The Compass Press

By Heidi Barlow

Essential Oils: The 3 Thieves

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, my husband and I owned a mid-sized window and door company selling and installing commercial and residential products. We had over 40 employees who interacted with the public. During those early, uncertain days, our installers, service techs, and sales associates worried about how they could safely continue performing their jobs. The biggest problem was fear since no one really knew how serious the virus was, and there were conflicting reports coming out daily.

Recognizing knowledge is power, we convened a company-wide meeting with our staff. We talked about viruses and bacteria, how they work, good-vs-bad varieties, and what our immune systems do to naturally defend and protect our bodies. We talked about the false sense of security some proposed solutions would provide—the mask—and how they conflicted with long-standing OSHA recommendations. Then a proactive and preventative approach was presented to help our team. I handed each employee a 15 ml bottle of a special blend of essential oils and a 4oz spray bottle for the office staff and anyone who wanted one for their vehicle or workspace.

I explained the origin story of the oil blend called “The 3 Thieves.” During the dark ages of 14th and 15th century Europe, little was known about how diseases spread, and the countryside was continually wracked by death as one plague after another came through. The devastation was tremendous, causing the deaths of an estimated 45-60% of the population. During this time, 3 men purportedly doused their clothing with oils to protect them as they robbed the dead and dying of valuables during the Bubonic plague. These thieves were finally caught, and authorities demanded to know how they hadn’t contracted the plague themselves. They gave up their secret in return for their freedom. Another version of the story describes how those who were tasked with burying the dead during the Bubonic plague would drench their clothing and headgear with oils and herbs to ward off the plague that infected the bodies they were handling. I don’t know if either story is true, maybe both have some truth in them, or maybe they are legends, but what I do know is these oils are an amazing germ and viral killer.

We supplied the oil blend freely to all our employees and taught them how to use them. Surface application on their hands and on their desks, phones, steering wheels, and other shared items would last for up to 3 hours. The spray provides aerosol protection. We stayed open and fully functioning throughout the pandemic. Although there were a couple of incidences of Covid during the long 2 ½ year ordeal, recovery was quick and there were no harmful or lasting issues. We did more than just provide essential oils—we encouraged healthy eating, drinking plenty of water, and getting the sleep our bodies need. We only need to provide simple essentials for our body, and it will do the rest. We also encouraged the cessation of other bad habits such as smoking. Most of our employees chose to take measures to improve their overall health during this time.

The 3 Thieves oil blend should be in everyone’s apothecary, but some of the oils used in the blend are quite strong, so be sure to test each oil for allergic reaction on yourself and those you are helping, by placing a drop of each oil on the inner part of the arm. *Note: for some oils, it is NOT recommended to test for an allergic reaction using the undiluted oil, (defined as “neat”). 

There are many versions of the 3 Thieves Oils, but the following is the one I use for my family, and it has proven extraordinarily effective over the years. The first three oils form the core. They are powerful oils, and care should be taken when using them alone. They are all “hot” oils, which means they should not be used neat, (undiluted).

The 3 Thieves blend may be too “hot” for those who are sensitive to essential oils. You can test this on your skin, as suggested above. If you a reaction occurs causing discomfort, you can add more carrier oil until you reach a mix that is comfortable. If an individual oil causes a reaction, you can eliminate it from the blend altogether or substitute it for something else. Increasing the amount of Rosemary oil for example or adding some Lavender oil, may be helpful to those who are sensitive.

Use the 3 Thieves blend by rubbing it on the bottom of your feet at night to build your immune system. Use it on your hands instead of hand sanitizer. Use a drop or two to wipe doorknobs, shopping cart handles, your cell phone case, desk surfaces, or any other place you or others touch regularly. It does not take much to create an effective anti-bacterial, anti-viral barrier.

After using the blend for about a month, it is good to change it up because viruses and bacteria can build up resistance. Change up the mix and adding another oil such as Tea Tree/Melaleuca, which also has powerful anti-fungal properties. Add some Lavender which has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Peppermint can be added for an antiviral response, (use just a few drops as it can overpower your blend). Substitute orange oil for lemon oil as it has almost the same qualities.

