Posted by Jacob Roecker on July 31, 2009 under Updates | 
A need has developed to provide the following guidelines regarding comments on this website. The “Comment Guidelines” page. If you made a comment that has be removed, please restructure and resubmit it according to these guidelines. The guidelines are published here for your convenience.
912Candidates.org welcomes user comments, but would like to provide the following guidelines:
Comments on posts about specific candidates (their announcements or their 9/12 Platform) need to be made within the framework of the 9 principles and 12 values. Here are some examples:
Positive:
- I appreciate someone running for office who believes in upholding these principles and values. Your experience at your religious organization show that you understand the value of charity. I see a key part of this value relying on the person’s choice to donate their goods, services, or time. Your example seems to ring true and I thank you for your support. Good luck!
Negative:
- I’m not entirely sure if this person is going to be a good representation of a 9/12 Candidate. There are some spurious posts online regarding their character, and I’m unsure of their validity. Still, because I teach my children thrift these posts regarding the spending in the candidate’s campaign record have me concerned. They can be found here (http://somevultureurl.com).
These examples have three parts and all comments on these posts need to be framed in this format:
- Use “I” language. You can only speak for yourself, express your concerns. They are valid and we do want to hear them.
- State which values or principles has you most concerned or most pleased. Phrase all of your comments in the form of a principle or value.
- Please post links to any material you may find supporting your claims of support or negative comments. These can be reviewed by others and comments made in response to your regarding their validity. Please add your own comments regarding the validity of the site being referenced. Typically speaking a site that produces nothing but negative content regarding a candidate is obviously biased, and the validity of such a site should be questioned. Really, who has time to be that negative?
Comments will NOT be published unless they conform to these guidelines. Free speech refers to items in the public domain. This site, is controlled by private citizens who reserve the right to control its content. We have provided the following guidelines to ensure that comments we may morally disagree with have a voice.
Some previously published comments do not conform to these guidelines, and remain at the discretion of site editors.
Thank you for your compliance.
Posted by styletee12 on July 29, 2009 under Commentary |
Hello, Americans
Today is my first day as the state leader. I had been assisting Dorothy Misiura here in Pennsylvania. But due to some health issues she has been called to step away from the cause. I thank her for the help she has given me and the conversations we have had. I wish you good health and God’s blessings.
So the rookie is now here. I am open to all suggestions, never hesitate to offer your opinions or ideas. We are in this together as a People, so we need to work that way in the pursuit of our goals. The time is now to act on the most local levels all the way to the White House.
Wayne H Risch Jr
Berwick, PA 18603
Posted by Jacob Roecker on July 27, 2009 under Updates |
Hello everyone. I’m pleased to announce that you will be seeing less and less candidate’s announcements on this main site. Instead, our Gold-List is up and running, and our candidate’s announcements will be maintained on the state websites. We’ve done this because each candidate needs to be vetted by their constituents, and part of that vetting process is their 9/12 platform. By having only one announcement per candidate, the comment feature can easily be used to help constitutents makes informed decisions.
We’ve just announced three 9/12 Candidates, with more coming this week. The three latest announcements come from several different states:
We’re very grateful that these, and other candidates are stepping forward to the task, and look forward to hearing more about them in the future. If you want to stay abreast of every post on this website, our twitter feed is a great way to do jus that.
This week, we NEED your help. Glenn Beck’s producers at FoxNews are interested in having some of our 9/12 Candidates on the show, but they’re unsure of whether or not America sees them as part of the solution. Three of our candidates are pushing full-throttle to write, email, and call the Glenn Beck program. They need your help.
One campaign recently sent out an email that listed the addresses, and explained the importance of having principled government officials representing us. I won’t pretend to be so eloquent, so I’ll let you read the message here:
__________________________
A critical moment has come in the ongoing campaign to save the Republic and restore our Constitution. Efforts to this end, by all the 912 Liberty Candidates, have attracted the attention of the Glenn Beck television program. However, we need to show Mr. Beck and his staff that our mission to retake the Congress from the bailout voters is newsworthy and that the Candidates at the tip of Liberty’s Spear are credible contenders who can lead this fight for our freedom. Now is the time, this is the hour, when you must stand up and be heard! Contact the Glenn Beck program and politely encourage them to host Rand Paul, Adam Kokesh and RJ Harris on an upcoming program. Once you have done this, please repost this call to action everywhere you can. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell all of your family that the time has finally come to WAKE UP AND FIGHT FOR LIBERTY!
Email glennbeck@foxnews.com me@glennbeck.com wesurroundthem@foxnews.com http://www.myspace.com/foxglennbeck comments@foxnews.com Producers: Stu: stu@glennbeck.com Joe: joe@glennbeck.com Phone: (212) 301-3000 Fax: (212) 301-4229 Address: 1211 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10036
__________________________
Please, Monday thru Friday this week, write, call and spread the word. The meetup.com groups that were started back in March when we first realized we were “9/12ers” are great email lists to use. Don’t overburden your welcome, but don’t be shy about standing up for what you believe in either.
