Opus: Americans Who Stand

Introduction

Our nation is broken.

We have lost our way and we need redirection. Our country has gone from an idea that promoted freedom and liberty with limited federal government intervention to a place today that does just the opposite.

The federal government is out of control amassing unimaginable power. It dwarfs state and local control. Citizens are regulated not only by federal laws that dangles the return of tax dollars for compliance but also by a multitude of federal regulations created by unelected bureaucrats who have played a crooked system for lifelong employment. Common sense economics is a thing of the past in Washington, D.C., want something, borrow more money and get it. We are no longer a wealthy country but rather a country that according to the Congressional Budget Office has a twenty-eight trillion-dollar debt that increases almost a billion dollars every day. This is a sin cast upon our children. Our elected officials have not addressed this unsustainable situation. Action is needed, no more kicking the can down the road.

The good news is that there is hope, but hope is not a plan, action is needed. We continue to have a chance to change things through the electoral process. We must field candidates who value truth and individual freedom, people who don’t separate citizens into groups, people who believe in justice, where all are given an equal chance, people who loathe evil. It is our job to get this type of person elected, elected to the school board, to city and county positions and greater levels of influence in state and federal offices.

If we hope to heal our divided nation, we need your help. While the America we love is vast, we realize that it became a great shining example through the small, local, grassroots groups of like-minded people who banded together to advance values like community and service to others. These groups lead by example, speaking undeniable truths while promoting liberty and equal justice for all through reconciliation, not victory. Violence by fist, tongue or heart is denounced while common courtesy is expected. We will take the moral high-ground and champion fairness and compassion by promoting faith, family, community, and meaningful work. Put succinctly, our mission is to build a social movement in our nation that is dedicated to ensuring every citizen the opportunity to pursue happiness and earn success through their efforts. To succeed, poverty and opportunity are moral issues that must be addressed. We must continually stress that there are no dead-end jobs in America. Work promotes dignity and happiness, not only from the money earned but also from the value created in our lives and the lives of others. People are assets, not liabilities. Work is a blessing, not a punishment. People want to be measured by their merit and hard work.

While America is still the best place in the world to find success and fulfilment through hard work, parts of the system seem fixed, improper and even unlawful. We live in a “new” world that has technology as its hub. A few big technology companies have accumulated an abundance of power, they have become content police. This power must be monitored and if needed, limited, as they have the ability to shut down new opportunities for others. State and federal requirements forced upon the people are forever changing, limiting employment and growth. Our elected representatives are bankrupting our country, spending is out of control, we barely have enough money to pay the interest on our debt, much less what we owe. With overspending comes inflation, the invisible tax the hurts lower income people the most.

The top 1%, lives by a different set of rules and have access to different opportunities and a different justice system. This is often gained through our political process. Big money given to politicians gains favor. Federal employees, our employees, often have much better job benefits than their bosses, us. More pay than a similar private sector job, more vacation days, better health insurance and retirement plans. They have used their power granted to them by us to line their pockets with our money. Examine the finances of House and Senate members in our federal government. Most get rich while serving even though their salary is not excessive. Elected officials should be subject to the same rights, responsibilities and benefits afforded those who elected them. Prime examples of disproportionate benefits are the health insurance and retirement packages imparted to the federal congress by the federal congress, excessive packages indeed. Gold level health care plans with most of the cost paid for by taxpayers and lifelong pension plans. According to the Office of Personnel Management we have approximately 2.1 million federal employees plus another six-hundred thousand or so postal employees, our employees. The average federal employee gets forty-four paid days off per year, almost nine weeks of receiving pay and not working. That’s our hard-earned money at work, correction, not at work. Perhaps the worst offense is how state and federal government in many instances pay able bodied citizens not to work by giving them compensation that discourages seeking employment. Not only does this kill incentive but also puts an enormous burden on employers who need employees. The poor, despite the trillions of dollars spent to lift them up, remain poor, we can do better. The chance to work, rise and earn success is slowly disappearing and we need to change that by restoring a more level playing field, people need to be fired.

We need people who will stand up for the free enterprise system. It has done more to eliminate poverty than any governmental plan created and the cost is small. We cannot promote the value and benefit of work by sitting on the couch watching television or looking at our computer. We need people who will act and speak up. Information is key. We must take the effort to become informed on local events. We must speak truth to our friends and family. We need to become contributing members of our churches, school boards and local governments.