Make an aerosol by adding 20 to 30 drops of the blend into a 4 oz glass spray bottle with water or vodka. Vodka works best because the oil will bond with the vodka and will aerosol easier. Vodka has the added property of being an antiseptic. The 3 Thieves oil aerosol can be used in the air around you and on surfaces. Shake well and frequently to keep the oil/liquid mixed up.

Using essential oil blends like this on a daily basis is a great way to stay healthy and give your body that extra boost it may need!

Gumweed:

Also known as Grindelia, is an amazing plant for congestion, both in the lungs and for upper respiratory congestion. The flowering head, leaves, and upper stems can be harvested and dried for tea. Fresh Gumweed is even better if you can find it. Gumweed is found in 30 states and is usually harvested from July to September in the cooler mountainous climates common in Utah and Colorado but can last a little longer in warmer climes.

To help with cold & flu symptoms, drink 3 to 4 cups of Gumweed tea a day—sweetened with local, raw honey. Adding peppermint or chamomile, which also have immune-building benefits, can also help this tea taste a little better. Pairing the Gumweed with other herbs, like Mullein or Yarrow—herbs that also benefit the lungs—makes an effective tea for colds and flu. Gumweed has been used for bronchitis and asthma as an anti-asthmatic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and sedative. It also helps with colic. This wonderful plant can also effectively treat whooping cough. Although Gumweed might not make the best-tasting tea, it is a powerful herb for opening the airways and working through the nastiness of flu symptoms and other upper respiratory issues.

If tea is not your thing, make a Gumweed tincture—my favorite way to use this herb because of how quickly it can be introduced into the body. To create your own tincture, chop the leaves, flowers, and upper stems into tiny pieces, and pack them into a mason jar about three-quarters of the way full. Add pure alcohol, such as vodka or Everclear—at least 80 proof (my preference is vodka). Store the sealed bottle in a dark area for about a month, shaking it every few days. When ready, strain and save the liquid tincture in a small glass bottle. It will last for a long time if you store it in a cool, dark place. If you have an aversion to using alcohol, you can use glycerin instead, but it will need to stand much longer, about three months, however, glycerin doesn’t preserve the herb as long as the alcohol-based tincture.

To use the tincture, place about seven drops under the tongue instead of the tea. To replace three cups of tea each day, take seven drops under the tongue three times a day. If you used glycerin, you’ll need to take 2 full teaspoons instead of the seven drops at each administration.

Heidi Barlow

TruthSeekersFoundation.com

*These suggestions are meant for informational and educational purposes only and do not substitute for professional medical advice, nor is it intended to treat any disease. Consult with your own healthcare provider. Do what is best for your family!

By Ashley Rogers

And what to do Instead!

1. Not addressing the actual issue: The real issue is not the tone of voice, the words chosen, or the body language used by your teen. Whatever it is you needed to talk to your teenager about, or they needed to talk to you about, is the real issue. The way it is conveyed is often less-than-stellar with our teenagers, but if you are able to look past the delivery and focus on the message, not only will you help squash the power struggle, but you will also be able to really hear what they are trying to say.

2. Reactive responses: When our first response to our teen or their behavior is led by an automatic, negative, emotional response, a power struggle follows. It is in our biology to have big emotional reactions, so nothing has gone wrong when you feel one, but it is more than okay to say to your teen, “I need a minute to think about this.” Or “I don’t think I’m in the right headspace to discuss this right now. Give me five minutes?” This shows your teen not only do you have emotionally reactive responses too, but it models for them the correct way to deal with them. Giving yourself 3-5 minutes after an emotional response allows your prefrontal cortex (higher-level thinking skills) to reboot and come back online. Otherwise, you will most likely respond in a way you will regret later.