We have to practice discussing things that are important to us in the political arena. For too long conservatives have been quiet. Many of us are new to this sort of activism. This is as good opportunity to practice being involved, and getting your neighbors involved as well. If we don’t practice now our inadequacies will be apparent when we are trying to encourage our neighbors to vote. NOW is the time to develop these skills, and this is a prime opportunity.
Good Luck Everyone!
Count your blessings (there’s a lot of them) and press forward!
-Jacob Roecker
Citizen, Patriot, Veteran
Founder: 912Candidates.org
As always, you’re welcome to forward, copy, or republish parts, or the whole of this message. We ask as a courtesy that you will mention its source (http://912candidates.org) in your correspondence.
Posted by Jacob Roecker on July 18, 2009 under Inspiration |
9 Principles 
1. America Is Good.
America is the greatest nation that has ever existed in the history of mankind. It has been the source of the greatest liberties, the greatest inventions, the greatest medical breakthroughs and the greatest military army. Instead of using our military might to conquer and take over countries, we have only used our military when we have had to displace dictators and despots and to defend weaker nations that were being threatened by bully nations. If it weren’t for America we would probably all be speaking German and there would be some races that would have been totally eradicated. We even helped rebuild Japan and much of Europe after WW II. We have no reason to apologize for this great country. America is not perfect, but because of our faith in God our creator who has endowed us with “…certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” and because of our Constitution we are the closest thing to perfection that has ever existed in the governing of men
2. I believe in God and He is the center of my life
I had a profound life-changing encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ in 1981 and have followed Him ever since. Prior to accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior, I was a selfish and self-centered individual who had no purpose in life. I was a user and a taker. Ever since my spiritual rebirth, I have learned to love God, to love myself and then to love others. I now have a purpose for living and it is to serve others while living by the 10 Commandments and the golden rule. Even though I am a Godly man, I still have feet of clay like everyone else and the knowledge of that keeps me from becoming self-righteous. I may not like the action of others, but I am to love them with the love of God.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
Honesty requires a moral framework and America’s moral framework comes from it’s Judeo-Christian beliefs. Honesty is one of the greatest attributes we can possess. It defines who we are. It let’s others know whether we are trustworthy. A dishonest man is a liar and cannot be trusted. It is a sad commentary on our nation, but the truth is that there are very few men and woman in the United States Congress who are trusted by the American public. I live my life everyday as a man of integrity and honesty and if elected to Congress, I pledge to help restore American’s faith in Congress.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
I have five children from ages 10 to 19 and my children do not look to the government for their authority they look to me. The primary role God has given me is to take care of my children. To feed and clothe them, put a roof over their heads and to protect them. But more then that, I am charged by God to give them the love, nurture, guidance and discipline they need to grow up as healthy human beings. So many children today have skewed and misshapen personalities because of the lack of Godly caring parents in their lives. Our juvenile centers, jails and prisons are full of them. Even though I am divorced, I am a single parent to my three youngest children and I take that responsibility very seriously. I give you my word that I will never vote on legislation that in anyway encroaches on the life of you and your family.
5. If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
We have the greatest legal system in the world. And even though it is not perfect, it is still the best. I will always fight to see to it that the law remains blind and that it provides equal justice for all. It bothers me that there are so many men and women in the banking industry and on Wall Street who broke the law and are responsible for this economic meltdown that is affecting our entire nation. As a U.S. Senator, I would fight to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those responsible for this economic disaster.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
The Declaration of Independence says “…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. Even though we are all created equal, and we are all guaranteed the same Rights, we are not guaranteed equal results. The results will for the most part depend on our skills and abilities and our willingness to work hard and to save and invest. The degree of our success also has to do with the favor of God.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whom I want to. The government cannot force me to be charitable.
I do believe in a strong work ethic. I also believe in sharing with those who are less fortunate. I wouldn’t be where I am today if others had not willingly invested in my life. The saying that it is better to give than to receive. But the government has no constitutional authority to determine if or how much I give. That is one of the fundamental problems with the 16th amendment. The government is taking part of my income and then giving it to others who I do not believe deserve it and in some cases it violates my conscience. That is why I believe we should implement the Fair Tax then repeal the 16th Amendment.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
The First Amendment to the Constitution gives all Americans the Right to freedom of speech; of the press; of peaceable assembly and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievance. This is one of the most important rights we have and yet more and more we see the government infringing on these rights with the concept of political correctness and with the racial double standard that exist is this country. The Reverend Jeremiah Wright is a perfect example of this double standard. He can spew vile racist remarks from the pulpit with impunity yet if a White pastor were to say the same thing about Blacks they would be arrested for hate speech and lose their tax-exempt status.