Spend less time on social media, meet your neighbors, interact face to face, become friends. When on social media promote “positive fact-based” messaging. It is hard to battle the truth with facts as your backboard. Note that when no reasonable response is available people will use the tactic of denunciation, that you are a bad person, thus you are wrong. Don’t let this deter you, again, use “positive fact-based” messaging. Don’t walk away from the opportunity to talk to those who which you disagree, this is where it starts, share your beliefs, and explain why you believe them all while being respectful of their views. We need to change one heart and mind at a time with information and truth. We must stand up to ensure that we have candidates willing to serve and vet all who run for office so that their views are open to public scrutiny. If we can get our local community “right” it should transfer up the ladder to state and national government.

We must stop or at least reduce wasteful government spending. Examples are almost unlimited. We send billions of dollars each year to people to who should not receive it, be it social security, Medicare, or tax credits. Checks are routinely sent to dead people, amazingly, many are cashed. Hard earned taxpayer’s money is sent to universities who have billion-dollar endowments. Military cost overruns are normal, heck we send money to countries who hate us, you’d think that they would do that for free.

Touchstones

“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here”.

Patrick Henry

“Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness and charity towards his fellow men; and piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God… What a Eutopia, what a Paradise this region should be”.

John Adams

The United States is unusual. It is a republic; that is to say, it is government designed to be directed by the will of the people rather than the wishes of a single individual or a narrow class of elites. The people tell the government what to do, not the government telling the people what to do. The core assertion of the Declaration of Independence and the basis of what the founders thought, is that “all men are created equal.” From that principle of equality, the requirement for consent naturally follows: if all men are equal, then none may by right rule another without his consent. This equality leads to the recognition of fundamental human rights – including but not limited to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – as well as the fundamental duty or obligation of all to respect the rights of others. These rights are found in nature and are not created by man or government; rather, men create governments to secure natural rights. Indeed, the very purpose of government is to secure these rights, which exist independently of government. The assertion that “all men are created equal” must also be properly understood. It does not mean that all human beings are equal in wisdom, courage, or any of the other virtues and talents that God and nature distribute unevenly among the human race. It means, rather, that human beings are equal in the sense that they are not by nature divided into castes, with natural rulers, and ruled. Please don’t take these God given rights for granted. While we currently enjoy these rights they are not guaranteed, just look at countries like North Korea, Russia and China, their governments have eliminated these rights.

“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The bedrock of our country is the rule of law. Starting with the Declaration of Independence, through the writing of the Constitution and onto the Bill of Rights, the intent of the framers was to construct a government that would be sufficiently strong to perform essential tasks that only government can perform (such as establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense and promoting the general welfare – the main tasks named in the constitution’s preamble), but not so strong as to jeopardize the people’s liberties. In other words, strong enough to secure rights without having so much power as to infringe rights. No one is above the law and no one is privileged to ignore the law, just as no one is outside the law in terms of protection.

“We’ve got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. Freedom is special and rare. It’s fragile; it needs protection. It is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in their bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free”.

Ronald Reagan

We Stand

We stand for life, we are Pro-Life. God has given us the gift of common sense, when a woman becomes pregnant, it’s human life, it’s a baby and we don’t kill babies.

We are Pro American. Stand for the American worker. Buy products made in the United States. It may cost a bit more but it’s worth it because it will help to support your neighbor and their family. America first. We stand for our military and law enforcement. They have our back and we should have their back. Not only do we support those in the field but also their families. They have difficult jobs. Both physical and mental injuries occur. We stand up in support of their rehabilitation.

Pro First and Second Amendment. Americans have a right to be heard and to protect themselves.

We are for smaller government with less regulations. That will result in lower taxes, along with more freedom and opportunity for all.

We are a grateful community. We have been blessed by God to live in the greatest country on earth, a place people flock to, not try to escape from, because of the opportunities that are offered. It is our job to ensure these opportunities do not disappear for those who come after us.

We stand for accountability of our elected officials, their appointees, and employees of our local, state and federal institutions.

Be Aware

Build Back Better. Sounds great, who would not want things to be better? Who decides what better is? Just because something is rebuilt, it’s not necessarily better, no matter what you are told.

