CONSTITUTIONAL RESTORATION THROUGH POLITICAL ACTION
by Sharon Rondeau
(Nov. 3, 2009) — The Committees of Safety (www.committeesofsafety.org) was founded by Connecticut resident Walter Reddy in 2008 with the purpose of reinstituting the colonial Militias in modern terms. By petitioning our State legislators to pass statutes to revitalize the State Militias to provide for the common defense, each State’s sovereignty would be reasserted by retaking the two vital powers: the power of the purse and the power of the sword.
In colonial times, all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to be part of the Militia. Each member had to have a functioning and loaded musket to respond to any type of emergency at a moment’s notice. In Massachusetts, the seat of our liberty, young men aged 15 were required to serve. The Militia officer could check on Militiamen’s readiness at any time, and if someone’s musket was not ready for immediate use, he could be fined.
The Committees of Safety members are presently gathering signatures in each State to gain support for the establishment of local State Militias. Minimum safety and training in firearms would be required, and those with modern-day pistol permits and skills are welcome. The Founders felt strongly about the citizenry being armed so as to keep government in check. Modern State Militia servicemen and women could choose to serve on different subcommittees: food and water safety; emergency response in the event of a natural or man-made disaster; emergency housing; apprehension of a criminal or invader; or defense of the State against an outsider’s attack or tyrannical government.
A modern-day colonial Militia would preclude the need for the Army’s National Guard or FEMA in the event of an emergency such as Hurricane Katrina. The colonists handled emergencies locally, and assistance from Washington was not even a consideration.
The Second Amendment states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The Committees of Safety intend to revitalize the “well regulated Militia,” which will restore the sovereignty of the States over the federal government granted by the Ninth and Tenth Amendments.
Dr. Edwin Vieira, noted constitutional attorney and scholar, is honorary chairman of the Committees of Safety and is presently writing the statutes which will be submitted to the state legislatures for a vote. Dr. Vieira is a strong supporter of the States using silver and gold as money with the State Militia overseeing the monetary system. His expansive article explaining this can be found at http://www.newswithviews.com/Vieira/edwin37.htm. His “purse and the sword” theory maintains that if the states take back the power of the purse (money) from the federal government by providing for the physical security of the State money supply, which would consist of gold and silver, they will no longer be dependent on the federal government for subsidies. The unconstitutional Federal Reserve and its unconstitutional tender would be discontinued. Likewise, local State Militias providing for the common defense (the power of the sword) will enable States to manage their own emergencies without FEMA or the Department of Homeland Security. The power to make these constitutional changes lies with the people.
Anyone wishing to join the Committees of Safety can visit their newly-updated website at www.committeesofsafety.org and sign up as a volunteer or organizer as well as purchase a copy of Dr. Vieira’s DVD, “The Power of the Purse and the Sword.” The Committees of Safety adopts no political positions, but rather, seeks to return the states to constitutional governance by retaking the powers of the purse and the sword.
——————–
Dr. Edwin Vieira’s “Power of the Purse and Power of the Sword” proposal was studied in a separate report at The Post & Email, on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009.