Grassroots in Michigan: A Call to Michigan Activists

Fellow Michigan Activists,

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As you can see I wrote the letter below in early March but never sent it because the Delegate Controversy took a priority. However, now I am glad I didn’t send it as another incident involving once again “usual suspects” Randy Bishop, aka “Trucker Randy” has surfaced (with buddy Doug Sedenquist of the Delta Area Tea Party Group in tow) and joining is R. Al Bain who ran against Richardville in the 2010 Republican primary for the 17th District seat.

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Lets’ be clear, this isn’t about Randy Richardville’s fitness or lack of to hold office or those who are in collusion with him, this latest incident is about the same characteristics of the Delegate Controversy, the lack of ethics and principles.

I first heard about this incident yesterday when I was called by the editor of a widely read News Service asking my opinion. The incident in a nutshell is that Randy Bishop sent Michigan Senators a letter blackmailing them into forcing Randy Richardville to resign by “going public” with a story about rumors of Richardville’s infidelities. Quoted from a local News Source…. Bishop said he sent the e-mail based on “rumors” he heard in Richardville’s home district that he felt the senators should know.

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The e-mail “Trucker” Randy Bishop and Al Bain send is HERE  R. Al Bain even goes so far as to blame Mrs. Richardville for Randy Richardville’s rumored infidelities!  ”…Mrs. Sarah Richardville I believe that some of the responsibility falls on her because she has chosen to ignore her husband’s infidelity for a number of years.“

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Ladies and gentlemen some of the secondary repercussions of this kind of behavior are:

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• It sullies the tea party movement
• It creates fodder for the Progressives
• It sets back the causes that are worthwhile when tactics such as these are employed From a Local News source, “These guys are a couple of low-level thugs who, at their core, are pissed at being beat by Randy and (Sen.) Howard WALKER (R-Traverse City) in a primary and nobody will do anything for them on their Right to Work proposal.” - Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R-Harrison Twp.) about a pair of Tea Party activists who sent e-mails to Republican senators urging them to remove the Senate Majority Leader Randy RICHARDVILLE by making a personal attack.
• It was ill conceived as a “plan” as there isn’t enough support to outright remove Richardville even if he should go.  From a local News Source….Caucus Rallies Around Richardville Amid Tea Party Attack “A caucus source said that there’s no coalition within the caucus of senators interested in challenging Richardville’s leadership position. Some have been unhappy with Richardville over certain issues,like the NITC or the Michigan health care exchange, but not enough to throw in with a couple Tea Party activists.”…

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However the essential point I am making here is the same as the March 1st letter below:

If we allow this type of tactic to go unrecognized and unchallenged how does that make us any different from those we say we oppose? (Randy Richardville and co-horts in this case)So the fundamental question is: Is it merely about a race, a candidate or issue, or about ethical principles, and how people conduct themselves and basic human decency necessary to a civil society?

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I personally and Grassroots in Michigan as an organization disavows this kind of behavior and tactic. Neither I nor Grassroots in Michigan as an organization be involved nor associate with these individuals or “partner up” or promote with any Group, organization or candidate that condones this behavior and/or has these individuals as active participants.

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It’s past time to throw down the gauntlet and take a stand for ethical principles and actions and I will even if I stand alone

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Nevertheless, I urge my fellow adherents in the movement to join me

Joan Fabiano

3-22-12

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March 1, 2012

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Fellow Michigan Activists,

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First of all some background for those of who are not aware of the actions that have transpired this past weekend, I want to give you a short explanation…. The Chicago Tribune picked up a quote of mine.I was not aware of it until being informed on my Facebook wall by a Doug Sedenqist. I then took a look at the article and found this comment by a Tim Bos, whom I do not know nor have I ever met.

(Larger Image HERE)

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Tim Bos describes himself as a “Grassroots Coordinator” for Michigan Freedom To Work.His comments are eerily similar to “Trucker” Randy Bishop comments on my Grassroots in Michigan Facebook Group before the post was deleted by Randy Bishop

(Larger Image HERE)

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Randy Bishop currently works for Mr. Gary Glenn’s campaign.(I have now blocked ”Trucker” Randy Bishop, Tim Bos and Doug Sedenqist on Facebook)

The reason I am writing this letter to activists around the state is to point out the biggest elephant in the room, which I believe is a monumental problem; a lack of principles, unethical conduct, and a failure of our side (Tea Partiers, Conservatives) to self-police.