Climate Control. An invisible problem that is difficult to prove or disprove. It promotes clean air and water and who doesn’t want that? But be careful, in the name of a clean environment freedoms are being removed, don’t let it turn into people control. Ensure that our country remains energy independent in order to protect our economy and military. Keep in mind we are being targeted by other countries who care little about the environment, they care about winning.

Crisis. When something is a crisis fast action must occur to control the problem. Things are changed during a crisis that under “ordinary” times would seem unreasonable.

When a person or group disagrees with you and has no legitimate answer you will be called names. You will become a racist, a white supremist, an uncle tom. It will go on and on. Stand firm.

Beware of the educational system, government run schools and private education. They are designed to mold young minds. Stay on top of what is taught. The National Education Association teacher’s union, some three million strong, is more concerned with pushing agendas than teaching your children. You are paying the educator’s salaries, either through taxes or tuition. Be vigilant.

Be aware of the media. What once was a delivery system for news now filters the truth and promotes agendas. Search for the truth.

Be aware of the cancel culture. Freedom for all should you agree with them. If not, they will demonize you. Wokeness is a cancer. Stand tall.

Be aware of social media, it is not your friend. Avoid if possible and keep children away. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.

Be aware of people who think they are smarter than everybody else. There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Don’t equate net worth with wisdom. Wisdom begins with the fear of God.

Be aware of socialism. It has never worked and never will no matter what “smart” people tell you. Promote the free enterprise system.

Be aware of large organizations. The larger the organization’ the more likely it is corrupt, be it government, corporations or the Church. Should you ever see two or more of these groups joining forces the results will not be for your good. A great example is the union between the Left and Big Tech. Big Tech supports the Left financially while silencing those who disagree.

Don’t ignore disturbing actions in our society.

Be aware of China. Their goal is to control the world. It’s tragic to say but they are systematically gaining footholds every day. They look at our country today and laugh. Many of our large corporations and “elites” are cuddling up with the Chinese government in hopes of potential profits and or cheap labor, neither good for our country or the American worker. When you buy products made in China you contribute to both child and slave labor. If you have a choice, don’t encourage them by supplementing their economy with your purchases.

Be aware of people who want to make you a victim, don’t let others put you in that position. If you proclaim yourself a victim you cannot succeed, you cannot be happy. If you become a victim, you lose control of your life, others control you with low expectations for your life, dream big, don’t quit. The feeling of victimhood leads to hate and hate is a heavy burden. “I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him”. – Booker T. Washington

Race is irrelevant. Race should not be honored. The Nazis, who committed genocide against the Jewish people, honored race. Critical Race Theory or CRT honors race above excellence. Instead, personal character and goodness should be honored.

Be aware of division. Don’t let others put you into groups. Don’t allow people to place the “privilege” tag on you or others. People are accountable for their actions, not for things others have done in the past. These tactics are designed to separate us, to pit one group against another, to cause chaos. Recognize true history, that the past was not utopia. There is no utopia, man makes mistakes, but with each generation our country is becoming a better place to live for all. Work to make today better, we are one group, Americans.

The executive branch of our government has amassed too much power. Between executive orders and not enforcing current laws it makes a mockery of the original intent of checks and balances. This needs to change.

Be aware of the back office behind our elected officials be it the Justice Department, the IRS and even some law enforcement agencies. It has become a dark place that has the ability to ruin lives with untrue allegations and investigations. The press rarely challenges and sometimes collaborates.

Be aware of the religious left, a movement that largely embraces social justice viewpoints and uphold social gospel. Their goal is to blur the difference between right and wrong.

Truth is not a value of the left. Expect to hear lies designed to further agendas.

Crime in our large cities is out of control. De-funding the police is a bad idea.

A goal of the left is to grow the federal government and to have it control our lives. Local and state government is their opposition. They try to control with promises of money in return for concession of power.

There is a reason Washington DC is called the swamp. Many of our employees who work there are corrupt. In many cases there is little difference between an elected official who has a D beside his or her name and one with a R beside their name. The same applies to many non-elected bureaucrats. Be vigilant, no matter which party is in charge.

Promote Prosperity

We won the lottery when we were born in the United States or joined as a proud citizen. All should have the opportunity to succeed. Preach what you practice.

Coach people on how to succeed.

