"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty, suspect everyone who approaches that jewel." Patrick Henry

We treasure the way of life God has graciously chosen to bless us with. Our desire is for future generations to have the same opportunity to participate in small business trade and in an agrarian culture. This provides an environment in which communities may flourish at the hands of individuals who enjoy a deep pride and satisfaction from producing products by their own hand.

Communication is vital to recreate and preserve this culture. Actions at home or abroad, which advance or retard this objective, are important to us (the producer) and to you (the consumer). Below is information regarding legislative actions, court cases, and historical facts. Please help us preserve your consumer rights and our rights as a small business producer.

Book Review and Recommendations for 2024

Not For Fame Or Reward, Not For Place Or For Rank,

Not Lured By Ambition, Or Goaded By Necessity,

But In Simple Obedience To Duty,

As They Understood It, These Men Suffered All,

Sacrificed All, Dared All And Died.

(Inscribed on Confederate Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery)

             After the two-year State of Emergency in Idaho ended in the spring of 2022, our community wisely considered what to do next. Instead of going back to sleep until the next “planned” catastrophe several books have been recommended to support the principles of limited government and the preservation of personal and public liberty. The first, Live Not By Lies, is written by Rod Dreher.  This is an astute, up- to-date book detailing the rise of communism in Russia, and how it correlates to a similar insidious form of totalitarianism which has been invading America.   

            Dreyer writes, "Soft totalitarianism exploits decadent modern man's preference for personal pleasure over principles, including political liberties.  The public will support, or at least not oppose, the coming soft totalitarianism, not because it fears the imposition of cruel punishments but because it will be more or less satisfied by hedonistic comforts."

            New terminology such as "The Myth of Progress", and "Woke Capitalism" are defined and thoroughly examined. According to Dreyer, mega corporations, such as Apple, now have more available cash than two-thirds of the world's nations, with more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies staffing "diversity" offices.  Dreyer quotes from author Heather MacDonald's book, The Diversity Delusion, "[G]raduates of the academic victimology complex are remaking the world in their image."   

            It is easy to see how a significant number of employees in America will feel compelled to swear allegiance to soft totalitarian-controlled corporations to retain employment.  It will be difficult to push back against a therapeutic philosophy based on "diversity", and "social justice".

            After a look at how soft totalitarianism is affecting America, subsequent chapters in Live Not by Lies are devoted to how survivors of hard totalitarianism were able to fight back and live through difficult times.  The preservation of traditional family values, local culture, history, and religion were key elements to their survival.

            One example of contemporary destruction of America's culture and history lies in the struggle to retain Confederate monuments and names across the states. (The quote at the top of this book review is inscribed upon the Confederate Memorial located in Arlington National Cemetery.)

            Confederate monuments funded by the children of the veterans laden with inscriptions which were intended to teach and educate the public about why the veterans' sacrifices were made and of their importance to our future are now being vandalized, removed, or both with the sanction of State and Federal governments.  The story of the defenders of Federalism vs. Centralism is being replaced by a new narrative suited to the expansion and support of totalitarianism and corporate servitude.

            The next lengthy but interesting book recommended within our community is: The Excellence of the Common Law, by Brent Allan Winters.  The main body of the book is 752 pages in length with an additional 137 pages of appendices on topics such as, "The Miner's Law".  Winters, is a self-described "American Common Lawyer" with a refreshing agricultural background, who compares and contrasts common law with civil law "in light of history, nature and Scripture". 

            After the introduction in chapter one, chapter two examines the origin and growth of civil law.  The story begins with the Tower of Babel, the empire of Babylon and the subsequent Roman Empire.   The Roman Empire and the development of the university system and its form of education enabled the propagation of "civilian" (civil) law by its early global thinkers. 

            Chapter three covers the beginning and growth of "common" law. The nemesis of civil law developed in England.  It was first recognized as a tribal unwritten law.  Tribal law was further refined over the centuries by Anglo Saxon and Protestantism's influence as the Bible became widely read.  Jury trials have their origin here and "first principles" recognizable in our state and federal constitutions were formed during this time as English Common Law rose in defiance of  Roman Civil Law.  Are you acquainted with the terms "tithing", "hundred courts", "shires", and "inns of court"?

              Chapter four covers common law and scripture. As mentioned before, Bible principles entwined and influenced the early tribal law of the Anglo Saxons which matured into the English common law from precedent outlined by biblical example.

            Chapter five contrasts common and civil law i.e. "Common Sense versus  Baseless Logic, Due Process versus Scholasticism, Facts versus Speculation, Court Findings versus State Legislation".

            Briefly, civil law is created by a legislature elected by a majority of the people. The legislators create laws and bureaucratic agencies which rule the people through  further creation of administrative "laws" or rules.  Not all laws or rules are best or even right.  At times these "laws" or "rules" contradict natural law or constitutional law. Common law checks the will of the "majority" through the intervention of a court decision by a "minority" (a jury of one's own peers).   

            The practice of jury nullification as a check against rogue judges who have allegiance to the state's civil law rather than the people's common law is examined in Winters' book.  Jury Nullification is an overlooked tool which has combated and successfully checked out-of-control civil law.

            The final book in our community's recommended trilogy is: The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate authored by Pastor Matthew Trewhella.  This book begins with a fine example of what later became known as "the doctrine of the lesser magistrate". 

            In A.D. 39, Roman governor and ruler of Syria and Palestine, Publius Petronius, disregarded an order from the Roman Emperor Caligula to install an image of the emperor in the Jewish temple at Jerusalem.  Fortunately, the ship bearing the death sentence for Petronius came after the ship bearing the news of the emperor's death which in effect reversed Petronius' death sentence.

            This book continues on with historical examples of how lesser magistrates interposed between the people and a higher magistrate's unjust decrees.  The book is not long and it is easy to understand this logical concept.  It has later appendices which give clear historical views on topics such as Romans 13.  The people in our county have given this book to their sheriff as a worthy consideration to deal with future overreach of state or federal authorities.    

            In summary, the key to how we may successfully respond to our future is found in the books' recommendations above.  The importance of the family circle, local culture, community interaction, history preservation, and our faith in Christ will help us to survive difficult times while maintaining a fair rule of law based on historical precedence.

            One last book our family wishes to promote lays out a step by step real life successful example of a small family farm model.  The book title is: The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm: How to Start and Run a Profitable Market Garden That Builds Health in Soil, Crops, and Communities written by Daniel Mays.

            Disillusioned with his career path in engineering school, Mays set out to be a small farmer and purchased a five-acre piece of land with a run-down farm house and barn.  He shivered through the cold winter in the old house and put his business plan into practice to pay back the $180,000 start-up loan.  Daniel had no prior experience in hands-on practical skills.  He chose to teach himself how to use his hands and went on to create a beautiful market farm which has enriched the community around him in many ways.    

            This book is not only an encouraging example to persevere down "the road less traveled", but is an educational step-by-step manual which Mays wrote with his younger self in mind.  If you or a young adult around you has aspirations in building a financially stable market farm from scratch this book is a perfect book to help get you going by positioning you in the right location first.  It is a well-organized, easy-to-understand business manual

Have a happy and fullfilling New Year!

The Kit and Bridgett Law Family

Free to Choose - by Kit Law

Happy New Year from the Law Family Homestead! For us 2021 was jam-packed. We chose to make it a great year, and we look forward to an even better 2022!   

Despite the end of a happy year, we do need to be realistic in sensing the outside danger that threatens the future happiness of our family. We believe it is important to observe that the influence of the news media, centralized educational system, and large corporations will have the largest effect on our children's future liberty. These influences, over the last two years, have promoted the idea that we should prioritize the preservation of our lives over our liberty. This idea is completely un-American, and we reject it for what it is: a slavish ideology. Where does "Give me liberty or give me death" fit in with that concept? 

We accept the fact that we are all mortal. We accept the inherent risk that at any time we, or those we love, may lose the gift of life that God has so graciously given to us. We have lived long enough to be thankful for the times we have good health and are learning not to complain through the difficult times as our family works through health challenges. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, strokes, and car accidents exist. Respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia exist. Death caused by advanced age exists, as does death from deliberately created wars or death by the hand of tyrants after their subjects have been enslaved. 

How many of these deaths will instead be attributed to the so-called "Covid-19 pandemic"? We deliberately use the word "so-called" because we believe it remains unproven that this disease has been deadlier than a regular flu season. Trust by some in the theology of junk science has created a different kind of superstition and dark age. It seems that every "expert" promoting the panic narrative is financially invested to benefit from attributing the death of our loved ones to its existence. Are humans really dying from a so-called "Covid-19 pandemic" or from the usual illnesses and tragedies which have always plagued mankind? At this point we do not see the definition of a "pandemic" around us. The good news is this: The extreme fatalities just do not exist! We know many people of all ages who have recovered from the so called "Covid-19 pandemic". It appears to be a narrative of exaggerated hype for monetary and political gain.

