A Roach Rave in South Carolina

from FastFreds Biker Ezine 04-04-07

Roach’s Rave (May 2007)

First off I would like to thank everyone on the legislative team for all the
hard work that has been put into the bills of interest. In saying that, a few
of us went to lobby about three weeks ago on a Wednesday. We must have done
pretty well because I got a call from the Governor’s office on Monday the 2nd
of April. The call was to verify the 20 –30 pages of info that I left with his
secretary sitting outside his office, which I explained to her what they were
about and made sure she would give them to the proper persons. I had the
papers held together with a paper clip so I signed the first page placing my
phone #, address and VR #.

This year I wanted to go after bills with a different angle, instead of trying
to argue against the safety issues and the nannies that push these issues I
figured to find and use only Supreme Court decisions to argue different
violations of the constitution I could find hidden in the wording, believe me
every time you read the same bill you will find something else hidden. Once
you have located the violations that are hidden and the potential that would
make the bill unconstitutional, the heat is on to find the Supreme Court
rulings that prove the bill is flawed. Hey when you hit the jackpot its like
your first date or something. Then its time to start writing letters; these
letters are a ruff draft and not what you want to send to your delegates, but
getting your concerns on paper is crucial so you can go back to them and
rewrite them for your delegates; in my case I would post them to the
legislative list and ask for some to help me out with that process while, at
that time, I was putting another letter for the next day to post and ask for
help polishing.

During the time things were at a loll, I got a call from one of my chapter
coordinators to put some stuff together and come speak to some clubs that he
had been talking to about the gang bill; also he asked if I could get Fred to
come along. Anyway The wife and I went to work; we printed every letter that
had been posted on the legislative list, the law firm article, Fred’s article
from his website, Ed’s Muckraker Report, my article I had written for the next
months NL; all in all we put together 40 copies of all this info to take to
the VFW here in Georgetown and to the clubs, about 3 hard nights work, man I
sure am blessed with a good wife. This doesn’t account for the many long hours
done by all in the research to write all this info on paper. If this monster,
the legislative TEAM, were to be paid for the hours that have been spent
working the bills, ABATE would go broke very fast, I know it takes a lot of my
liberty.

Ok back to the phone call from the Governors office. After all the meetings
Fred and myself went to over that weekend delivering info to the troops in the
field, I had about 10 copies left of the info that was put together, so I
figured I would take them with me to lobby that Wednesday. That day I saved 5
copies for me and gave the rest to the other fine troops that showed up that
day to give to their delegates. I gave one to my senator when talking to him
about the issue; also I gave one to my representative and another to one other
rep. in my area. Then it was down to the Governors office to give him one.
Brother Dennis aka Drill sergeant, our Legislative Coordinator, gave me a call
at about the time I was talking with one of my reps so Carla took the message,
telling me I had to go find one more person to talk to; so after leaving the
Governors secretary I found that person, which was the Secretary/Lawyer for
the Judiciary committee.

All right now to the phone call. The gentleman that called said that he wanted
to confirm that the packet I left was from me and did I have anything else
that I wanted to add to it. Well you know me, I couldn’t pass up the chance;
so I started telling him Carman Crawford’s thoughts about how the state was to
hook up with the Fed list and how we believe we are already on that list from
association with the different clubs in the area, making us automatically
suspect under this proposed Gang bill in violation of our first amendment
rights under the constitution, not to say the 4th, 5th, 9th, 14th, and only
God knows how many more. In closing the phone call, which took over thirty
minutes, I asked that if this bill happens to pass the house as it did the
senate and got to his desk, would he please ask Governor Sanford to Veto it?
He said he would and that was about the extent of it.

Now I want to ask, after the screeching halt this bill got when it went to the
House of Representatives for passage, do you wonder if using Supreme Law
instead of just ratting of at the mouth about how you don’t like what a bill
is going to do to you, made a difference? I have never gotten a call from the
governor before until now that I have changed tactics, but I will let you
decide that question. Remember that is how ABATE got the helmet law repealed.
Arguing statistics is useless and a waste of time. However we have Supreme Law
on our side and it just takes a little time to find it. Wonder why stats are
so easy to get when truth in the law of the land is so hard to come by, by design?