9. The government works for its citizens. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
We are reminded in the Gettysburg address that ours is a government of the people, by the people, for the people, and yet how quickly do our elected officials forget that they work for us, not the other way around. Most of them do not have the spiritual or emotional maturity not to succumb to the intoxicating allure of the power that has been entrusted to them and before long they have become obstructions to the Rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The Declaration of independence goes on to say “That to ensure 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 foundations on such principles and organinizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
12 Values
1. Honesty: Honesty is one of the most fundamental of all human values. It determines whether we are trustworthy or not. It is sad to say that we live in a time when honesty among our political leaders is a rarity. Instead of people saying what they mean and meaning what they say, all we get out of Congress is spin and political correctness. I pledge to the American citizens that I will always be a man of my word and that they can always depend on me to say what I mean and mean what I say.
2. Reverence: Reverence toward God is foundational. It is the wellspring from which our other values flow. When we reverence God then we respect his authority and we desire to live by his Commandments.
3. Hope: Hope is a joyful, confident expectation of our future and it is based on a belief in a loving God and the belief that god will conquer evil. I have hope that regardless of the darkness of this hour that America is facing, that the men and women of faith will pray and be willing to take a stand for righteousness sake.
4. Thrift: Thrift is a basic fundamental of prosperity. Congress has become so corrupt that they have abandoned these very basic principles of prosperity. Consequently we have a deficit of over a trillion dollars and our national debt which exceeds 11 trillion dollars. I pledge to reign is spending and do everything in my power to eliminate the deficit and the national debt. By mandating immediate national energy reform to include, nuclear, drilling for our own oil and natural gas, wind, solar etc., we can save the 600 billion dollars a year that we give to our enemies and we can create many jobs that will help revitalize our economy.
5. Humility: Humility is a word that has lost its meaning in the U.S. Congress because only those who truly believe in God almighty can evidence a spirit of humility. From the day that I bowed my knee to the King of the Universe, I understood true humility. I understood that I am nothing without Him but that with God on my side that nothing was impossible and that in the end He is the only one worthy of praise, glory and honor. I pledge to always humble myself under the mighty hand of God and to consider it a divine honor to serve Him and His people.
6. Charity: I believe that it truly is “…more blessed to give than to receive.”and we are instructed by the Holy Scriptures that “Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.” It is the individual’s responsibility to give to the need of others and not the governments responsibility.
7. Sincerity: It is important that leaders demonstrate that they are sincere in wanting to truly serve their constituents. They can do this by spending time with their constituents and really listening to them and their suggestions. Then they can show their sincerity by working hard to accomplish the greater good for those they represent while staying true to their core principles and the Constitution of the United States.
8. Moderation: I believe in living a moderate lifestyle. As leaders, we are to live our lives as examples to our children and to the world that is constantly watching us.
9. Hard Work: I believe in hard work and it is obvious that Americans are some of the hardest working people on the face of this earth and that is one of the reasons whey we are the most prosperous nation on earth. The free market economy rewards hard work and creativity allowing us to pass on to our children a quality of life. From the time I was eight years old I was working selling newspapers to make money. My mother instilled in me a hard working ethic. As your U.S. Senator, I pledge that I will work as hard or harder then any Senator in Congress for my constituents and my country.
10. Courage: I have survived one of the harshest environments on the planet. I understand what courage is all about and there is no one I fear but God almighty. I will stand and I will confront evil wherever I find it whether it be an individual, a party or a special interest group. I pledge to fight to my last breath to defend the constitution of the United States.
11. Personal Responsibility: I absolutely believe in personal responsibility. As your U.S. Senator I want you to hold me personally responsible to do everything in my power to fight for the freedoms guaranteed to us by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and the Amendments. I believe that every able bodied American should be responsible for themselves and that it is not the government’s role to take from one person and give to another.
12. Gratitude: I love the United States of America and I cannot express in words how grateful I am to have been born a citizen of this great country. Not only because of the freedoms to which my citizenship entitles me, but to the hope that it gives to the billions of people all over the world who hunger for such freedom.
Posted by Jacob Roecker on July 15, 2009 under 9/12 Candidates |
About Adam (from KokeshforCongress.com):
While Adam was attending the Native American Preparatory School in San Ysidro, New Mexico, one of his mentors was a former Marine Captain who inspired him to enlist in the United States Marine Corps at the age of seventeen. After graduation, he went to boot camp, an experience he has described as “an enjoyable challenge.” He completed Marine Combat Training at Camp Pendleton, the Cannon Crewman Course at Fort Sill, then reported to his reserve unit in Pico Rivera, California in order to attend Claremont McKenna College.
While majoring in Psychology and Government at CMC, Adam volunteered to go to Iraq in December of 2003. As a principled non-interventionist, he didn’t think the war was going to be worth the cost or in America’s best interest, but believed that after the invasion, rebuilding constituted a “responsible foreign policy.” After an arduous application process, Corporal Kokesh was accepted for transfer to the 3rd Civil Affairs Group. When he left for Iraq in February of 2004, he was enthusiastic about the mission, and believed that he would be risking his life to help the Iraqi people and make America safer.