We believe it is important to review political details of the past 18 months in case they may have been overlooked. Predictably, as on cue, the so-called "Covid-19 pandemic" required a so-called "vaccine" to survive it. As early as August 20, 2020, State of Idaho's U.S. Congressman, Russ Fulcher, in a guest column of our newspaper said, "With the goal of developing vaccines in a record time and delivering 300 million doses by January 2021, the Trump administration started 'Operation Warp Speed' in April. This large-scale mobilization of private industry and governmental agencies is helping to ensure that vaccines are not only delivered quickly, but that they are also safe and effective."            

Fortunately for us, 300 million doses of the "safe and effective" vaccine were not available for consumption by the public in January of 2021. President Trump, at that time. was assuring us that the so-called "vaccine" was nothing short of a medical miracle and that it would save millions of lives. And now the Biden administration is saddled with continuing the salesmanship in the diminishing value of the formerly prized so-called "vaccine" jewel. It so happens that a lot of American people have not bought into the high-pressure salesmanship of the media and politicians. Others are suffering from buyer's remorse or worse.

During the 2021 legislative session, the Idaho legislature had the opportunity and the ability to pass a concurrent resolution with a simple majority in both houses which would have ended the state of emergency that our governor created due to the so-called "Covid-19 pandemic". It was discovered that central government money would stop flowing if the emergency were to end. So fearful were they of a successful vote to end the power grab, cloaked as an emergency, that the House and Senate leadership would not allow the concurrent resolution to even come up for a vote. This effectively traded away the reserved rights of the people they represent. The Idaho House and Senate leadership traded the people's birthright of declared rights written into their constitution for a bowl of pottage, i.e. more paper money from a centralized government.   

It is safe to say, until the House and Senate leadership are replaced with leadership that respects the declared rights of the people detailed in their state's Constitution, the people of Idaho do not have a voice in the legislative process. Until the current governor is replaced by another governor who respects the people's declaration of rights, we are left being ruled by the Idaho Emergency Operations Plan which promotes dictatorial authority!

The next act in the play was right on time. With the credibility of media lies substantiated by both political parties, the so-called "vaccine" mandates were issued by corporations to their employees. Even incorporated church organizations who promoted the idea of religious liberty mandated the same as a condition for the continued employment of their pastors and teachers. 

So, we see the creature unveiled. Large corporations have joined together in lock-step with each other, the media, and both political parties. While these corporations have purchased both political parties' allegiance and own the media, the people inherently hold the political power in their hands. Whether the recognition of these rights have disappeared from the view of our general, state, and county public servants or not, one fact remains - it is ultimately our choice how our future liberty plays out.    

The people of Idaho, in response to corporate overreach and government lockdown, are networking together and improving their communication skills at multiple levels. Alternative means of trade have developed and some have spoken of a parallel economy. After all, it is our choice how we choose to spend our time and with whom we choose to trade and spend our money. Employment opportunities, goods, and services may flow from sources distinctly separate from giant global corporations and their smaller siblings.

Currently, our local economy is booming for several reasons. First, many people have fled from other areas which may never again recognize their basic rights of life, liberty, and property.  They hope that Idaho, despite being filled with political bandits, will eventually clean house and reinstate a constitutional government run by the people. Second, a lot of newly-created fiat currency from the central government has flooded into our area to entice the people to stay in the consumer game with the hope this currency will flow back to the large corporations as windfall profits. The side effect of this policy, which on the surface may look and feel good, has led, and will lead, to higher prices in the future.

We believe this highlights the important part of the political and economic situation we find ourselves in. With the picture drawn, we can act accordingly.

Our top recommendation for 2022 is to teach and give your children the tools so they may feed and care for themselves and their future families without being dependent on large corporations and the government. Start with building a small family farm. We sold and delivered milk cows in a 200 mile radius to several families who were starting small family farms in 2021. One family had started up a small farm on .9 acres of land with an entwined system of various plants and animals. It was very impressive and shows promise of high productivity on less than an acre of land. One resource they introduced us to is Gabe Brown's book entitled,  Dirt to Soil--One Family's Journey into Regenerative Agriculture. This book is an encouragement and challenges us to grow better soil and improve our ecosystems. Joel Salatin is another agrarian full of real, proven ideas that work. He is an excellent resource to network with and to learn from.

How many calories per day does your family consume? Our Jersey milk-cows freshen up and produce about 6 gallons per day (each) on a barley/alfalfa ration, and good grass hay. There are approximately 2,700 calories in a gallon of whole milk, which means one milk cow can produce approximately 15,000 calories per day during a lactation of about 300 days in a year. During the remaining 65 days of a dry-off period during the year, part of those calories may be utilized from previously stored butter and cheese.  Any excess milk may be used to raise a butcher steer every year which is essentially food storage on the hoof, that appreciates with time. This is a stand-alone system which may also create by-products, such as manure to improve your garden and whey to feed your chickens, etc. The small family farm has proven it will keep your family well-fed.  

Next, we encourage the learning of a trade. We are teaching our boys trades which may be used for barter or cash. This is important so they will be able to work a trade for what they do not produce. Education in a trade should hold a place at least equal to conventional schooling. Apprenticeships in the trades traditionally started at ages 9-12. We have found our boys are very capable of learning various skills and producing excellent work at this age. Consider this: Are you preparing your children for employment by a large corporation or to be a small business owner?    

As we turned our focus inward, one of the largest advantages we received is from our helpful neighbors and the various skills and talents they possess. Information and influence are shared together along with good memories which form our perceptions and world view. This is an important tool to use in pushing back against the politicians, media, and corporate propaganda that is transfused through screen-time to change our perception into theirs. The introduction of masks and social distancing divides and separates people from each other, which is their source of strength.  Fortunately, this has not been a completely successful tactic in Idaho. Where we live, there is no pandemic, and life has not changed. 

The central or general government our founders envisioned bears little resemblance with what we are left with today. Through the amendment process, Supreme Court decisions, and executive overreach, it has lost its distantly involved federative shape and has repeatedly attempted to invade our personal lives. Changing the perversion of the general government is best done from the bottom up. So, we are choosing to devote most of our time educating and strengthening our family, being good neighbors, and spending the smallest portion of our time communicating with our county and state representatives.     

We encourage those around us to vote for political candidates that make it their number one priority to end the "State of Emergency" in Idaho. We want our state to operate as a constitutional government rather than be exposed to the whims of a governor who has given himself dangerous "Emergency Powers." There are many other issues our political candidates will try to distract us with, but of what importance are they if we cannot rule ourselves? After our state government is fixed, we can work further upward.

Walter Prescott Webb, nearly a century ago, observed the rise of America's feudal system and wrote a book entitled, Divided We Stand. Frederick Merk, a contemporary of Webb, authored a book entitled, History of the Westward Movement. Both books trace a similar history from a different perspective. Taken together they give a balanced factual record in identifying the political and economic forces which developed in America. These particular authors helped us realize the American Dream was not about power and money, but what the American people unwittingly traded away.  They left their farms and trades changing the family structure to follow progressive, centrally-minded leaders. With a better understanding of the big picture, we have chosen to modify our goals over the years and are so thankful we did.

It is our hope that the information, resources, and ideas we have observed and written down will benefit other families in the future. The power of choice is in your hands.

Our ancestors were willing to settle America enduring larger personal risks to their lives than we have faced today. What kind of future are we leaving for our children if we join the panic and devour their future by allowing corporate feudalism to win? Will we be remembered as cowards or heroes?

"Let not your heart be troubled.... God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." --John 14:1, Psalms 46:4

For our Idaho Friends: The link below is another by our representative entitled “A Real Emergency Alert and How to Help”

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IDLEG/bulletins/2bfd9dc

How to End a State of Emergency

The link below will take you to a web page by one of our state representatives where she explains bills before the Idaho house and senate and what we as citizens need to do to end this emergency.

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IDLEG/bulletins/2b9ca0b

 The Small Business Swindle and Local Solutions

By Kit Law

"'I am a weaver, a shoemaker, farrier, wheelwright, farmer, gardener, and when it can't be helped, a soldier. I bake my bread, brew my beer, kill my pigs; I grind my axe and knives; I built those stalls and that shed there; I am barber, leech, and doctor.' The man was everything, at no expense for a license, and could do anything, as indeed the countryman in America generally can, himself supplying his own wants in great part or wholly."  -Travels in the Confederation, Bk. 1, page 30

            In the fall of 1783, the Treaty of Paris was being negotiated between Great Britain and thirteen sovereign States, who had united themselves together into a confederation with each other. A Hessian surgeon who had supported the British in their unsuccessful effort to suppress the former rebellious colonies, decided to travel through this new Confederation of States. He recorded his observations of the land, economic environment, religious, and political feelings of the people in each state. His journal was later published into two fascinating volumes entitled: "Travels in the Confederation."

            As Dr. Schoepf traveled through New York, he stayed overnight at an inn. He observed and captured in the sentences written above the variety of skills an individual American in the late 18th Century found necessary to acquire to supply most of his needs.

            Over the past two and a half centuries most of our small farms and tradesman have disappeared as economies of scale have replaced them. The people of America have become partners in a new type of corporate feudalism. These large corporations have gained the allegiance of politicians who pass legislation in favor of centralizing corporate power. Meanwhile small businesses struggle to survive in this environment by creating niche markets.

             Now enter the "New Normal", a cliché born of 2020 which has yet to be clearly defined. As time passes and more facts become known, we believe it is safe to call the earlier Covid-19 panic a deliberate "Small Business Swindle".  

