Citizen Journalism Training

Sponsored by the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity
Saturday, May 19, 2012 – Orlando, FL

9:00 – 9:15am – Welcome and Introduction To Citizen Watchdog Program
Mary Ellen Beatty, Franklin Center

9:15am – 10:00am – Creating Public Pressure When the Media Ignores You: A Case Study on Fast and Furious, Katie Pavlich, TownHall.com
Town Hall and of Fast&Furious fame) is telling us how to find a story your passionate about and how to get it out, bypassing the mainstream media.


10:00-10:20am – Understanding Florida’s Key Legislative Issues in 2012
Slade O’Brien, Americans for Prosperity- Florida
AFP - Florida's key legislative issues for 2012. Five key areas:
1. Corporate Tax Reform. Florida's corporate tax rate is 5.?% and represents <2% of the states budget.
2.Public Service Pensions
3.Expand School Choice
4.Reform Citizens Insurance
5.Deregulation


10:20am– 10:45am – “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly:” Florida’s Sunshine Transparency Report
Bill Mattox and Will Patrick, James Madison Institute
Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes guarantees public access to public records.

10:45- Noon - PANEL: Covering Florida State Politics
Moderator: Slade O’Brien, AFP-Florida
Tom Tillison, Florida Political Press
Sandi Gehring, CopyDoneRight.com
Jack Funari, Biz Pac Review


12:15 – 1:30pm – James O’Keefe – Video Activism: Telling the Real Story
Lunch and Keynote Speaker


1:30pm-2:15pm – Exposing Falsehoods and Bias in the Establishment Media
Brandon Darby, Former FBI Informant

2:15-3:00pm - Voter Fraud: The Plot to Undermine American Democracy
Anita MonCrief, Former ACORN Insider, TrueTheVote Board Member
HAVA

3:15-4:15pm – Social Media 101: Using New Media to Hold Elected Officials Accountable
Tabitha Hale, Franklin Center

4:15- 5:00pm - War of the Words: Think, Speak, Win
Chris Cinquemani, Foundation for Government Accountability

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Location:Sheraton Orlando

We are so screwed....

Great News! We've reached an agreement on the debt ceiling. We are going to save a whopping $1T (that's $1,000,000,000,000) over the next 10 years!! Isn't that great!? But wait there's more:

• As part of the deal we won't cut any of current $10B/day in spending until 2013
• We will continue to borrow $4B of that daily spending from somebody...
• We didn't have a budget for 2010 and still don't have one for 2011, but this savings is in our 10 year budget
• The best part: Instead of owing $26T in 10 years, we will only owe $25T. 

WTF...we are so screwed...

Patrick Henry once said, "... a well regulated militia, composed of gentlemen and freemen, is the natural strength and only security of a free government." Reading this quote in Sheriff Richard I. Mack's book "From My Cold Dead Fingers" the idea occurs to me about a possible alternative way history could have gone: Where would we be today if the U.S. never formed a regular Army but instead continued to support and "maintain a well regulated militia" of gentlemen and freemen as the sole form of security for the country. How would that work? Would the development of weaponry from the historic musket and percussion cap rifle to today's military arsenal have happened? I tend to think the answer would be mostly yes. The reason: The same forces that drive the continual evolution of weapons from rocks to muskets would still be in play. I say mostly because perhaps some things may not have been developed in the area of first strike weapons (daisy cutters, and thermo-nuclear devices but then again, I suppose that's a bit naive to think. But consider this: If the today in the U.S. our de-facto defensive force was composed of the average citizen, wouldn't it be normal that those citizens would be able to freely possess any type of weapon necessary to maintain balance in the arms race that exists between the US and "foreign invaders". That would include things like tanks, tomahawk missiles, and perhaps even daisy cutters. Of course the costs of such armaments is well beyond the financial, storage, and transport abilities of most "average citizens". It would be conceivable for a government (city, state, federal) to organize to provide the means necessary to facilitate such things. Isn't that kind of what the National Guard is all about?

Now think about this: Could the U.S. organize such a "citizen army" to carry out such campaigns as Korea, Vietnam, the Iraq wars, Afghanistan, and hundreds of others? The recent Libyan events along with the news and opinions surrounding it make me wonder: Does our government see the army as a tool of policy more than a tool for self defense? Consider a country in the same way as we consider individuals when it comes to gun ownership and the right to defend one's self. I can't help but compare the the actions of an administration or congress versus the actions of an individual.