During his service in Fallujah, Adam was promoted to Sergeant and awarded a Combat Action Ribbon and Navy Commendation Medal. But his frustration with getting the resources necessary for the Civil Affairs mission led him to question the premises of the occupation. After coming home and successfully dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Adam took some time to gain perspective on his experience. He realized that, “the greatest enemies of the Constitution to which I swore an oath to support and defend, are not to be found in the sands of some far off land, but rather occupying the seats of power, right here at home!”
After receiving an honorable discharge in November of 2006, Adam moved to Washington, DC to pursue a master’s degree in Political Management at George Washington University. Since then, he has taken it upon himself as an activist to continue to honor his oath to the Constitution and the principles of liberty behind it.
Adam is personally committed to using his life to make the world a better place. By speaking out, he is pulling people out of their bubbles where, “they don’t consider things that don’t immediately effect their quality of life or the moral implications of their actions.” Driven by a deep intolerance for injustice, Adam has also done extensive work to alleviate, minimize, and prevent the human suffering that inevitably arises from forceful government intervention.
In addition to addressing the kind of suffering he experienced first-hand in Fallujah, he has organized to help veterans struggling with PTSD, railed against 4th Amendment violations, and stood up against the Federal Reserve. He never loses sight of the long-term goal of inspiring a new commitment to the ideals of liberty so that we may embrace a truly free society in which the aggressive use of force is not tolerated, and the blessings of liberty are shared by all.
Adam is a great patriot. He’s strong enough to stand for what he sees, though a casual reader will read this and might label Adam as something less than what he is, he will remain a man of convictions, and come what may it is this editor’s opinion that the quorum of 9/12 Candidates now has within its body another “Man for All Seasons.” Adam’s campaign will continue to make strides forward. If you’d like to contribute, you’ll have to visit his website. Links to his campaign are below.
More Information
Contract || KokeshForCongress || Facebook || Twitter || MySpace || YouTube
All readers are welcome to comment on this particular announcement or offer further information using the comment feature below. Often times (though not always) the candidate will also use the forum to respond. Please express yourself with civility, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Posted by Jacob Roecker on July 10, 2009 under Updates |
We’ve made some large strides recently, but this past week things have been rather quiet. That generally means that there’s work being done behind the scenes and it’ll come forward in time. In fact, there’s been a considerable amount of discussion behind the scenes with a very prominent campaign out of New Mexico. I’m not at liberty to say more than that, but with a bit of research I’m sure you can find out who we’ve been working with.
New Mexico is just one front in finding 9/12 Candidates our state coordinators are making progress across the country. California had two back-to-back announcements near the holiday weekend, Pennsylvania is well organized and working with 9/12 organizations across their state, and Texas is working with a few candidates in the Lone Star State. This may have you thinking that everything is going well, and that YOU aren’t needed. That’s far from true. In fact, we’re more than a bit behind on the number of people we need to make 9/12 Candidates a household name.
Let’s take a look at what we’re doing. We’re trying to find candidates who represent the values we pass on to our children and the legacy our parents have passed on to us. History books are rarely written about families. They tend to be written about governments, and this government will write the history books for the coming generations (the books our kids and grandkids will learn from). We’ve learned about “the greatest generation,” soldiers in the Civil War, and our founding fathers. The legacy of those generations was a strong influence on my upbringing, and I imagine it was a strong influence on yours as well.
This generation will have a legacy, and you do have some say about how that is written. Great things start small. In the “small” stage it’s best to determine the merits of the cause, the course ahead, and the end-state.
Values don’t expire, so I don’t think this organization has an end-state.
The course ahead involves political activity. The politically active groups for the past 60+ years have been left-ward leaning. If we’re not active, ‘they’ will be. Cap and trade had 300 pages added at the last minute. Those 300 pages included $1,000,000,000,000 worth of “bribes” from the negotiations that went on behind the scenes to get signatures. (no one’s been asking yet who’s going to pay for this added cost). They also included carefully worded phrases that will make the bill difficult (if not impossible) to fight in court.
We’ve been in the small stage for months now. I think these principles and values are worth having. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here.
Now is a good time to decide how you want your generation to be remembered. Treat this like the next American Revolution. I’m not asking you to leave your family or take up arms against your countrymen, but go out boldly and articulate yourself. Visit a neighbor. Talk about the issues. Tell them what we’re doing.
I know politics is an “unpopular” subject–Where did you hear that from? Have you noticed that the bills going through congress are thousands of pages long? One reason for it is that it keeps the public from being informed. They don’t want us to know what they’re doing in OUR government. Then, when you ask them to explain their vote they start by saying, “well, it’s complicated…” Have you ever bothered to ask WHY it’s so complicated? Have you ever bothered to wonder why a bill needs thousands of pages? Why do YOU need to be regulated by thousands of pages? You live according to principles. Someone doesn’t tell you how to help your neighbor; you go to your neighbor and ask if you can help. The people in power (not all of them, but most) think they’re better than you. They think they’re of the elite class that knows more. They think you’re stupid. They make it hard for you to learn about your government by making it complicated, then they tell you “you’re not smart enough to understand.”
