Campaign for the Constitution The need for mass action Those dedicated to restoring the constitution and to protecting our rights to keep and bear arms and to assemble as independent local militias recognize the need to demonstrate our resolve, to influence lawmakers and to recruit more support for our cause. Some have held rallies in their local areas, while others are calling for marches on Washington, DC. Although marches on Washington have been popular, and might be appropriate for this cause at some time in the future, they are neither feasible nor effective at this time. Lawmakers are only concerned about what those marchers on Washington might want who are their own constituents, and they would pay more attention if the march occurred in their home states or districts where it might arouse support among other constituents. A march on Washington can get some publicity for a cause, but it is a lot of trouble to go to for two minutes on the evening news. There are easier ways to get that. When a candidate for public office tries to win votes, he doesn't campaign in Washington, but goes on a tour of his state or district, tries to meet as many people as possible, and tries to stage events that generate as much free publicity and excitement as possible. A route for the tour should try to visit those areas in which there are the greatest number of people who vote, but who haven't already made up their minds, and who are the most likely to be responsive to the message of the campaign. A Campaign for the Constitution needs to do the same. Plans and routes The key to success is sponsorship by one or a few key organizations with large memberships. If a new organization must be built just for the campaign tour, it will take time and may lose its momentum before the tour can take place. The size of the United States, and the need to reach many different areas in a short period, makes a single tour route infeasible, and suggests dividing the country into several sections and staging a campaign tour in each. One possibility would be three circuits: a Western, a Central, and an Eastern. The Western tour might begin in Arizona, proceed north through Colorado to Montana, then west to Washington and south to California and thence back to Arizona. The Central might begin in Texas, proceed north through the Dakotas, through Minnesota, then east to Ohio, south through Tennessee to Mississippi, then back to Texas. The Eastern circuit might begin in Florida, proceed up the East Coast to Maine, then west through Pennsylvania, south to Alabama, and back to Florida. The tours would be planned to take place over a three-month period, building in momentum as they proceed. While some supporters might drop out along the way, more would join the campaign as it traveled. The exact routes should focus on those states and congressional districts in which the congressmen are on the fence and susceptible to constituent pressure on the issue. In those areas represented by members whose minds are made up, and who are not supportive of our cause, the focus should be on identifying challengers to the incumbents who are supporters and who have some chance of unseating the incumbent, and on encouraging them to run in the next election. Preparations Once a tentative route has been selected, teams must be designated to prepare for the tour. The first are the organizers, who identify supporters in the areas along the route and recruit them to help prepare events and recruit support in their areas. The second team are the advance men, who travel ahead of the main campaign, arranging for accommodations, selecting sites, securing equipment and personnel, and handling advance publicity. The third team arrive just in advance of the main campaign team to set up equipment, unload the baggage, and secure the facilities. The main team should consist of prominent persons who are good campaigners. People in an area will often turn out to meet visiting dignitaries who would never get around to attending local meetings of activist organizations otherwise, and once energized, will often continue to meet with fellow constituents. After the main team has left the area, a followup team needs to linger in the area to handle followup publicity, recruit and organize supporters, and get them to take action to influence their elected officials. They should leave a trail of local activist groups who will continue to meet and who will recruit support for the cause in other areas not visited by the campaign. An important function along the way is fundraising, to support the campaign itself and the organizing efforts that will follow it. It is important for the campaign to generate more and more contributions as it goes. Nothing is worse than to run out of money along the way. Call to action The theme of the campaign should not just be firearm or militia rights, but the larger issues of restoring constitutional governance. Many people who might oppose the more limited cause of gun rights will be more receptive to the broader theme, and it is after all what makes gun rights important. Most of what the campaign needs to do is educate people on the principles of constitutional law, on how it protects rights and limits the power of government, and on how to apply it to specific laws and official acts that people might encounter in the course of their lives. We need to emphasize the Principle of Nuremberg: that every individual has the responsibility to make an independent determination of the constitutionality of every law and official act, to support those that are constitutional and resist those that are not, and never to try to delegate that responsibility to public officials or superiors. Not even the Supreme Court. It must be explained to people that many of the unconstitutional assumptions of power are in response to the demands from people to do something about real problems, but that they need to refrain from making such demands unless the Constitution is first amended to make such measures legal, and if they still insist that such action is needed, then involve them in proposing the constitutional amendments that might provide the necessary legal foundation. One of the aims of this campaign should be to leave a trail of local militia units along the route of the tours who will recruit and organize other militia units across the country until there is an active unit in every county. The time for action is now. We may never have a better chance to reverse the progressive loss of our rights and freedoms for which generations of our forefathers fought and died. Contact your favorite activist organizations and discuss sponsoring such a campaign. For more information contact: Constitution Society 6900 San Pedro #147-230, San Antonio, TX 78216, 210/224-2868