Freedom-Fighters Forum

By William J. Dell – 27 February 2010

President Obama [February 2010] has stated the single largest driver of the Federal deficits is Healthcare. This is NOT true! The largest single driver of the Federal deficits is the federal government itself. It is the:

1. “Pork barrel” spending by both Democrats and Republicans.
2. Robbing for decades of the Social Security Trust Fund, so that interest could not accrue.
3. Social-justice programs that rightly belong to the States under the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution.
4. Socialist-DINO’s [Democrats In Name Only] efforts to change our Constitutional Republic into a welfare socialist state.
5. Politicians in the Congress seeking their own interests and political careers instead of Statesmen whose only interest is what is best for We the People  and our Constitutional Republic.
6. Politicians and Bureaucrats who DO NOT understand basic economics — That you cannot spend more than you have coming in.

Additionally there has been an extensive an unconstitutional expansion of the Executive Branch of the federal government as they, the progressives of both parties, have sought to build the welfare socialist state. For the first 73 years of our Constitutional Republic, until 1862, the President’s Cabinet was only one-third the size of the cabinet today. [In the following listing is the name of the department and the date of creation.]
1. Secretary of State                                                         July 27, 1789
2. Secretary of the Treasury                                             September 2, 1789
3. Secretary of Defense                                                    September 18,1947,
                                [September 12, 1789 as War Department;
                                      April 30, 1798 as Navy Department]
4. Attorney General                                                           September 24, 1789,
                                [June 22, 1870 as Department of Justice]
                                      [Postmaster General 1829 - 1971]
5. Secretary of the Interior                                                 March 3, 1849

Many of the following departments were created without regard for the Ninth and Tenth Amendments usurping powers reserved to the States and We the People .  Many of the following departments true objectives are the redistribution of wealth and the destruction of the self-reliance of We the People .  They exist solely to make more and more of  We the People   slaves and dependent on the federal government for our existence and support. In this effort the Congress at the request of the President has created the following departments all with enormous budgets and numerous federal employees and bureaucrats:

6. Secretary of Agriculture                                                 May 15, 1862
                     [Secretary of Commerce & Labor February 14, 1903]
7. Secretary of Commerce                                                March 4, 1913
8. Secretary of Labor                                                          March 4, 1913
9. Secretary of Health & Human Services                         April 11, 1953
10. Secretary of Housing & Urban Development               September 9, 1965
11. Secretary of Transportation                                         October 15, 1966
12. Secretary of Energy                                                     August 4, 1977
13. Secretary of Education                                                September 27, 1979
14. Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs                                      October 25, 1988
15. Secretary of Homeland Security                                  November 25, 2002

With the nation facing staggering deficits projections, the unconstitutional departments above should be eliminated over a period of FOUR years. The first budget cut should be 25%. In the second year the budget cut should be 33%. In the third year the budget should be cut 50%. And in the fourth year the program and department should be eliminated.

THE AMENDMENT FIX:

1. Term Limits Amendment
     a. Twelve years in the House
     b. Twelve years in the Senate
     c. No Federal retirement for Members of Congress with less than 20 years service. If it is good enough for the military, it should be good enough for our Members of Congress.

2. Balance Budget Amendment with a Line Item Veto
     a. Deficit spending only permitted for actual war expense NOT normal Defense Department Budget expenditures.
     b. Special Projects [Pork] must clearly benefit the entire nation and NOT just one of the States or a particular Congressional District; and definitely NOT a foreign entity or government.
     c. Federal Spending for Special Interest Groups is to be expressly prohibited.
     d. No “Unfunded Mandates” passed on to the States.

3. Repeal the 17th Amendment and give the States their voice back in the Congress
     a. Return to the practice of Senators being elected by the State Legislatures so they are beholden to the State Governors and Legislatures.
     b. The Senate would then have a vested interest in protecting the Tenth Amendment of our Constitution.