Well, why did it need to be complicated? What isn’t complicated about our government is down-played. How many of the “elitist mentality” pass out pocket constitutions? The constitution isn’t hard to understand, and the Declaration of Independence says that my rights come from God, not from the Government. That’s a real easy concept. They are intentionally down-playing the simplicity of our system, complicating it, so they can come back and tell you a lie to make you “feel” like they’re taking care of you. “Oh, you wouldn’t understand….”
If we let this persist our nation will be lost. Maybe we should tell people that if they insist on telling others that it’s unpopular to talk about your government, that they’re a part of the problem. David McCullough wrote in his book on John Adams how the taverns of the day were full of people discussing their government. Look what happened! When you had an informed public (nearly ¼ of them had Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”) you created the greatest republic on the earth. By NOT talking about this we draw further and further away from being educated enough to DO something, and now is the time for doing.
I’m not going down without fighting, and I hope you wont either. Commit to promoting what we’re doing. Invite your friends to this facebook group. Talk about what you believe in! Why should you be shy about it? The atheists have it so they’re beliefs are taught in our schools. Why are your beliefs of less value then theirs? Free speech isn’t our first amendment for progressives. It’s for everyone. Commit this week to doing more than you did last week.
I’d like my generation to be remembered as the “New Patriot Generation,” but it isn’t going to happen unless YOU do something. Re-think the system that tells you that you’re not good enough, or your too small, or you’ll never make a difference. Who told you those things? Our constitution begins with “We the people…” and that means that “We the people” are the solution. Isn’t it time we stepped up and reminded them?
Demand 9/12 Candidates! Do you deserve less? Do your neighbors? Unless you tell them to stand with you, they wont know where to stand. This week, get your neighbors involved—even the ones online.
Jacob Roecker
Citizen, Patriot, Veteran
http://912candidates.org
Posted by Jacob Roecker on July 6, 2009 under Inspiration |
Not long ago, I was introduced by a friend to Glenn Beck’s 9/12 Project which is, in his own words, “designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001.”
“The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the greatest nation ever created.”
I read the nine principles, distilled from the 28 founding principles of America described in the book “The 5000 Year Leap,” and 12 values of the 9/12 project and thought to myself, “This is what I believe.”
A patriot named Jacob Roecker came up with the idea of making the 9/12 principles and values into a pledge that candidates would be asked to sign, thereby committing themselves to upholding its contents in the exercise of their public duties should they be elected. I signed the pledge immediately and put a banner on my blog to show my support for Jacob’s efforts.
He has asked each of the candidates to present their 9/12 platform as a confirmation of what the principles and values mean to them. I hope this gives you some insight into what I believe and why I am arming myself for battle in 2010.
Glenn Beck encourages us by saying the liberal elites who disrespect our nation’s founding principles are not the majority:
“Do you watch the direction that America is being taken in and feel powerless to stop it?
“Do you believe that your voice isn’t loud enough to be heard above the noise anymore?
“Do you read the headlines everyday and feel an empty pit in your stomach…as if you’re completely alone?
“If so, then you’ve fallen for the Wizard of Oz lie. While the voices you hear in the distance may sound intimidating, as if they surround us from all sides—the reality is very different. Once you pull the curtain away you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak. The truth is that they don’t surround us at all.
“We surround them.”
The 9/12 Principles
America Is Good.
In recent decades, it’s become fashionable to find fault with America and reject her unique place in world history. Our current president is the personification of this fault-finding. Every atrocity committed against us or others is offset by some sin America committed to prompt the initial atrocity. American exceptionalism is denied in the name of “world citizenship.”
To quote Newt Gingrich at the recent Maryland Red, White and Blue dinner, “I am not a citizen of the world. I am a citizen of the United States of America.” We are not a perfect nation, but there is no other nation on earth where people can worship their God with abandon and without fear, where the central founding principle is the dignity and worth of each individual, and where the practice of personal and economic liberty has unleashed a flood of unprecedented wealth that makes even our poor the envy of millions around the world.
We are a magnet and a beacon to people around the globe, not because we are like everyone else but because we are unlike anyone else. I have always been proud of my country, I was honored to serve and represent her as an officer in our armed forces, and the identity politics I choose to practice labels me an American and a patriot.
I believe in God and He is the center of my life.
What we put first in our lives governs everything that comes after it – our thoughts, our words, our deeds, the way we interact with and make sense of the world. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and made him the Lord of my life, so he is first, last and everything to me.
I know that’s not a popular stand to take these days and some might even consider me intellectually or mentally deficient as a result. I’m fine with that because I allowed my mind and heart to be open to the evidence that Christ is who He said He is, and He revealed Himself to me. No one can take that away from me. He gives me peace and purpose in this life and eternity with Him in the next.