            It is important to compare March Covid-19 fatality projections by "experts" this spring with the current reality of our situation. The experts' projections have turned out to be a false prophecy, a reckless cry of "fire" in a packed theater. At this point, those who have caused the panic have not only gone unpunished, but their siren cry has been promulgated by corporate-backed media, large corporations, and politicians.    

            Decisions based upon deceptive fatality projections have resulted in our state threatening to revoke the business licenses of those who do not adopt its mandates in regard to the Covid-19 panic. In some cases, businesses deemed "non-essential" have been ordered to shut down. These mandates appear to have damaged small businesses to a larger degree than the "Too Big to Fail" corporations.   

            Our state's governor has kept us in a state of emergency for nine months and counting with no end in sight. By keeping us in a state of emergency, he has allowed himself and his own chosen committee to choose how to spend 1.25 billion dollars of "emergency aid." These actions have met with the unanimous consent of our state senate.  The state's supreme court has also offered encouragement to the governor to allow the indefinite state of emergency to continue.

            So what tools do freedom loving Americans have to fight back against the "Small Business Swindle"?

            The good news is that there are solutions which are timeless, and when utilized, will have overlapping benefits. As mentioned earlier in Covid-19, the Public Liberty, and the Small Family Farm, we are fortunate to have inherited a principle that is recognized by our state and federal constitutions. This principle states that the final authority is held by the people. We get to choose who will best protect our lives, liberty, and property. This also means we have the authority to choose whom we will contract with and the terms of the contract.

             As mask mandates and social distancing have invaded our area, we have chosen not to contract with businesses who are involved in this type of discrimination. We choose to contract with local small businesses who respect our personal choice in regard to the management of our health. Be ready to take a firm stand for this principle and influence those around you to do likewise. Find others in your community who are like- minded and peacefully consult together for your common good. This is a clearly recognized right in our state and federal constitutions. Develop multiple skills to solve most of your problems. Use these skills to trade with others to solve the problems you cannot fix. Try to grow and produce as much food as you can for your family.

             In short, learn from the example of the early Americans whom Dr. Schoepf observed, and develop a small family farm model to provide for most of your needs. More details on the structure of the small family farm model are covered in What Matters. 

            Look for ways to disentangle yourself from partnership with large corporations. As long as the feudal corporate model has an alternative model to compete against, it will be obligated to offer salaries, benefits, and low-priced products that will financially out compete its smaller counterparts. 

            But remember, if its competition can be extinguished, the feudal corporate model will become a monopoly. When this process is complete, the benefits a large corporation now offers will no longer be necessary to maintain its power. When this point is reached, the implementation of complete slavery will be within the corporation's grasp. 

            However difficult it may be to avoid-- in the end, slavery is a choice. You can either be a slave or a soldier when it can't be helped. The right to be a soldier is a recognized right given to us by God.

            In conclusion, a person should be asking, "What is the 'New Normal', and what exactly will I have to trade to continue participating in a 'normal' society?" Think seriously about building a small family farm model which integrates one or several small trades to sustain itself. If this is not possible, support the family farm or small business next door with your trade.  It is truly in your best interest.              

We are posting a link here for Rep. Heather Scott’s latest legislative update regarding a special session of the legislature to address the constitutional emergency created by the actions of the governor’s office during this “pandemic”. Here is the link: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IDLEG/bulletins/29816ae

Is it time for a mutiny? Recall Governor Little?

By Bob “Nugie” Neugebauer
Published June 7, 2020 Gem State Patriot News

Who is steering our conservative ship Idaho? Captain Bligh?
It is seldom that we see governors recalled, although two have been recalled successfully in U.S., with the most recent being Scott Walker of Wisconsin who was victorious in a recall election with the Mayor of Milwaukee. The second was Gray Davis from California in 2003
after he was blamed for the state’s electricity crisis and the overall economic recession and was not reelected. We believe with a strong
grassroots push, it is highly possible to unseat Governor Little, who has proven by his actions that he is not the conservative leader Idahoans thought he was.
He is in fact a man who has taken sole control of our state with his emergency powers and has refused to reconvene the legislature
during this emergency. These are not the actions of a conservative politician and we believe that the people of Idaho have seen him for the
power-grabbing governor he really is. The federal government has given the state $1.25 billion for this COVID virus emergency to prop up our economy, but it is the governor who along with his unelected cronies will decide how that money is distributed. He had an opportunity to call the legislature back into session, but the thought of
sharing the distribution of such a huge sum of federal booty was just not on his agenda. He instead brought in his “Own Team” of cronies to do this distribution.
There have been many opportunists who have governed Idaho, but in recent years the names Otter and now Little stand out as the most
disdainful of the public trust. Do you remember the Wi-Fi scandal costing tens of millions or the CCA scandal costing millions more? How about the 25-cent per gallon gas tax passed at midnight or
the renege on the repeal of the grocery tax? Both of these men had strong ties to IACI and the elite group that they represent in industry.
    We do not blame these two leaders of our government for taking advantage of the people because that is what they were groomed to do.
What we must look at is the electorate who put Otter in office for three terms and now have put his protégé Little at the helm of the good ship
Idaho. Little took over after winning the republican primary by a mere 4.7% plurality in a three-way race with opponents Tommy Ahlquist and
Raul Labrador as democratic candidate Paulette Jordan was no real threat to him in the general. Labrador was a proven staunch conservative who served three terms in congress while Ahlquist was
a doctor turned developer turned gubernatorial candidate. Labrador should have been a shoo-in, but Tommy Ahlquist­a man who is still making up his mind who he wants to be­took many of Labrador’s votes away.
    In any case, when you look hard at why Idahoans have been so tolerant with their lobbyist loving heads of state, one must ask the
question, are Idahoans getting the real story from the media or just the parts that the media wants them to remember before the next election?
We believe Idahoans are beginning to learn that their tax money is nothing more than a piggy bank for free-spending special interest groups who make up most of the problems we have in our state. This is why our legislators have been voting so poorly in favor of bills that will enhance the governor’s and their opportunities for reelection by using gobs of campaign contributions from lobbyists to destroy their opponents.
    If this emergency power used by Governor Little doesn’t give every Idahoan a true picture of who he is, there is no hope for our future.
When someone has the power to make decisions that change your life and he abuses that power, it is time to say STOP.
    We have seen what our governor is like under pressure and it is not good, as he has turned to a group of advisors who were not elected by the people and accepted their advice in this crisis over that of our elected legislators. Instead of reconvening our legislature, he took total control of our state and became Idaho’s first dictator­ calling for a
shut-down of all non-essential businesses and telling citizens to stay at home and apply for unemployment insurance. Deciding which businesses were essential and which were not. Making life-changing decisions for many of our small business owners who will be hard-pressed to come back from this shutdown. Taking Idaho’s thriving
economy with three percent unemployment to a soaring 11-plus percent in a matter of weeks. Keeping over 30 counties shut down while there were no more than 10 cases for over half of those
counties and no cases for the others along with no deaths from the virus. If these are not reasons for recalling this governor, we don’t know what are.
    The people of Idaho were deceived in the last election and have hopefully discovered a political wolf trying to hide as a proverbial
sheep rancher. As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, we want you to think about the 1.25 billion dollars that the Federal Government has given Idaho to weather this economic storm. The big question is why the Governor hasn’t recalled the legislature to help in the distribution of this huge sum of money which is one-fourth of Idaho’s budget. Who will benefit and who will suffer from these decisions? We no longer have a representative government in Idaho;
we have one man and his unelected advisors making decisions for our state and its people.
      “We Get the Government We Deserve” and it is up to us to stop this abuse of power.
      Recall Governor Little now. Sign the petition. Go here for information: RecallGovLittle.org.

Ben Jorgensen, Editor/Office Manager
The Clearwater Progress, (208) 935-0838

COVID-19, the Public Liberty, and the Small Family Farm

by Kit Law

"Sir, it is the fortune of a free people, not to be intimidated by imaginary dangers. Fear is the passion of slaves." -Patric Henry
One hundred years before the above words were uttered by Patric Henry in the Virginia assembly defending the public liberty, a man credited with influencing English jurisprudence deeply examined the idea of whether men were born free or slave.
Another man named Sir Robert Filmore wrote a book entitled Patriarca. He had nearly convinced the people of England that men were born slaves, subject to the absolute authority of kings, fathers, husbands, and first born males by divine right. Though several men countered this idea by writings of their own, none came as close in clearly refuting and persuading the people to the contrary as the man John Locke.
John Locke convinced his readers that government existed and was formed by the consent of the people when they chose to enter into a state of society which would protect their lives and property. The final authority, Locke explained, was in fact held by the people themselves, and not by the government.
In the end, Locke's reasoning prevailed, and was realized to its fullest with the adoption of the English Bill of Rights. The recognition of these rights culminated after the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 in which John Locke's pen played a vital part.
We have been asked, and many perhaps have thought, that our dairy business may have suffered during the COVID-19 panic. Large scale dairies have indeed suffered as supply chains were disrupted over the past months, and big dairies have been dumping their milk.
Poorly reasoned decisions by Idaho's governor to try and enforce unconstitutional practices, in violation of Idahoans reserved constitutional rights have resulted in economic destruction and unnecessary hardships for the people.
We do not know whether these actions were motivated solely by the miscalculations and speculations of experts, or from larger influences which stood to gain well by our losses.
During this time of panic (for some), the Law Family Homestead continued to produce products and services day in and day out which flowed to our customers without so much as a hiccup. We continued to work alongside, worship, and assemble together at times and places of our own choosing because we know that we are born free. We continued to shake hands with our neighbors and friends.
The timeless small family farm model has proven to thrive even during turbulent times. The good news? Now is a great time for the re-emergence of more small family farm models. A free people cannot long remain free if they cannot feed themselves. Interaction by residents involved in supporting a localized food economy are naturally insulated from destructive outside forces. This goal is easier to attain if the people's God-given rights are recognized by their local government.
Support the small family farm next door, or become one yourself. Elect leaders who show by their actions that they recognize and will protect the public liberty. This is the solution to prevent succumbing to the next imaginary danger would-be slave masters will try and trade for the fortune of being a free people.