As a nation, we accept it as justifiable to come to the aid of other nations that are under attack using deadly force to end the attack: Much like what was done in Kuwait leading to the first Gulf War. As an individual it is accepted by most states that you can come to the defense of another and justifiably use deadly force to end the attack. Of course as an individual, you are expected to stand down once the attack ends, not to continue to "hunt down" the leader of the gang who's member's you just stopped to "prevent further aggression".

What would be the individual example to compare enforcement of a no-fly zone be? Would the U.N. equivalent be a group of your neighbors getting together and deciding that house on the corner of Elm and Palm is just getting out of hand with the parties, we need to step in and enforce a "no party zone".

As an individual with a right to keep and bear arms, there are restrictions on how those arms may be used in order to remain protected by those laws. Every concealed weapons permit holder knows the limits of the law and most abide by them seriously because the consequences of not doing so are severe. Those who don't, usually end up losing the right in short order.

Yet as a nation, the rules appear to be different (and more flexible): A national military could be considered "one big gun" that our elected leaders carry with them. We as citizens, through the wisdom of the founding fathers, have given them a "permit" to carry that gun to use in our defense in the form of one of the powers enumerated in the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8) But it seems there are times our leaders pull that gun to gain leverage in a conflict, intimidate other nations to stop bad behavior, or to preemptively attack "threats" abroad. Any individual gun owner who would do such things would be quickly and severely punished under current law.

So are our laws regarding an individual's defensive rights to narrow and restrictive or are our laws regarding a government's defensive rights to broad and liberal?




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AFT suppling Mexican Cartels with U.S. guns...WTF!

This stuff makes you just shake our head and say WTF:

You'll recall earlier this year the president of mexico, during a visit to the U.S., complained that "90% of the guns found in raids of drug cartels were traced to guns sold in the U.S.". Hillary Clinton, Obama, and several other prominent politicians also quoted this "statistic". As it turned out, the 90% number was actually vastly over blown (i.e. they lied). IN fact according to a Fox news investigation:

"In 2007-2008, according to ATF Special Agent William Newell, Mexico submitted 11,000 guns to the ATF for tracing. Close to 6,000 were successfully traced -- and of those, 90 percent -- 5,114 to be exact, according to testimony in Congress by William Hoover -- were found to have come from the U.S.
But in those same two years, according to the Mexican government, 29,000 guns were recovered at crime scenes.

In other words, 68 percent of the guns that were recovered were never submitted for tracing. And when you weed out the roughly 6,000 guns that could not be traced from the remaining 32 percent, it means 83 percent of the guns found at crime scenes in Mexico could not be traced to the U.S."

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/02/myth-percent-small-fraction-guns-mexico-come/

It also turns out, during Project Gunwalker, the ATF intentionally allowed suspected gun smugglers to purchase >2500 semi-automatic firearms (575 AK-47's in one transaction by suspect at a Texas gun shop) to be purchased and transported over the border into Mexico. AFT agents protested to their superiors and pleaded in some cases to get authorization to intercept the guns "before they disappeared". Senior ATF officials stopped their own agents so they could "see what would happen" with the guns. It turns out at least one of the guns was used to kill an ATF agent (Jamie Zapata).

I wonder how many of the 5,114 guns "traced to the U.S." were from the Project Gunwalker fiasco? I'm sure the ATF will be providing those statistics real soon...

This is a classic example of how a government bureaucracy like the ATF can build itself into such a huge self interested entity that it looses sight of its original purpose and becomes focused on its own power, expansion, and influence.

