'Courtroom in the Classroom' program illustrates government impact on students

CARBONDALE - September 21, 2012. As Constitution Week comes to a close in Illinois, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon brought a civics lesson to students at Carbondale Community High School. The "Courtroom in the Classroom" presentation in Carbondale is one of 225 like presentations that the Illinois Judges Association is sponsoring at Illinois high schools throughout the month.

"Each branch of our government has a very real impact on students throughout the state," said Simon, a former Jackson County prosecutor. "The Courtroom in the Classroom program helps to vividly make that connection and engage students in our democracy."

Judge Carolyn Smoot, Judge Christy Solverson and Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier joined Simon in leading a discussion on the U.S. Supreme Court case New Jersey v T.L.O.

The 1985 case involved a female student caught smoking in the school bathroom. The principal searched her purse and found marijuana, paraphernalia and money, implicating the student in drug dealing. The student claimed the search violated her 4th Amendment rights, but the court held that the search was reasonable.

"Not only have students found these presentations to be engaging and educational, but they have been fun," Solverson said. "I'm glad I have had the opportunity to share my work with these students, and I look forward to continuing to spread this message across the state."

Governor Pat Quinn declared September 17-23 as Constitution Week in Illinois in honor of the 225th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. The declaration encourages Illinois residents to recognize the importance of the Constitution in our enduring tradition of democracy, and "reaffirm our commitment to the rights and responsibilities of citizenship."

The proclamation was presented to the Illinois Judges Association during a ceremony at the State Supreme Court on September 12.

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***Below is the letter sent out from C.J. Sissel, Chairman Pro Tem of the newly formed Scott County Republican Liberty Caucus (www.scottcountyliberty.com).

C.J. Sissel may be contacted by phone:563-284-4062 or E-mail: c.sissel@gmail.com
Fellow Liberty Leaders
It is my pleasure and privilege to present to you the ratified Constitution and Bylaws for the Scott County Republican Liberty Caucus (attached)!  After years of brainstorming, much personal discussion, three separate sessions of debate, and a style committee review the Constitution and Bylaws were accepted by unanimous vote at approximately 7:30 PM on July 13, 2012.  Much thanks are in order to Mr. Elliot for composing the original draft and acting as one of our parliamentarians, to Mr. Angelos for his parliamentarian services and for handling credentials, and to Mr. Berntsen for handling secretarial duties along with hosting the final debate and signing ceremony in his beautiful home.  Last, but certainly not least, are all of you who sacrificed your time and effort to debate over and shape this document into the masterpiece it is now.  Without your hard work and dedication to the cause of Liberty we would not have this statement of our ideals to serve as an organizational foundation for the future of politics in Scott County.
Friday evening was the first affirmation ceremony for members of the SCRLC and those eligible for captain status were credentialed by Mr. Angelos as such.  Also Friday evening served as a formal signing ceremony.  Following affirmations the newly credentialed captains set the standing meeting time, date, and location as:
  • First Tuesday of every month
  • Downtown Central Perk, 226 W 3rd St.,  Davenport, IA
  • 6:30 PM social hour
  • 7:00 PM Meeting called to order
If you are interested in being affirmed as a member of the SCRLC, pursuant to the guidelines of Article IV of the Constitution, and/or attended any of the three conventions and did not sign the ceremonial signature page, but would like to, please attend the first regular meeting or contact one of the Pro Tem officers (myself, Mr. Berntsen, Mr. Elliott, or Mr. Angelos) for more details.
A Wonderful thing is happening here and I am honored to be a part of it.  The Revolution was fought by ordinary citizens who did extraordinary things in the name Individual Liberty.  Count yourselves amongst them.
With Liberty and Justice for All,
C.J. Sissel
Chairman Pro Tem, Scott County Republican Liberty Caucus
WC Precinct Delegate
Friday, December 23, 2011, 2:00 PM Intersection of Kimberly Road and Brady Street
It's time to get out there and raise public awareness about Ron Paul. Come on out and show your enthusiasm for our man. We'll do some sign waving at a busy intersection and also hand out literature and talk to people at the Northpark Mall.
We have the momentum but we can't let up now! Let's take Ron Paul over the top to a landslide victory! We can fire the shot heard round the world!
Intersection of Kimberly Road and Brady Street 2-6 PM We'll bring signs but bring your own if you have one. After it gets dark we'll move over to the mall and distribute literature and talk to shoppers. Let's be the friendly face of the Ron Paul movement....wear a Santa Hat if you have one. This will be fun! RSVP via email or HERE:http://www.meetup.com/RonPaul2012DavenportIA/events/45284682/
Call Steven at 323-804-7206 or Todd McGreevy 563-650-0120