To the Edge and Back – Idaho’s Journey Through Tyranny April 29, 2020
by Representative Heather Scott

Many citizens have been asking, when do governmental actions cross over into tyrannical behavior? My goal throughout this newsletter is to let you, the citizen, be the judge.

Actions unheard of as recently as last January now seem to be the norm. What we have increasingly seen over the last few months in many areas has been at best, irresponsible government. Take for example last week when a mother in a small North Idaho town was issued a misdemeanor citation for violating the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare director's (IDHW) “stay-at-home order to self-isolate” and having a yard sale at her own home. Or another mother being arrested by Meridian police for playing in a public park with her children because people were not allowed on the public playground due to the COVID-19 quarantine orders from Gov. Brad Little. There are many other outrageous examples of government officials, across our state and country, seemingly consumed with power, who are out of touch with reality, and acting tyrannically.

Many Idahoans want to understand how this overnight lock-down occurred and believe strongly, as I do, that it is time to move swiftly forward with plans to end it. By now we all know the problems COVID-19 has brought us and are looking for solutions. To form a good plan, we should understand how we got here and get the facts straight, and never forget who is responsible.
time

On March 13, 2020, Idaho Governor Brad Little, reacting to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of a flu pandemic, declared a state of emergency. On that date, Idaho had 65 confirmed cases statewide and no deaths.

Governor Little relied upon Idaho Code § 46-1008 as his authority and implemented the plans and procedures of the State Emergency Operations Plan due to the occurrence and imminent threat to public health and safety arising from the effects of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). He declared that the area threatened by the emergency and subject to this proclamation was the entire state of Idaho.

Over the next week the following actions were taken by Governor Little:

March 18: He unilaterally suspended Idaho Code § 74-203(5) on open meeting laws.
March 23: He amended the proclamation to waive 125 administrative rules for the duration of the emergency.
March 23: He unilaterally declared that tax filings and application deadlines were suspended for 60 days.

On March 25 Governor Little declared a state of EXTREME EMERGENCY and cited a new section of Idaho code, § 46-601: Title 46 MILITIA AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, Chapter 6 MARTIAL LAW AND ACTIVE DUTY.

Many are now seriously concerned that Governor Little’s use of the Martial Law portion of Idaho Code to justify his actions on March 25 amounted to an abuse of power, as Idaho only had a total of 150 confirmed cases of COVID-19 by that day. Idaho Code § 46-601 is an old section of code, written in 1927, and gives the governor what amounts to dictatorial powers. I encourage you to read this short section of what a governor can and cannot do. This authority was given to the governor by the legislature at that time, and it has not been repealed or updated.

On the same day, March 25, he ordered the Director of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) to issue an order to citizens to self-isolate at their place of residence. This order was amended on April 15 with more restrictions. Quarantine is a method to isolate the sick, not to be confused with house arrest. IDHW does not have the authority to house arrest entire populations. The order included the following:

Only leave for essential services or engage in essential activities.
Exempting homeless from the order but urging them to find shelter and for government agencies to provide it.
Directing all businesses and governmental agencies to cease non-essential operations at physical locations in the state.
Prohibiting all non-essential gatherings of any number of individuals.
Ordering cessation of all non-essential travel.

After his March 25 proclamation, the Governor continued with the following actions:

March 27: Issued an executive order to transfer funds to the disaster emergency account.
March 27: Issued an executive order to reduce general fund spending authority.
March 27: Unemployment Insurance changes made.
April 1: Unilaterally altered Idaho Code to make major changes to the May 2020 primary election.
April 1: Waived an additional 18 administrative rules.
April 7: Established a process to evaluate and implement coronavirus funding (unilaterally selecting advisory committee members).
April 15: The stay-at-home order was amended to include language that forced out-of-state travelers to quarantine for 14 days when they come into the state.
April 22: Amended the emergency declaration stating that he “finds, proclaims and declares” that a state of “extreme emergency” still exists (1,800 cases confirmed).
April 24: Waved additional regulations.

Here is a link to all the Governor’s proclamations, executive orders and actions taken since the COVID-19 emergency was declared. (LINK TO ALL COVID-19 PROCLAMATIONS)

In order to understand how the flu has impacted Idaho in the past, below are the number of annual flu deaths since 2016 as documented by IDHW (LINK TO DATA):

2016-2017- 72 deaths;
2017-2018 - 101 deaths;
2018-2019 - 58 deaths
2019-2020 - 56 deaths (from COVID-19 as of 4/26/20)

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 30 million people in the United States get the flu virus annually. Last year alone, 34,200 people died from the flu, and yearly deaths from the flu average between 30,000 and 60,000 over the past ten years.

It is now 40+ days after Governor Little’s initial proclamation and there has been growing concern about whether it was an appropriate reaction or an inappropriate overreaction. Some counties have zero recorded cases of the COVID-19. Lawsuits are starting to materialize, calling out violations of citizens constitutionally-protected rights, both state and federal. What is also of great concern is whether Idaho has experienced a real emergency or a recurring health problem that was used to subject the population to tyrannical behavior. What is factual is that at the time this emergency proclamation was issued, there were a total of 65 confirmed cases (not deaths) in the entire State of Idaho. It also should be noted that using Idaho Code § 46-1008 to declare an emergency limits the duration of the emergency proclamation to 30 days, after which it may be extended for an additional 30-day period. This would put a fixed end date for the emergency proclamation and associated restrictions at May 13, 2020.

The Idaho State Constitution and the Idaho Code do not restrict the Idaho State Legislature from convening in an Extraordinary Session (see §§ 67-404 and 67-404d) in order to stop this extreme overreach of executive power. Citizens in rapidly increasing numbers are demanding something be done by their legislators. Legislators are still discussing and debating this approach.

If the last 40+ days of chaos have been enough for you, then below are suggested steps for citizens to take in order to regain control of Idaho.

As a citizen, know the facts, know your rights and use the correct language.

Know the jurisdictions of government you live in and the authority of the elected officials in each who are representing you and spending your tax dollars. Examples of jurisdictions include Federal, State, (Controller, Legislators, Treasurer, Governor, Attorney General, Prosecuting Attorneys, etc.), County (Commissioners, Sheriff, Clerk, etc.), City (Mayor, Police Chief, etc), School, Fire and Highway Districts.
Understand that our state and federal constitutions were written as directives from citizens to government for the purpose of directing government officials in their duties and to protect our unalienable rights. Unalienable rights are not transferable to another or capable of being taken away or denied by government. They come from God, not government.
Understand that there is a hierarchy of law in our Republic. Highest to lowest is the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God (for the faithful), the United States Constitution, Federal laws (where authorized by the United States Constitution), the Idaho State Constitution, state laws (sometimes called code or statutes), and then administrative rules and regulations (where authorized by valid laws).
Remember the U.S. Constitution and the Idaho Constitution are a delegation of political power from the citizens to the federal and state governments. Those constitutional delegations are the authority under which governments are permitted to act.
Remember that the limitations on constitutionally delegated authority do not disappear during times of trouble, or emergency, or even "extreme" emergencies. Elected officials are constrained by and must work within their constitutional boundaries.
Understand that constitutional oaths are taken by elected officials and obligate them to protect your unalienable rights. Neither the government nor our constitutions give citizens any rights. Government actors can’t pick and choose what parts of constitutions they will uphold, and cannot enforce one part, while ignoring another part, to trample rights and freedoms.
All political power remains in the people. If you don’t exercise that power, which may mean stepping out of your comfort zone at times, you can expect government will always try to increase its control over you. Government is, by its very nature is liberty-consuming.

Identify tyrannical behavior of elected officials within your jurisdictions who are violating your rights:

Are unconstitutional orders being enforced within your immediate jurisdictional boundaries by sheriffs, police chiefs, and prosecutors?
If so, determine if they understand how they are violating your rights. They may not be tyrants, but rather need to be educated.
If violations are occurring, get them on the record by videotaping or documenting their violations for proof.
Ask each candidate you can vote for in the 2020 primary and general elections where they stand on these constitutional issues; and then vote accordingly.

Demand accountability from elected and un-elected government personnel who violate your rights.

