How Anyone Can Know the Law & STAND UP!
We Must ALL Be Activists!
The biggest bullies in history are government and their minions “just doing their job”. Liberty is being violated by them as you read this. The world has laid down and now we must learn to stand again.
Since last weeks viral video a lot of folks are asking how they can learn the law and how they can stand up for their rights. I’m going to share what I’ve learned, for whatever it’s worth. Most of America will never read this, but if you do I hope it helps you stand.
Many think I’m a lawyer because I show up in a suit, cite laws or get bullies to back down. This is true only in that I stand up for law and justice. I’m simply a patriot who knows our rights and that we did not get them from government. That’s what nearly every stand I make is based upon. I record everything and I start educational conversations that raise accountability and awareness.
This is not legal council. I’m just a hard working American who buys Constitution’s a thousand at a time, shares what I’ve learned and I speaks when I can. — But what about laws? State, federal, local. What about lawyers intentionally bringing confusion. The truth is, it’s not as complicated as it seems. This is how I make my stands and why my arguments are simple, legal and pointed enough that the resulting conversations have forced government bodies to comply. I’ve manged to break this into 3 key components.
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Real Law!
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Conversations!
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Courage!
Real Law:
What I mean by this is our rights, the Constitution and the laws that are within those rights. All others are not law at all, but lawless.
#1: Rights are NOT a Gift from Government. Nor are they given by the Constitution. They are natural, God given and non-revokable. End or story. No law takes them away. They belong to us and WE must uphold them. That foundation changes the game. If we understand how precious those rights are we can begin to stand firmly and on solid ground that cannot be shaken by the latest legislation or government mandate that has no bearing on real law.
#2: The Constitution is ABSOLUTE Law FOR THEM. ANY law at ANY level of government that is in conflict with the Constitution is VOID. Read this again and study Federalist #78 is you think it’s not the foundation of America. The Constitution is not a law for us. It’s law for government. It’s the foundation of most of my legal discussions and knowing it is why I can debate on the fly without notes. Every citizen should all be able to do this. There’s loads of Federal, State and Local laws. But law is not what groups of legislators made up. The foundation of law is to protect our life, our liberty and our property. Laws the violate the Constitution or this foundation are void the moment they are written, no matter what man wrote them.
#3: The Other Laws. I often cite state laws or federal laws like 18 USC 242 (also 241), which prohibits government officials violating our rights under pretense of law. But I’m not a legal master and my memory is not great. See half the time when you see a government sign citing a law, the law listed has nothing do do with the sign. Look it up! — I know the foundation first and when I hear or see something that feels wrong, I’ll look at laws in my State or community (you do so easily online). For example in the incident I had in the courthouse. I sensed what they were doing was bogus, in part because I knew it conflicted with the Constitution and because I remembered hearing that there was a law about it. I literally looked it up on my cell phone on the courthouse lawn before walking in, then asked for the law to be followed. You don’t need a lawyer to learn about law. Sit down and start reading.
IMPORTANT! Study these and you’ll will have a better foundation of law than most lawyers.
- The US Constitution (or the one of your country.)
- The Law, by Frédéric Bastiat.
- The Second Treatise of Government, by John Locke.
The above are also available as audiobooks, so even the time constrained have no excuse. You can read them in a weekend. I always have a Constitution in my pocket and refer to it frequently. When you want to dig deeper I suggest you delve into The Federalist Papers, Blackstone, biblical history (regardless of your faith) and political philosophy on “government by the consent of the governed”. Some can be a bit laborious, but they give a great insight into the foundation of liberty. That said the few above will work wonders for your understanding in a short time.
Conversations:
The camera is perhaps our greatest weapon. Never put it down and make sure it’s ALWAYS ON before you stand (you can read my tips on filming here). I talk a lot about the conversation and believe it’s critical. Exposing truth is critical not only to making tyrants comply, but for protecting yourself. I also use the conservation during my encounters to keep things on track. Here’s how.