3. Taking it personally: Personalization is defined as, “Interpreting a remark or action as directed against oneself and being upset or offended by it.” If you are susceptible to being hurt by your teenager, then you are much more likely to personalize their words and actions and get caught in the control struggle. When you personalize a situation, you only hear your own thoughts and feelings about what the person is saying instead of actually listening to the meaning and context of the words being spoken. The other danger of personalizing is that you can put the negative emphasis on the teen themselves and not on the behavior. (They are bad vs. they did something bad.) This can lead to feeling justified in making personalized comments back to your teen and being purposefully hurtful.

4. Negative tone: When your teen feels negative emotion from you or hears your negative tone of voice, the automatic response is to view you and the situation as a threat. This triggers the fight-or-flight response, and neither option is the response you are looking for. When you need to be stern or serious, your tone can still be one of love or concern, so you don’t trigger a defensive response. If your tone is negative, your teen will interpret it as, “My mom is against me.” This makes them feel like they have to defend themselves instead of hearing what you have to say and learning from it.

Things You Can Do Right Now Squash the Power Struggle and Fuel a Positive Relationship

1. A positive perception of your teen: Your teen needs to know you think they are incredibly capable now and you have full faith they will grow into incredible adults. You can’t assume they know this, especially when you are also frequently offering course corrections or pointing out mistakes. Your teen should hear a 6 to 1 ratio of positive comments to negative ones. Keeping in mind your teen will hear any of your suggestions as negative gives you an idea of how many positive comments need to be made. Tune into their strengths and communicate both verbally and nonverbally that you enjoy and appreciate them. When struggles arise, talk to the person you know they are capable of being. Assume they are an amazing kid, who, like you, are just caught momentarily in a power struggle. Coming at any interaction, even possibly difficult ones with a positive perception of your teen, communicates the message, “We are on the same team!”

2. Visible belief in a positive outcome: When you go into any interaction with your teen assuming it will end well for both parties and there is an easy solution to be found, they can feel your positivity and will assume the same. Letting the power struggle cause you to lose faith in your teen and their ability can destroy hope on both sides. Self-fulfilling prophesy says what we look for, we will find. So, look forward with the full belief you and your teen will both come out on the other end of this situation better, happier, and closer from working together to find a solution.

3. Make deposits in the “relationship bank”: In your relationship with your teen, you need to look for opportunities to make deposits in the relationship bank intentionally and frequently. Sometimes when your teen is volatile, you just leave them alone as if you don’t want to risk incurring their wrath, and you stay out of each other’s way until there is a problem. If you do this, there are no positive experiences to draw from when things get hard. When things are good or even neutral with your teen, this is the time to find ways to fill the relationship bank! This means doing something they like and doing it without any strings attached. This often revolves around food, not making them spend their own money, or giving extra privileges. It will not look like having a deep heart-to-heart, pointing out how much you do for them, or inviting your teen to go run your errands with you. You’ve got to appeal to what they would actually enjoy!

If you are not fueling the power struggle, and you are modeling the behavior you would like to see, you can do wonders for your relationship with your teenager. Even if you feel the negative change in relationship dynamics is your teenager’s “fault,” you will find it is well within your power to increase positivity. You will also find a power struggle is like a tug-o-war; it can’t be one-sided. If you don’t participate, there is no battle!

By Joseph M Nunes

In late August 1987, I was sitting in my Utah home watching the late news. The execution of Pierre Dale Selby was the lead story. More than 13 years earlier, Selby committed a heinous crime that resulted in the torture and death of three innocent people in the infamous Hi-Fi murder case. The news that night also included a sidebar report on the vigils and celebrations being held outside the state prison just a few miles from my home.

The celebrations were unsettling. I was disappointed anybody would celebrate the death of another person. The vigils protesting the execution were not comforting either. They were populated by opportunists whose only objective was to make political statements.

An execution is not an event to be celebrated or exploited. Capital punishment is not about vengeance, nor does it provide recompense for the crimes that were committed. It is a horrendous event for everyone involved. But it is a necessary task for good government to perform to preserve justice and the sanctity of life, just as disciplining a child is a necessary task for good parenting. As a parent, I was expected to teach and train my children.

