END the FED Rallies in Bozeman and Helena November 22nd!

END the FED, Nov 22, 2009 Nationwide Action – Hope some of you can GO!!

Ron Paul began with Audit the FED HB 1207 now S 604
http://www.ronpaul.com/on-the-issues/audit-the-federal-reserve-hr-1207/
http://www.ronpaul.com/
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/

Action network here: http://endthefedusa.ning.com/

Demonstration Rally In Helena: Sunday, November 22, 2009, 11-11:30am in Hill Park across the street from the Federal Reserve Bank, 100 Neill Avenue, Helena, Montana.
http://www.meetup.com/End-The-Fed/members/4388204/

Demonstration Ralley in Bozeman: Sunday, November 22, 2009, 11am-5pm, at the Downtown Courthouse, 411 East Main Street, Bozeman, Montana.

http://endthefedusa.ning.com/events/bozeman-montana-end-the-fed

More Information:

Rally Promo Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-cR0i2YP3A
Ron Paul NYC FED March:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bRaC-pDV1k

NEW: End The Fed! Nationwide Rallies:
http://www.meetup.com/End-The-Fed/messages/7820818/
http://www.endthefed.us/
http://www.restoretherepublic.net/

Thanks Lark and Pamela for the tip!

As a side note – a “Resources” Page has been started at The Montana Conservative!  The idea is to have contact information for Government Officials at all levels at your fingertips, as well as ways to get the best and latest news, social networks, and anything else that will help you be more informed with less effort!  It is under construction at the moment, but at least most of the Government Officials contact information is already there!  You can just go to the tab marked “Resources” at the top of the page, or click the link below:

http://montanaconservative.wordpress.com/resources/

Thanks all!

Celebrating Conservatism’s 1st Anniversary Meeting!

Congratulations to ALL of you.  In December of 2008, this group started with about 25 people, and there were approximately 600 people that showed up for Sheriff Mack in November – WOW!

So – this “2nd Amendment Celebration” will be a PARTY!! As usual, the event is no cost, and donations are greatly appreciated to continue hosting these excellent meetings!

First, there will be a Chili Cook-Off! Details to follow as they become available.  As usual, there is a Potluck, so bring Chili, Salad, Corn Bread, Side Dish, or Dessert.

Second, we have a Country and Western BAND for your entertainment!

Third, our excellent speakers include Gary Marbut of Missoula, MT and Schaeffer Cox, of Fairbanks, AK, starting at 6:45pm!!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

EARLIER Start Time:  5:00pm!!

Location: First Interstate Building, Ravalli County Fairgrounds, 100 Old Corvallis Road (NE Corner of Fairgrounds Road), Hamilton, Montana

Directions: Take Hwy. 93, turn East at the light, onto Fairgrounds Road (North End of Town).  Upon passing the frontage road (Old Corvallis Road), it is located on the left side – pull into the Gate for parking, or park on Fairgrounds Road.

ALSO:  Old West Firearms Display, Ammunition Raffle – and Prizes for Best Western Attire!!

We will SEE YOU THERE!!

Update on the Montana Grand Jury!

Thank you, Duane Sipe, for sending this in.  Interestingly, news had been posted, which is linked here!

November 10, 2009

The Office of Montana’s Secretary of State Has Accepted a Draft Ballot Initiative Seeking to Provide the Citizens of Montana the Ability to Summon Grand Juries By Petition

Stevensville, Montana, November 10, 2009 – The office of Montana’s Secretary of State (SOS) in Helena has accepted a ballot initiative, to be reviewed by the office of Legislative Services. This is the beginning stage of placing the initiative on the 2010 general election ballot.

This initiative has been labeled ‘Ballot Issue #18’ by the SOS, and is a Constitutional Initiative (CI), seeking to amend Montana’s Constitution, providing for the ability of the citizens to summon Grand Juries by petition.

Currently, the Montana Constitution only provides that a District Judge, at their discretion, may summon a Grand Jury. Article II, Section 20, Paragraph 2 states: “A grand jury shall consist of eleven persons, of whom eight must concur to find an indictment. A grand jury shall be drawn and summoned only at the discretion and order of the district judge.”

Serving as a ‘check and balance’ for the Constitutional Republic known as the United States, the Founders had preserved for the citizens, the right and ability to assure that the public servants kept their activities in line with the intent of the Constitution, and its Bill of Rights, which were ratified on December 15, 1791. The term Grand Jury is mentioned only in the 5^th amendment to the United States Constitution. It is meant to be a right retained by the people. It is a citizen function, not a government function, as the public has been lead to believe.

What do the courts have to say?

