November 12, 2009

Historic Continental Congress 2009 Convenes 

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 may one day be known as the day the American People convened, for the first time in over two centuries, an Assembly of representatives of the People in order to fully exercise of the “Capstone Right” -- i.e., the Petition clause of the First Amendment.

At approximately 3:00 pm Wednesday, WTP Chairman Bob Schulz convened the Assembly to begin the selection of Congress officers from the ranks of elected Delegates who will preside over the 11-day long Assembly.  Constitutional scholar and former Presidential candidate Michael Badnarik was selected as the presiding officer of the Congress while Delegate .

Following the ceremonial Liberty Banquet dinner at the St. Charles, Illinois Pheasant Run venue, the Delegates gathered in the main deliberation hall for the Opening Ceremony which was broadcast live.  The song-centered ceremony featured presentation of the fifty state flags by the Delegates, as well as several patriotic group songs and inspirational prayers.

For over a decade, WTP Foundation has championed an intensive, well-researched and coherent effort to hold the Government accountable for its escalating violations of fundamental Rights and the Constitution through use of the Right of the People to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”  Those ongoing abuses include violations of the Constitution’s tax, money, war, general welfare, privacy and other clauses that are at the heart of the conditions that now plague our nation.  (See our Petitions for Redress) 

Although the public has known little about the history or nature of the Right to Petition, scholarly and historical research has established without argument, that the Right, first articulated as the cornerstone of Western Law in Magna Carta (1215), provides the People an individual Right to hold Government peacefully accountable for its abuses.

Far beyond the right to merely send “complaints” to the government (which are virtually ignored by all officials), the Right of Petition embodies the profound Right to enforce the Right to Petition by withdrawing support from the Government until Redress is secured.

Summaries of this important research can be reviewed as part of the legal pleadings of the 2004 landmark WTP lawsuit, We The People vs. United States, which sought to have the Judiciary declare – for the first time in history – the legal and constitutional meaning of the last ten words of the First Amendment. In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear this controversial case involving the essence of Popular Sovereignty.  

Continental Congress 2009 will take the process of holding Government accountable and restoring the Constitution to the next level by first creating a formal record of the vast violations of the Constitution and Individual Rights now suffered by the People.  Next, the Congress will debate and decide upon a series of practical but strong “Civic Actions” the People may take in order to restore their Liberty.

The agenda for the CC2009 Assembly also provides for the development and adoption of formal “Remedial Instructions” to be served upon federal and state officials, in essence ordering them to cease and desist their official abuses and giving them formal Notice as to the “Civic Actions” of (peaceful) resistance the People may take, en masse, if those officials, yet again, choose to ignore the People’s Petitions for Redress. 

Most of the CC2009 event can be viewed live each day at these links: www.GiveMeLiberty.org/CC2009 or at www.CC2009.us.   

The professionally produced webcast includes news commentaries and highlights/wrap-up segments each day. On-demand archive streaming will soon be available for those unable to watch the live video streams.

Please remember that the WTP Foundation, as hosts of the Continental Congress event, have done everything within their means to bring this event live to the American People at no cost.
Although our previous calls for support resulted in some additional donations that eventually enabled us to move forward in contracting for most of the webcast production, a significant financial shortfall persists and some level of unanticipated costs continue to be incurred. 

Your support of our efforts will help us not only cover the substantial costs incurred in producing and hosting CC2009 in St. Charles, Illinois, but will enable us to reach many others through the Internet who otherwise would not be able to witness this watershed moment in American history. 

We urge everyone to please consider making a tax-deductible donation of any amount and support this critical initiative to restore our Founding Principles and protect the Light of Liberty. (If you have not visited our website before, please first join our email list.)

If you can donate at least $100 are and are interested in receiving a FREE .999 pure-silver CC2009 commemorative medallion, please click the e-store link next to the coin image below.  You can also donate using our Mail-in Donate form.

Total updated periodically...

PLEASE NOTE: online donations made to WTP through our "general" donation streams are NOT eligible for the CC2009 medallion offer.  "State-specific" donations through our state PayPal buttons are likewise, NOT eligible for the CC2009 medallion offer.

Click here to donate and receive the CC2009 .999 pure silver medallion.