I would like to introduce Taegan, our newest Liberty First intern. She describes herself as:

The Most Magical Place on Earth

by Taegan James

You know where I’m talking about: Walt Disney World. As a kid, I never had the opportunity to go there. It seems like everyone I meet, who is my age, went to Disney as a child. Whenever I tell someone that I’ve never been there, I get one of two responses: a look of disbelief and horror, or one of sympathy. After spending a week in Idaho, Liberty First is now in Florida for a few days; more specifically, Orlando. Well today I got to go to Disney World!!! Just kidding, but we did go to Disney Springs, which is the next best thing. It may not have been Magic Kingdom, but this place was pretty magical. There are cute little shops, exotic restaurants, and some pretty amazing sights to see. During my time at Disney Springs, we went to Sosa Family Cigars, ate lunch at the Rainforest Cafe (which is inside a volcano), stopped at the Lego store, found some souvenirs at World of Disney, and savored a Mickey Mouse cake pop from the Candy Cauldron. I may have never been to the real Walt Disney World, but this counts, right? Some people I know, have been to Disney World so many times that it no longer seems like a magical place, and they take its beauty and charm for granted. Maybe they just need to remember how blessed they are to be there, and rediscover all the things that make Walt Disney World worth their time and energy.

There is another place that is pretty magical as well: America. Now it may not seem that way with the current state of our union, but we do live in a pretty unique, and blessed country. We have the freedom to practice, or not to practice, whichever religion we can best reconcile with our conscience. That is fairly unique quality to America. As a nation, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights” (Declaration of Independence). We believe in these principles because the United States of America was founded on the Judeo-Christian worldview; the ONLY worldview that maintains the equality and liberty of all men. Many may say that we are a “Christian” nation, but that is simply not true. We are not now, and were not intended to be. That would make our government a theocracy, and theocracy in the hands of men always degenerates into tyranny. Americans have the complete freedom to serve, or not to serve, God in whatever way they please; so long as they do not take away or infringe upon the lives and liberties of others. That means, EVERY religion is allowed in this country as long as its followers are upholding the Constitution and the laws made in pursuance of it.

There are so many people in this nation who take our liberties and freedoms for granted. Whether they abuse, ignore, or are simply unaware of their liberties, that is failing to use our God-given rights to their fullest potential. I heard from KrisAnne that a Supreme Court Justice here in Florida conducted a poll on the First Amendment. He found that only 2% of the people polled could name all five liberties protected in the First Amendment. That is a shocking statistic. KrisAnne conducts this poll in many of her classes as well. When many of the people find they do not know all five either, she asks, “If you do not even know what your liberties are, how do you know that they are not already gone?” If you don’t know your rights, then you most likely are not exercising them. If you are not exercising them, they are being taken for granted and are the rights that will not exist for the future generations of America. We have become so “pacified in prosperity, lazy in luxury, and complacent and compliant in comfort,” that we no longer care if we are giving up our liberties in the name of security (KrisAnne Hall, lecture). This is like someone who has gone to Disney World so many times that they don’t care if they ever step a foot in there again. But how many people would jump at the opportunity to go to Epcot, Universal Studies, or Magic Kingdom? I know I would. How many MORE people world-wide would do anything just to live in a country where they have the freedom of conscience? The freedom of speech? The freedom to worship whoever and however the want? The right to a trial by jury? Or how about this, even the simple freedom of voting. You see, there are billions of people who do not have these freedoms in their countries. As Americans, we take all of these liberties for granted at some point, or even every day. Sure, every four years (or two if you’re a stellar citizen) we cast a ballot and think that’s enough to fulfill our civic duty. But the fight to preserve and defend liberty is not something you do once every two or four years, it is something you must do every day. We do live in a very special nation, but it may not be the magical land of free for long. It’s about time we wake up, give ourselves an attitude adjustment, be thankful for the blessings we have, and start taking advantage of them.

Pursuing truth and defending liberty, always.

-A Devoted Patriot

I would like to introduce Taegan, our newest Liberty First intern. She describes herself as:

I offered to give them a tour when they decided to come and visit campus. He is shown here in the photo. These are the kinds of interactions that makes Liberty First what it is. Quiet, almost unnoticed moments that sow the seeds of liberty in the everyday people of America.

There is a historical act of liberty that, despite common misconception, was completed quietly and solemnly. This event I am referring to is the Boston Tea Party on March 31, 1774. Many portrayals of the famous tea-dumping depict patriots dressed as Mohicans angrily throwing the crates over and behaving in a manner that suggests riot ensued. This, however, was not the case. As KrisAnne explained in her Disarming of America class, the Boston Tea Party was actually a very silent, reserved protest. The men did not riotously storm and loot the ship, but very calmly obtained the key from the ship-master, took care of their business, and left quietly. They even repaid the East India Trading Company for the money lost in damages. We don’t see these peaceful protests in America today. Instead, we see mobs and riots that destroy, loot, and set afire private property. And to do what, exactly? They are not fighting for liberty because by damaging others’ property, they violate the liberty of others. Protests, on the other hand, properly exercise the freedom to assemble in order to stand against injustice.