Review and pursue legal action where appropriate to draw attention to an injustice. If constitutional issues are raised, state and federal courts may both be potential options for shedding light on problematic government officials and polices. There are some drawbacks to legal pressure: costs, uncertain outcomes, a biased judiciary, and a slow-moving process.
Be an educated voter. Don’t forget the power of your vote at the ballot box. Remember, this primary election will be by mail in absentee ballot only, per the governor’s dubious proclamation.
Letters, phone calls, personal meetings, and emails to your elected officials help educate them. Remember, contacting the ones you can vote for and who represent you is the most effective approach.
Help and support elected officials or candidates who understand the U.S. Constitution and Idaho State Constitution and who will respect and protect your rights. Whether it is a library district trustee, school board member or attorney general candidate, every elected official matters. Encourage good people who understand public service and constitutional governance to consider running for office.

Standing up to and exercising your rights, and acts of civil disobedience (consider the cost).

Right now, going to the park with your child to play could bring you a misdemeanor citation and a $500 fine, but could this be worth the cost to bring awareness to the injustice? You need to decide. If fifty moms show up at the park to play with their children, can that make a statement and draw attention to an issue?
Rallies and protests raise awareness, get the attention of public officials, and are constitutionally protected. They are proving effective in some municipalities.
Standing up, speaking up and showing up is hard, but a small price to pay to preserve our freedoms.

Educate others on what is happening and share information publicly:

Social Media and old-school public shaming: The governor has asked citizens to put peer pressure on others to enforce his edict. How about putting people pressure on your elected servants, including the governor, to shame their reckless abuse of power? Social media posts and tweets are rapidly enhancing or replacing the “Letters to the Editor” because of their immediate publication, which is effective in exposing the leftist bias of most media outlets these days that often protects bad government actors.
Traditional letters to the editor, posting signs and bulletins with your message, and contacting and educating your neighbors face-to-face also works to get a message out.

Use the system to fight the system:

There are processes to recall bad actors in government. For state elected officials, details can be found at the Secretary of State's office and website.
Your Idaho House members can impeach the governor if they can be persuaded by their constituents to do so. It is politically dangerous to take on the governor, so they must fear the people more than the executive branch. Legislators must be in session to impeach a governor.
Complaints to the executive branch, supervisors and agency directors can be filed when bureaucrats overstep their boundaries, but diligent pursuit by citizens must be maintained.
Contact your state legislators and urge them to restrict the executive branch’s powers when they return back to session. Ask them to set up a committee to investigate actions and look into how the federal money is being spent and distributed.
You can also contact them now and insist that they convene an Extraordinary Session to address abuses of executive power. Contact legislative leadership and your legislators to persuade them to take action on your behalf.

Start fixing the system.

If we, as Idaho citizens, would stop being manipulated by the media and political operatives, and stop fighting with each other on the issues, we could start to work to fix the broken, dysfunctional system. While we are being distracted, huge un-elected bureaucracies from other areas and regions are making blanket decisions and rules that are not in our local interest but which we end up having to follow locally through taxation and regulation. We may disagree on some social issues or policies, but I hope we can all agree on the importance of liberty, freedom, and rights.

These past few months have given us the feel of entering a new and ominous phase in the citizen-government relationship. There is new, and unprecedented, awareness of our rights and freedoms protected by our republican form or government and outlined in our federal and state constitutions. These rights are sworn to be defended by those elected to protect and serve the citizenry. It’s our job to be the boss and to manage those we elect. Never give up.

Will you participate or abdicate? Your future absolutely depends on it.
In Liberty,
Rep. Heather Scott
P.O. Box 134 | Blanchard, Idaho 83804
HScott@House.Idaho.Gov
www.RepHeatherScott.com
Idaho Legislature

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IDLEG/bulletins/2888b5c

Here is a video clip with a message from our representative here in Idaho we wanted to share with everyone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6koy3ON1WfI&feature=youtu.be

The editor of our local newspaper published what we think is an excellent editorial summarizing what may be a constitutional crisis hiding under the guise of a pandemic. We urge you to contact your representatives and make sure where they stand constitutionally. Here is the editorial:

Unleashing Hysteria While Bottling Liberty

by Ben Jorgensen

COVID-19 has quickly transformed our world. Response to it ranges over the entire emotional spectrum. The reaction to it is quite unlike anything we have faced in our lifetime.

Measures have commenced and will continue that most of us have never witnessed in such scale. Churches, schools, businesses, cities and even entire states are closed down in an attempt to slow the virus from overwhelming our healthcare system and putting more lives at risk.

Our national economy is being gutted to protect the above-mentioned groups. Are such actions truly justifiable?

It’s disappointing that so many liberties are being trampled by far-reaching edicts that will essentially end thousands of small and medium sized businesses in our country. Are our inalienable rights only valid in good times?

Are the current lock-downs necessary? An estimated 39 million cases of flu have been reported in America this season with 24,000-40,000 deaths and 400,000 hospitalizations, according to the CDC. Strange how those numbers didn’t seem to overwhelm our healthcare system and are absent from health discussions.

We’re told without a shutdown, COVID-19 will result in considerably more deaths. We should also be told that 95 percent of COVID-19 deaths involve people with at least one underlying health condition. Both Louisiana and New York City have reported as much. The number is 99 percent in Italy. Of Idaho’s nine fatalities, four had underlying health issues. No information was reported or known about the other five.

Is the health hysteria a cover story to hide the hijacking of the economy? A financial cataclysm allows the reshaping of the economy in ways that would have been impossible before.

Does the test for COVID-19 actually specifically test for COVID-19 or does it test for coronavirus more generally? There are multiple coronaviruses in the world and many people carry them at some point in time. If you get a cold, you have coronavirus. Coronaviruses, COVID-19 included, don’t cause a problem for people with a healthy immune system.

Does the test for COVID-19 measure the amount of viral load in the patient? If the amount of virus is not known how can people suggest it is the cause of death or even sickness? How accurate is the test? How rigorously tested was it before being rolled out? What’s its accuracy rating? I ask these things because decisions are being made with a $5-10 trillion impact. A trashed economy today will result in far greater health ramifications for everyone down the road.

What does losing your business, home, job, family, going hungry, etc., do to your health?

There is no question that COVID-19 can be lethal to the unhealthy. So is the flu, as already cited. To close down the world as we know it for something that is akin to a severe annual flu is . . . unfamiliarly odd and should be begging a vigorous public discussion, not a heeled nation.

Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like the COVID-19 pandemic is more about altering society than anything else. In the past 100 years has America ever taken such far-reaching measures due to a health crisis?

Possibly the Spanish flu in 1918-19. That resulted in 25-50 million dead worldwide, making sense for the shutdown argument. There was also rationing during the War in the 1940s but not a call to shutter public places for weeks or months on end. Not a call for house arrest, businesses to close, fines and jail for noncompliance.

The effects of government actions are scary for many people. Unemployment claims rose in Idaho by 1,200 percent last week. Unemployment has risen to more than 3.2 million nationwide.

As government mandated edicts are doled out in increasing doses, the masses pick up on their leaders’ cues and take on a mantle of fear. The dominoes continue to fall.

Why are people not told that 80 percent of those tested positive for COVID-19 have mild symptoms? That number comes from CNNhealth. How many cases are not reported that would further dilute the severity of COVID-19, such as in Germany where lots of testing has resulted in a fatality rate of .9 percent?

Did you know that on March 19 the UK removed COVID-19 from its list of high consequence infectious diseases?

I’ve heard the argument that America’s COVID-19 fatality rate is roughly 10 times higher than the flu rate, but we are a very unhealthy nation that largely shuns a healthy lifestyle and diet in favor of pharmaceutical remedies for everything.

A percentage of COVID-19 infections (CNNhealth says 13 percent), no one really knows the exact number, are asymptomatic. So why are we hunkering down and pulling the blanket over our eyes?

I’m not opposed to sacrificing for the good of the whole when warranted, but it feels like something different here. I’m not going to project what that is exactly because no person, website, government, talk show host, etc., knows the whole picture. But isn’t it odd that so much liberty is being blitzkrieged? Is this a type of conditioning of society?

Don’t mistake that I am placing finance ahead of health. If you don’t have your health you don’t have anything. My concern is that a spirit of fear, largely prompted by Big Brother, is out of control and that is no accident.

The land of the free and home of the brave feels less free and far less brave than what I remember of her. I don’t question the courage of health providers and emergency responders who battle COVID-19 face to face.

Shutting down society for weeks and months does not feel like a reasonable response just as buying up every scrap of toilet paper is not a reasonable response.

Now that we have seen government take a far-reaching decision, each ensuing one is made a little faster and easier with nary a whimper to contest it. Anyone who questions the edicts is quickly marginalized.

What are we becoming? The COVID-19 hysteria will pass. But what will society look like in its aftermath?

That being said there are somethings we can and should be doing amidst this ordeal. We cannot always control our situation but we can control how we respond to it.

With some exceptions, those who have grown up after World War II don’t have a clue about rationing. I remember my mom telling about her time as a child following the war years when the staples of sugar, butter, and flour were very scarce. This reality taught that generation to be thankful for what they had, don’t waste the little you have, and prepare physically and mentally for hardships.

