First, there is the Enforcement of Foreign Law Bill which is aimed at preventing international law from imposing tyranny on the citizens of South Carolina:

The General Assembly finds that it is necessary to protect the citizens of the State from the application of foreign law from a forum outside of the United States or its territories when that application will result in the violation of a constitutionally guaranteed right including, but not limited to, the right to due process, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, or any right of privacy or marriage as specifically delineated in the constitution of this State or of the United States.

I like the spirit of this bill. They are standing up for our rights and that is what the state government is supposed to do. Of course, it would also be great if we could prevent the enforcement of federal law on South Carolinians, as it is also tyranny. Finally, I wish they would also include the right of private property, or just the right to self-ownership, but this is a step in the right direction.

Anyhow, the second bill does take aim at some federal law, namely having to do with currency and sound money. It is the “Gold and Silver to be Legal Tender” Bill:

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OS SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 18 TO CHAPTER 1, TITLE 1 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT GOLD OR SILVER COIN, OR BOTH, SHALL BE LEGAL TENDER IN THIS STATE FOR PAYMENT OF CERTAIN DEBTS; AND BY ADDING ARTICLE 26 TO CHAPTER 1, TITLE 1 SO AS TO ESTABLISH A JOINT COMMITTEE FOR THE ADOPTION OF AN ALTERNATE FORM OF CURRENCY.

There is an especially important part of this bill that I want to point out:

If by its terms a debt requires payment in gold or silver coin, or both, then the only allowable medium of exchange for payment of it is gold or silver coin, or both, as the debt stipulates. In any case or controversy involving the enforcement of a debt, the courts of this State shall specifically enforce payment in gold or silver coin, or both.

This essentially nullifies the legal tender laws of the United States, which require that all debts are payable in Federal Reserve Notes, and that no person may deny payment in FRNs (Dollars) under penalty of fines and/or imprisonment.

If this law passes, it will mean that individuals and businesses can refuse payment in dollars, choosing instead to use a real money like gold or silver. I believe this is the lynch-pin of the federal reserve’s power over the people, and if we can get this through, we will restore at least some economic freedom to the people of South Carolina.

If you support these measures as I do, then please let your state Senator or Congressman know that they need to vote to protect South Carolinians from tyranny!

So I say damn the US Empire. It’s an awful regime swollen fat on the blood of my people and others around the world. I hope to live to see the day when it is dead and gone. I will raise a glass and toast its fall, celebrating the liberation of my people.

The Justice Department is suing the state of South Carolina to stop enforcement of parts of it’s new immigration law, arguing that the provisions are “unconstitutional and interfere with the federal government’s authority to set and enforce immigration policy.”

U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles said that the law violates people’s right to due process. The lawsuit was filed Monday afternoon.

South Carolina’s law makes it a state crime to be in the country without a valid visa and requires local law enforcement to call federal immigration officials following a traffic stop or other encounters with authority if they suspect the person of being undocumented, and mandates that all businesses check their hires through the federal online system known as E-Verify — as do similar immigration laws such as Arizona’s SB 1070 and Alabama’s H.B. 56.

Supporters of South Carolina’s law say the federal government has failed to control illegal immigration, and that states – which they say bear the consequences – must address the problem themselves.

State Sen. Tom Davis, a Republican and a co-sponsor of the law, says that undocumented immigrants in South Carolina’s schools, hospitals and prisons impose a “tremendous financial cost” on state taxpayers, reports the Island Packet.

We already are occupied, and have been since 1865.

The mission of the South Carolina Sound Money Committee is to restore gold and silver as legal tender as prescribed by Article 1 Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution, in order to preserve the wealth and purchasing power of the citizens and institutions of South Carolina.

Here are some videos to get you started:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wBNAmcRRWs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeqC__I_SkU

One of the powers the police now have is something called a “No Knock Raid” or a “No Knock Warrant” in which they can burst into a private residence, shoot anything that moves, arrest everyone on site and then search for drugs and weapons. As Michael often points out, as bad as this tyranny sounds, it doesn’t always hit home with people unless they hear it in song form, so here is a music video called “It’s a No Knock Raid.” (Warning: language, disturbing footage)

How much longer will people live under the rule of these savages? When will people realize that the government is nothing but a gang, and stop giving them legitimacy by demanding that they control drugs, alcohol, marriage, etc?

Some people say if we were to stand up to the government we’d start a new war. Secession would start another Civil War [sic], collapse of the government would be all out chaos and anarchy, etc. Well I have news for those people, as this map points out, we’re already at war with the government:

Two weeks ago, the Utah Senate passed HB317, a bill which will legalize gold and silver as tender within the state of Utah and exempt the exchange (purchase) of such specie from sales and capital gains taxes. Having already passed the House, the bill will now be sent to Governor Herbert to be signed into law, should he so decide.