TEACHING VALUES

Teaching occurred as I introduced my children to principles governing physical safety, social interactions, moral decision-making, or other tools and skills that would help them learn to navigate their ever-growing sphere of activity in the world. As they tried out these principles in the laboratory of life, they would often make mistakes.

Training happened when they needed to be corrected. To train my children effectively, I had to carefully choose an appropriate level of discipline that was commensurate with the severity of the mistake. Arguing with a sibling might only earn a parent-child discussion or a timeout. Stealing might include an apology and working off the debt to compensate the victim for his loss. Drug or alcohol abuse might merit the loss of freedom and privileges. The discipline I chose reflected how important the principle was to me and how serious was the offense.

Societies work in a similar manner. A punitive action should be commensurate with the crime that was committed. This is key to demonstrating our values. The more important a thing is to us, the harsher the penalty we will demand if it is violated.

Among other things, the Constitution is a contract between the people and the government. In the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln said the people who died on that battleground gave their last full measure of devotion for a specific cause; namely, “that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” In short, we (the people) are the government, and our governmental documents communicate our values to each other and to the world.

A CONSTITUTIONAL VALUE: THE SANCTITY OF LIFE

The Constitution of the United States identifies a few common values held by our society. The 5th amendment states: “No person shall be… deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” The 14th amendment limits states with almost the exact same language: “… nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” (Note that these statements in our Constitution echo the more well-known words from the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.) The Constitution is the highest law of the land so the values it contains should be the most important to us.

Is the sanctity of life, particularly human life, one of our highest values? If so, do we not want the make absolutely sure that everyone, domestic and abroad, is aware of how much we value it? What can we do to show that?

We demonstrate how much we value life when we demand the ultimate penalty for anyone who wrongfully deprives another of this inalienable right. A virtual slap on the wrist indicates our society does not value life and holds it cheap.

A weak message filters down to many aspects of our lives. It is not just murder that is involved here. Declaring, through our impotent response to violations, that we think life is cheap opens the door to other heinous crimes such as abuse, trafficking, rape, abortion, mass shootings, suicides, and a host of other ways to mistreat the divine gift of life. The “life is cheap” mindset dampens the more virtuous aspects of our societal character, such as love, dignity, respect, courtesy, service, and charity.

CAPITAL CRIMES

There is another essential phrase in the 5th and 14th amendments that often is ignored or overlooked—due process of law. The door is open for a person to be deprived of life, liberty, or property if they are in violation of the law and determined to be guilty through the legal processes that form the backbone of our justice system. A person may be legally deprived of life if they are determined to be guilty of a capital crime.

Capital crimes should be few in number, but they should represent the highest values of our society. Our legislatures are tasked with making laws and, in so doing, determining what are capital crimes and what are not. Property crimes have generally not been considered capital crimes but have been punished by depriving a person of liberty or their own property. On the other hand, treason has the potential to take away our liberty, so it has been treated as a capital crime for most of our nation’s history.

Murder, the act of willfully depriving an innocent person of life, is a clear violation of one of our most sacred values. As such, our society should demand that we make an unambiguous statement about how much we value the sanctity of life. The right to life is a promise to each of us individually from all of us collectively. We should expect the government to work in our behalf to promote safety and security for all of us. We must demand that those who willfully transgress that basic human right without just cause must pay the ultimate price. Not for revenge or recompense. But because we want to say, “It is not insignificant to take a person’s life. It is not an open season on humanity. We solemnly proclaim our intent to defend the right to live for all innocent people who dwell under our protection.”

By Jeff Utsch

One of Abraham Lincoln’s first major speeches, the Lyceum Address, was a warning to America that rings truer yet today.

Americans are blessed to have inherited so much from the Founders including guarantees of liberty more “than any of which the history of former times tells us,” Lincoln said in 1838.

Americans’ obligation, he said, was to show:

(1) “Gratitude to our fathers,

(2) Justice to ourselves,

(3) Duty to posterity, and

(4) Love for our species in general.”

That would be the formula for a young nation to thrive.