Today, our young people think a hardship is having slow Wi-Fi, no ice cream, or having to wait 15 minutes to take a hot shower.

Perhaps today’s experiences will better develop us­particularly tomorrow’s leaders­to rightly differentiate between real trouble and an inconvenience and respond wisely.

For those who live in this particular nook of Idaho, I hope you realize and give thanks daily for your incredible blessing. We have amazing open spaces: rivers and woods and prairies at our doorstep; wild berries, plums, apples, cherries, medicinal plants, and wild game; friendly people skilled in working the land.

Many people have yards to enjoy. Those in large cities are not so fortunate in this regard. Many are stuck between walls for days and weeks on end.

If you have the space, I would recommend gardening. We have an excellent column that runs most weeks by Linda Morrison that discusses the dirt of local gardening. It would be prudent to grow your own healthy food. Not only is it good for your body, it’s very good for your mind as well. Don’t feel like you have to go overboard. Become adept at something and you may be able to use it for bartering for things you can’t or don’t know how to grow.

I’m betting the more food people grow themselves the less food they actually will waste. When you come to see your own effort in the food cycle, it’s much harder to waste it.

Improve your immune system. Vitamin D and C are invaluable. Seniors need to take more of everything since they don’t absorb as much as younger bodies. Get enough zinc. Did you know the symptoms of zinc deficiency are nearly identical to the symptoms of coronavirus?

One highly stressed concept birthed from this pandemic is that of social
distancing. Although it may mean well, it’s a poorly worded concept. We should not strive to limit outgoing concern or be less social. Quite the opposite. We should be making greater effort to keep in touch with family and friends.

Along those lines, write a letter. These can become wonderful family
keepsakes through the years. A hand written letter may be kept for generations, offering insights and lessons about momentous times in a deeply personal way.

What will history record of how we responded to the crisis of our time?

Ben Jorgensen, Editor/Office Manager
The Clearwater Progress
(208) 935-0838

What Matters?

Economics for a Renewed Commonwealth

by Kit Law - January 11, 2020

          One of our subscribers graciously informed us of a book filled with essay's written by Wendell Berry entitled: What Matters- Economics for a Renewed Commonwealth.  She felt the bent of our website followed along a similar trail.  I enthusiastically checked the book out at our local library several times, then decided to purchase it.

I found that on certain points, Wendell and I have an identical thought process. We share the same concerns about the stewardship of our natural resources, economics, community, our disappearing tradesman, and agrarian culture. Other topics such as usury, rent seeking, free trade, and competition challenged my Adam Smith economist mindset. I strove to rectify in my mind what at first seemed like a solecism.

           Conclusions which have taken me a decade or so of reading various historical, political, and economic material, were portrayed and neatly condensed into one small book of essays. Personal epiphany's which have dawned on me through the years while on horseback working cattle, shaping hot metal to a hoof, or hiking through alpine mountain tops cruising timber are found within this book. Now that is powerful!

          For example, in his essay Economy And Pleasure, Wendell takes a close look at agricultural competition, the idea of winners and losers, and examines the reality of what he calls "economic anarchy". He counters the contemporary view that physical labor is drudgery and how we have unwittingly separated the pleasure from our labor by accepting this belief. 

          In The Work Of Local Culture, he explains the value of maintaining a deeply rooted local culture. A person’s physical participation with others in their work, trade, recreational events, music, and preservation of local history throughout their lifetime are the key ingredients. Multi-generational retention in a community is seen as paramount. Wendell views the current educational system for our children as designed to export their skills and talents away from home and their local community. 

          In Conserving Forest Communities, Wendell offers a description of what a local forest economy should look like. He then relates a real-life example of a geographic area that has successfully managed its forest which contained 1½ billion board feet of timber in 1854.  Over a 140-year period of continuous logging, two billion board feet of timber were removed. Due to careful management of this forest, it is believed to still contain 1½ billion board feet of lumber. The average diameter of the timber has been reduced by intentional design only ½-inch during 140 years!

           And last, in The Total Economy, Wendell does not overlook the folly of the idea that a corporation is now regarded legally as a "person" and the dichotomy of interests which have developed because of this change. He states, "Unsurprisingly, among people who wish to preserve things other than money - for instance, every region's native capacity to produce essential goods - there is a growing perception that the global "free market" economy is inherently an enemy to the natural world, to human health and freedom, to industrial workers, and to farmers and others in the land-use economies; and, furthermore, that it is inherently an enemy to good work and good economic practice."

          Several times Wendell proposes a solution to the economic challenges presented in his essays with the Biblical principle of "Love thy neighbor as thyself." Yes, how simple the solution is as we struggle with the results of our short-sighted material prosperity due to historical practices of colonialism, sectionalism industrialism, protectionism, and imperialism.             

          This book will serve as a useful guide for the intentional agrarian freeholder, struggling small tradesman, discriminating local consumer, or even an insular-minded altruist looking for a way to financially support and rebuild their community. It will help to effectively point out the disadvantages of our current social and economic situation. At times this book will painfully challenge the reader as it peers behind the Norman Rockwell portrait of a comfortable American lifestyle and the "American Dream".

          Yes, solutions to our current problems are presented in What Matters. Wendell does not overlook the reality of the Lockean principle that the final authority originates with the people and not a distant centralized government. A centralized government which became a creature of large corporations whose interests have destroyed the people's vocations, small farms, land resources, families, and local culture. In the end, he acknowledges that it is up to the people to decide whether to continue this form of indenture or to choose to protect their economic security and freedoms by rebuilding their local economy. This idea is further narrowed to, begin by rebuilding a local food economy.

          We couldn't agree more with Wendell as our family works with our community encouraging support of what we term the "Small Family Farm Model". This model’s objective is to remain small and to primarily feed the farm family. The farm’s remaining surplus production, combined with a skilled trade, is meant to be consumed within the local community. Because this model has a small footprint, it may be duplicated and thickly concentrated in a small geographic area.

It is hedged against market manipulation and protectionist policies because a minority of its production is invested into a cash economy. Competition for market share and dependency upon volume is replaced with small farmers working together in mutual cooperation. This creates an environment for young families to thrive and become rooted in their community so they may begin to develop a local culture of economic independence. The reemergence of this timeless solution will have the effect of igniting the "Renewed Commonwealth" Wendell Berry has envisioned.

         At first glance to the reader, Wendell's eclectic solutions may seem incongruous for a mind, conditioned and educated to function within a global economy, to accept.  But perhaps, if one is willing to think outside the box, and make an eccentric slip, What Matters, and the Economics for a Renewed Commonwealth may start to make sense.

Here is a very informative article our local paper printed a couple weeks ago (June 2018). The article is written by Mike Gould and he provides some interesting facts about herbicide spraying.

Idaho Transportation Department’s use of herbicide looks like environmental genocide