“An independent grand jury is to stand between the prosecutor and the accused, and to determine whether a charge is legitimate, or is dictated by malice or personal ill will.”

”Hale v. Henkel, 201 U.S. 43 (1906)

The Supreme Court states that the independent grand jury’s purpose is not only to investigate possible criminal conduct, but to act as a “protector of citizens against arbitrary and oppressive governmental action,” and to perform its functions; the independent grand jury “deliberates in secret and may determine alone the course of its inquiry.”

United States v. Calandra, 414 U.S. 338 (1974)

Article IV, Section 4 of The United States Constitution says: “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government …” And, Montana is this form of government. As such, the Montana Constitution states in Section 1: “Popular sovereignty. All political power is vested in and derived from the people. All government of right originates with the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.”

And, in Section 2: “Self-government. The people have the exclusive right of governing themselves as a free, sovereign, and independent state. They may alter or abolish the constitution and form of government whenever they deem it necessary.”

The Founders’ intended for the sovereign citizens to ‘lend’ the public servants their specific duties. Among these is the preservation of constitutionally protected rights. The servants are not in a position, and do not have the ability to take away these sovereign, constitutionally secured rights and powers of the people.

Amending Montana’s Constitution as indicated will serve to restore the Founders’ intent, at the state level, regarding the position of, and political responsibilities required by, the citizenry.

Duane Sipe

Also – a link to his earlier submitted ConOp!

Upcoming Missoula Conservatives Meeting

The next Missoula Conservatives Meeting will be:

Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 7pm

Quality Inn at 3803 Brooks (near Reserve)

Speaker is Michael Shaw with Freedom Advocates and this is the last day of his Western Montana speaking tour!  The topic is how globalism creeps into our communities.  Download the excellent eBook on how Agenda 21 affects all of us while you are visiting the website!

Printed LETTERS will be available for our signatures to deliver to Sheriffs McMeekin and Hoffman, based on Sheriff Mack’s Supreme Court decision in the 1990′s that it is the Sheriff’s duty to protect us from the Federal onslaught of taxation, regulation, and stolen liberties – the most important being our medical freedoms (and in particular, the seeming rollout of mandatory vaccines like the H1N1)! See Pamela’s thread at ResistNet.com to download and read the content of the letters – or if you can’t make it to the meeting, print and sign one of your own for delivery (and have a few neighbors or co-workers who “get it” sign too!):

http://www.resistnet.com/group/montanaarea11missoulahamilton/forum/topics/montana-can-refuse-1

While you are there – check out the entire ResistNet.com website – if you are so inclined to join, make sure you join the State of Montana Group AND your Local Area Group – to keep you informed nationally and locally!  Thanks, and hope to see you at the meeting!

Various News Headlines

Getting geared up for the Sheriff Richard Mack Event in less than 24 hours, and hope to see many of you there!

More for your Calendar – TAKE ACTION:

Senator Jon Tester will be in Hamilton, MT on Thursday, November 5, 2009 from 10am-12pm.  He will be in the Third Floor Conference Room of the Ravalli County Courthouse, 205 Bedford Street (or alternatively, 215 S. 4th St. near State), 406 / 375-6780.  Please attend, bring a letter and oppose the proposed Health Care bill, and the proposed Wilderness bill.

Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus will both be in Missoula on Friday, November 6, 2009 during lunch hour from12pm-1pm at their respective offices:   Tester: 130 West Front St. (across from McKenzie Plaza), and Baucus: 280 East Front St., Ste. 100 (across from the Library).  Go to both locations if you can.  Bring a sign, bring a letter and voice your opposition to the Health Care proposal or anything else on your mind!

NOW – for some NEWS!

For all of you who went to the Tea Parties in Bozeman and in Helena this weekend – GREAT job!  Here is a great article in the Helenair.com covering the Helena Event – nice photo of Missoula’s Pauline Dean!  WEHEW!

In Hamilton, Mona Docteur and Dan Cox were interviewed in-depth by the usually-liberal Missoula Independent, their October 29, 2009 article entitled, “Questioning Conservatism” was very well done!  Congratulations to Celebrating Conservatism!!

Recently in the Ravalli Republic, there were a couple articles of interest.  One is essential reading, Dewey Baker’s “Republican Party Losing Its Way” and the other is an adversary to the conservative movement, Mr. Bill LaCroix of the so-called Bitterroot Human Rights Alliance, his piece entitled, “‘Patriot’ Rhetoric Based on Emotion” and frankly demonstrates his ignorance of, amongst other things, the Celebrating Conservatism events.  Read the follow-up comments (some of them are GREAT) and of course, feel free to leave one or two yourselves!  Today, the voting turnout was rather uneventful, although some may find Mayoral Candidate, Michael Spreadbury’s Hearing interesting.