Today, we find ourselves asking: What are the greatest dangers we face? How do we recognize them? How do we overcome them?

Our 16th president, a visionary, saw the threat not from external forces but from within.

“If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher,” he said.

The greatest threat to the United States is lawlessness, and mob rule, he said. “I mean the increasing disregard for law which pervades the country; the growing disposition to substitute the wild and furious passions, in lieu of the sober judgment of courts; and the worse than savage mobs, for the executive ministers of justice.”

Lincoln cited examples of lawlessness permeating the country and cautioned of dire consequences to “perpetuation of our political institutions.”

Danger to the country increased, he warned, as, “the innocent, those who have set their faces against the violations of law in every shape, alike with the guilty, fall victims to the ravages of mob law, and thus it goes on, step by step, till all the walls erected for the defense of the persons and property of individuals are trodden down, and disregarded.”

If government did not step in to regain order, he further warned, “(B)y such examples, by instances of the perpetrators of such acts going unpunished, the lawless in spirit, are encouraged to become lawless in practice; and having been used to no restraint, but dread of punishment, they thus become, absolutely unrestrained. Having ever regarded government as their deadliest bane, they make a jubilee of the suspension of its operation; and pray for nothing so much, as its total annihilation.”

And what of good people trying to do the right thing?

“While, on the other hand, good men, men who love tranquility, who desire to abide by the laws, and enjoy their benefits, who would gladly spill their blood in the defense of their country; seeing their property destroyed; their families insulted, and their lives endangered; their persons injured; and seeing nothing in prospect that forebodes a change for the better; become tired of, and disgusted with, a Government that offers them no protection; and are not much averse to a change in which they imagine they have nothing to lose.

“Thus, then, by the operation of this mobocractic spirit, which all must admit, is now abroad in the land, the strongest bulwark of any Government, and particularly of those constituted like ours, may effectually be broken down and destroyed–I mean the attachment of the People.”

Who could do a better job of describing the United States in the Fall of 2020?

Good people today doubt government’s resolve in protecting life and property, maintaining law and order, and performing proper duties. It is easy to see how the bonds between citizens and government are frayed.

Our 16th president explained:

“Whenever this effect shall be produced among us; whenever the vicious portion of population shall be permitted to gather in bands of hundreds and thousands, and burn churches, ravage and rob provision-stores, throw printing presses into rivers, shoot editors, and hang and burn obnoxious persons at pleasure, and with impunity; depend on it, this Government cannot last.

By such things, the feelings of the best citizens will become more or less alienated from it; and thus it will be left without friends, or with too few, and those few too weak, to make their friendship effectual.”

One hundred and eighty-two years haven’t changed a thing. There you have it.

Lincoln warned us of the consequences of not enforcing the law; we are seeing it play out in our time.

Unless we see a quick reversal and swift prosecution of those who destroy and intimidate, we are in for a quick decline.

Let’s heed Lincoln’s warning before it’s too late, demanding law and order, prosecuting lawbreakers, and holding accountable those who promote false, divisive, and destructive narratives.

Law and order is the only way to bring stability, prosperity, and peace.

Lincoln reminds us we find our liberty, and our preservation, in the rule of law.

Over the last 60 years or more, we have been engaged ever more deeply in a national debate about the role of religion in our society, in our private businesses, and especially in our public institutions. To frame this discussion properly, we need to provide some brief historical context and remind ourselves of some key phrases, their sources, and their meanings.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

In the summer of 1787, delegates from each of the loosely federated states (except Rhode Island) gathered in Philadelphia to create a new form of government. Their objective was to strengthen the central government. However, the delegates also wanted the states to retain power to govern themselves. Most importantly, this uniquely qualified group of delegates wanted to safeguard the liberties of the people.

In the process of creating a new form of government, never before seen in the history of man, they lost focus. A new federal government was founded, but the liberties of the people were not adequately protected. This became a stumbling block for some of the delegates. George Mason of Virginia was active in the convention and many of the clauses bear his stamp. However, by the end of the summer, he refused to sign the document because it did not include a bill of rights for the people.

