Happy Independence Day…

But, then again, are we really that independent?  Would the Founding Fathers look at us and be proud, or would they bow their heads in sorrow at what our nation has become?

Most of the citizens of the United States are now like the victims of an abusive relationship. People try frantically to avoid breaking laws because they don’t want to be penalized.  They sacrifice their own well-being and happiness in order to avoid getting into trouble. I know that I personally get a little burst of adrenaline and say, “Oh crap!” every time a police car happens to be behind me, and I drive a little more carefully, signal a little bit sooner, and make certain my full stop lasts for a count of 5 Mississippis. Our right to defend ourselves with firearms is at risk, you can’t grow vegetables in your front yard in many places, and in some states, you aren’t even allowed to collect the gift of rain to water your garden in dry times. The vast quantity of ever-multiplying statutes are so plentiful even the most law-abiding citizen cannot get through a day without unwittingly breaking one.[amazon asin=0446537527&template=*lrc ad (right)]

If the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is to-day, can guess what it will be to-morrow. Law is defined to be a rule of action; but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed?

~ James Madison, Federalist Papers 62

This morning when I was doing my usual rounds of blogs and news, I stopped over at the Mom with a Prep blog, where Jane had published the transcript of the Declaration of Independence as a reminder of why we are celebrating today.  The words seemed even more meaningful, considering our current administration, the unjust taxes being forced upon us through Obamacare, and the militarized police force in pretty much every city in America. This section in particular spoke to me:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Our government has crossed the line and become tyrannical. Through insidious acts of terror inflicted upon their own people, they’ve[amazon asin=1455577170&template=*lrc ad (right)] enacted terrifying, sweeping legislations that give them almost unlimited power…the NDAA (indefinite detention) and the ironically named “Patriot Act”, to name two. Law enforcement is just a gang with badges, serving the government and not the people.

The “authorities” are running amok, blowing up babies in their cribs and killing homeless people and family pets because they know they’ll get away with it. They are nothing but revenue generators, looking for the smallest infraction for which to fine you.

We can’t afford to help the hundreds of thousands of Americans in Detroit who have lost their running water, but we can invite hundreds of thousands of immigrants to just walk on in, and we can afford to house them, feed them, give them medical care, and transport them throughout our country.

And it isn’t just enormous things like Obamacare, immigration, gun control, and indefinite detention.

It’s every day things that allow us to be self-sufficient and independent from “the system” that are becoming outlawed. What on earth has our nation come to, when growing your own food is an act of revolution? When being armed in order to defend yourself and your family is considered some kind of subversive act? When the public schools, which used to teach useful things like Home Economics and Auto Shop, and used to have extracurricular sports like marksmanship, now suspend children for pointing their fingers and saying “bang”? When collecting a bounty of rainwater for dry times is against the law?

How is it acceptable that the government can attempt to force people to inject toxins (in the form of mandatory vaccines) into our bodies and our children’s bodies? How is it acceptable that they can attempt to force us to send our children to approved schools to learn approved curriculums? That they force us to pay each year in order to drive our cars and live in our paid-for homes?

I’m pretty sure this is what our forefathers meant when they said “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”[amazon asin=1491068620&template=*lrc ad (right)]

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery.  This means that if you are a slave today, it’s either illegal, or you have voluntarily accepted your servitude.

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

You have a Constitutionally protected right to be free. If you aren’t free, then revolution is your duty. Part of the power that the government holds over people is the fact that they have stuff we need. So, the key to independence is not to need the stuff they have.  When there is nothing that you require enough to submit, then bullying you becomes much more difficult. Here are some examples:

• If you reduce your consumeristic habits and lower your cost of living, you need less money.
• If you grow your own food, you will never be dependent on the government to help you to afford to buy food.
• If you don’t send your kids to school, and instead educate them at home, then you don’t need to get them vaccinated so they can attend school.
• If you don’t make much money, you don’t pay much in the way of taxes.
• If you are self-employed, you can’t be threatened with the loss of your job for non-compliance with *pick a ridiculous law*
• If you shop locally, from farms and craftsmen, you don’t need the big box stores.
• If you have the ability and equipment to defend yourself, you don’t need to call 911.

This isn’t about guns blazing, militias mobilizing, and guerrilla warfare. It’s about small personal acts of independence.

The way you lead your life every single day can be a personal Declaration of Independence.  By refusing to concede your natural rights, quietly and resolutely, you are performing an act of revolution. This only requires your consistent determination not to be infringed upon.

Personally, I withdraw my consent to be governed by the people in Washington DC that allegedly represent me. Because they don’t.[amazon asin=0991511905&template=*lrc ad (right)]  They do no mirror my wishes and beliefs. They do not support my pursuit of personal freedom.

