Timothy Baldwin – A ‘Keener’ Whiff of Revolution

A ‘Keener’ Whiff of Revolution

Author: Timothy N. Baldwin, JD
Date: April 28, 2010
http://libertydefenseleague.com/2010/04/28/a-%E2%80%98keener%E2%80%99-whiff-of-
revolution/

Columnist, Alan Caruba, wrote a recent article entitled, “A Whiff of Revolution,” in which he
generally describes the people of the United States as being fed up and disgusted with federal
politics.[1] Caruba rightly compares the actions by the federal government (particularly under
Obama) to the actions by Great Britain just before the America Revolution, stating that “[i]t is
the antithesis of a nation of laws, a republic.” Caruba predicts that Americans will eventually
take this matter of freedom back into their own hands once again:

“If, between now and the midterm elections, the President and Congress pass the Cap-and-
Trade Act and an amnesty for illegal aliens, I SUSPECT THAT SOME AMERICANS MAY
NOT BE CONTENT TO SIT BY WHILE STATES AND THE COURTS WORK THEIR WAY
WITHIN THE CONSTITUTION. They will sense—and rightfully so—a despotism never before
associated with the presidency.” (emphasis added)

Caruba makes some valid points in his article and accurately describes a feeling of revolution
prevalent throughout the country. However, I believe that a more thoughtful analysis must be
attributed to what a real and successful revolution will compose.

First, I must observe what I believe to be an underlying presumption in Caruba’s prediction of

a revolution by the PEOPLE THROUGHOUT (all of) THE UNITED STATES. I have to assume
Caruba’s prediction of revolution takes place on a nation-wide scale (in all fifty states)
because he references “Americans” in general and simply leaves out the notion of “citizens of
individual States.” To me, Caruba portrays a revolution where by the union of fifty states stays
intact.

Caruba seems to indicate that if Obama signs into law certain bills (i.e. amnesty, Cap-and-
Trade, etc.—a sort of “crossing the line” point) then the people will instinctively or cognizantly
recognize they are under despotism and will respond accordingly, even without consideration
of their State government. I do not share this belief. Rather, I believe freedom’s revolution
will comprise of certain regions of the country under the leadership of certain states.

That the people (in whatever percentage is necessary to effectuate principles of freedom) in
all fifty states will recognize that they are under despotism is simply not true. Just take a look
at the last election and see who voted for the Obama—millions! Count these people out of any
revolution movement against a system that they not only support, but love.

On top of that, many millions of these people receive direct benefits from the federal
government and the system it has created: military, education, financial institutions,
employment, welfare, grants, contracts, etc. With this direct interest, a large number of
Americans will not participate in a revolution whatsoever. Thomas Paine recognized the same
during 1776 as to the types of people who remained loyal to Great Britain:

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Timothy Baldwin – A ‘Keener’ Whiff of Revolution

“INTERESTED MEN, who are not to be trusted; WEAK MEN who cannot see;
PREJUDICED MEN who will not see; and a certain set of MODERATE MEN,
who think better of the European world than it deserves…[The moderate men]
will be the cause of more calamities to this continent than all the other three.”[2]
(all-caps emphasis added)

Those classes of people exist today in large part, and we see its effect today. Immediately in
observation, we evidently find that a large number of coastal-west, mid-north and north-east
states will not participate in freedom’s revolution, because they will not consider themselves
to be under any sort of tyranny or despotism. They prefer (whether knowingly or not)
socialism, big government, elimination of state powers, status quo, etc. These states would
likely even preclude the possibility of a constitutional amendment some are advocating to
“roll back” the federal government.

Even among the “Tea Party” movement, the idea of revolution is not altogether shared. Many
of them simply believe that we should “vote the bumps out” or should use the (federal) court
system to “regain freedom.” This mentality shows that they are federal-government-risk
averse, likely and largely because they either believe that the federal government is “too
strong” to resist (they say, “look at the Civil War: the federal government will crush our
attempts to secede or resist them!”); that the federal laws are in fact supreme over state laws
and thus, we must change the federal government to restore freedom; or that the union must
be saved at all costs and so any State that resists and acts individually upon its own
sovereignty is foolish.

People who believe that freedom must be obtained through the federal system causing their
demise either will not likely consider themselves to live in despotism and revolt accordingly,
or will not consider resisting the federal government individually or with a “mob of
seditionists.”

I believe Caruba’s prediction involves a critical oversight regarding the state governments’
role in the revolution through its independent political power. One of the reasons that the
founding generation insisted that the States retain their borders, integrity and a large portion
of their sovereignty was to be able to resist federal encroachment and to govern themselves–
even without the federal government.

Human observation, experience and nature confirmed the need for a Constitutional
Confederated Republic to maintain smaller and more numerous and individual territories to
most effectively secure freedom for each body-politic. Each state served as an entity unto
itself to accomplish the ends of government.

So, what if a group of people live in a state where they have to contend not only with the
federal government but also with their state government? What will those people do who live
in a state where its state government assists the federal government in rounding up all those
who have “revolted” against the federal government? In such a State, what you mostly have
are a bunch of so-called seditionists who (to that State and the federal government) have
created an insurrection, rebellion or unlawful overthrow of government and who now have no
support from any internal government entity with the organization, force and rule of law for
its citizenry, police and state guard/militia. For those people, mere survival would be the
focus, not freedom.

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Timothy Baldwin – A ‘Keener’ Whiff of Revolution

Even if a state possesses people who understand they are living in despotism, they will likely
be so overwhelmed and overcome by the state and federal government–not to mention the
other people who view them as “terrorists”–that they will not be able to do what Caruba
suggests: that is, forget their state government and go forth with revolution.