And NOW for some FUN!!  (And it is actually Educational)

Folks in their 40′s now will likely remember the 1970′s “Schoolhouse Rock” series, which were short educational clips that aired between Saturday Morning Cartoon television shows, and educated about Grammar, Multiplication Tables – AND American History.  This is how a few of us learned the Preamble of the US Constitution – ENJOY!!

Mitchell Slough Landowner Alert

According to the Missoula Independent‘s article, if you are unhappy about the recent decision of the Ravalli County Commissioners to propose 3 Portage Routes, you have until “early November 2009″ to appeal!

http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/mitchell-slough/Content?oid=1175796

Carter E. Beck, MD in Hamilton October 28th!

Carter E. Beck, MD is a well-reputed Neurosurgeon practicing in Missoula, Montana.  Amongst many other things, he is also the Vice-President of the Montana Neuroscience Institute Foundation.  His timely lecture will address the not-so-bright-side of government-provided health care, from a physician’s standpoint, and why it is important for all of us to oppose the proposed health care initiatives considered now in Congress.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Time: 7pm (Free Event)

Location:  City Hall Community Center, at the corner of 2nd and Bedford Streets, Hamilton

Hope to see many of you there!

Sheriff Richard Mack in Hamilton MT November 3rd!

You read it right – Sheriff Mack returns to the Bitterroot Valley for the next “Celebrating Conservatism” event!  Sheriff Mack’s book, “The County Sheriff, America’s Last Hope” will be on sale at a discount – get your copy at this event for only $8!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

6pm Potluck – Bring:  Chili, Salad, Corn Bread, other Side Dish, or Dessert (there will be hot dogs and bottled water at the event)

NEW! 6:45pm Lecture begins

Event is FREE, donations accepted and very appreciated.

Location: First Interstate Building, Ravalli County Fairgrounds, 100 Old Corvallis Road (NE corner of Fairgrounds Road), Hamilton, Montana.

Directions: Take Hwy. 93, turn east onto Fairgrounds Road, on the left-side (NE corner of Fairgrounds and Old Corvallis Roads).

The Triumph of Evil – Losing Our ‘Real’ Federal Grand Jury

This ConOp comes from Duane A. Sipe, and it was previously published with the title, “Time to Take Action” on Page 4 of Ravalli County’s August 2009 Issue of The First Edition.  Please add Mr. Sipes’ blogs, USSA Watchdog and Montana Grand Jury, to your respective blogrolls.  We look forward to inspiring discussion here!

– MonCon1776

_______________

The Triumph of Evil – Losing our ‘Real’ Federal Grand Jury

As is often attributed to Edmund Burke, the quote, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing” shows itself to be truer with each passing day.

Take the Constitutional reference to grand juries for example. The 5th amendment reads, in part, “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury …”

Let’s take a look at a couple of cases that shed light on what our founders put in place regarding the grand jury.

An independent grand jury is to “stand between the prosecutor and the accused,” and to determine whether a charge is legitimate, or is “dictated by malice or personal ill will” ~ (Hale v. Henkel, 201 U.S. 43 (1906)).

The Supreme Court states that the independent grand jury’s purpose is not only to investigate possible criminal conduct, but to act as a “protector of citizens against arbitrary and oppressive governmental action,” and to perform its functions; the independent grand jury “deliberates in secret and may determine alone the course of its inquiry” ~ (United States v. Calandra, 414 U.S. 338 (1974).

“The grand jury is mentioned in the Bill of Rights, but not in the body of the Constitution. It has not been textually assigned, therefore, to any of the branches described in the first three Articles. It is a constitutional fixture in its own right.” ~ United States v. Chanen, 549 F.2d 1306, 1312 (CA9 1977.

“In fact, the whole theory of its function is that it belongs to no branch of the institutional Government, serving as a kind of buffer or referee between the Government and the people.” ~ United States v. Williams, 504 U.S. 36 at 48 (1992), Justice Scalia.

And from the Creighton Law Review article titled, “If It’s Not a Runaway, It’s Not a Real Grand Jury” we find, “The function of a grand jury to ferret out government corruption was the primary purpose of the grand jury system in ages past.”

What happened? What does the Creighton Law Review mean … ages past? Well, the power of government, when left unchecked, tends to grow, like a vicious uncontrollable cancer. It is the force of evil that causes those in power to exercise ever expanding, oppressive power, over others … when allowed to do so. Those in judicial power, in recent decades, have found another way to remove (or so they think) another piece of the people’s final authority over its government.