The National Federation of Republican Assemblies, NFRA, held a Presidential Preference Convention in Des Moines, Iowa this last Saturday, October 29, to measure all the candidates' popularity among Ronald Reagan/Barry Goldwater conservatives. The Convention was promoted on the NFRA website as "the last major straw poll before the Iowa Caucuses" and The NFRA is one of the oldest and largest GOP grassroots organizations and promotes Reagan and Goldwater conservatism, small government, lower taxes, free market capitalism, a strong defense, the right to life, and a decent America.

430 votes were cast and it was no surprise that Ron Paul won 82% among Reagan/Goldwater conservatives in Iowa. What WAS a surprise to many was the condemnation of the Ron Paul supporters by, Eric Golub a.k.a. the "preeminent politically conservative comedian", one of the guest speakers during the luncheon, questioning Paul supporters to be "good little soldiers and fall in line when Ron Paul is not the party's nominee" which immediately erupted into boo's by many of the members of the Convention. Then to add insult to injury, the 94 NFRA delegates representing 26 of the 37 states where the NFRA operates, later disregarded their own convention members' vote for Ron Paul and nominated instead Rick Santorum, the third place candidate with less than 1% of the vote, as their organization's official endorsement.

Rick Santorum is known for his stance against privacy rights and his interest in perpetual war and nation building like the Bush and Obama presidential administrations of the past and present. This is hardly a Reagan/Goldwater Conservative favorite, as indicated by his poor support at the Convention by Iowa members. "If this is what the leadership of this organization really represents, then I doubt they will continue to exist in the near future as the liberty movement continues to grow across this country," said Michael Elliott, one of the Iowa voters and attendees at the Convention.

One thing is for certain, Ron Paul and his supporters were definitely the life of the Party at this convention and could very well be the life of the Republican Party so long as Republican Party leaders don't miss this window of opportunity to boost its membership and popularity. Michael Elliott added, "As the old saying goes, hindsight is 20/20, let's see if the other Republican leaders are wise enough to learn from the NFRA's missed opportunity."

Iowans For Accountability (IFA) is fighting to hold politicians accountable to we the people, and make sure government works for all of us, not just wealthy special interests and the well-connected. IFA is a Non-Party Political Organization (NPPO) that actively supports or opposes ballot issues or candidates, regardless of party affiliation and when necessary, IFA runs its own candidates. Michael D. Elliott is the IFA Chairman. Website: www.ScottcountyIFA.com

From recent Quad-City Times commentary - 'Independents MIA in Iowa Q-C,' there seems to be some confusion as to what SuperLiberty is. Started in December 2008 as a local, non-partisan, Liberty alliance, we promote all groups who support liberty.

We favor no party over another. We are neither Republican nor Democrat, Right nor Left, Conservative nor Liberal. In fact the American two-party monopoly perpetuates a false issue-based division amongst the people and helps to prevent us from uniting under the common cause of personal Liberty.

Our group acts first and foremost to unite all local, state and national Liberty-minded groups on the local level where effective change can take place. We provide our website as a tool for any organizers who wish to keep in touch with their members in the Quad-City area. We have a start-up kit available to anyone who wishes to organize a similar alliance. Secondly, SuperLiberty acts as an educational and political force to mold our local governments into Liberty-protecting forces as they originally were intended and as the law requires.

I helped start the local tea party, but I am also an ACLU member and support the Occupy movement. It can seem confusing, since we don't identify ourselves by party, but rather by issues and principles.
We find the commonality of various factions in order to create positive change for the future of our society. We are opposed to legalized plunder of people's property which is where we come at odds with folks like Mayor Gluba (witness his Communist-inspired rant at the Occupy event: "We need to redistribute wealth" and "...if the private sector can't provide jobs, the public sector should.") When we helped defeat Davenport Promise, he called us "Cultist libertarian nutcases." video link we made is here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyyaWAari-U

Our core members also started Iowans for Accountability - the first Non-Party Politcal Organization in the history of Scott County. We promote the ideals of the Fully Informed Jury Association (seen us at the Courthouse?)