The most revolutionary act is to be self-sufficient and in need of nothing that the government can provide for you in exchange for some small liberty.  This list of insurrections is by no means comprehensive.

• Question absolutely everything you hear on the news.Always be a skeptic. All major media goes back to just a few conglomerates The “news” is now all a propaganda ploy to help the rich get richer and the powerful remain in power.  The media can make or break a candidate with unholy zeal in less than a week.  These people and others like them are the ones that decide what “we the people” get to see.  If they feel like a candidate or a news item might upset the status quo, they black it out by refusing to cover it.
• Call out the media.  Let everyone know that the mainstream media is the enemy of the people.  When you see coverage that is clearly biased, take a moment to call out the media about it.  Take the time to comment on mainstream media websites and point out the unbalanced coverage.  If you use social media, share this information and post on the media outlet’s social media pages as well.
• Get out of the banking system. By opting to “unbank” or “underbank” there is a limit to what can be easily stolen from you.  When you have physical control of your financial assets, you are not at as high a risk of losing those assets, and therefore, less likely to be dependent on “the system.”
• Turn your savings into precious metals or tangible assets.  On the same note as unbanking, you definitely don’t want to rely on a 401K or savings account to provide for you in your old age. Ask the people of Cyprus how well that worked out for them.  Diversify with assets you can touch.  Purchase tangible goods like food, land, ammo, and seeds. Once you are well supplied, move on to precious metals to preserve your wealth.
• Educate others.  At the (very high) risk of people thinking you’re crazy, it’s important to let people know WHY you do what you do. If you are an anti-Monsanto activist, teach others about the dangers of GMOs.  If you object to a municipal policy, speak at a town meeting or send a letter to the editor of your local paper.  By ranting incoherently or by keeping your mouth shut, you influence no one. By providing provable facts, you can open minds and awaken others to tyranny.[amazon asin=1495933415&template=*lrc ad (right)]
• Get others involved in the fight.  For example, if you are fighting with the city council that wants to rip out the vegetables growing in your front yard, let  your friends and neighbors know, post a notice at the grocery store, and write a letter to the editor.  When injustice occurs, use the power of social media to spread awareness. Often a public outcry is what is necessary to get the “authorities” to back down.  Look at the case of Brandon Raub, the veteran who was kidnapped and taken to a mental hospital for things he posted on Facebook. Raub was not charged, but he was detained in the psych ward involuntarily. His friends and family immediately mobilized and spread the videos of his arrest all over the internet.  It snowballed and alternative media picked it up – soon Raub was released, and all because of a grass roots and social media campaign to bring the injustice to light.
• Grow your own food.  Every single seed that you plant is a revolutionary act.  Every bit of food that you don’t have to purchase from the grocery store is a battle cry for your personal independence.  When you educate yourself (and others) about  Big Food, Big Agri, and the food safety sell-outs at the FDA, you will clearly see that we are alone in our fight for healthy, nutritious foods.  Refuse to tolerate these attacks on our health and our lifestyles. Refuse to be held subject to Agenda 21′s version of “sustainability”.
• Take control of your health.  It is imperative that you not blindly trust in the medical establishment.  Many members of this establishment are merely prostitutes for their pimp, Big Pharma.  Millions of children are given powerful psychotropic drugs to help them fit into the neat little classroom boxes, and the numbers are growing every day.  Americans spent 34.2 BILLION dollars on psychiatric drugs in 2010. (Source) Big Pharma is an enormously profitable industry that only pays off if they can convince you that you’re sick.  Learn about the toxic injections and medications, weight the risks and benefits, and always look for second and third opinions before making a medical decision.  Maintain your health by avoiding toxins, exercising, and ditching your bad habits to reduce the number of doctor’s visits that are necessary.
• Refuse to comply.  If you know your natural rights, which are guaranteed under the Constitution and its Amendments, then it makes it much harder for “authorities” to bully you.  You don’t have to let them search your home without a warrant, you don’t have to answer questions, and you don’t have to comply with laws that are in conflict with the Constitution.
• Don’t overlook the little things.  Governments like to chip away at rights a tiny bit at a time, until one day you wake up and realize that all of those little things add up to a really big deal.  Today, the bulk purchase of ammo might limited. Tomorrow, you [amazon asin=1496092589&template=*lrc ad (right)]might not be able to buy it at all. Today, home births might be subject to a set of rules. Tomorrow, those rules might be expanded to the point that the birth of your child is totally legislated.
• Learn.  Every day, spend time learning. This shouldn’t stop once our formal education ends. Fill your mind with history, with current events, with constitutional law, and information about the natural world.  Learn about health, study economics, research things that interest you, and unravel the complicated conspiracies that are afoot.  To pursue unbiased knowledge is to free your mind from the prison of propaganda and indoctrination.