This type of bill is one that is becoming increasingly popular throughout the country, with multiple states introducing and considering such legislation. Though Utah is now the first state to have a legislature approve of the idea, the sustained momentum of getting other states to review the proposal demonstrates the resiliency of the campaign for sound money. With the U.S. Dollar plummeting in value, this is an issue that will become more popular as time goes on.

As the author of the bill noted in a Fox News article on the subject, this bill will allow Utahns to better prepare for financial turmoil ahead, more easily diversifying into currency with a long history of stability.

This bill, however, is a watered down version of the original submission by the author, Larry Hilton. As we reported previously, the goals of this effort are far more comprehensive and specific. The limited provisions included in this final bill, while certainly welcome, are merely a first step. Expect to see successive legislation in upcoming sessions to expand and broaden the scope of what the legislature passed today.

Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution states emphatically that “no state shall make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts.” Plainly put, this is the goal: to restore the Constitution’s mandate of gold and silver as the only currency accepted in payment of debts by the states. A recent op-ed at tenthamendmentcenter.com notes what the realization of this goal would achieve:

Over time, as residents of the State use both Federal Reserve Notes and silver and gold coins, the fact that the coins hold their value more than Federal Reserve Notes do will lead to a “reverse Gresham’s Law” effect, where good money (gold and silver coins) will drive out bad money (Federal Reserve Notes). As this happens, a cascade of events can begin to occur, including the flow of real wealth toward the State’s treasury, an influx of banking business from outside of the State (as citizens residing in other States carry out their desire to bank with sound money), and an eventual outcry against the use of Federal Reserve Notes for any transactions.

With this vote, Utah has demonstrated leadership among the states on the issue of sound money in taking one step towards the constitutional mandate that has for decades been ignored. Please contact Governor Gary Herbert’s office at 801-538-1000 and ask that he sign this important bill into law.

Obviously, we think this is an important concept, so much so that it is the central theme of our site. But what does it mean? Let’s take a look at the dictionary first:

freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.

It seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? Would anybody disagree with the notion that we should be free from the control of others? Of course not. To suggest otherwise would imply that we are the property of others, that we are subjects or slaves.

The other parts of the definition all rest on the freedom from control: influence of others isn’t always a bad thing. It is good to sometimes seek advice or guidance from someone else. However, you are still free to choose what to do with that advice, and so you are free to choose how you will let that influence affect you, so long as you are free from control. The same is true of support, aid, or the like. So a more simple definition of independence, cutting down to the root of the issue, would be:

freedom from the control of others.

But why does this simple idea go out the window when we start talking about government?

There are many potential answers to this question. Our society seems to have a general premise that the government is our safe keeper, and without it we would be animals in the wilderness, and utter chaos would rule. Some treat government as if it represents a balance of power against the “corporations” (themselves government enabled entities) who they say would take over and act as governments themselves if it weren’t for our elected representatives. The Founding Fathers treated government  as a necessary evil, that if properly limited could serve to protect our rights, but we all know that lasted about 5 minutes.

So why is it that we would all react with disgust if we saw a person leading around his slaves and making them do his bidding, but we react with joyful celebration when we see the government do the same thing? (Democrats celebrating the enslavement of doctors, for example, or Republicans celebrating the enslavement of the pot smoker.)

Well this is the question of our times and for people who have traveled the philosophical and political journey that leads to Independence it is extremely difficult to understand how anyone could believe that control is OK in the hands of the government, while not OK for anyone else. Hopefully our efforts on this site can expose people to the reality that government is coercion and control of others, and that as such it is evil. Hopefully we can inspire a renewed interest in Independence, so that as the current status quo collapses upon itself, a free society can emerge.

PS – For the best attempt at Independence thus far in recorded history, reference the Declaration of Independence.

We have officially dissolved the non-profit corporation, which means we won’t be taking donations, holding rallies, having meetings, or doing anything else officially as an organization.

However, we will continue to run this website and use it to spread articles, information, and materials that support the idea of Independence. For a clear explanation of our new focus, please see the updated “about” page, which begins:

Third Palmetto Republic is a political blog written by a few folks in South Carolina who believe in the independence of every individual and the natural right to your own life and to do with it as you see fit, so long as you abide by the non-aggression principle. To that end, we publish articles and materials on the subject of government to illustrate its evils and educate our fellow South Carolinians and anyone else who might be interested.

If you’re interested in writing on this site, then please contact us.

by Daniel Miller, Texas Nationalist Movement

This is the “question of the day” today. Actually, for me, this has been the question of the day, every day, for 14 years. You see, I get it. Sort of. Well, not really.

See my problem here?

