By Heather D<\/p>\n
Dear Illinois Patriots,<\/p>\n
When Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty formed just over a year and a half ago, our founding members recognized that our great country was ailing. Inspired by one of the few Statesmen of our time, people of all stripes have answered the call to action as we endeavor to reintroduce freedom into the political conversation. As with anything worth fighting for, winning requires sacrifice, determination, and action.<\/p>\n
As we move toward victory, we will experience highs and lows. In our first year, we saw 13 of our 19 Representatives cosponsor the Audit the Fed bill – an issue Congressman Paul has tried to bring to the forefront for over 30 years. Our work at the state level to stop Governor Pat Quinn’s proposed income tax increase last year was successful, and though the subject is sure to take center stage again, with a concerted effort, it is likely that we can defeat such a proposal once more.<\/p>\n
January 2010 saw the formation of the Illinois Legislative Committee. After some research and deliberation, the committee members zoned in on SB 2466, a bill that would make red light cameras in the state illegal, except in construction zones and railroad crossings. Members around the state held rallies, called legislators, and attended committee hearings on the subject; we assisted in bringing awareness to the public on this very important issue. Although it appears that SB 2466 has been kicked to the side this legislative session, it is a bill that we will continue to pursue.<\/p>\n
While we have made forward strides in our march toward liberty, we have experienced some setbacks. The U.S. House’s passage of ObamaCare and subsequent signing of the bill into law by the President is an assault on liberty that we cannot ignore. Many of our members and that of other liberty minded groups fought hard to stop this bill from becoming law, and through our efforts, we reignited the spirit of liberty in the hearts of many heretofore apathetic Americans. Despite our efforts, the Congress and President moved forward on this issue, ignoring the Constitution they swore to uphold and the outcry of the people they profess to represent.<\/p>\n
Those in D.C. would have you believe that this is a done deal. They would love nothing more than to have patriots like you and I – and the millions of regular Americans who rallied against this issue – return to apathy, feeling that our best efforts will never be enough. To be frank, this is precisely the sort of response that Washington has seen in the past, and it is precisely what they believe they can count on today. In years past, they could count on the populace to hang their heads in defeat – ignore the voting booth and the halls of Congress – allowing them to move us further away from freedom unchecked and unopposed.<\/p>\n
Those who claim to serve us are in for a very rude awakening this time around.<\/strong> Resistance is not futile; the Constitution is not just a piece of paper, and the awakened giant will not go back to sleep.<\/p>\n Within moments of the President signing the bill into law, 13 States’ Attorneys General filed suit<\/a> in court with Virginia Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli, filing a separate suit, bringing the number of states fighting this in court to 14. As of now, reports are that 38 states are working on legislation in opposition to this federal power-grab, with Idaho and Virginia leading the way, having already passed such legislation through both Houses and having their bills signed into law.<\/p>\n While citizens in Illinois can take heart knowing that other states are taking up this issue, to rely on others to ensure our freedoms is precisely what got our country into the condition it is in today. With freedom comes responsibility, and in order to secure it, we must work for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n In the coming days and weeks, the Campaign for Liberty in Illinois will be devising our plan to fight this atrocity. In the meantime, I hope you will take some time to write our Representatives to express disapproval to those who voted against liberty<\/a>. You can find your Representative by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition to contacting your representative, please be sure to continue bringing attention to this very important issue by blogging, writing letters to the editor – and perhaps most importantly, locating and recruiting more supporters to our cause. Get to know your neighbors – the need for networking and educating others has never been so great. If you are not yet signed up at the Campaign for Liberty site as a Local Coordinator, please consider doing so now. You can find more information on this very important position by clicking here<\/a>. Once you have signed up as a Local Coordinator, be sure to complete the training that is supplied through your user dashboard – this training is an invaluable resource in arming us with the tools we need to win.<\/p>\n Be sure to check the Illinois Profile found here<\/a>, and our Twitter page found here<\/a> for all the latest updates and breaking news concerning our state. Finally, if you don’t yet have a user account, please consider getting one now. Signing up for a user account ensures that you will receive all of the latest news as it breaks and supplies you with networking tools that will assist you as you work toward reclaiming lost freedoms at the local, state and national levels. To sign up for a user account, please click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For Liberty,<\/p>\n Heather Danielowski
Interim Illinois State Co-Coordinator
Campaign for Liberty<\/p>\n