• Don’t consume chemicals that cause you to be dumbed down.  Avoid chemical-laden food with brain-killing neurotoxins like MSG and aspartame.  Don’t drink fluoridated water.
• Embrace your right to bear arms.  Be responsible for your own safety and security.
• Don’t be in debt.  No one can be free if they are in debt. If you are in debt, you are forced to work in whatever conditions are present, for whatever amount is offered, complying with whatever criteria is necessary to keep your job.  in order to either pay your debt or face penalties. As well, the high interest rates that you pay only serve to make the bankers more wealthy.  Instead of borrowing, save until you can afford something or realize that if you could actually afford it, you wouldn’t need to borrow money to have it.
• Be prepared for disaster.  Have enough food, water, and supplies to take care of your family in the event of a natural disaster. Don’t expect FEMA to take care of you.
• Be involved in your children’s education.  For some, this means homeschooling or unschooling, and for others this means being on top of what they are learning in a formal school setting. Join the PTA and actively volunteer if your child goes to school.  Be an advocate for your child and insist that the teachers teach. If your child goes to school, supplement this at home with discourse about current events and outings that help them learn about the world around them.
• Be the squeaky wheel. If you see something wrong, don’t just ignore it. Say something about it, and keep saying something until it changes.  Whether this is some process that infringes on your privacy, a job requirement that impedes your health, or another injustice, pursue it relentlessly. Ask questions publically, write letters, and use social media to bring pressure to encourage a change.[amazon asin=B00KN0K6EM&template=*lrc ad (right)]
• Reduce your consumer spending.  Spending less helps to starve the beast by reducing the sales taxes you pay and withdrawing your financial support to big conglomerates. If we vote with our dollars, eventually there will, of a necessity, be a paradigm shift that returns us to simpler days, when families that were willing to work hard could make a living without selling their souls to the corporate monoliths. A low-consumption lifestyle reduces your financial dependency, which allows for more freedom.
• Ditch popular culture.  If reality TV isn’t a tool for dumbing people down, I don’t know what it is.  My daughter recently begged to watch an episode of a popular reality TV show that “everyone” was watching.  She managed about 15 minutes of it and then said, “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.”  She decided to read a book instead.  Popular entertainment is a media tool used to change our perspectives about our personal values, and to tell us how to think and feel about issues.
• Buy locally.  Support local small businesses to help others who are fighting for independence from the system.  You might pay a little bit more than you would at your big box store, but the only people benefiting from your purchases made at the corporate stores are those with the 7 figure annual bonuses.
• Develop multiple streams of income.  Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.  Figure out several ways to bring in income.  Not only does this free you from being a wage slave, but it allows you to hire friends or family members.  You are less entangled in the system and not subject to corporate whims.  If one business fails, or becomes subject to regulations that make it no longer worthwhile, you are not forced to comply just to keep a roof over your head. (Learn more HERE)
• Say thanks, but no thanks.  There is no such thing as a benevolent hand out.  Nearly anything offered for free (particularly by a government entity) has strings attached.  Maybe there is a handy-dandy registration form that you need to fill out. You might be influenced to vote a certain way just to keep the freebies coming. You might have to pee in a cup every two weeks. Perhaps one day you’ll need to have a microchip embedded in your hand.  Either way, by accepting handouts from those in “authority”, you become beholden to them or you need them, and someone who is free is neither beholden nor needy.
• Collect water. Either harvest it with rain barrels, store it in a cistern, or create a source for it on your property (digging a well, for example.)  Water is life.[amazon asin=B005S28ZES&template=*lrc ad (right)]
• Don’t take the easy road.  The PTB like to seduce people with simplicity.  ”If you just sign this paper, it will be much easier,” they say.  ”This chip is for your convenience,” they tell you.  ”By giving up this, it lets us take care of you and you will be much safer.”  The easy road only gets you to Slave Street a whole lot faster.  Take the difficult road and be responsible for yourself.  Don’t take shortcuts that compromise your beliefs. Go to court to fight a ticket, read the laws and defend yourself.
• Know that anything you give up, you will never get back.

Part of his list was originally published HERE on June 1, 2013

Today, to celebrate Independence Day, I’m taking another small step to free myself from their system. .  I’m revolting by beginning construction on a chicken coop.  I’m declaring my own independence by making my small town home as self-sufficient as possible. How will you revolt against tyranny today?

Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper.

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