Six Steps to Saving America

[funfaler]

This was brought to my attention, and saw Appleseed all over this, so I thought I would share.   It is lengthy, and I trust the moderators will move/remove this as they deem appropriate.   It is from the following web site, and the reading format is easier, if you desire - http://www.rickgreen.com/turn-your-frustration-into-action/

"We've got to stop this before they destroy the country." Or "what can I do...just tell me what to do and I'll do it...but I cannot stand by and watch the nation I love be wiped out." Or "Does anyone still believe in free enterprise? Can they really do all this? What happened to the Constitution?

I share your frustration. I literally fear for my Country.  I'm afraid my children will be forced to raise their families in a very different America than the one you and I have enjoyed. I use to mock people who said that. I use to say, oh, come on, it's not that bad, we're still the greatest nation on the planet...and we are...but not for long, not if we continue our current course.

Our nation is in crisis, but we're so focused on the symptoms we are ignoring the root cause. This is not a crisis of economics; it is a crisis of leadership!  We are so lacking, yet so hungry for, principled, conviction-oriented, wise, servant leadership. For too long we have sat back and watched the leaders of both major political parties slowly move us away from the principles that made our nation great. And now in the last 10 months, the leaders of both parties have marched us towards socialism and the absolute ruin of our nation so fast that our heads are spinning. We're in a state of shock, literally set back on our heels as our federal government has mortgaged our children's future, throwing trillions of dollars at a mess government is absolutely incapable of solving (though government created the problem in the first place). Even worse, our federal government is now taking ownership in some of our largest private businesses and banks.
Socialism does not work, never has, never will...it ALWAYS destroys a nation. But our education system has so utterly failed our nation, that millions of Americans are embracing this "change" with absolutely no concept of the consequences.

But this is no time to grab your guns and canned food and go hide out at the ranch. It is time for a clarion call to acknowledge what we face and what must be done if we are to save our country.  Make no mistake, it is you and I who must do the saving. No presidential white knight candidate, no political party will save the day. The responsibility does not lie with them, it lies with us, you and me, a.k.a. We The People. We are the ones endowed by our Creator. We are the ones to whom the rights are given and we are the ones that must exercise them, must stand and fight for them, must let our voices be heard and our values counted.

This is the time to shake each other out of our slumber, to awaken our sense of patriotism and duty. All is not lost...yet...but it will be unless you and I acknowledge the fragility of our freedom, accept the duty that comes with the freedom, and start exercising our rights as free citizens.

So how do we change course and save our nation? It's actually not complicated, it's quite simple...it's not sexy, maybe not even exciting...but it works every time it is applied.

Just showing up to vote in November is not enough (though most are not even doing that). We must raise our personal level of involvement so that we are influencing the process itself even before the choice is made in the November elections. It's easy to just show up at a party and choose from the desserts on the table. It takes some effort to get in the kitchen and be a part of the preparation that will determine the results made available to the guests.

First, let me destroy two myths you may have been convinced of in your High School government class:

A.     Rid yourself of the fairy tale that representative government is just good people putting their name on the ballot and we all show up and pick the best one. The best candidate does NOT win...the winner will always be the one who BEST works/influences the process, or whose team/supporters best work the process.

B.     We do not get the leaders that a majority of Americans support, we only get the leaders supported by a majority of those who showed up to vote.

The system works, but we have to work the system. If you will join me in stepping up in the process, we can turn things around and preserve freedom for future generations. In the next few weeks, I'll be blogging in more detail on each of the following Six Steps to Save America:

1. Get personally informed and equipped.

2. Become a Paul Revere and spread the word.

3. Help identify other patriots who want to save America.

4. Help create a better pool of candidates

5. Vote in BOTH the primary and general election.

6. Hold elected officials accountable.

Let's start with Step One: Get Personally Informed & Equipped

If freedom is to survive, we must have an informed citizenry. Ignorance of our basic principles is rampant...and even worse among elected officials than among average citizens! 71% of all respondents failed a recent Civic Literacy test, yet 74% of elected officials failed. Less than half of those polled can name all three branches of government. 30% do not know that "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are the inalienable rights referred to in the Declaration of Independence. 27% cannot name even one right or freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment. And these are elected officials!!! 68% of elected officials cannot properly define the free enterprise system, and 59% cannot identify business profit as "revenue minus expenses." An informed citizenry begins with each of us personally getting informed. Here is a quick and easy way to get started:

A.     Read the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. This is the foundation, this is the formula for America's success. If we do not know our rights, we will not know when they have been violated, nor will we know if a candidate supports the basic principles that made our nation great in the first place. If you do not have a copy, simple go online and read both documents here or turn to the Appendices in my book, Freedom's Frame.

B.     Get Freedom's Frame and read it cover to cover. It is conversational and a quick read, but it goes into detail on the four basic principles of America's framework which you and I must fight to defend for future generations. Click here to get your signed copy!

C.     Attend Citizen Trainings. Just as the Founding Fathers prepared for the coming battle, we must get trained and equipped with the weapons of our warfare...ballots, not bullets. Go to trainings and seminars held by The Torch of Freedom Foundation, Heritage Alliance, and other organizations educating Americans about our foundations and how to work the process. If you are in Texas, mark your calendars now to attend the Capitol Conservative Caucus May 29-30, 2009. (watch this website and get plugged in below for updates)

D.     Get Plugged Into a Modern Committee of Correspondence. We have an amazing advantage over the Founding Era through our communication tools. Can you imagine waiting weeks for a response you may have sent to John Adams to inform him of certain actions of the British? Through internet tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Blogs and plain ol' fashioned email, we can immediately communicate with an unlimited number of fellow patriots around the nation. I have to admit that until just a few weeks ago, I was not on Facebook and had never sent a "Tweet". I was intimidated by a technology I did not understand, but now I realize how easy it is to sign up and use. So do not delay another day, get plugged in and get signed up on Facebook and Twitter today and connect to me as soon as you do. Click here for my Facebook page. My Twitter accounts are TexasRickGreen and WallBuilders Live.