I am not speaking of heated political argument (which I readily admit to!) but the “politics of destruction” employed by those claiming to be “on the same side”; deliberate tactics of malicious falsehoods, character assassination, and slander – aimed at extinguishing an alternate viewpoint, concerns about an organization, forwarding an agenda or for merely asking questions.

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Deplorably, this behavior has escalated particularly – but not limited to – Facebook. Another disturbing element in these incidents is that all the perpetrators are men, focusing their attacks on women as I am not the only one to be victimized by this behavior.If politics is “dirty” it is because people chose to make it so.If we allow this type of tactic to go unrecognized and unchallenged how does that make us any different from those we say we oppose? (Randy Richardville in this case)

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So the fundamental question is: Is it merely about a race, a candidate or issue, or about ethical principles, and how people conduct themselves and basic human decency necessary to a civil society?

The specific issue in this case is MI4CS. However, what will it be tomorrow and whom will be the targets of such tactics?   If allowed to go on unfettered, tomorrow it could very well be your viewpoint, your questions, and with you as the target. Furthermore, if we “partner up” on endeavors with those guilty of such tactics with full knowledge of their behavior, then we become complicit enablers, perpetuating the abusive tactics.

It is past time to call out those employing these tactics, to demand the same accountability of ourselves as we do those “on the other side” and to liberate ourselves from those who refuse to abide by moral principles of conduct in their treatment of others.

I call on Mr. Gary Glenn and Mr. Terry Bowman (organizer of Michigan Freedom to Work and Union Conservatives and ) since now known, to publicly disavow the comments and conduct of those in their organizations, Randy Bishop and Tim Bos and ask for their resignations.

And that by these actions Mr. Glenn and Mr. Bowman join those who believe that the real issue IS the moral principle of how people ethically conduct themselves.

Additionally, and in a larger sense it is appropriate to consider that our nations ills are not big government, but the lack of ethically principles that has lead to big government and all it’s implications.“America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within.” Josef Stalin“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  John Adams

“The Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts.”

1 Chronicles 28:9

Sincerely,

Joan Fabiano

Organizer, Grassroots in Michigan

Lansing,MI TeaParty

Wise as Serpents and Gentle as Doves – Always!

Ideas to help neutralize the nay-sayers and enjoy your rallies!

Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves – always! Wear a smile – always! Love your enemy and turn the other cheek to the extent your faith will permit! Here are some specific suggestions from my good friend AxXiom (and you should plan now to listen to her new show on Friday nights on Rule of Law Radio – I hope to be in studio with her this Friday night and visit with Melinda Pillsbury Foster on air).

The Marshal Plan

1.Choose or elect some marshals. These people will take the role of crowd watchers. If they have a medical or law enforcement background that is a plus.

Some should position themselves so that they see the entire the crowd and be alert for any unusual commotion and some should circulate among the crowd but keep their focus on what is going on around them, not the event.

The marshals should introduce themselves to the police or security ahead of time and let them know that if there is any trouble they will notify them immediately. They should pick a distinctive colored tee shirt so that they can be pointed out quickly to people that might need their assistance. “See the guy in the orange shirt? He’s who you need to talk to…”

These people will need a means to communicate between them. Cell phones are fine and at least one in the crowd and one at a distance should have a bullhorn. All organizers should have their names and numbers. These guys are great for running relief in a variety of situations. They can be the eyes and ears for all of us and diffuse potential problems before it starts.

Choose people that are steady, mature, reliable and friendly.

2. Never, ever-lose your temper! Nothing good can come from it.

Bullbaiters are likely. These are people that will try to get your goat and make you do or say things that they can use to discredit the Tea Party. Assume that anyone that is trying to engage you in a less than friendly manner is doing so for this very purpose. It’s not fair but you can turn it to you advantage if you can keep your cool.

Whatever you do, don’t give them any ammunition.

What you can do to make the situation bearable, if not actually kind of fun is…

3. Give them the Gaze

Watching the world, changes the world.

I despise the surveillance society that is building up around us. Maybe because I’m a mom, I do know what it is good for though. Keepin’ em in line!

Surveillance is a very effective method of social control, plain and simple.

Never underestimate the power of the gaze. Even physics seems to bear this principle out.

Take you camera. Even if it’s a dummy cam-don’t get mad, just point and shoot. The “spy”, “Provocateur” or “we’re not with stupid” signs are a bonus. Just think of how fun it will be to watch the boob on you tube later!

