MEDIA NOTICE: I will be guest hosting the Jerry Hughes show this week. Look for the details beneath my signature.

Quote of the Day: "It is the theory of all modern civilized governments that they protect and foster the liberty of the citizen; it is the practice of all of them to limit its exercise, and sometimes very narrowly." -- H. L. Mencken

Subject: Today is Bill of Rights Day

This isn't some arbitrary, symbolic holiday. It's a real anniversary. The Bill of Rights was ratified today in 1791 -- 217 years ago. We believe that this event, more than anything else, was what has made the United States different from other countries.

It isn't democracy or representative government that made America unique. The Greeks, the Romans, and the British had those things. The Roman Republic even had divided powers, with checks and balances which our Founders knowingly copied. But as far as we know the United States was the first country to incorporate such specific, individually-oriented limits on government power into its supreme law. 

Of course, this protection only works if our politicians obey the law, and this obedience is something we must demand; it will not be given freely.

Many holidays and memorial days are occasions of empty symbolism. But you can give this one real meaning by demanding that Congress celebrate Bill of Rights Day by doing something concrete to protect, obey, or restore the legal force of the Bill of Rights. I can think of no better way to do this than by asking your elected representatives to co-sponsor the "American Freedom Agenda Act." I hope you do so.

But, even if you do, your message to Congress will only be a nibble to make them nervous. That's important. Please do it. But we must also keep in mind that it will not be enough to instill fear and compel submission. We must do something specific to change that.

We must recruit an army capable of instilling fear and compelling submission. This will require resources dedicated to that purpose. And the news on that front is getting better and better.

We now have DC Downsizers who are willing to give us $67,801 in Top-Down pledges if only we can raise an additional $12,091 in annualized monthly pledges from other DC Downsizers. You can help make this happen  . . .

* From the top-down, with a larger commitment to join those who are pledging to give $67,801, or . . .
* From the bottom-up, with a monthly pledge to join those already supporting us with 106,108 at an average rate of $15/mo.

Just over $12k is all we need to collect that $67,801, and to cover our entire 2009 operating budget!

To learn how you can participate, and perhaps get an "I Am Not Afraid" t-shirt, please go to our Close the Gap webform. It has all the details.  

Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army. And don't forget about the media notice beneath my signature.

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

P.S. I will be guest hosting Straight Talk w/ Jerry Hughes, on the Accent Radio Network, Tuesday, December 16, and Wednesday, December 17 from 2 - 5 PM Eastern (11 AM - 2 PM Pacific). It will be fun to be back behind the mic again, especially because of my guests. 

Tuesday, I'll be joined by . . . 

* Larry Pratt, Gun Owners of America
* Frank Viola, author, Pagan Christianity
* Richard Maybury, author of the Uncle Eric series which includes the title, "Whatever Happened to Penny Candy." He's also the editor of the Early Warning Report

The Wednesday line-up is . . .

* Jon Rowe, college professor, historian, and blogger at PositiveLiberty.com, and Herb Titus, attorney, Constitutional law scholar, and former law school dean, coming on together to debate the religious instincts and motivations of America's Founders
* Perry Willis, Communications Director, DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

Call in number 866-2ACCENT (or 866-222-2368), and the email will be CALL at DOWNSIZEDC dot ORG (just type it in as it sounds).

The show is heard on about 15 stations around the country. But everyone can listen live via the Internet from the Accent Radio Network site.

The views that will be expressed on air will not necessarily be those of the Downsize DC Team.