That said, people of other faiths and non-believers have nothing to fear from me or any of my fellow Christians for that matter. From the beginning, our God was and is a God of liberty; we are free to accept or reject Him for He wants our love for Him to be genuine, not programmed or coerced. Christians honor and defend our liberty because it has allowed our faith to thrive in America unlike any other place on earth. I believe other faiths would agree that America is a haven for them as well.
I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
Today’s citizen is justifiably cynical about politicians and their honesty. The years I’ve lived prior to my first run for public office have shown me the value of authenticity and, no matter what else is said of me, I hope people will say that I’m real, that there is no pretense about me. Authenticity requires less energy to maintain because it’s who you are, not who you pretend to be.
The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
The trilateral construct of the family – mother, father and children – is the foundation of civilization. While I will always have compassion for those who, through no fault of their own, do not enjoy the benefits of having both parents in the home, I will defend the family against deliberate efforts by government or society to undermine its authority and viability.
I am empowered to make the choices for my family, especially my children, and the state will not raise them nor teach them the selfish, hedonistic, and rudderless so-called values so prevalent today. That is a task assigned to me by God and I take it seriously when government tries to interfere with my familial duties.
If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
Leviticus 19:15 says, “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.” I believe in justice that places the rule of law above mob rule, the tyranny of the majority, or favoritism toward or bias against a particular group of people because of who they are or their station in life. The rule of law is fundamental to our system of government because it is what ensures the minority in our country of equal protection.
I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
There is no liberty without life, and the pursuit, not the guarantee of happiness, is the reward of liberty. That means I will defend life at all its stages so every human being has a shot at living in liberty and pursuing their dreams.
Family, faith, charity, commerce and community exist to support our pursuit of happiness and also to help us when we fall to get back up again. Government should confine itself to national security, public safety, public infrastructure and the administration of justice. If it did only a few things but did those well, we would be a better and freer nation for it.
Life was never meant to be without failure or adversity, for it is in failure that we learn and grow stronger, and in adversity that we learn the value of community. The heavy hand of government and its insistence on equal outcomes disrupts the natural process of maturity, sentencing us to childlike dependence and mediocrity born of a lack of motivation or incentive.
If I am beholden to someone else for my well-being, I no longer have liberty and that makes me a slave. I refuse to exchange my liberty for security because even security can be taken away once I’m at the mercy of someone else.
I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whom I please. Government cannot force me to be charitable through complicated schemes for distribution of wealth.
Studies consistently show that we conservatives are exceedingly generous compared to our liberal counterparts who fully believe charity should be forced upon us by government. They accuse us of being greedy for wanting to keep more of our own money but the facts are 1) it’s ours in the first place, not the government’s and 2) we understand the value of charity and community in a free society and give more of our time, talent and treasure to worthy causes than anyone else in the world.
Besides, private charity is more effective, efficient and compassionate at the point of individual need than a bureaucratic, inefficient government for which charity is an inappropriate function and one for which it is ill-designed.
The fact we choose the causes that are deserving of our gifts, and that those choices might not be someone else’s, is yet another benefit and consequence of liberty. Perhaps if liberals gave to the causes they believed in rather than demanding government extortion of their fellow citizens, they might find more personal satisfaction and their causes might actually thrive.
It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinions.
Liberals are taking hypocrisy to new heights by attacking us for our criticism of President Obama. “We’re not giving him a chance to prove himself,” the narrative goes, “particularly given the mess of the past eight years he inherited.” It’s the tail end of that comment that illustrates their audacity.
The left has been screeching with veins bulging from their necks about President Bush since the Supreme Court halted the recount in Florida, and the terror attacks of 9/11 gave him only a temporary respite from their vitriolic attacks. They can’t even let go now that he’s gone; everything they’re dealing with was “inherited.” Give it a rest, OK? Every President inherits the workload of his predecessor, the good and the bad.
Besides, this President has spent more in the early part of his term that any President in history and is projected to add a breathtaking $9 trillion to the debt. All the previous administrations combined contributed over $11 billion to the debt so he is destined to be the single biggest spender ever to roam the White House by several orders of magnitude.
He is dictating industrial policy, firing CEOs and determining executive pay, and taking ownership of our auto industry and financial institutions. He is rewarding the unions with the remains of the auto companies they helped run into the ground. He is using government to sanction the killing of unborn children worldwide. He is pushing hate crimes legislation to create a protected class of people based solely on sexual orientation, making them “more equal” than others. He is traveling the world apologizing for America while the blood of her children cries out from the soil of Europe, Japan, Iraq and other nations we’ve saved from tyranny and placed on the road to liberty and prosperity.
And we’re supposed to keep quiet? I don’t think so. Disagreement with authority is enshrined in our Declaration of Independence and protected in the First Amendment of our Bill of Rights. You will have to pry the microphone out of my cold, dead hands before you take away my right to express myself freely.