I learned about countless other quiet acts in the name of liberty; some of which I had never before heard. Mercy Otis Warren wrote plays about the principles of liberty throughout the colonies. Wives and daughters of wealthy merchants and notable businessmen courageously signed their names on a document; refusing to purchase the taxed goods the British crowned mandated. An elderly woman convinced British regular troops that a patriot army was on its way so that Paul Revere could escape and warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock. All of these actions were done in the name of liberty, and are generally unheard of or go unnoticed today. What if these people of the past hadn’t done their part? You see, every single person has their own role to play in securing and defending liberty. Whether it’s teaching the Constitution and education the public like KrisAnne Hall, or simply exercising your five 1st Amendment rights on a regular basis, you are living a liberty lifestyle. If every American plays their part, we will be well on our way to restoring the republic.

Pursuing truth and defending liberty, always.

-A Devoted Patriot

I would like to introduce Taegan, our newest Liberty First intern. She describes herself as:

Today I had a life-changing experience. A moment of revelation and divine intervention. You may think I’m talking about something I read in the Bible or heard from KrisAnne’s teachings, but alas, this is not the case. This moment of enlightenment happened when I tried my very first Krispy Kreme donut. That’s right. A warm, sugary confection covered in glazed perfection. I remarked that I’ve never even seen a Krispy Kreme store, Colton pointed out that the “Hot” sign was on, and before I knew it, we were whipping a U-turn to get some donuts. KrisAnne even asked the drive-through worker to smile for a picture (big thank you to him for changing my life). Upon completion of my donut, I was in a realm of pure bliss that was nothing less than a glimpse of heaven itself. In fact, the group came to the consensus that Jesus’s second miracle was turning bread into Krispy Kremes. At that wedding, not only did they run out of wine, but something to eat along with it. You know the bread Jesus broke at the last supper? It was probably a Krispy Kreme. That part was just lost in translation, I’m sure. If I had the free rein to eat whatever and whenever I pleased, I would consume those delightful donuts at the same rate that Hillary Clinton lies through her teeth. Hopefully, someone who cared about my health and well-being would stop me. I would certainly wish that someone would impede me from destroying my body with food of no nutritious value. As delicious as Krispy Kremes are, I might need a person, or persons, to keep me in check so that I don’t overstep my bounds. A sort of accountability partner, if you will. Then, if I am unable to control myself, another party will encourage me to resist, or restrain me if need be.

I know someone in serious need of an accountability partner: Judge Richard Posner. He’s been a controversial topic on the KrisAnne Hall show the past couple of days, but here’s a quick run down. This federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has not simply crossed the line, but has hurdled it. He, in his own words, wrote in an article, and I quote,

“I see absolutely no value to a judge of spending decades, years, months, weeks, day, hours, minutes, or seconds studying the Constitution, the history of its enactment, its amendments, and its implementation.”

*pause for gasps of horror*

Yes, you read that right. A federal judge doesn’t even view the Constitution as relevant and applicable. Not only is he a judge, Dick Posner is a professor at the University of Chicago Law School and is allegedly the “most cited legal scholar of the 20th century.” If he truly believes that the words written by 18th century intellectuals do not apply to today because they could not possibly foresee our current circumstances, he’s a lunatic. This man makes countless rulings in court and teaches the next generation of attorneys and judges based on principles that directly contradict the Constitution. You know, the Constitution that he took an oath to protect and defend. Richard Posner MUST be kept accountable. He is past the point of behavior correction. We cannot simply spray him in the face with water and expect him to sit nicely or roll over for us. Posner must be fully restrained, and the only means of restraint is impeachment. WE the people are his accountability partners since government officials can’t seem to govern themselves in accordance with their job description. It is high time Richard Posner is impeached, and we are the only ones who can make it happen by demanding his removal to our Congressmen. To find more information on who to harass and how, go to the Facebook page or website of KrisAnne Hall.

Now this is neither a new, nor rare occurrence. As King Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “there is nothing new under the sun” because human nature is always consistent. I discovered that verse and plenty of evidence to back it up at tonight’s class on the Genealogy of the Constitution. KrisAnne went through over 700 years of history that demonstrates a pattern of tyranny and restoration of liberty. William I, William II, Henry I, John, Charles I, James II, and George III are all kings who exceeded their delegated powers and infringed on the Anglo-Saxon’s liberties. Each time, the people literally revolted and held swords to the king’s throat in order to take back their rights. Each time, they further expanded their liberty through law. The 1100 Charter of Liberties, the 1215 Magna Carta, the Petition of Right in 1628, the Grand Remonstrance of 1641, and the 1689 English Bill of Rights are the five documents that secured Anglo-Saxon liberty and serve as the foundation for our very own Constitution. You see, the people kept the Kings accountable for their abuses of power and curtailment of natural rights. They didn’t sit back and hope that someone else would come along a fix everything. As KrisAnne says, “there is no such thing as a presidential Messiah.” I’ve heard the debate over whether or not history repeats itself, but regardless, one must admit that there is an extremely precise pattern. Right on schedule, our government has overstepped its boundaries and has become a tyrannical and oppressive one. As we’ve learned, what happens next is that the people rise up and reclaim their power. Now I’m not saying go hold a sword to anyone’s throat, nor am I trying to incite rebellion, but Americans must hold the government and its officials accountable for their actions. They cannot continue to regulate, define, or infringe upon the rights we’ve inherited from God and our forefathers. It’s time to take back what’s rightfully ours.

