My first meeting with the 9-12 Project of Southeast Indiana

Well, tonight was a first for me: I went to the second meeting of the 9-12 Project of Southeast Indiana. The first meeting was apparently only 5-6 people. Tonight, we probably had about 20-30 people in the Dunevant Room at the North Dearborn Library. It was really neat, seeing that there were other people in my local area that were concerned with the same issues I've been reading and hearing about.

For those of you who are unaware of what the 9-12 Project is, let me give you an overview:

From The 9-12 Project's Mission Statement:

The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the greatest nation ever created.

That same feeling – that commitment to country is what we are hoping to foster with this idea. We want to get everyone thinking like it is September 12th, 2001 again.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you watch the direction that America is being taken in and feel powerless to stop it?

• Do you believe that your voice isn’t loud enough to be heard above the noise anymore?

• Do you read the headlines everyday and feel an empty pit in your stomach…as if you’re completely alone?

If you’ve answered YES, then you’ve fallen for the Wizard of Oz lie. While the voices you hear in the distance may sound intimidating, as if they surround us from all sides—the reality is very different. Once you pull back the curtain, you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak. The truth is that they don’t surround us at all.

We surround them.

At the origin of America, our Founding Fathers built this country on 28 powerful principles. These principles were culled from all over the world and from centuries of great thinkers. We have distilled the original 28 down to the 9 basic principles.

So, how do we show America what’s really behind the curtain? Read The 9 Principles. If you believe in at least seven of them, then we have something in common.

Here are the 9 Principles:

1. America is good.
2. I believe in God and He is the center of my life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

And the 12 Values:

1. Honesty
2. Reverence
3. Hope
4. Thrift
5. Humility
6. Charity
7. Sincerity
8. Moderation
9. Hard work
10. Courage
11. Personal responsibility
12. Gratitude

The Mission Statement of The 9-12 Project of Southeast Indiana is as follows:

To take back our country by shifting power back from politicians to the people who they represent, as originally envisioned by our Founding Fathers and captured in the Constitution. "...by the people, of the people, for the people."

(Note: I'm aware that the exact phrase is "of the people, by the people, for the people", and is from the Gettysburg Address. However, I believe the author meant that as two separate thoughts: "and captured in the Constitution" period. "by the people, of the people, for the people" period.)

Our goals:

• Adhere to the 9 Principles and 12 Values
• Educate ourselves on the Constitution and Bill of Rights
• Be an active voice in the community
• Coordinating with other groups and initiatives
• Preparing for the upcoming elections

We will be separating our areas of focus into 3 separate branches:

1. National
• keeping up with the news
• rallies, protests, marches
• preparation for elections
• coordinating with other groups
• being watchdogs
• ACORN, SEIU, Tides, Apollo Alliance, NEA
• czars, politicians, refounders
2. Local
• involvement in the local government
• educating the community
• campaigning for local candidates
• media relations
• school districts
• curriculum
• school board
• be active in the community
• charity
• volunteering
3. Individual
• knowing and understanding the 9 Principles and 12 Values
• educating ourselves on the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and current legislation

We have contact info for our local and state legislators, as well as contact information for the Congressional switchboard (202-224-3121),  White House comments line (202-456-1111), White House switchboard (202-456-1414), and White House fax line (202-456-2461).

In addition, we also want our Congressional representatives to take The 5 Pledges, and let us know if they're "in or out". If they agree and adhere to their pledges, we vote them IN; if they don't agree, or fail to uphold their pledges, we vote them OUT.

1. I believe in a balanced budget and therefore will vote for a freeze in government spending until that goal is realized.
2. I believe government should not increase the financial burden on its citizenry during difficult economic times, therefore I will oppose all tax increases until our economy has rebounded.
3. I believe more than 4 decades of U.S. dependence on foreign oil is a travesty, therefore I will support an energy plan that calls for immediately increasing usage of all domestic resources including nuclear energy, matural gas, and coal, as necessary.
4. I believe in the sovereignty and security of our country and therefore will support measures to close our borders except for designated immigration points so we will know who is entering and why. I will vehemently oppose any measure giving another coutnry, the United Nations, or any other entity power over U.S. citizens.
5. I believe the United States of America is the greatest country on earth and therefore will not apologize for policies or actions which have served to free more and feed more people around the world than any other nation on the planet.

We also have a suggested reading list and website list that are both currently in progress. Our next meeting is tentatively scheduled for 10/21 back at the North Dearborn Public Library. For those of you in the area who are similarly concerned, I hope to see you there and join with fellow patriots and make new friends!