#1 Control the Conversation. My goal is to publicly expose corruption and help others wake up. I stay on message, I stay focused and I do my best to not distraction in. The first thing a bully will try is to assert authority over you. The moment I come in contact with such an official, I flip that role. I take control of the conversation and I make it clear that I am the authority, not them. I’m not breaking the law, I don’t owe them an explanation and they work for me. It’s not relevant whether like it. I’m asking the questions, I’m enforcing my rights and I will not release control. Some will accuse me of being egotistical for this. That’s also irreverent. WE MUST assert our authority over corrupt government officials of they WILL trample us. By asserting my civic authority I not only make the conservation more clear, I protect myself. Bullies are afraid of me and that is critical.
#2: Firm & Principled: The truth is most people are afraid to speak out. If my approach above sounds a bit heavy, this is how I temper that. I am not afraid to put a disrespectful official in their place with absolute firmness. It’s not rude to demand respect from my employees. I also maintain a moral compass in this. I don’t lose my temper, I don’t swear, I don’t call names. That’s losing control of the conversation and it does not help. If you see me getting more aggressive it’s because I felt it was needed. I have never lost my temper in a video. We must have a foundation, a compass. My goal is not to hurt needlessly or to treat people badly. I defend liberty, period. If a public official responds well, I will let my guard down a bit and have a nice conversation. If they get aggressive, I will immediately address it and never cower to them. We must stand up to a bully.
#3: Stay Focused. This does take practice. But anyone can do it. It’s not an accident that I talk to viewers during an encounter. It helps educate and it helps me keep the focus where it belongs. It’s also not an accident that I’ll wear a suit or make a speech. I’m not rambling, I’m taking hold of the conversation. I see a lot of videos where people don’t know what to say and sometimes a lawless official gets a chance to distract or confuse. They generally use the same lame tactics. Knowing how to articulate is a big advantage and anyone can improve their skills by attending their local Toastmasters speaking club, where they can get comfortable speaking. Know your topic, stay on point and speak firmly always redirecting to the foundation and standing your ground.
Courage:
What courage I find has nothing to do with not being afraid and everything to do with necessity and principle. I start out on my knees, but I finish standing firmly on my feet.
#1: I’m Not So Courageous. Make no mistake. Standing up for liberty is risky. But laying down for tyranny is worse. Yes I am afraid. I get stressed. I don’t know what the outcome will be. There is no script here and that does not go away. — But once you stand up, lying down is like lying on a bed of nails and you’ll have to pick your battles, because you can’t fight them all. Once you’re awake, you see the lawlessness everywhere. If I jump into the fray I know I my back is against the wall and the only way out is forward. Liberty is worth the risk and I will not stand down.
#2: Always Prepared: If you know your rights and know how to speak them, your confidence increases exponentially. I’m not saying it’s easy. But the more of us that do this, the safer we become. One reason I jump in head first is because I’ve followed I the keys we talked about today. I know what I’m talking about, I know how to say it and I know it’s worth fighting for. You can do the same. I’m always prepared because I know the foundation of law and I always have that camera. And let me repeat. I ALWAYS start the camera before taking on a situation. I never leave home without a camera or recorder. No matter what I NEVER turn the camera off in an encounter.
#3: Foundations: The courage I find comes from knowing that if I don’t stand it will only get worse, that my children will pay the price of my cowardice. It comes from a foundation of principle and a belief in justice. But for me it comes most of all from getting on my knees before God and asking or his help to keep me safe, give me wise words and give me the courage I need. Not everyone will be into that last part, that’s your call. I’m just telling you how what I do. Let me just say that if you don’t have some kind of foundation for your stand it will be hard to find the courage and reason to make that stand.
So there it is in a nutshell. I’m doing what works. Some think my stands are pointless and scold me about a better way. Many call names. But I’m proud to stand principled enough that the statist minions, the tyrants and the political whores hate me. — To those who don’t like my approach. Show me your results and I will show you mine. Standing up works and we must start doing so with principle, courage and resolution. We need to put these tyrants in terror of liberty. We must stop letting the lawless define our rights. Now is the time to stand, perhaps your last chance. What will you do?
— Gav