As many of you who follow this blog are aware, I attended the MDCAN conference this weekend. It was an amazing, encouraging and invigorating event! Some of my fellow Maryland bloggers have already posted their thoughts here, here, and here. I personally was so impressed by each speaker, there are a few I’d like to focus on individually and that is how I’m going to present my MDCAN coverage. There were many speakers and panel members that presented a very dynamic and informed message, and it is my hope that we will join together in promoting it.
My day started early, as I attended a breakfast co-sponsored by Stop Agenda 21 Maryland and AFP-MD. Special thanks to Grant Helvey and Nick Loffer for their hospitality. Commissioner Richard Rothschild was the guest speaker and we were afforded the opportunity to hear his speech and offer feedback before he spoke to the conference of over 250 Maryland conservative activists.
The Commissioner started off strong, expressing that “those who disrespect our rights and our Constitution know the least about it.” He reiterated a fact that many conservatives are painfully aware of, that we’re “engaged in a hyper Democratic tyranny.” He touched on a point that I know resonated strongly with our group, “Constitutional Conviction.” Rothschild expressed that being a Constitutionalist requires practice, and that many are educated, yet ignorant. He feels many Republicans lack conviction for the Constitution because it is not internalized. Furthermore, he stated that “through silence and lack of conviction, we’ve allowed the government to purge the Constitution.”
How do we move forward and correct this? We need to “stop tolerating the intolerable.” Rothschild offered several points to note:
- Elected officials need training on upholding the Constitution and their oath of office.
- Stop defining success as squelching dissent into the abyss.
- Strength is the only thing they (the opposition) understand, we must project power.
- Take the fight out of the legislature and into the court of public opinion.
- Strengthen coordination between federal government and local government.
While the Commissioner was speaking to a very receptive and engaged crowd at this breakfast, his advice is often not received well by those that frequently oppose him. He offered the humorous yet sad analogy that if a lion scooped up a baby and the Commissioner saved it, they’d say he took food from a starving animal. Despite that perception by those that resist his outspoken and forthright candor, and this being the second time I have heard Rothschild speak, I was again encouraged and inspired by his passion, tenacity and commitment to liberty against tyranny.
Finally, we wrapped up the breakfast by hearing from 2012 U.S. Senate Candidate, Dan Bongino (R-MD). Dan spoke very highly of Rothschild, grateful that he’s armed in battle with the facts. He encouraged the group that when you’re “fighting evil, you don’t use evil, but you must use strong tactics.” Bongino further expressed that we cannot be afraid of upsetting our opposition, and that we’ve normalized decision making processes that aren’t embedded in our flag and our Constitution.
One of the many reasons that I deeply respect Dan Bongino is that he frequently reminds us that he is a philosophical Conservative, not a political Republican or an establishment figure. Bongino encouraged the group to have a short term and a long term battle plan, and that our problem has not been our messaging but our marketing. He warned us to turn the heat up very slowly, and to take the normative process and reverse it. He used Social Security as an example, stating that we have to make the system private. The people have forgotten that it is “theirs”. We need to “normalize the process of ownership again.”
Overall, I believe the group was overwhelmingly receptive and emboldened by the liberty minded messages of both Commissioner Rothschild and Dan Bongino. Bongino’s website has the powerful message, “Maryland is worth fighting for. Now more than ever.” It is my hope that we will take these messages and put them into practice as we focus on the 2014 races ahead.
Important Note for Local Readers:
As I expressed in an earlier post, the Wicomico Society of Patriots and the Worcester County Tea Party are having an important joint meeting, tonight at 6pm. Please see the details here, and join us if you are able. Commissioner Rothschild will be the guest speaker.
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