In other news: the ATF is considering enacting import bans on "non-sporting shotguns". Slowly working it's way to expand gun bans through regulative means vs. legislative means (where they are loosing ground). There is no doubt the current head of the ATF is a gun grabber. Just do some research on Andrew Traver for Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Here's on of the first links Google provides: http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/5230-anti-gun-zealot-nominated-to-head-atf


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Like Minded

Last Saturday morning we went to Washington D.C. to the Restoring Honor rally hosted by Glenn Beck. It was amazing to be there in many ways. I felt like I was taking part in a significant historical event. I think it's clear it was a historical event even though some would dismiss it as a sham or hijack of MLK's historic significance. It's like the kinds of events you grew up reading about in history books or seeing on some History Channel episode. But this time instead of watching or reading about "those people" who attended, I was actually one of them; someone actually taking part in history. I keep thinking about what my part in it is. Just being there and adding one more body to the crowd count at a minimum. But is there more to it? I ask myself: "what more can I do?" as if I had all this spare time to do things (like write a blog at 6:00 am).

Several co-workers, upon realizing my family and I went to the rally (mostly because I have a picture of the crowd on my computer wallpaper) ask "what was it about?" or "why did you go?". I find it hard to answer the question on many levels. For one I think "don't you see what's happening?" but then I realize they don't. Not many people have "awakened" to what's happening in our country, except the 30M+ of us who are now paying attention. But the question still rolls around my head: Why was I there? At a simple level I was there because I felt I had to be. My awakening to the realities of what's happening in our country drove me to seek out others who see the same things going on and feel the same way I do about them. I certainly found those people Saturday, August 28, 2010 in Washington D.C.. The place was full of people, 500K+ in my view, all like minded individuals who share the same concerns, hopes, values, fears, and convictions that I do. Much of the theme was centered on God and restoring that component to our nations values. So how does an atheist fit into that group of people, in that venue and still claim to be "like minded"? I think it's easy (speaking from experience): We agree on the message of values and pricipals Even though I don't believe in divine providence or an invisible hand, I don't degrade or think less of those who do. If having faith (in anything) makes it work for you, gives you peace or direction, or strength then by all means go for it. Glenn certainly has been helped by his faith to turn his life around (an inspiring story actually).

Why do some (atheists, progressives, on the left, etc.) have a problem with the concept that our Founding Fathers (many of them) felt that man's rights came from God and that our countries founding principals were inspired by God? I don't have a problem with it. Just because I don't believe in God doesn't mean others shouldn't. I don't think they are deluded in some way by their faith, just like i'm not deluded in some way by my lack of it. To me it's a personal choice: It's part of who you and I are and why (in some cases) I like you. What works for me may not work for you, and that's OK. I respect the faith and convictions of others, even if I don't share them or for that matter agree with them.

All that said: I think it's completely valid to consider God's role in our nations values and founding principals. While I don't agree on the source of them, I do agree on the content and intent of them. To me, the author/source/inspiration is a matter of intellectual debate for some other place and time and I honestly don't mind personally accepting that some guy named God (who was a man or represented the best thoughts and intents of man) was the source of those values & principals. We do need Faith, Hope and Charity. Faith that we can make a difference. Hope that more poeple will share those values. Charity for helping our fellow man (and yes women) in all ways. Those principals apply regardless of who you are or what you think. I completely agree our rights do not come from the government or any man. The Left calls them "human rights" and that works for me. Again the author isn't the issue for me. Unfortunately they (some on the Left) only see those rights as a tool to leverage more power over those same humans so they can ultimately take those rights away from individuals in the name of "the greater good" of scociety. That's what makes blood shoot out of my eyes.

So while you may not find me in church with you praising the deity who inspired those values and principals we both agree on; you can certainly count on me to be there with you applying those values and principals in order to restore honor to our country and our lives.

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Chippoke State Park, Day 4 camping

It's the fourth night of our summer vacation. I'll be with my family the first week as we drive up to Virginia to visit my brother David. While I fly back to FL on the 5th, Linda and the Kids will continue up through Boston, New York and other places to visit key historical sites where we (she) can show our kids the places, people and events that were significant to the founding of our country. With all the "hope & change" going on we felt it was important for them to learn the real history of our nation, what was going on at the time and how that led to the founder's taking the huge risks they did to create a new nation. The kids have journals to take notes and write down what they've learned along the way. I'm putting my thoughts and notes down in this blog and Linda's keeping her journal as well.

