote from page seven, “militia members most commonly associate with 3rd party political groups. It is not uncommon for militia members to display Constitutional (sic) Party, Campaign for Liberty, or Libertarian material. These members are usually supporters of former presidential candidates: Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, and Bob Barr.”
Being a member of a militia is not against the law, in fact, militias were the first line of defense in early America, and the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reflects the importance the Founding Fathers attached to their existence, “A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” Notice, hunting and target shooting are not mentioned as reasons for maintaining a militia, “the security of a free state” is. Now whether or not any one is a member of a legal organized militia is not the point. What is at point is the right of association, and the right of free speech as protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” which rights were obviously being violated.
Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin, and Ron Paul took exception this violation and wrote a single united letter to the Governor of Missouri asking him to redress this wrong. The Lieutenant Governor, Peter Kinder asked that the Department of Public Safety Director John Britt be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the report. Several state legislators said they would introduce legislation preventing the use of state or federal funds for political profiling. Britt then responded with an apology letter to the three candidates and ordered that the report be edited to remove all references to the men and to third parties.
This action still did not address the inclusion of persons who exercise their free speech on issues of Gun Control, the North American Union, the NAFTA and GATT treaties, the IRS, Abortion, the United Nations, and the Federal Reserve, etc. Over 75% of American people have been involved in discussions on these topics, how about the reader of this column? Have you engaged in such subversive conversations or defended the Constitution? If so, you may be labeled as a “potential domestic terrorist”. The Constitution Party responded by issuing an official Travel Advisory to all its members who may be travelling through the State of Missouri, making them aware of the situation.
On Wednesday the 25th of March 2009, the head of the Missouri State Patrol, Col. James F. Keathley ordered the MIAC to “permanently cease distribution” of the report which he said was fraught with spelling and grammatical errors and did not cite sources for its supposed “facts”.
In case you think I am delusional, I have personally read and have access to copies of the letters mentioned as well as a copy of the original report “The Modern Militia Movement.” Thousands of people around the country prevented this potential violation of our Constitutional rights from occurring by following the example of Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin, and Ron Paul by sending emails, letters, and telephone calls to the offices of Missouri state elected officials. I’m grateful to them. In case you think it can’t happen here, look again, and remember Ruby Ridge and Waco. If political liberty is suppressed for some, it is suppressed for all.