Pursuing truth and defending liberty, always.

-A Devoted Patriot

The day didn’t quite start out that way. On our way out of Clarkston, we didn’t get gas on the assumption there would be a station in one of the next few towns. Well, this is Idaho. Come to find out, towns are few and far in between. Even when you do happen come across one, gas stations in them are even rarer than the towns themselves. The GPS took us to one in Palouse, Idaho that we thought couldn’t possibly be a functioning pump. So we took a chance on a town called Garfield, which was only 10 miles away. The fuel light was on and the car beeped at us, but we finally pulled up to a gas station. Similar to the one we disregarded, this beat up BUSCH station looked abandoned and unusable. We stopped at a local store downtown and a woman assured us it was a working pump, so we skeptically returned to the out of date station. Sure enough, after a few minutes of tinkering and toying, the fuel was flowing, and we successfully avoided going door to door searching for gas.

The rental car is not the only thing fueled up after today. The people of Coeur D’Alene, Idaho are full of new knowledge and courage from tonight’s class on state sovereignty. Thanks to KrisAnne, they are now equipped with the tools necessary to take away undelegated powers from the federal government and place them back into the hands of the states. What a great feeling it is seeing so many people leave full of enthusiasm and motivation for upholding the Constitution. Not only are they full of enthusiasm, but they are now filled with hope that liberty can, and will, prevail.

I just finished fueling up at Texas Roadhouse after a long day. A warm roll with apple butter, some fried pickle chips, Caesar salad, green beans, and 6 ounces of sirloin later, I am stuffed to the brim. I’ll start eating real healthy again next week, that’s what I keep telling myself. Regardless, I am fully fueled and ready for another day in the life of KrisAnne Hall. That’s all for now. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Pursuing truth and defending liberty, always.

-A Devoted Patriot

I almost don’t even know where to start after a day like this one. Keeping up with KrisAnne Hall is almost as difficult as keeping up with the latest tax codes. I started the morning off with 16 ounces of black coffee when I maybe should have chosen a latte with about four shots of espresso in it. Oh well. Choices happen all the time, whether big or small.

The day kicked off with a testimony from KrisAnne at the Nazarene Church in Kamiah, Idaho. As she shared about her salvation and call to educate, the verse she pointed out is Esther really stuck out to me. You see, Esther and KrisAnne were faced with similar predicaments: stand up for what is right, or settle for what is convenient and comfortable. Esther 4:14 says, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” If you are familiar with Esther’s story, you know that she did NOT remain silent at that time. But what if she had? Surely, God would have delivered His chosen people out from under the hands of tyranny. However, Esther’s family would not only be unable to reap the rewards, but would perish for failing to serve the kingdom of God. Esther had to make a choice.

Later on in the day, over 100 people gathered in the church for a six hour Roots of Liberty workshop. During the sessions we discovered the genealogy of the Constitution, the purposes and principles of the Bill of Rights, and the sovereignty of states. At some point during the six hours (I can’t remember when because I was busy selling merchandise, making things easier for my boss, mingling with the locals, etc) a man named James Otis Jr. caught my attention. He, like Esther and KrisAnne, was faced with a difficult dilemma. He filed a case against arbitrary writs of assistance in February of 1761 EVEN though he could have been arrested and hung for treason right on the spot. He stood up for and defended liberty in the face of death and inspired many others present in the court room to do the same; notably John and Samuel Adams, and James Warren. John Adams even said that “the child of independence was born that day.” All because James Otis made a choice.

These stories made me reflect on what choices I have made to do what is right and defend liberty. I chose to stand up for and voice my beliefs in a public school where it was the unpopular and, quite honestly, ridiculed opinion. I chose to apply exclusively to and attend a school that would teach me about liberty and how to properly defend it. I chose to try to educate myself on what is going on in our world. I chose to travel with KrisAnne and cause expense to myself and my family in the name of liberty. Sure, taking a stand for our liberty is a much harder choice than my choosing between a cookie or desser pizza at today’s picnic (I chose the pizza, by the way). But it is necessary to the preservation of our rights that we do so. It was very encouraging to see so many people choose to show up today in order to abandon their ignorance and/or preconceived notions about our union’s history, and find how we are to restore the republic. More to come; I have much to learn.

Pursuing truth and defending liberty, always.

-A Devoted Patriot