We are all setup at the campsite for our 4th night camping. Chippoke State Park is a beautiful place, Situated along the James River near one of the 40 odd spots John Smith of Pocahontas lore landed as they sailed their ships up the James River. We went down to the river shore and we were the only ones around. The red sunset lit the sky orange-pink against bright blue. Schools of small fish made small ripples along the surface of the lake as the only disturbance to the otherwise glassy surface. We broke the rules and jumped the fence of a closed trail down the to the river's edge. Along the water we found thousands of shells from scallops, oysters, clams and other mollusks. I found scallop shells as big as a lions paw! (Eventually I'll figure out how to get pictures into my iPad from the camera and post them with my blogs).

Sleeping tonight will be much nicer. It's in the 70's here which makes nice sleeping weather. Monday and Tuesday night we spent at Edisto State park near the beach in South Carolina, south of Charlston. After sunset the wind died down and the humid mid-80's air wasn't the best sleeping conditions. Any movement drew a sweat so I slept in my cool-max sheet (basically a sleeping bag made from light tee shirt material) in my boxer shorts. The MSR Mutha Hubba tent is awesome with a fully screened enclosure to keep even the gnats out but let the air flow. There wasn't much fishing around. The campsite backed up on to a salt marsh. I walked out to a small pool of water left by the receding tide which seemed to be low water the entire time we were there. Thousands of fiddler crabs scurried out of the way as I walked, trying to avoid being crushed by my feet. The kids spent most of the time in a nearby tree, climbing like monkeys and playing all kinds of games. The water at the campsite was slightly salty so we ended up picking up a couple of gallons of fresh water on the way back from our Charleston visit.

In Charleston on Tuesday, we went to Patriots Point and took a tour of the USS Clamagore, a Diesel WWII Submarine and the USS Yorktown CV-10 Aircraft Carrier. The Yorktown was awesome. We spent 4 hours (9:00am to 1:00pm) walking the decks and stairs throughout the ship. We ate lunch in the main mess area. Lunch was cooked in the ships kitchen and served on the same stainless steel food trays the crew used when the ship was on active duty. It was really cool.

After the Yorktown, we drove to downtown Charleston, and visited The Old Exchange, the last building built by the British before the revolutionary war. The building sits on top of the half moon battery which was situated on the East wall of the old city wall. When built, Charleston was a walled city along the river. We took a self guided tour of the upper floors of the Old Exchange and then a guided tour of the dungeon. Timothy was our tour guide, a young blond man who worked as a park ranger at Lexington and Concord (as I recall) so he knew a little history. He told us the story of Charleston during before, during and after the revolution. During a part of his talk, he asked the audience about what we knew of the Boston Tea Party. Nicholas was the only one to answer and explained the Boston Tea Party was a protest about taxes on tea, and how the men dressed as indians, boarded East India ships and dumped the tea into the harbor. Timothy was completely impressed. He told Nicholas that he has been the only person who knew those three facts and details of the event. He explained that the people of Charleston had a similar tea party incident after the Boston event. The British however locked the tea up in the cellar of the Old Exchange to protect it from being dumped as was done in Boston. The Sons of Liberty in Charleston however did better than the Boston group: They managed to break into the Old Exchange, steal the tea and sold it. The proceeds went to purchasing arms for the fight against the British.

We also learned that one of the cash crops of the area at the time was Indigo, used to make blue dyes for clothing. Because of it's expense, blue material, especially deep blue, was reserved for only the very top ranks of the British military such as Admirals and such. Knowing this, the American patriots decided to outfit their troops in Blue uniforms as a dig to the British. They were basically flaunting the fact that a new privateer in the American military wore a uniform more expensive than the top brass of the British Army! Overall the tour was excellent and we learned more about the history of this country and how the founding of our nation came to pass.

Sunday Night we stayed at Ft. Clinch at the very Northern most tip of Florida right across from Cumberland Island GA. In cooler weather that is a very nice campground. The fort there is awesome. I lived in Jacksonville Beach growing up and through High School and yet never went to that park. :( We will definitely go back there with the kayaks and/or the boat to spend some quality time on the St. Mary's river fishing and adventuring. Next time we visit there I need to remember to reserve campsite 39 or 40 which is right next to the river.


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Location:Chippokes Park Rd,Surry,United States

Did Kagan Compare the NRA with the KKK? - Robert VerBruggen - The Corner on National Review Online

Did Kagan Compare the NRA with the KKK? - Robert VerBruggen - The Corner on National Review Online

Interesting bit of insight into her thought process.