From the Creighton Law Review article once again, we find: “In 1946, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure were adopted … In the area of federal grand jury practice, however, a remarkable exception was allowed. The drafters of Rules 6 and 7, which loosely govern federal grand juries, denied future generations of what had been the well-recognized powers of common law grand juries: powers of unrestrained investigation and of independent declaration of findings. The committee that drafted the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure provided no outlet for any document other than a prosecutor-signed indictment. In so doing, the drafters at least tacitly, if not affirmatively, opted to ignore explicit constitutional language. What all authorities recognize as a ‘presentment,’ however, has been written out of the law and is no longer recognized by the federal judiciary. A ‘runaway’ grand jury, loosely defined as a grand jury which resists the accusatory choices of a government prosecutor, has been virtually eliminated by modern criminal procedure. Today’s ‘runaway’ grand jury is in fact the common law grand jury of the past. Prior to the emergence of governmental prosecution as the standard model of American criminal justice, all grand juries were in fact ‘runaways,’ according to the definition of modern times; they operated as completely independent, self-directing bodies of inquisitors, with power to pursue unlawful conduct to its very source, including the government itself. The loss of the grand jury in its traditional, authentic, or runaway form, leaves the modern federal government with few natural enemies capable of delivering any sort of damaging blows against it. The importance of this loss of a once powerful check on the ‘runaway’ federal government is a focus that has remained largely untouched in the legal literature.”

It’s time to breathe life back into this power, granted solely to the people, so that we may correct the wrongs inflicted upon us … one unconstitutionally acting public official at a time. The power is truly, in the hands of the people.

Just like Dorothy, we own a pair of ruby slippers; although, our pair is the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

For me, it is becoming more apparent, as I research such topics, that we’ve had the power to ‘go home’ all along, I just didn’t know how much … until now.

It’s time “good men” did something. Let’s get our ruby slippers out of the attic, dust them off, put them on, and take a walk in them.

Whadd’ya say?

© Duane A. Sipe

Hardin, MT Investigation – ACT NOW!

From the eDesks of Dan Cox and Mona Docteur:

This is an URGENT message regarding our field trip to Hardin yesterday. It is imperative that we call the numbers indicated to demand answers about this situation. Our freedom and sovereignty depend on it.

Dan and I, along with Red Beckman, will be interviewed tonight on the Patriots Hearts Network at 7:00pm Montana (Mountain) time (6pm in CA, and 9pm in NY).
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/PatriotsHeartNetwork/2009/10/02/Lets-Talk-Liberty.
Be sure to call in with your questions or comments 347-215-6929

If you miss the Radio Show – that is OK.  Review the notes below and IMMEDIATELY CALL these phone numbers to express your concerns!
Thank you,
Mona & Dan
____________________

For those who want to know more about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLcki1KDyoY (or search YouTube for Hardin, Montana)
http://www.infowars.com/exposed-american-police-force-is-a-blackwater-front-group/
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread505767/pg1

http://www.americanpolicegroup.com

________________

Go ahead and ask a question in town about the jail. You will find out shortly that the majority of these citizens have bought the story from American Police Forces hook line and sinker. They are selling bunny rabbits and rainbows. The word on the street is that APF has offered three Mercedes Black SUVs to the town of Hardin if they break the contract with the local sheriff’s department. Then they only need to hire their own local city law enforcement. There is only one problem with this idea. They can’t afford to hire these city police officers. In fact the town is so broke they haven’t paid the sheriff’s department in some time. APF to the rescue again, they will provide the funding. So if they really cared for the city why aren’t they just paying the bill to the sheriff’s dept.? Maybe because they can’t control them. I think they are trying to buy the local city police force. Think about it?

Go check out the last three issues of the local paper The Big Horn news. We were set straight in there as soon as we mentioned the word APF. They are definitely not neutral on this issue. This newspaper seems to really be trying hard to debunk everything about APF.

APF has apparently gone door to door down town. They are enticing all the business owners with a homeless shelter, new jobs, animal shelters, $5 per prisoner per day, Free Mercedes police vehicles etc.
If you ask a question in town like, “where are the prisoners coming from?” It will no doubt elicit a response like, “they are going to provide 200 jobs and 80% will be locally hired”. You can hardly believe the answers you will get. It is like everyone in town is a PR person for APF.

We went over to city hall and got the draft meeting minutes from the meeting where they voted 6-0 to stop the contract with the sheriff’s dept. In these meeting minutes it clearly says that Two Rivers Authority signed a contract with APF. The minutes go on to state that they are going to amend the contract and re-sign it. Then it will be available for public viewing. Once the bond holders have signed as well. The Two Rivers Authority was created by the city of Hardin in 2004. So it is under Hardin City. When we requested the document from the city and Larry Vandersloot who is on the board of Two Rivers Authority we were denied.