If you believe in personal Liberty - the ability to exercise your natural rights originating from our creator - join us at www.SuperLiberty.com/

For Liberty,
Michael D. Elliott
Davenport, IA
Revolution PAC's Ron Paul ad targeting integrity-deficient rivals to make national TV debut.

Northbrook, IL - October 13, 2011

Revolution PAC has secured three 60-second national prime time spots to air its acclaimed ad "Plastic Men" in conjunction with next week's CNN Western Republican Presidential Debate. Featured by USA Today and The Wall Street Journal when it launched in mid-September and logging more than 100,000 YouTube views since that time, the video sharply differentiates limited government champion and fiscal hawk Congressman Ron Paul from his establishment-driven GOP rivals.

The CNN Western Republican Presidential Debate will be broadcast live from Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on October 18.

Revolution PAC expects the airing of "Plastic Men" to further diminish Rick Perry, who has plummeted in the polls and failed to impress in recent debates, as a viable option for conservative leaders. Perry's Texas executive order requiring HPV vaccinations, Mitt Romeny's Massachusetts health care mandate and the economic miscues of a host of Republican candidates are spotlighted in the ad.

"'Plastic Men' is an exercise in distinguishing Ron Paul's consistent, principled record from those of the GOP field's many pretenders," explains Revolution PAC Advisory Board member Gary Franchi. "Unabashed TARP supporters Mitt Romney and Herman Cain, for instance, stand in stark contrast to Ron Paul, who began warning of the housing collapse in 2001 and who has never voted for a bailout. The media consistently downplays Dr. Paul's prescience on this and other vital issues; Revolution PAC aims to correct any misperceptions."

Timing of the ad, Franchi continues, could not be better. "Cain was caught this week brazenly denying his criticism of Ron Paul's Audit the Fed push. Now that the investigation has proven fruitful, revealing $16 trillion in previously undisclosed loans by the Federal Reserve to foreign and domestic banks, Cain claims to support transparency."

The bottom line message of "Plastic Men" is clear, insists Franchi. "Regardless of slick packaging, political expediency will not win votes in 2012."

Rep. Paul's strong states' rights outlook engenders strong support for his campaign throughout the West. In September, Paul won the California GOP Straw Poll by a wide margin. In the 2008 GOP presidential primaries, he earned second place-finishes in Nevada, Montana, Idaho and New Mexico.

A recent Harris Poll showed Ron Paul prevailing over Barack Obama 51 percent to 49 percent in a general election race.

Revolution PAC is bolstering Ron Paul's consistent, constitutional message with targeted TV advertising campaigns complemented by billboards and radio ads in key primary states. Unlimited donations by individuals, businesses and organizations are being accepted by Revolution PAC to support that effort.

http://RevolutionPAC.com

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Fifth Ward Candidate Jordan Schneider will hold a 'Meet & Greet' at Rocks Anchor Grill at 1526 Harrison Street on the Hill Top Campus on Saturday, October 8, 2011.
Rock Eddleman owner of Rock's Anchor Grill is a big fan of Jordan Schneider "because she is the only who listened and cared about the water pooling on the sidewalk after the cement was replaced. Jordan actually took the time to come down to my restaurant several times and spoke with me about the situation. She actually got someone down here from Public Works to look at the sidewalk and she is not even on the City Council-yet!" said Eddleman.
Schneider and Eddleman share a connection that they did not even realize. Rock Eddleman served in the United States Navy for 22 years. He worked under John Sidney McCain Jr., the father of U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Schneider was the adjutant for the Alexandria Young Marines in Virginia. During her tenure as adjutant she assisted the Young Marines in putting together their very own Birthday Ball. Joe McCain, Senator McCain's Brother was the guest speaker at the event. "Joe was always very supportive of my endeavors especially the Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone Stamp Campaign." Schneider reminisced.
The 'Meet and Greet' will be held in the new wing of Rock's Anchor Grill. Coffee and Cake will be served.

Schneider believes that campaigning is essentially a very large and long job interview. "I want to know what people expect of their city council representative. And I want to hear their ideas, solutions and concerns."
The 'Meet and Greet' will take place directly after the second Fifth Ward Forum that is being hosted by Davenport Association of Professional Firefighters, DAPFF, at 12:00 pm on Saturday October 8, 2011 at the Village Theater in the Village of East Davenport, 2113 East 11th Street, in the East Village,
Man-made law must base its authority on natural law to allow true peace. The first law of nature is self-preservation, defined by three branches of an individual's natural rights: Life, Liberty, and Property. When man-made laws defend against violations of these rights, peace and justice can prevail.