E.     Voter's Guides. If strangers knocked on your front door would you give them the keys to your home and car, give them your Social Security number and your date of birth, or allow them to baby-sit your children or choose their textbooks or teach them morals? Too often we do worse by voting for total strangers to make, execute, enforce and interpret our laws ... and then totally forget about them until it's too late. If you are not in Texas, go to christianvoterguide.com to find organizations and voter guides in your area. If you are in Texas, then you are Blessed to have some of the best resources in the nation. To protect your family I urge you to take advantage of quick and easy FREE services from Heritage Alliance by receiving:
Voter Guides providing conservative scores on all contested candidates - even county and judicial races.
Names and conservative scores of your two U.S. Senators, U.S. Representative, State Senator and State Representative. (Source data provided so you can check the validity of the score.)
Legislative Alerts that help you voice your opinion on key legislation.
Names & pictures of key federal and state officials to pray for by name.

I urge you to sign up at Heritage Alliance TODAY to take advantage of these FREE services. You will also be a step ahead for my upcoming blogs about the remaining Steps to Save America.
If you have dared to allow yourself to sit there and think, "Rick's only through step one and I can tell I don't have time" or "I'm not qualified" or "I don't think I can do any of this." Then let me ask you a couple of very simple questions:

If not you, then who? I started this blog telling you of the emails and calls I've been getting. Most of those include the other person saying "Why doesn't someone stop them?" Well friend, YOU are that "someone."

If not now, then when? Believe me, I'd prefer to do nothing but coach my boys in baseball, attend my daughter's recitals, and take my family traveling across the nation like we've had the privilege of doing the past few years. I am not at all suggesting that you put any of these efforts above your family, in fact I encourage the opposite. However, I am suggesting that you find a balance that allows you to devote at least SOME time to preserving our nation (see below section on Lives, Fortunes, & Sacred Honor).

If not here, then where? Do you think the answers and solutions and leaders of principle are going to come from Washington, D.C.? Not hardly. They will come from our communities, our churches, and our own homes. We must stop waiting and hoping that "they" will do something to change things because it is time for us to realize that we are the ones that must take action.

The wonderful thing about our system is that the sacrifices necessary to impact the culture are really not that hard to make. The Founding Fathers pledged their Lives, Fortunes, & Sacred Honor...and they gave every last drop of all three. They shed their blood, watched their sons die in the war, spent every penny they had, and gave more to launch this Nation than we can imagine. Because they gave everything and set in place the current system, we are able to give very little...indeed a small fraction...of our Lives, Fortunes, and Sacred Honor and we can still make the necessary changes to Save America.

If we are to make a difference in the big picture of our country, we all must be willing to sacrifice on these 3 levels:

Lives. That's our time. How much of your time is your freedom worth? Are you willing to give 1 hour a week? Our soldiers leave their families for a year at a time. They do much more than just risk their life...they watch their kids grow up over the internet, they go to sleep each night NOT getting to wrap their arms around their spouse. They give SO much to preserve our freedom. What are we willing to give? I'm asking you to give 1 hour per week and 1 weekend per year...that's it! Not much considering what is at stake and how much others are giving for us.

Fortunes. That's our money. We don't have to give it all, just a very, very small portion from each of us will make a HUGE difference. I'm suggesting a mere 1% to 3% of our income should be invested in preserving freedom. Invest it in a good candidate or give it to a good organization that is defending freedom (like Torch of Freedom Foundation, WallBuilders, Heritage Alliance, ADF, and many others). For some of us, that would just be $20 to $50 per month. Others that are blessed more financially, could easily give $100 or even $1,000 per month. The point is that we all need some skin in the game, no matter how little or how large, because we all enjoy the benefits of freedom and we need to start doing what it takes to preserve her.

Sacred Honor. That's our courage to take a stand. Be willing to write the letter to the editor, call the Congressman, comment on the blog or the youtube video, speak up at the school board or city council meeting, or maybe even just the courage to speak up over dinner with friends. Start being a voice that is heard by more than just the TV in your living room you've been yelling at when you see them destroying our nation.

It is not complicated and it is actually not that difficult. Saving America simply requires us to consistently do our duty and encourage others to do the same. Start getting informed and equipped and my next blog will discuss how you can become a Paul Revere and help to spread the word and sound the alarm.

[Johnnyappleseed]

Good one FF 
Is this post implying we should actually know the BoR, Constitution and Declarartion?

Recently at a gun range ,I heard a person ridiculing a pro gun ,pro freedom ,former govenor.
Having armed myself with some accomplishments (constitutional carry) surplus on budget etc.etc.

I humbly asked this person for some specifics to help me understand his POV .

He said " Her cheerleader attitude "

He concluded the more attacks from major media -- the possibility of being the best candidate 

For this reason, I like the TV target. Thanks Illinois.

[Unbridled Liberty]

Thanks for posting FF.  I just called him and invited him to attend a shoot.