I seem to experience waves of frustration watching the people of Texas dealing with the Federal Government. Personally, I made my conclusion a long time ago that Texas needed to secede and become an independent nation. I also know that many others have arrived at that conclusion as well.

For the 14 years since I arrived at that conclusion I have watched the people of Texas shoved around by a Federal Government drunk on power. They go through a succession of governmental functionaries from one of the two major parties only to wind up with more government, less freedom and more abuse. Unfortunately for me, although I know the truth and what the solution is, the rest of the people of Texas have not reached the mental and emotional place of safety where I reside.

This leaves me to watch the abuses pile up without the proper response. To get an idea of my daily anguish, let’s paint a mental picture together. Imagine for a moment that you are part of a large family. You and your siblings are sitting in the living room of the house and your Mother’s current husband, someone who is not your Father, comes in and begins to beat the crap out of your Mother. Your sister starts to cry so he turns his attention to her and starts beating her. Your brother tries to shield your sister and he gets smacked a few times. You speak up and try to shield them all and get

pummeled more than all of them put together. After he beats you, thankfully, he takes the money that you all have been saving from the cookie jar, jumps in his car and heads off to the local watering hole to blow all of the money on booze and other women. Imagine that this happens every day.

I want you to really burn that image in your mind.

Now, imagine that after all of this repeated abuse you go to your Mother and ask her to leave this bastard who is destroying your family. You want her to leave this scum that is slowly killing her, the rest of your siblings and you, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. You want to be saved. You want her to be saved. You want your brothers and sisters to be saved. You want this abuse to end. And it can all end by one decision made by her. You’ve had this conversation with her every time this happens. And each time she and most of your siblings, to your horror, cry or get angry and advocate for HIM.

“He’s just having a hard time right now.”
“He only does it because we don’t act right.”
“He makes all the money. We would be broke if we left.”
“I promised until death do us part.”
“He’s starting to make the changes that I’ve asked.”

Days go by. Weeks go by. Years go by. It occasionally will get better for a short time. But he always returns back to the same old thing and no one leaves.

Let all of that sink in and burn into your brain.

Now you know how I feel.

I recognized the abuse a long time ago. It wasn’t until 14 years ago that I realized that I had the power to stop it. But I am still frustrated. My head tells me that I should have some peace since I know the answer.

However, my heart is screaming because I watch my Mother, my brothers and my sisters abused daily. Their indecision causes me to wind up on the receiving end of that abuse because I am morally obligated to stand up for them.

I want to know when they are going to stand up for me. When? When I’m dead? When we’re all dead? Then no one will need to stand up for anyone else.

Call me a tortured soul if you wish. At least I’ve been trying to put my finger on what in the hell is wrong with most of you. And I think I may have found my answer.

I started to research what causes people to repeatedly suffer at the hands of abusers and refuse to leave the situation. I found that it is called “Battered Women Syndrome” and it fits more than any explanation I have ever seen.

Abused spouses go through four phases while in an abusive relationship. They are: denial, guilt, enlightenment and responsibility.

Denial is marked by the refusal to admit that there is even a problem. Abusive incidents will be explained to others as “accidents”. Excuses are made for each incident and each time the abused firmly believes it will never happen again.

Guilt is the one that puzzles me the most. The abused takes responsibility for the abuse. The abused feels that they deserve to be beaten because they have defects in their own character and they aren’t living up to the abusers expectations.

Enlightenment is the revelation that the abuse is not an accident or aberration and that it is not the fault of the abused. But the newly enlightened abused believes that the abuser can somehow be “fixed”. The abused is still committed to the relationship and stays with the abuser hoping they can work things out.

Responsibility is when the abused decides that the abuser will not stop, they can’t be fixed, it’s the abusers fault and the abused decided to start a new life free of abuse.

I recognized that I am in the “responsibility” phase. At this moment I knew why I was so frustrated. I knew that until Texas and most of my brothers and sisters got to this phase then I would continue in my frustration.
Frustrating as it may be, I now do only what I know to do.

I plead one more time with my Mother, my brothers and sister. We are abused. It is not our fault. The Federal Government will not change. It will make promises that it will not keep. If it ever stops abusing us, the break will be brief and it will not last. While we have been faithful to the Constitutional marriage of which we are part, it has not. Mother, your children in the Texas Nationalist Movement have stood up for you. Brothers and sisters of Texas, the Texas Nationalist Movement, your blood, your siblings have stood up for you. We have told you that it is time to make a new life. We will survive this but only if we leave.

Mother, brothers, sisters, let us start this new life now. One free of abuse. We can make it together but first we have to make the decision. If not, then I will continue to ask you “what in the hell is wrong with you?”

Daniel Miller is President of the Texas Nationalist Movement.