The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
Our elected officials look down on us and that’s backwards. They depend on us for their livelihood and influence and I will not tolerate them treating me or my fellow citizens like serfs. Government is our servant, not our master, and it’s time for us to push back and assert our authority over those we grant the privilege to govern.
12 Values
Honesty – Be true to yourself and others. Say you don’t know if you don’t know. Don’t tap dance.
Reverence – Love God, love your neighbor as yourself, and see the divinity in both. Show devotion to your country and its ideals.
Hope – Policy must always appeal to our innate optimism and can-do spirit, not our fears. Too many of us are cynically manipulated to look at the past and present with bitterness rather than to the future with hope.
Thrift – Spend no more than you take in, spend wisely and monitor for predetermined outcomes that deliver the most good for the most people. Kill programs that do not work. Protect the taxpayer and let him and her keep as much of their hard-earned family funds as possible.
Humility – I am a servant of the people. I will show them the utmost respect and deference and will not succumb to the temptation to behave like a pompous jerk just because I have a title.
Charity – The secret to a life well lived is not to hoard its blessings for yourself but to pour them out onto others. God will continue to bless you as you bless others. Be generous with your own money, but stingy with the taxpayer’s money.
Sincerity – Be authentic and always approachable.
Moderation – Conservatism is, at its heart, prudence and restraint over impulse and emotion. Go slow – every policy you enact has unintended consequences and an impact on real lives.
Hard Work – A campaign is an extended job interview and an election is the offer letter extended to the best interviewee. Don’t be a bust on the job. Give the people your best so you can leave office knowing you left it all on the field.
Courage – Courage is being afraid and pressing ahead anyway. Don’t let fear of reprisals or being disliked keep you from doing the right thing.
Personal Responsibility – Liberty isn’t possible without self-government, and self-government isn’t possible without continuous learning, situational awareness and active involvement in your community and the affairs of state. My responsibility is not only to my liberty, but to the liberty of others.
Gratitude – We can’t change the past, nor can we predict the future. We have the miracle of the moment and we should be thankful we are alive because it means God still has something great for us to do for Him today. We should be about His business.
Posted by Jacob Roecker on July 3, 2009 under 9/12 Candidates |
Former Undersheriff Jay LaSuer has been a California Peace Officer for thirty-one years. Born January 24, 1940, in Hutchinson, Kansas, Jay grew up in San Diego and El Cajon. After graduating from El Cajon High School, Jay enlisted in the United States Army where he proudly served his country in the 101st Airborne Division. He was honorably discharged in 1961. Jay is married to his wife of forty-five years, Lynn. They have two daughters, and three grandchildren.
Jay joined the San Diego Police Department in 1961. In 1967 Jay resigned from the San Diego Police Department to attend San Diego State University. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration in 1969. Jay joined the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department in 1970. He advanced through the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain and ultimately obtained the rank of Undersheriff. He served as the Undersheriff for four years until he retired in 1994. During his twenty-five year tenure with the Sheriff’s Department, Jay attended and graduated from the FBI National Academy.
In 1990, Jay successfully ran for the La Mesa City Council where he served for ten years subsequent to his election to the California State Assembly in 2000.
Jay honorably served six years in the California State Assembly representing the Seventy-Seventh Assembly District from 2000 to 2006. While serving the 77th District, Jay received many awards and recognitions:
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS:
- Legislator of the Year, Crime Victims United of California.
- Legislator of the Year, California State Sheriff’s Association.
- Legislator of the Year, Golden Badge Foundation, California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations.
- Legislative Leadership Award, Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
- Legislator of the Year, California Association of Behavior Analysis.
- Assemblyman of the Year, California Rifle and Pistol Association.
- Samuel Adams Award for Outstanding Leadership, Local Government Council.
- Member of Distinction Award, Boy Scouts of America.
- Elected Official of the Year, California Independent Grocers & Convenience Stores.
- Golden Mouse Technology Hero Award, Technology Training Foundation of America.
- Legislator of the Year, San Diego County Republican Party.
- Legislator of the Year, California Off-Highway Motor Vehicles Recreation Program.
- Legislator of the Year, ABATE of California.
- Legislator of the Year, Associated Builders and Contractors.
Of all of the awards above, Jay is particularly proud of the Legislator of the Year award from the California State Sheriff’s Association.
More Information
Contract || Campaign Website || FaceBook
Posted by Jacob Roecker on July 2, 2009 under 9/12 Candidates |
Benjamin Paul Gifford was born in San Diego, California in February of 1977, the second of three boys: Matthew, Benjamin and Micah. The Gifford boys were raised in Lemon Grove, California near San Diego by their parents Dale and Marsha. Dale was and remains a Church of Christ minister, and Marsha assisted in making ends meet by arranging travel plans for Christian missionaries around the world.
