Blog-IT-o ergo sum

	9/3/2004

Only in America!

Don't you think there is something worth talking about here? Foreign agents are coming to police our elections in November and now we find out that one of the chairs over this OSCE team is an impeached US federal judge and current sitting Democratic Congressman from Florida.

Now you would think that all might be newsworthy.

1:48:30 PM

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Never Follow One Leader

I think I need to share a story here:

On Sunday night I met the 72 year-old successful owner of Shatley Springs Inn - a famous tourist destination spot in Jefferson, NC near the VA and TN borders. He also owns a hotel and a lake marina. He is a self-made man of means and he has been very active in GOP politics for many years; county party chair, national convention delegate, etc, etc. He wanted to learn about the FTAA and these UN certified election monitors on the way. He is concerned about his country AND is willing to question the top leadership of his party. He was intrigued by the message I was carrying on not dissuaded by the logo on my business card.

The next evening he came out to a video showing on the FTAA we were having at the local library and joined 12 other people there. Six were from a Constitution Class being taught in the area and 2 were members of the LP who came on their own and were not contacted by me. They found out about the meeting from one other person in the crowd who had decided to see LP US Senate candidate Tom Bailey speak in the area a few weeks before.

Adding the Monday night video presentation to our discussion on Sunday, the owner of Shatley Springs was sufficiently inspired and went to work:

It had been previously arranged that I would give a brief 20 minute talk to a group of local Republicans who meet for lunch every Wednesday at his restaurant. I was told a typical crowd was 10-20 people. Well, I got there on Wednesday and there were 30 people including the County Sheriff, a County Commissioner, a State House member, the county chair for the State Senator running for the US House (who is expected to win in November) and the community liaison for the current US Congressman, Richard Burr who is now running for US Senate --- She had been invited that morning during a conversation with another GOP activist.

I spoke for close to an hour to a wholly attentive crowd. These people care about their country and what is happening to it. At the end, there were only two dissenters in the bunch, both Octogenarians (and man and a woman) who pointed out that we should not be talking about issues at this meeting when the immediate need is to focus on getting Republicans elected in November.

The old man was the first to speak after I finished my presentation. He asked me to sit down while he addressed the audience. I happily obliged him. He started by admonishing the crowd, "I have known the John Birch Society for over 40 years and I need to make clear to everyone here that the agenda of the John Birch Society is NOT the agenda of the Republican Party." He then offered this hackneyed rebuttal to my presentation, "Free trade is a good thing for our country. I think it is wonderful that I can go to the grocery store in the winter and buy fresh blueberries from Chile...International trade is a complex issue that is too difficult for us to fully understand. That is why we have to rely on our leaders in Washington like President Bush and Mr. Zollenick in our trade office to take care of these matters for us. They know far more than we do about these matters. They would never surrender the sovereignty of our nation."

Sensing his argument feel on less than responsive ears, I stood back up and responded politely, "This is not a John Birch Society issue. Please don't confuse the messenger with the message. In my company and career I participated in international trade for over 20 years. I know about some of the issues involved. I like my blueberries from Chile too, but let me point out that we are already getting blueberries from Chile without the FTAA. We simply can't integrate our economic and political systems throughout the hemisphere under an agreement like the FTAA and still have a United States of America at the end of the day." The crowd response was a general, "Here, here."

The old gentleman then reiterated his admonition that the focus must be on re-electing President Bush, then apologized that he had other commitments which required that he excuse himself from the room. (I later learned that this man is the former Lt. Governor of Kansas and current Watergate Apartments neighbor of his old friend Senator Bob Dole, who he served under as chief of staff.)

The group now less one member, a GOP newcomer to the mountains from the Wilmington coast area stood up with a story he said he felt he must share. He introduced himself as the owner of several successful businesses with one of them being a bed and breakfast on the beach run by his daughter and son-in-law. This summer they had the honor of being able to serve two guests who were both survivors of the Holocaust. He said the numbers of those who had been sent to the camps is shrinking rapidly now as age takes its toll and so they fully appreciated this increasingly rare opportunity to talk with someone with first hand experience of how utterly wrong the course of a nation can take. While his daughter and son-in-law were concerned about invading the privacy of their guests they did get the opportunity to delicately discuss some of what happened so many years ago now. Seeking advice they put their question delicately, "What is the most important thing you think people need to remember about what happened to you?"

Here is the answer no one in their GOP family can forget now: "Never follow one leader."

12:59:42 PM

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