We advised them of the Montana State Constitution Article II section 9

Section 9. Right to know. No person shall be deprived of the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies or agencise of state government and its subdivisions.

They said to talk to their lawyers. Of course none of their lawyers are answering their phones. We then proceeded to the sheriff’s office to file a complaint against Larry Vandersloot and the City. We were advised by the county attorney that we had a right to see the contract as soon as the bond holders had signed it. Why are they all hiding this document?

Look at Montana State Constitution Article II section 33

Section 33. Importation of armed persons. No armed person or persons shall be brought into this state for the preservation of peace, or the suppression of domestic violence, except upon the application of the legislature, or of the governor when the legislature cannot be convened.

This contract was signed by Two Rivers Authority in California with APF a California corporation. This was a huge blunder. They only want us to see the amended version, because they broke the Constitution by signing the first contract with a CA corporation. APF has filed with the Secretary of State to become a Montana corporation. That is in my opinion why they are waiting for a new amended version. They need the APF to be a Montana corporation before the contract is legal. We need to call the Secretary of State and ask him not to certify this corporation. They are doing everything they can to clean this thing up. Like taking the illegal Hardin City Police logos off of the Mercedes SUVs. Why weren’t they arrested for impersonating police officers?

They seem to be breaking Montana State Constitution Article II section 8

Section 8. Right of participation. The public has the right to expect governmental agencies to afford such reasonable opportunity for citizen participation in the operation of the agencies prior to the final decision as may be provided by law.

How can we be told that we can only see the contract after it has been signed? That doesn’t seem to uphold the Montana Constitution. There is no citizen participation in the contract process. Why hide it? If these guys are who they say they are, we have no problems right? If this contract is in the best interest of the citizens of Montana let us review it first.

We must act please call, write, email or visit these people and get that contract. Not the amended version, but the original. It’s our Constitutional right to see those documents. Before they are finalized.

Thanks in advance for your participation,

Daniel Cox & Mona Docteur
________________

Al Peterson VP TRA
406-665-5304

Becky Shay Spokesperson for APF
406-665-7356

Larry Vandersloot Board Member TRA
Public Works Director

TRA Atty. Becky Convery
406-370-1682

Robert Snively
City Attorney
406-665-9275

Hardin City Hall
406-665-9292
406-655-9293

Big Horn County Attorney
406-665-9710

Big Horn County Sheriff
406-665-9780

Secretary of State
Linda McCulloch
406-444-2034

P.S. We did get a picture of one of the black Mercedes SUVs. The logo was removed. It is being driven around town without licensing or a dealer plate. No police enforcement on that either. It still has all the dealership info on it. House of Imports in CA. The prison is in town next to the IGA. The city and prison are outside of the reservation so regular state laws apply.

P.P.S. (Thanks Lisa)
Many of you may also feel inclined to contact Montana’s State Governor Brian Schweitzer!  Unfortunately his office hasn’t provided anything in the way of real help, claiming (wrongly) the matter is “out of their hands” and can only be worked out by the Hardin officials and the Fed – with no referrals or offers of help – this is not a good way to get re-elected in any case, but perhaps we can provide even MORE pressure?
http://governor.mt.gov/
http://governor.mt.gov/cabinet/contactus.asp

Also, our Senators and sole Representative need to know how we feel about a foreign private corporation taking over our law enforcement that is supposed to be overseen by the Sheriff according to the Constitution:

Sen. Max Baucus

(202) 224-4700

http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/

Sen. Jon Tester

(202) 224-8594

http://tester.senate.gov/Contact/

Rep. Denny Rehberg

(202) 225-3211

http://rehberg.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=31&sectiontree=6,31

***  Also – NewsBreak!!  ***

Montana’s Attorney General Steve Bullock Launches Probe in the Hardin Jail Deal!!

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20091001/NEWS01/91001016/1002/rss

Contact their office and let them know Montana citizens APPRECIATE this!

http://www.doj.mt.gov/

–
“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” — John Quincy Adams

“Government is not reason. It is not eloquence. Government is force; like fire it is a dangerous servant — and a fearful master.”
—George Washington, 1797

“A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government.”
—Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, 1801

“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.”
—Thomas Jefferson, letter to Archibald Stuart, 1791. ME 8:276

–

“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it” Albert Einstein
RESTORE THE CONSTITUTION!
Join the Campaign for Liberty at http://www.campaignforliberty.org/

(From Lisa)  Also check out http://thirdpartyalliance.net