BILL OF RIGHTS

George Mason had long been an influential figure in Virginia politics. He wrote the Virginia Constitution (over proposals from others, including Thomas Jefferson) and he prepared the first draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776. His prominent fight for a bill of rights led James Madison to introduce twelve amendments to the Constitution in the first Congress in 1789. These amendments were based on Mason’s Declaration of Rights. In 1791, ten of the amendments were ratified by the states and they became known as the Bill of Rights. While the Constitution limited the federal government, the Bill of Rights added further restrictions to protect State sovereignty and individual liberty.

THOMAS JEFFERSON

Thomas Jefferson had many notable contributions to the founding of our nation, but he did not attend or participate in the Constitutional Convention. James Madison is known as the Father of the Constitution; he created the Virginia Plan, the foundation of the document. George Washington presided over the convention and was indispensable to the procedures. But Jefferson wasn’t there. That is important to note since he is the author of one of the terms we will consider.

KEY TERMS AND PHRASES

The Establishment Clause is found in the first amendment to the Constitution (part of the Bill of Rights). It says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Note the limitation is on Congress and the passage of legislation. It is not a restriction on individuals or other government entities, such as schools or agencies. This clause does not restrict reference to God in our pledge of allegiance, on our money, or in our schools. None of those meet the standard of a Congressional legislative act.

The Free Exercise Clause is also found in the first amendment. It completes the Establishment Clause with these additional words: “… or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Each person may exercise his/her own freedom of conscience. They may believe what they want, they may worship whom or what they want, and they may act in accordance with those convictions. It even seems to allow for the violation of some laws if those violations are for religious reasons. For example, “conscientious objectors” chose to exercise their personal convictions and were justifiably excused from military service during the Vietnam War.

Separation of Church and State is traced back to Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States at the time, in a letter addressed to the Danbury Baptist Association. The Danbury Baptists had sent a letter to Jefferson expressing concern over the lack of explicit protection of religious liberty in their state constitution. They wrote: “Our sentiments are uniformly on the side of religious liberty: that Religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals, that no man ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of his religious opinions, [and] that the legitimate power of civil government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor.”

In response, Jefferson cited the first amendment of the US Constitution, and added: “thus building a wall of separation between church and State.” Context is vital to understanding. In this case, the concern was religious freedom, and the response guaranteed protection of these rights from the potential abuses of government.

“WALL OF SEPARATION”

Jefferson’s metaphor was unfortunate. Though he clearly intended to convey that government should have no influence over religious beliefs or practices, the “wall” of separation has been deliberately misinterpreted to claim that religious convictions cannot influence public policy or government. Jefferson said no such thing.

Remember-

The purpose of the Constitution was to define and limit the role of government so people would be free to pursue happiness as agents unto themselves.

It was not written to limit the             rights of the people.

Instead of a “wall”, perhaps a better metaphor might be a one-way valve which allows influence from religion to government to travel freely while shutting off influence from government to religion.

LEGISLATING MORALITY

Those who oppose religious influence in the public square often claim we cannot legislate morality. But in truth all laws are rooted in moral judgments. Listen to all sides of a debate and the message is what each of them thinks is right or wrong. Insider trading laws exist because we collectively believe it is wrong for one investor to have an unfair advantage over other investors. Immigration laws reflect what we think is right or wrong in how we deal with those who want to enter our country. Even traffic laws are designed to allow us to safely use the infrastructure with courtesy and fairness to all drivers.

Every one of us has an idea in our minds of what is right and what is wrong. And each of us should have a seat at the negotiation table so we can have our say. There are those who want to exclude those with religious convictions from the public forum so they can propose their own form of morality without opposition. However, religious entities have just as much right to advocate for their values as those who have no allegiance to any religion.

Advocacy is different that compulsion. I do not know of any legislation in our nation’s history which was passed by a church. Churches have successfully advocated for their moral opinions, but so have those who belong to no church. Churches should not be forced to yield the debate to others without having their say. The Constitution guarantees that right and Jefferson never said anything to dispute it.