Stay in school
Get married / no children before marriage / stay married
Get a job and work hard / you will be rewarded
Surround yourself with successful people / success rubs off
Don’t cheat or steal
Religious affiliation helps form a strong family
Plan long term

Beginnings

The foundation of our community is fairness and compassion. All discussions should begin with this end in mind. We promote ideas that help those on the lower end of the economic scale. If we are against something, it’s because it hurts those who need help the most. If we can help them, all will be lifted. We find better answers, better answers that solve problems using the free enterprise system, democratic capitalism, not government hand-outs. We are for a government supported safety net but only for the truly needy. Charity is important but what the people really need is direct investment by others in their community. Those able to work should work, work is a central solution because it promotes dignity, we need to reduce the dignity gap. We love people and use things to make their lives better. We expect moral value living from all no matter their lot in life, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We need to concentrate our attention not on the far right or left but rather on the persuadable majority. Sit down and talk to people. Conversation, leads to another and then to another. Do not tell others what to do, rather, point out what will happen should one choose this path rather than another. You must form a base beneath your beliefs based on faith and constitutional liberties. Those who disagree with you will constantly try to knock you off your base, it will never end and you must stand strong.

At Home

Support fathers because many men have lost their way. Help them become strong spiritual leaders in their homes, examples of strength and perseverance in the faith. Help them learn how to support their family with not just their paycheck but also through discernment of what is allowed to come into their home, and how families interact with culture. Help them with learning how to love their wife and guide their children. Our country needs more strong men. In families where there is no father, be it from death, deadbeat or in prison, offer to help and if invited, show the fatherless children how a father, a man, should act. Comfort the mother, she has an enormous task on her plate, form a community of support because one day soon her children will be asked to stand.

Pay attention to what is being taught in schools. Indoctrination begins at a very young age and continues through adulthood. Don’t stop looking at what is taught once high school is finished. Most, almost all, colleges and universities administration and teaching staff lean left. Their goal is to un-teach your children what you have taught them. Teach children to stand their ground.

Never underestimate the power of prayer, pray often.

Good families do things no government can accomplish.

Moving Forward

We must oppose legislation that is contrary to the tenets of the constitution. When talking to others be it at work, school, governmental meetings or at gatherings with friends, ask questions, lots of questions, especially in front of others. Don’t argue but force people to produce words to support their beliefs. Ask them what they believe and why they believe it. Once they answer, ask if they have considered X, Y and Z. Your questions should be based on helping those who need help the most. If your questions go unanswered or are poorly answered people notice and begin to think.

Don’t waste your time speaking to groups that will silence you. Don’t take on hopeless causes, follow the path of least resistance. Let your message flow to the persuadable.

Look and work forward, the past is the past. It has often not worked in our favor, fall forward. It’s very unlikely that you will convince people to join us based on unprovable things that have happened in the past. You need to spend time explaining what is happening now and what is likely to happen next.

Pace yourself and enjoy life. What we have lost took years to build. Don’t expect to win it back in a short period of time.

Call yourself a dissident and the other side the oppressors. Let’s claim those words. We are the people who dissent from the prevailing socialistic and secular direction of our country. We dissent from the reduction of individual liberties and the attempt to eliminate free market capitalism. Let us be clear, united, and unapologetic.

We must recruit the persuadable, not by force but by reason. Their support is needed. Their active assistance is a huge bonus.

Remember we are trying to restore ideas that are more than two hundred years old, ideas that built one of the most advanced, most generous countries in the history of the world, not a recent failed election. Base your work on principles and values rather than people or party affiliation.

Follow the R.O.A R.

Recruit — Recruit like-minded individuals to run for public and private office. Support these people in action and financially.
Observe — Observe your local, state and nationally elected officials.
Act — Act upon issues, be it a pat on the back or a hell no you don’t.
Responsibility — We are responsible for informing the uninformed and protecting those who are most in need.

Our group, Americans Who Stand, is welcoming to all, men and women, young and old. We are not divided by race, color or creed. Promoting the family unit and educating all in truth are our goals. Your help is needed in starting small groups in your town to serve others, those that are left behind, the future of our country depends upon it. Courage is required. The bible tells us that God has repeatedly done spectacular things through common, ordinary people with not so stellar pasts. From beneath thousands of white crosses and Star of David grave markers spread across the globe, voices of young men who fought for freedom are calling out for you to fight. Our country needs Freedom Fighters. It’s your turn, this is your call, will you accept the challenge, will you stand?