On the other hand, when laws place collective force at the disposal of those who would use it to exploit others, injustice prevails and there will be unrest in society. It does not matter if the exploitation applies to health, labor, education, safety, or religion. The law becomes legalized plunder, blurs society's understanding of justice and injustice, and disguises anarchy as order. Since people naturally rebel against injustice, unrest ensues.

True peace can be achieved only when man-made law obeys natural law, when justice is blind, and individual natural rights are protected

Iowans For Accountability (IFA) would like to remind folks that this month we celebrate four different, but very important days regarding our American heritage and history: Labor Day, Jury Rights Day, Patriot Day and Constitution Day. This year, two of the events, Labor Day and Jury Rights Day, happen to fall on the same day, and Constitution Day is technically proclaimed by law as an entire week instead of just a day. Patriot Day being the most recent addition of the four since the tragic attack on 9/11/2001. This IFA announcement includes both a brief historical summary and the local liberty movement's activities in respect to these special days in our American History.

Labor Day became a federal holiday back in 1894, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, a nationwide conflict between labor unions and railroads. This holiday falls on the first Monday of September which was the 5th of September this year, which happens to also be Jury Rights Day this year.

Jury Rights Day is in commemoration of the William Penn case in1670 which firmly established protection for the jury, and firmly established the right of the jurors to refuse to accept bad government laws. In celebration of both Jury Rights Day and Labor Day, the Illinois Liberty Alliance of SuperLiberty.com walked in the East Moline Labor Day Parade last Monday promoting both Ron Paul for President in 2012 and The Fully Informed Jury Association.

Patriot Day occurs on September 11th of each year, designated in memory of the 2,977 killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the New York World Trade Center Twin Towers. In commemoration of Patriot Day, the Illinois Liberty Alliance (ILA) has adopted Veteran's Memorial Park in Moline on the north shore of the Rock River behind Blaine's Farm & Fleet off of 60th Street. There will be a sign in the park that ILA adopted the park along with the SuperLiberty.com link. There will be a park cleanup and picnic on September 24th at 10am at this location.

And finally, Constitution Day, September 17, 2011 marks the two hundred and twenty-fourth anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention. In Fact, public law 915 guarantees the issuing of a proclamation each year by the President of the United States of America designating September 17 through 23 as constitution week.

Iowans For Accountability, in conjunction with the local tea party movement, plan to hold a, "Are You Hearing Us Now?" Constitutional Counties March, Rally and News Conference that day. People of all parties and affiliates are invited to walk from the Scott County Courthouse/Jail to the Rock Island County Courthouse/Jail in solidarity and as an expression of hope that our local law enforcement leadership and rank and file deputies and officers will reflect upon the times we all live in and how important it is they honor their oaths of office to uphold the federal and state constitutions.

Certified mailers with constitutional educational material, produced by former law enforcement leaders who won a historic Supreme Court case over state sovereignty and the duty of LEO to protect individual rights will have been sent to all local law enforcement personnel earlier that week.

IFA hopes that our local communities public servants and members of the communities will join us in our celebration of our Month of Liberty by participating in the various events. These historical events should never be lost or forgotten, and these are great opportunities for folks to learn more about their own history and serving their fellow Americans.

A newly created grassroots organization supporting Ron Paul's bid for President is starting to prepare for the Iowa Caucuses as a result of a strong showing at the Iowa Straw Poll this year where Ron Paul nearly tied Michelle Bachmann within less than 1% of the vote. After the straw poll, the group formed a meetup.com website presence to help organize supporters for the 2012 election year.

Wednesday, September 7th, the Ron Paul Meetup Group met at the Blueport Junction on 6605 West River Drive in Davenport at 5pm and started building their precinct leadership and training for the February 6th, 2012 Iowa Caucuses. Anyone is welcome to join us at any of our events, even if you're still undecided. The Ron Paul supporters tend to be very outgoing and friendly.

To stay up to date regarding future local Ron Paul 2012 events, please visit www.meetup.com/ronpaul2012davenportia

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