In 1992 the Gifford family moved to Torrance, California where Ben’s father took on a new pastoral position with the Hermosa Beach Church of Christ. During these years Ben attended South Torrance High School where he was active as the captain of the football team, soccer team, baseball team, and involved with student government. Gifford’s accolades included Homecoming King, Athlete of the Year, and Class Vice-President. Ben graduated from South High in 1995 and gave the keynote speech at the graduation ceremony. Thereafter Ben attended the University of California at Berkeley on a baseball scholarship and earned his B.A. in American Studies in 2000.
Directly out of college and with a desire to serve his country, Ben joined the United States Marine Corps. He graduated Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia on August 11, 2000 and was later commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on December 15, 2000. Shortly after he finished the Basic School the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks occured and Ben checked into his first duty station at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina joining up with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. As an infantry platoon commander Gifford led Marines into combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. During Ben’s first tour in Iraq he served with Task Force Tarawa and saw significant combat in March of 2003 while serving in An Nasiriyah, Iraq. Gifford’s reputation within the Marine Corps as a reliable, sturdy, inspiring and steadfast officer during combat operations prompted his commanders to elevate his leadership role by giving him command of “Task Force Sledgehammer” in 2005. This task force was composed of 90 infantry Marines armed with Light Armored Vehicles and Heavy Gun Mounted Humvee’s. In total Gifford did three tours in support of the Global War on Terrorism earning two Combat Action Ribbons, two Navy Commendation Medals, an Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and National Defense Medal.
Ben began his final tour with the Marine Corps in 2006 while with the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, California where he served as a company commander for entry level Marines. It was during this time that Ben’s younger brother Micah was killed in action near Baghdad, Iraq while serving with the 3-509th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the United States Army. Micah was 27 years old when he was killed on December 7, 2006.
After Micah’s death Ben decided he wanted to get involved in politics and make a difference in Washington. In 2008 Ben felt he had witnessed the nation turn its back on the conservative principles that so many had fought and shed blood for. The preservation of the Judeo-Christian principles in what he considered the greatest nation on earth and the deeply rooted optimism that great men like Ronald Reagan had ingrained in Ben at a young age were in need of a breath of fresh air; renewed conservative conviction- not fundamental change.
Ben was accepted to Pepperdine School of Law in March 2008 while still in the Marine Corps and was subsequently honorably discharged at the rank of Captain after 8 years of service on August 5, 2008. Ben will graduate from Pepperdine School of Law in May of 2011 and is emphasizing Constitutional Law under the guidance of great conservative thinkers like Dean Ken Starr and Professor Grant Nelson. Ben has also served as a research assistant to Adjunct Professor and renowned conservative mind, Bruce Herschensohn.
Ben is still madly in love with his wife Sara of 10 years and they have three children: Kaitlyn (6), Jonathan (4) and Madeline (-1 month). In his spare time Ben enjoys spending time with his family, surfing the beaches of Malibu, target shooting, and staying involved with the University Church of Christ at Pepperdine. Additionally, Ben is an avid San Diego Padres and California Golden Bears football fan. To become a member of the Gifford2012 team, please send your contact information to gifford2012@live.com and we will get back with you within 24 hours.
Contract
Posted by Jacob Roecker on under 9/12 Candidates |
Bernie Decastro, who is running for U.S Senate in the Great state of Florida, has signed our contract.
A father of five children, he states his most important role in life is that he is a good father to them, and to see that they grow up with the love of God in their hearts, for others and their self. He prides himself on teaching them the history of this great nation, and to appreciate all they have in this world. He has lived in Marion County since 1984.
His past is all but perfect, but he has turned it around for the better. He has founded the Florida Ex-Offender Reentry Coalition (www.feorc.org ), the Time for Freedom, Inc, which is a non-for profit organization to help teach and preach the gospel to prisoners and helps to provide services for reentry to them. Bernie was convicted of drug related crimes; however, after ten years of being on parole, he was issued a full pardon by then Florida Governor, Lawton Chiles.
In 2003, Bernie was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to be part of the Governor’s Statewide Faith-Based Advisory Board, and in 2006 he was again asked by Governor Bush to sit on the Governor’s Ex-Offender Task Force.
His stance on the issues are similar to those of the 9/12 followers, he is for sovereignty, limited government, term limits for Congress, closing our dependence for foreign oil, the Fair Tax, a strong immigration policy, he is Pro-life, and preserving our 2nd Amendment right to bear arms.
Bernie stands as a man of faith, and beliefs that share the same values you and I do. He is proven to be a converted man, that has changed his life for the better, and now he wants to do the same for Florida. He is proof that people can change for the better, if given the chance. Here is our chance to see that change!
A quote from him on his Facebook account on what he stands for:
“I believe that America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and it is the adherence to those principles that have made us the greatest nation on the face of the earth. I believe that capitalism is the greatest system but that we are currently on the verge of of moving from capitalism to socialism or fascism.”
Campaign Site || 9/12 Contract || Facebook || Twitter (Campaign) || Twitter (FEORC)