Compare that scenario with people who live in a state where the state government not only
supports the revolution but also participates in and leads it. Caruba seems to suggest that
there will come a time (in the near future) where the court systems will not be the way to go,
and that the States will be wasting their time by using the court system as a tool of resisting
tyranny. He is correct. I believe we are essentially at that point already. Something more is
needed to protect freedom. Are all of the states doing that “something more”? Absolutely not.

A good indicator of which state governments will or may participate in the revolution is to
observe which states are proactively resisting the federal government now through their own
independent political process. Consider what some of the states are proactively doing to resist
federal encroachment. Consider the very character, nature and mentality of the state
government systems currently in place to get a better feel for which state governments will
remain Tories and which ones Revolutionaries.

Arizona: passed a bill declaring that Obama must prove that he is constitutionally eligible to
be President before Arizona will put him on the ballot in 2012;[3] signed into law its illegal
immigration bill, which provides for the internal protection and integrity of its borders,
culture, way of life and rule of law by enforcing state laws against illegal immigration.[4]
Certainly, Oklahoma and Texas should follow course.

Montana: led the way by signing into law the Firearms Freedom Act, which expressly
exempts certain gun manufacturing and purchasing within the state from federal
regulations.[5] The states that have followed: Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Arizona,
and Tennessee.

Idaho: expressly exempted its citizens from having to comply with the federal health care law
under protection and sanction of state law.[6] Virginia and Utah also signed into law this
same resistance to the federal health care law. Other states are working on it.

Oklahoma: among other federal-resistance laws introduced and passed, to introduce a bill
to create a State Militia for the expressed purpose of resisting the federal government and
“securing a Free State.”[7]

Alaska: passed a law denouncing and resisting the National ID Act which requires every
person in the United States to possess a federal identification for social and governmental
purposes. Alaska is joined by other states such as Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Montana, New
Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, etc.[8]

One need not be a political scientist, sociologists or philosopher to understand that the spirit
of revolution is not a national matter, but is a state matter; that the spirit of revolution is not
prevalent in every state, but only some states; and that it will not likely be successful in every
state without the support of that state government. It is for this reason (in part) that would-be
tyrants and are-tyrants hate the division of power, the independent and separate sovereignty
of states and decentralization. It is for this reason that we should love it.

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Timothy Baldwin – A ‘Keener’ Whiff of Revolution

If this upcoming revolution is just a bunch of individuals chaotically doing who knows what,
under the command of God knows who, having to fight state and federal tyrants as well as
neighbors, then the centralists/nationalists/globalists have accomplished what they have
attempted to accomplish since the tower of Babel by stripping away from the independent
and several bodies-politic the power and means by which they secure their own freedom,
liberty and rights.

However, I do not believe that is an accurate description of what the upcoming revolution will
be. Freedom’s revolution will consist of individual states that understand what freedom and
self-government are and what it means to protect that foundation.

I too smell the whiff of revolution, but the smell leads me on the trail of certain states.

EndNotes:

[1] Alan Caruba, A Whiff of Revolution, CanadaFreePress, (April 26, 2010), found at
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/22454

[2] Thomas Paine, Common Sense, Ed. Mark Phillip, (Oxford, NY, Oxford University Press,
1995) 25.

[3] Daniel Tencer, Arizona ‘birther’ bill forces Obama to show birth certificate, The Raw Story
(April 20, 2010) found at http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0420/arizona-bill-force-obama-
show-birth-certificate/

[4] Randal C. Archibold, Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration, New York Times
(April 23, 2010) found at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/politics/24immig.html

[5] http://firearmsfreedomact.com/

[6] Alex Newman, States, Legislators, and Citizens Resist ‘ObamaCare’, The New American
(March 22, 2010) found at http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/health-
care/3176-states-legislators-and-citizens-resist-obamacare

[7] Bill Waugh, Some Oklahomans want a state militia to resist Washington, ONDeadline,
(April 12, 2010) found at
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/04/some-oklahomans-
want-a-state-militia-to-resist-washington-/1

[8] Real ID Nullification Legislation,

http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/nullification/real-id/

Timothy Baldwin is an attorney from Pensacola, FL, who received his bachelor of arts
degree at the University of West Florida and who graduated from Cumberland School of Law
at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. After having received his Juris Doctorate degree

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Timothy Baldwin – A ‘Keener’ Whiff of Revolution

from Cumberland School of Law, Baldwin became a Felony Prosecutor in the 1st District of
Florida. In 2006, he started his own law practice, where he created specialized legal services
entirely for property management companies. Tim is a prolific writer/columnist and writes
for numerous publications, including The New American magazine. Tim is also an articulate
speaker relevant to freedom’s issues. Tim is an author of legal and political articles, and has
recently authored a book, which is to be released in the Spring of 2010, called Freedom For A
Change (published by Agrapha Publishing). Freedom For A Change explains, expounds and
analyzes the principles of freedom. Baldwin is involved in important state sovereignty
movement issues, including being co-counsel in the federal litigation in Montana involving
the Firearms Freedom Act, the likes of which is undoubtedly a pivotal and essential
ingredient to restoring freedom and federalism in the states of America. Baldwin believes that
the times require all freedom-loving Americans to educate, invigorate and activate the
principles of freedom within the States of America for ourselves and our posterity.

Web: http://libertydefenseleague.com/

Contact the author: tim@LibertyDefenseLeague.com

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