By Mike Gould
      I read, with great interest, two separate pieces in the May 24 edition of the Progress. Specifically, “Spraying ourselves to death,” written by the editor Ben Jorgensen and, Glyphosate, in the Garden Clippings column by Linda Morrison. The information in both of those pieces is absolutely and verifiably accurate throughout.
      Monsanto has vehemently denied any and all of these findings for decades. The real trouble lies in the fact that Monsanto considers their studies to be proprietary science, thereby, owning the legal right to challenge conflicting scientific data.
      My personal purpose or reason for writing to the readers of the Progress today . . . goes much, much further and deeper than what has previously been reported.
       Please bear with me as I explain my reasoning. In a period spanning the early winter of 2015, and spring of 2017, I did my own personal and individual study of the collective wildlife and habitat scenarios along the Wild and Scenic Corridor. My study area went from Fish Creek on the Lochsa River and Meadow Creek on the Selway River . . . all the way down to Kamiah along the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River.
      I began the study in an effort to possibly help, or assist troubling mitigation of the forest lands that were impacted by wildfires in 2014 and 2015. What I discovered was truly astonishing to behold. While doing my study, I documented wildlife species from the invertebrates along the rivers to various species of birds and animals. I also monitored general habitat species in the aquatic, riparian, upland and alpine ecosystems. I’m not an activist or advocate for anyone; I did all of this on my own time and money. I personally drove up the corridor 513 times during that time period.
       I witnessed a veritable, environmental genocide, on all living things. If you tend to believe what was reported to you in those articles on glyphosate, then you should lean in here. There are much more pervasive and dangerous herbicide chemicals annually being applied directly to your roadsides by the Idaho Transportation Department. If you think Roundup is bad, and it certainly is . . . just do yourselves a favor and Google Trycera. Trycera makes glyphosate look like cotton candy to an unwilling and unwitting natural universe.
       Beings how I was monitoring the ecosystems daily, I saw a stark and frightening occurrence directly following the annual spring chemical application along the roadsides. I’ve written and spoken extensively about what I saw and experienced. This wasn’t something I read, saw on the Internet or TV . . . I witnessed it firsthand. The incredible degradation and destruction of (all) wild species was just mind numbing.
       So, I just naturally thought the various entities who are entrusted to safeguard our environment would want to know what I found out. I spoke to every local, county, state and federal official I could gain access to and nine different biologists of several persuasions. I also contacted tribal representatives and the principles of the so called environmentalist groups, most notably . . . the Friends of the Clearwater.
      I feel compelled to tell you, the Friends of the Clearwater are not environmentalists at all. They’re abolitionists, disrupters and protesters. They are sadly, more a friend of the state and federal courtroom than they are of the Clearwater River system. They off-handedly dismissed my findings and concerns, becoming confrontational, illusive and flat refused my invitation to accompany me upriver.
 Now, get this: Of all of them . . . all of them . . . the only ones who perked an attentive ear to my call to arms was the United States Forest Service personnel at Fenn and representatives of the Nez Perce Nation. I beg your pardon of my terminology in advance, but the rest gave me nothing but condescending arrogance and those, “Poor ignorant bastard” stares.
      We live in, what I consider to be, one of the most pristine beautiful valleys in this country. I consider it a great privilege to live here alongside you. But, the ecosystems of this region are under all out assault from chemical, herbicide, pesticide, insecticide and rotenticide manufacturers across the board.
      Enduring and lasting damage has been, is, and without interruption, will no doubt continue unless someone of authority gets a clue.
      I ended my study with a short visit with a northwest regional official from the Environmental Protection Agency. Now listen up here friends: His parting comment to me was nothing short of astonishing. He said, “I cannot believe you accumulated all of these pertinent facts all by yourself. I must commend you on such a thorough, investigative and informative work. But, here’s the sad truth . . . there is nothing I can do for you, and furthermore, I don’t know anyone who can.” I asked him, “Sir, do you know anything about Trycera?”
      He replied, “Never heard of it.”
      The great irony lies in the fact that those chemicals do not, I said do not kill the weed species. If they did, they wouldn’t have to spray them every single spring. As Mr. Jorgensen reported to you...the annual rate of chemical herbicide application, nationwide, has increased exponentially over the years, and we have more noxious weeds in this country than ever before. Oh, they make them sick for a season, but do nothing to abort their natural progression. I have much, much more and would happily relay my documented findings to anyone interested. But I will leave you with just one, one of the great natural tragedies I witnessed. I personally saw a bald eagle, at mile marker 92 on the Middle Fork leave her young to die in the nest the day after Trycera was applied along the roadside of Highway 12.
       Interestingly enough: The very day, May 24, those articles about glyphosate appeared here in the Progress, I once again observed IDOT applying Trycera along your, I said, "your", roadsides. Unbelievably, here’s the bottom line folks: those who, "should", care the most . . . "don’t."
 
About the Author
      Born into a Western Colorado ranching family, Mike Gould has lived in the Clearwater Valley for the past 24 years. He has spent the past 48 years intensely studying wildlife habitat scenarios, habitat enhancement theory and application sans any chemical inclusion whatsoever.
      Gould’s dad was an outfitter/guide for big game in the big mountains of Western Colorado. “Unfortunately he died when I was a teenager, so I picked up his flag and have been carrying it ever since,” said Gould. “I’ve guided thousands of people, from virtually every walk of like, to the field and done wildlife and habitat studies from Northern Mexico to the Canadian line. I’ve also done habitat consulting in Mexico and many states west of the Mississippi.”
       Gould developed a world class shooting dog breeding and training program, Grand River, that’s been featured in many magazines, television shows and books. The program was featured in a dozen books by other authors. Gould has also written four himself.
      “My true passions are my own original music, and my lifelong study of our natural resources. The latter is what prompted me to engage the land use scenarios here in the valley.”

 Not Yours To Give - Davy Crockett on The Role Of Government

from: The Life of Colonel David Crockett - Compiled by: Edward S. Elis (1884)

“Money with [Congressmen] is nothing but trash when it is to come out of the people. But it is the one great thing for which most of them are striving, and many of them sacrifice honor, integrity, and justice to obtain it.”

Introductory note by Peter Kershaw:

Davy Crockett served four terms in the U.S. Congress from 1827-1835. In 1835 he joined the Whig Party and ran a failed attempt for the Presidency. Immediately thereafter he departed his native Tennessee for Texas to secure the independence of the “Texicans.” He lost his life at the battle of the Alamo and forever secured his legendary status in history as “king of the wild frontier.” The following story was recounted to Edward Elis by an unnamed Congressman who had served with Colonel Crockett in the U.S. House of Representatives.

...Crockett was then the lion of Washington. I was a great admirer of his character, and, having several friends who were intimate with him, I found no difficulty in making his acquaintance. I was fascinated with him, and he seemed to take a fancy to me. I was one day in the lobby of the House of Representatives when a bill was taken up appropriating money for the benefit of a widow of a distinguished naval officer. It seemed to be that everybody favored it. The Speaker was just about to put the question when Crockett arose. Everybody expected, of course, that he was going to make a speech in support of the bill. He commenced:

“Mr. Speaker -- I have as much respect for the memory of the deceased, and as much sympathy for the sufferings of the living, if suffering there be, as any man in this House; but we must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for a part of the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living. I will not go into argument to prove that Congress has no power under the Constitution to appropriate this money as an act of charity. Every member upon this floor knows it. We have the right, as individuals, to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of Congress we have no right so to appropriate a dollar of the public money. Mr. Speaker, I am the poorest man on this floor. I cannot vote for this bill, but I will give one week’s pay to the object, and if every member of Congress will do the same, it will amount to more than the bill asks.” He took his seat.

Nobody replied. The bill was put upon its passage, and instead of passing unanimously, as was generally supposed, and as no doubt it would, but for that speech, it received but a few votes and was lost. Like many others, I desired the passage of the bill, and felt outraged at its defeat. I determined that I would persuade my friend Crockett to move for a reconsideration the next day.

Previous engagements preventing me from seeing Crockett that night, I went early to his room the next morning and found him franking letters, a large pile of which lay upon his table.

I broke in upon him rather abruptly, by asking him what the devil had possessed him to make that speech and defeat that bill yesterday. Without turning his head or looking up from his work, he replied: “I will answer your question. But thereby hangs a tale, and one of considerable length, to which you will have to listen.”

I listened, and this is the tale which I heard:

“Several years ago I was one evening standing on the steps of the Capitol with some other members of Congress, when our attention was attracted by a great light over in Georgetown. It was evidently a large fire. We jumped into the hack and drove over as fast as we could. When we got there, I went to work, and I never worked as hard in my life as I did there for several hours. But, in spite of all that could be done, many houses were burned and many families made houseless, and, besides, some of them had lost all but the clothes they had on. The weather was very cold, and when I saw so many women and children suffering, I felt that something ought to be done for them, and everybody else seemed to feel the same way.

The next morning a bill was introduced appropriating $20,000 for their relief. We put aside all other business and rushed it through as soon as it could be done. I said everybody felt as I did. That was not quite so; for, though they perhaps sympathized as deeply with the sufferers as I did, there were a few of the members who did not think we had the right to indulge our sympathy or excite our charity at the expense of anybody but ourselves. They opposed the bill, and upon its passage demanded the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were recorded, and my name appeared on the journals in favor of the bill.

“The next summer, when it began to be time to think about election, I concluded I would take a scout around among the boys of my district. I had no opposition there, but, as the election was some time off, I did not know what might turn up, and I thought it was best to let the boys know that I had not forgot them, and that going to Congress had not made me too proud to go to see them. So I put a couple of shirts and a few twists of tobacco into my saddlebags, and put out. I had been out about a week and had found things going very smoothly, when, riding one day in a part of my district in which I was more of a stranger than any other, I saw a man in a field plowing and coming toward the road. I gauged my gait so that we should meet as he came to the fence.

As he came up I spoke to the man. He replied politely, but, as I thought, rather coldly, and was about turning his horse for another furrow when I said to him: ‘Don’t be in such a hurry my friend; I want to have a little talk with you, and get better acquainted.’ He replied: “I am very busy, and have but little time to talk, but if it does not take too long, I will listen to what you have to say.’ I began: ‘Well, friend, I am one of those fortunate beings called candidates, and . . . .’

“Yes, I know you; you are Colonel Crockett. I have seen you once before, and voted for you the last time you were elected. I suppose you are out electioneering now, but you had better not waste your time or mine. I shall not vote for you again.’ This was a sockdolager .... I begged him to tell me what was the matter.

“‘Well, Colonel, it is hardly worthwhile to waste time or words upon it. I do not see how it can be mended, but you gave a vote last winter which shows that either you have not capacity to understand the Constitution, or that you are wanting the honesty and firmness to be guided by it. In either case you are not the man to represent me. But I beg your pardon for expressing it that way. I did not intend to avail myself of the privilege of the constituent to speak plainly to a candidate for the purpose of insulting or wounding you. I intend by it only to say that your understanding of the Constitution is very different from mine; and I will say to you what, but for my rudeness, I should not have said, that I believe you to be honest.

... But an understanding of the Constitution different from mine I cannot overlook, because the Constitution, to be worth anything, must be held sacred, and rigidly observed in all its provisions. The man who wields power and misinterprets it is the more dangerous the more honest he is. “‘I admit the truth of all you say, but there must be some mistake about it, for I do not remember that I gave any vote last winter upon any constitutional question.’