Speaking of cameras…Know that there will be cameras fixed on you hoping to immortalize your mug in an ugly scowl or angry contortion.

You don’t want to look like this, do you?

Lefty’s gone wild. Egging a Tea Party bus in Searchlight, AZ

So shame the devil and keep a smile on your face! After all, you are actually doing something to try and fix this mess that we are in and enthusiasm and optimism is irresistible. A positive attitude is unmistakable and it radiates. You want to inspire others who share your concerns to rouse from their apathy and join you?

3. Never be caught off guard by the media. Memorize a 30 second sound bite that encapsulates your message.

Don’t even be tempted to try and answer a bad or “set up” question. Instead, answer the question you wished they had asked!

Example;

Media: “What do you think about so and so that says that the Tea Party people are

a. haters b.extremists or c. anti-government or d. some other derogatory label

You: “I can’t imagine…but I can tell you why I am here. I am here because….I am worried about x and ….

The point is-You pick your message and stick to it like glue, and you won’t have to worry about being made out to look like a jerk no matter how they slice it.

Do you see it? The time tested tactics of Divide and Conquer.

What is is? A strategy for achieving political or military control

A combination of political, military and economic strategies that aim to gain and maintain power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/divide_and_conquer

Divide and conquer works like this:

In politics and sociology, divide and rule (derived from Latin divide et impera) (also known as divide and conquer) is a combination of political, military and economic strategy of gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy. In reality, it often refers to a strategy where small power groups are prevented from linking up and becoming more powerful, since it is difficult to break up existing power structures. Government is more easily maintained if factions are set against each other, and not allowed to unite against the ruler.

In modern times, Traiano Boccalini cites “Divide et impera” in La bilancia politica, 1,136 and 2,225 as a common principle in politics. The use of this technique is meant to empower the sovereign to control subjects, populations, or factions of different interests, who collectively might be able to oppose his rule. Machiavelli identifies a similar application to military strategy, advising in Book VI of The Art of War [3] (Dell’arte della guerra [4]), that a Captain should endeavor with every art to divide the forces of the enemy, either by making him suspicious of his men in whom he trusted, or by giving him cause that he has to separate his forces, and, because of this, become weaker.

The strategy of division and rule has been attributed to sovereigns ranging from Louis XI to the Habsburgs. Its historical reception has been mixed. Thus Edward Coke denounces it in Chapter I of the Fourth Part of the Institutes, reporting that when it was demanded by the Lords and Commons what might be a principal motive for them to have good success in Parliament, it was answered: “Eritis insuperabiles, si fueritis inseparabiles. Explosum est illud diverbium: Divide, & impera, cum radix & vertex imperii in obedientium consensus rata sunt.” [You would be insuperable if you were inseparable. This proverb, Divide and rule, has been rejected, since the root and the summit of authority are confirmed by the consent of the subjects.] On the other hand, in a minor variation, Sir Francis Bacon touts the cunning maxim of “separa et impera” in a letter to James I of 15 February 1615. Likewise James Madison recommends in a letter to Thomas Jefferson of 24 October 1787 [5], summarizing the thesis of The Federalist #10 [6]: “Divide et impera, the reprobated axiom of tyranny, is under certain qualifications, the only policy, by which a republic can be administered on just principles.” In Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch by Immanuel Kant (1795), Appendix one. divide et impera is the third of three political maxims. The other being Fac et excusa and Si fecisti, nega. ^[1]

Typical elements of this technique are said to involve

• creating or encouraging divisions among the subjects in order to forestall alliances that could challenge the sovereign.
• aiding and promoting those who are willing to cooperate with the sovereign.
• fostering distrust and enmity between local rulers.
• encouraging frivolous expenditures that leave little money for political and military ends.

The use of this strategy was imputed to administrators of vast empires, including the Roman and British, who were charged with playing one tribe against another to maintain control of their territories with a minimal number of imperial forces. The concept of “Divide and Rule” gained prominence when India was a part of the British Empire, but was also used to account for the strategy used by the Romans to take Britain, and for the Anglo-Normans to take Ireland. It is said that the British used the strategy to gain control of the large territory of India by keeping its people divided along lines of religion, language, or caste, taking control of petty princely states in India piecemeal.

Also mentioned as a strategy for market action in economics, it can be applied to get the most out of the players in a competitive market.

Recognize this tactic for what it is.

Best advice — Be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves.