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

Our nation was founded by a people who were fleeing religious persecution. In a few generations, we have taken religious liberty for granted and are letting it slip from our grasp by those who would once again persecute us for our allegiance to God, the very being to whom the Founders gave credit for the creation of such a nation. Regardless of your personal beliefs, stay active in the public forum and let your voice be heard.

America has a great task at hand. We want and need to return this country to its proper foundation, but we must first recognize what took it off track. The answer to a large degree is that we, the people, have allowed the train to derail. We have voted politicians into office to represent us, but then have been unwilling or unable to hold these individuals accountable to the rule of law. We have allowed them to neglect their oath, disregard their granted authority, and abuse the power they were given.

Individuals who have been elected or are running for office must recognize they are accountable to the Constitution of the United States and the principles of liberty. When they do not abide by this greatest of all legal trusts, namely our Constitution, we will hold them accountable—they will lose our votes and lose their jobs.

When we, as voters, begin to follow through and the candidates begin to recognize this, we will see striking changes. We will see a return to the rule of Constitutional law and to the principles of liberty. For now, however, there is no reason or desire for most candidates or incumbents to toe the line. They like the status quo: no accountability and extended job security, so long as they tell the people what they think we want to hear.

Fortunately, we can begin to reclaim America by:

1) Learning about the U.S. Constitution for ourselves &

2) Engaging the candidates and our elected officials with questions about how they regard the Constitution and how they plan to abide by it and uphold it—regardless of their party affiliation. Liberty is for all, not just for one or the other party. 

While we tend to focus on policy questions, there are other types of questions that are even more important to ask candidates. In fact, these questions should be the first ones in the weeding-out process. These questions should be used as qualifiers. Once you limit the candidate pool to those who are qualified to represent you, then you can make your final decision based on the specific issues that are most important to you.

What is the purpose of government?

The Declaration of Independence identifies certain inalienable rights and then adds that “to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men.” Anyone running for office should understand the job description is to secure the rights of the people—not the so-called privileges of government, states, elected representatives, the wealthy, or any other special class of people.

What form of government does the United States have?

Candidates must understand what form of government the U.S. Constitution created so they can participate in preserving it. Socialism, communism, fascism, and other authoritarian forms of government deprive people of their fundamental liberties. Even a pure democracy has a tendency to suppress the rights of the minority factions within a population. Our Founders understood this and so established a republic rather than a democracy, and although not perfect in execution, it is the only model of government designed to adequately protect individual liberties. Any candidate seeking your vote should have a firm understanding of the form of government that the Constitution established. 

What is the purpose of the U.S. Constitution?

A candidate worthy of your vote should prove knowledge of and allegiance to foundational principles of government established in the Constitution—those principles being popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of power, checks and balances, enumeration of rights, and representation in a republican form of government. The primary purpose of the Constitution is to ensure that government acts in a limited and defined capacity in order to maximize freedom.

Every winning candidate for federal office takes an oath in which they promise to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and to bear allegiance to the same. How can they keep that promise if they do not know or agree with what is in that document? The people, by their vote, are given the duty and privilege of ensuring that our representatives will fulfill the obligations that accompany the office to which they are elected. We let them off the hook when we do not hold them accountable to their oath. And that means we pay the price with a loss of personal liberty and the erosion of our rights.

There are hosts of other questions that ought to be asked and examined, but we must educate ourselves about what the law of the land—the Constitution of the United States—allows and what it limits and even prohibits. And we must ensure that those who are seeking office and those who are already in office are knowledgeable of and prepared to uphold this most important of all documents—the one that preserves liberty for all!

We can change the dynamic of the political discussion happening in America and mount a never-before-seen effort to reclaim America by restoring, preserving, and upholding the U.S. Constitution! We become one nation as we become one in focusing on Constitutional values and the principles of liberty. This begins with “We the People.” Together, we can save this country, but each individual effort is indispensable!  

This begins with “We the People.” Together, we can save this country, but each individual effort is indispensable!