“‘No, Colonel, there’s no mistake. Though I live here in the backwoods and seldom go from home, I take the papers from Washington and read very carefully all the proceedings of Congress. My papers say that last winter you voted for a bill to appropriate $20,000 to some sufferers by a fire in Georgetown. Is that true?’

“‘Certainly it is, and I thought that was the last vote which anybody in the world would have found fault with.’

“‘Well, Colonel, where do you find in the Constitution any authority to give away the public money in charity?’

“Here was another sockdolager; for, when I began to think about it, I could not remember a thing in the Constitution that authorized it. I found I must take another tack, so I said: “‘Well, my friend; I may as well own up. You have got me there. But certainly nobody will complain that a great and rich country like ours should give the insignificant sum of $20,000 to relieve women and children, particularly with a full and overflowing Treasury; and, I am sure, if you had been there, you would have done just as I did.’

“‘It is not the amount, Colonel, that I complain of; it is the principle. In the first place, the government ought to have in the Treasury no more than enough for its legitimate purposes. But that has nothing to do with the question. The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be intrusted to man, particularly under our system of collecting revenue by a tariff, which reaches every man in the country, no matter how poor he may be, and the poorer he is the more he pays in proportion to his means. What is worse, it presses upon him without his knowledge where the weight centers, for there is not a man in the United States who can ever guess how much he pays to the government.

So you see, that while you are contributing to relieve one, you are drawing it from thousands who are even worse off than he. If you had the right to give anything, the amount was simply a matter of discretion with you, and you had as much right to give $20,000,000 as $20,000. If you have the right to give to one, you have the right to give to all; and as the Constitution neither defines charity nor stipulates the amount, you are at liberty to give to any and everything which you believe, or profess to believe, is a charity, and to any amount you may think proper. You will very easily perceive what a wide door this would open for fraud and corruption and favoritism, on the one hand, and for robbing the people on the other. No, Colonel, Congress has no right to give charity. Individual members may give as much of their own money as they please, but they have no right to touch a dollar of the public money for that purpose.

“There are about two hundred and forty members of Congress. If they had shown their sympathy for the sufferers by contributing each one week’s pay, it would have made over $13,000. There are plenty of wealthy men in Washington, who could have given $20,000 without depriving themselves of even a luxury of life. The congressmen chose to keep their own money, which, if reports be true, some of them spend not very creditably; and the people about Washington, no doubt, applauded you for relieving them from the necessity of giving what was not yours to give.

“The people have delegated to Congress, by the Constitution, the power to do certain things. To do these, it is authorized to collect and pay moneys, and for nothing else. Everything beyond this is usurpation, and a violation of the Constitution.’

“I have given you,” continued Crockett, “an imperfect account of what he said. Long before he was through, I was convinced that I had done wrong. He wound up by saying: “‘So you see, Colonel, you have violated the Constitution in what I consider a vital point. It is precedent fraught with danger to the country, for when Congress once begins to stretch its power beyond the limits of the Constitution, there is no limit to it, and no security for the people. I have no doubt you acted honestly, but that does not make it any better, except as far as you are personally concerned, and you see that I cannot vote for you.’

“I tell you I felt streaked. I saw if I should have opposition, and this man should go to talking, he would set others to talking, and in this district I was a gone fawn-skin. I could not answer him, and the fact is, I was so fully convinced that he was right, I did not want to. But I must satisfy him, and I said to him: “‘Well, my friend, you hit the nail upon the head when you said I had not sense enough to understand the Constitution. I intended to be guided by it, and thought I had studied it fully. I have heard many speeches in Congress, but what you have said here at your plow has got more hard, sound sense in it than all the fine speeches I have ever heard. If I had ever taken the view of it that you have, I would have put my head into the fire before I would have given that vote; and if you will forgive me and vote for me again, if I ever vote for another unconstitutional law I wish I may be shot.’

“The farmer laughingly replied: ‘Yes, Colonel, you have sworn to that once before, but I will trust you again upon one condition. You say that you are convinced that your vote was wrong. Your acknowledgment of it will do more good than defeating you for it. If, as you go around the district, you will tell people about this vote, and that you are satisfied it was wrong, I will not only vote for you, but will do what I can to keep down opposition, and, perhaps, I may exert some little influence in that way.’

“‘If I don’t,’ said I, ‘I wish I may be shot; and to convince you that I am in earnest in what I say I will come back this way in a week or ten days, and if you will get a gathering of the people, I will make a speech to them. Get up a barbecue, and I will pay for it.’

“‘No, Colonel, we are not rich people in this section, but we have plenty of provisions to contribute for a barbecue, and some to spare for those who have none. The push of crops will be over in a few days, and we can then afford a day for a barbecue. This is Thursday; I will see to getting it up on Saturday seek. Come to my house on Friday, and we will go together, and I promise you a very respectable crowd to see and hear you.’

“‘Well, I will be here. But one thing more before I say good-bye. I must know your name.’ “‘My name is Bunce.’ “‘Not Horatio Bunce?’ “‘Yes.’ “‘Well, Mr. Bunce, I never saw you before, though you say you have seen me, but I know you very well. I am glad I have met you, and very proud that I may hope to have you for my friend. You must let me shake your hand before I go.’

“‘We shook hands and parted that day in gentlemanly friendship and amity. “It was one of the luckiest hits of my life that I met that man. He mingled but little with the public, but was widely known for his remarkable intelligence, incorruptible integrity, and, for a heart brimful and running over with kindness and benevolence, which showed themselves not only in words but in acts. He was the oracle of the whole country around him, and his fame extended far beyond the circle of his immediate acquaintance.

Though I had never met him before, I had heard much of him, and but for this meeting it is very likely I should have had opposition, and had been beaten. One thing is very certain, no man could now stand up in that district under such a vote. At the appointed time I was at his house, having told our conversation to every crowd I had met, and to every man I stayed all night with. In fact I found that it gave the people an interest and a confidence in me stronger than I had ever seen manifest before. Though I was considerably fatigued when I reached the home of Mr. Bunce, and under ordinary circumstances should have gone early to bed, I kept him up until midnight, talking about the principles and affairs of government, and got more real, true knowledge of them than I had got all my life before. I have told you Mr. Bunce converted me politically. He came nearer converting me religiously than I had ever been before. He did not make a very good Christian of me, as you know; but he has wrought upon my feelings a reverence for its purifying and elevating power such as I had never felt before. I have known and seen much of him since, for I respect him -- no, that is not the word -- I reverence and love him more than any living man, and I go to see him two or three times every year; and I will you sir, if every one who professes to be a Christian lived and acted and enjoyed it as he does, the religion of Christ would take the world by storm.

“But to return to my story. The next morning we went to the barbecue, and, to my surprise, found about a thousand me[n] there. I met a good many whom I had not known before, and they and my friend introduced me around until I had got pretty well acquainted -- at least, they all knew me. In due time notice was given that I would speak to them. They gathered up around a stand that had been erected. I opened my speech by saying:

“‘Fellow-citizens -- I present myself before you today feeling like a new man. My eyes have lately been opened to truths which ignorance or prejudice, or both, had heretofore hidden from my view. I feel that I can today offer you the ability to render you more valuable service than I have ever been able to render before. I am here today more for the purpose of acknowledging my error than to seek your votes.

That I should make this acknowledgment is due to myself as well as to you. Whether you will vote for me is a matter for your consideration only.’ I went on to tell them about the fire and my vote for the appropriation as I have told it to you, and then told them why I was satisfied it was wrong. I closed by saying: “‘And now, fellow-citizens, it remains only for me to tell you that most of the speech you have listened to with so much interest was simply a repetition of the arguments by which your neighbor, Mr. Bunce, convinced me of my error. It is the best speech I ever made in my life, but my friend Horatio Bunce is entitled to the credit of it. And now I hope he is satisfied with his convert and that he will get up here and tell you so.’

He came upon the stand and said: “‘Fellow-citizens -- It affords me great pleasure to comply with the request of Colonel Crockett. I have always considered him a thoroughly honest man, and I am satisfied that he will faithfully perform all that he has promised you today.’ He went down, and there went up from the crowd such a shout for Davy Crockett as his name never called forth before. I am not much given to tears, but I was taken with a choking then and felt some big drops rolling down my cheeks. And I tell you now that the remembrance of those few words spoken by such a man, and the honest, hearty shout they produced, is worth more to me than all the honors I have received and all the reputation I have ever made, or ever shall make, as a member of Congress.

“Now, sir,’ concluded Crockett, “you know why I made that speech yesterday. I have had several thousand copies of it printed, and was directing them to my constituents when you came in. There is one thing now to which I will call your attention. You remember that I proposed to give a week’s pay. There are in that House many very wealthy men -- men who think nothing of spending a week’s pay, or a dozen of them, for a dinner or a wine party when they have something to accomplish by it. Some of those same men made beautiful speeches upon the debt of gratitude which the country owed the deceased -- a debt which could not be paid by money -- and the insignificance and worthlessness of money, particularly so insignificant a sum as $10,000, when weighed against the honor of the nation. Yet not one of those Congressmen responded to my proposition.

“Money with them is nothing but trash when it is to come out of the people. But it is the one great thing for which most of them are striving, and many of them sacrifice honor, integrity, and justice to obtain it.”