Peace,

Kaye

Blood Money a Documentary of Death

Special thanks to Joan Fabiano for the work she is doing in Grassroots in Michigan!  Here is a feature post from her blog about a new documentary coming out on Planned Parenthood and the Abortion industry.

Click on pic to see complete post and video link

If you must do Halloween then here’s an idea for you~

Click on pic for original post and scribd docs

New Documentaries Impacting Liberty Movement Coming Soon!

If you are interested in seeing a showcase of the talent found within the grassroots liberty movement, the Midwest Liberty Fest is the place to be this October 9, 10, 11.  At this time, the event organizers have confirmed the screening of four documentaries produced by grassroots activists from all across the nation; For Liberty, A New America, Camp FEMA, and  and a yet unnamed documentary on video surveillance we are calling “Eye in the Sky”.  Never before have freedom activists and constitutional scholars had the opportunity to see such an amazing showcase of high caliber liberty oriented movies.

The Midwest Liberty Fest is pleased to bring you these creative, original and dynamic documentaries.  The draft schedule for the weekend can be found online.   Tickets for the entire weekend events can be obtained securely online for a suggested donation of $20.  This family friendly event will provide the opportunity for concerned citizens to learn about the issues of today, develop their activist skills, listen to liberty oriented music and participate in many exciting activities.

A summary of each documentary can be found below.

For Liberty
As the 2007-08 presidential campaign cycle offered up the usual slate of Washington insiders, Ron Paul, an obscure Congressman from Texas brought an alternative voice that challenged the political establishment.

Advocating a philosophy of sound money, a non-interventionist foreign policy, strict Constitutionalism, and individual liberty, Dr. Paul inspired a unique grassroots movement unmatched in American history – the repercussions of which continue to reverberate today and into the future of the American psyche.

For Liberty, How the Ron Paul Revolution Watered the Withered Tree of Liberty follows this historic campaign from the perspective of grassroots activists, and showcases the unique, often bizarre, yet groundbreaking projects they undertook as they brushed aside traditional campaign methodology.

For more information: For Liberty Movie

A New America
The United States economy reached a meltdown point in September 2008. A Republican President and Democratic Congress passed a massive bill to bail out banks. Many Americans were shocked that the wealthiest country in the world could be in so much financial trouble overnight. This financial crisis occurred at a point when many Americans were already looking for change in their government and an election provided the opportunity.

Then Candidate Barack Obama promised to turn the page and take America in a new direction. A majority of voters were receptive to this message. Congressional leaders pledged to work with their new President to help his vision become reality.

Americans made a similar choice in 1932, when the economy was in a serious downturn. Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised a New Deal for America, a series of government programs to turn the economy around. FDR is credited by many historians for having spared the United States from drifting towards the totalitarianism that swept through Europe and other parts of the world at that time.
Barack Obama began his term in office in an atmosphere of heady optimism, in the wake of Abraham Lincoln. Many pointed to the Presidents agenda as the New New Deal and Barack Obama himself promised fundamental change.

And one cold January day, we embarked on the path to a new America…

For more information visit: A New America Movie

RJ Harris Candidate for Congress Oklahoma CD04

Camp FEMA
In a country born out of political dissent, we watch our leaders in Washington slowly pass bills that label ordinary Americans as thought criminals and potential domestic terrorists for simply questioning the actions of their government.  Senate committee hearings and official FBI documents further illustrate the mindset of our elected officials as they classify homeschoolers, gun rights activists and anti-abortionists as threats against the existing social and political order; by default creating an entire nation of radicals and revolutionaries – where everyone is a suspect… equally guilty until proven otherwise.

How has our government shown that they will deal with these people?  The same way as every other totalitarian regime throughout history… marginalize their activities then lock them all up.  Prisons are being built; internment camps constructed and laws passed that deal severely with anyone who dares to step out of line or ask too many questions.

For more information visit: Camp FEMA

Camp FEMA – Will you go quietly?

Eye In the Sky
This documentary details the surprising level of surveillance endured by the citizens of Lancaster, NH and the fight to preserve the Fourth Amendment rights protecting the right to be secure from unlawful searches.  “Citizens Against Public Surveillance” contend with a textbook case of Fascism as local government aligns with public utilities and corporate big business to create a prison-like surveillance environment.  Produced by Sam Ettaro and RepublicMedia.TV

MAKE PLANS TO BE THERE NOW!

Midwest Liberty Fest — DuQuoin Illinois — October 9-11 2009