4. Amend the 16th Amendment to limit the federal government to a “Flat Income Tax” of 10%, WITH NO EXEMPTIONS, for everyone and all “for profit” corporations. This tax would be on the annual increase of the taxpayer ONLY.
     a. Eliminates the majority of IRS reducing the size of the Federal Government.
     b. If a voluntary 10% is good enough for Jesus – A compulsory 10% should be good enough for Uncle Sam!

Do not know if this is true, but is a darn good story!!!

If you don’t know GOD, don’t make stupid remarks!!!!!!

A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist, and a member of the ACLU.

One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, “GOD if you are real then I want you to knock me off this platform. I’ll give you exactly 15 min.” The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.

Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, “Here I am GOD, I’m still waiting.”

It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold. The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently.

The other students were shocked and stunned, and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to. Noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, “What in the world is the matter with you? Why did you do that?”

The Marine calmly replied, “GOD was too busy today protecting American soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So He sent me.”

The classroom erupted in cheers! AMEN!!

There recently was an article in The St. Petersburg, FL Times.
The Business Section asked readers for ideas on:

“How Would You Fix the Economy?”

I think this guy nailed it!
____

Dear Mr. President,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America’s economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the “Patriotic Retirement Plan”:

There are about 40 million people over 55 in the work force. Pay each of them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings – Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered – Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage – Housing Crisis fixed.

It can’t get any easier than that!!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes…

Mr. President, while you’re at it, make Congress retire on Social Security and Medicare. I’ll bet both programs would be fixed pronto!

Dear President Obama:

I’m planning to move my family and extended family into Mexico for my health, and I would like to ask you to assist me. We’re planning to simply walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico, and we’ll need your help to make a few arrangements. We plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws. I’m sure they handle those things the same way you do here.

So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Calderon, that I’m on my way over? Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:

1. Free medical care for my entire family.

2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.

3. Please print all Mexican government forms in English.

4. I want my grandkids to be taught Spanish by English-speaking (bi-lingual) teachers.

5. Tell their schools they need to include classes on American culture and history.

6. I want my grandkids to see the American flag on one of the flag poles at their school.

7. Please plan to feed my grandkids at school for both breakfast and lunch.

8. I will need a local Mexican driver’s license so I can get easy access to government services.

9. I do plan to get a car and drive in Mexico , but, I don’t plan to purchase car insurance, and I probably won’t make any special effort to learn local traffic laws.

10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from their president to leave me alone, please be sure that every patrol car has at least one English-speaking officer.

11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my house top, put U S. flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.

12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, or have any labor or tax laws enforced on any business I may start.

13. Please have the president tell all the Mexican people to be extremely nice and never say critical things about me or my family, or about the strain we might place on their economy.

14. I want to receive free food stamps.

15. Naturally, I’ll expect free rent subsidies.

16. I’ll need Income tax credits so although I don’t pay Mexican Taxes, I’ll receive money from the government.

17. Please arrange it so that the Mexican Gov’t pays $4,500 to help me buy a new car.

18. Oh yes, I almost forgot, please enroll me free into the Mexican Social Security program so that I’ll get a monthly income in retirement.

I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all his people who walk over to the U.S. from Mexico . I am sure that President Calderon won’t mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.

Thank you so much for your kind help.

You’re the man!!!

Think about this:

COWS

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

THE CONSTITUTION

They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq … Why don’t we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we’re not using it anymore.

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

The real reason that we can’t have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse or Congress is this –you cannot post ‘Thou Shalt Not Steal’ ‘Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery’ and ‘Thou Shall Not Lie’ in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians …. it creates a hostile work environment.

The song that silenced the cappuccino machine

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it’s enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

For a musician, it’s the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I’m told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing.

It was a fun, low-pressure gig – I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the ’40s to the ’90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. “I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?” she asked. “No,” I replied. “We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?”

To my delight, she accepted my invitation. “You choose,” I said. “What are you in the mood to sing?” “Well. …. do you know any hymns?” Hymns? This woman didn’t know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. “Name one.”

“Oh, I don’t know. There are so many good ones. You pick one.”

“Okay,” I replied. “How about ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’?”

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, “Yeah. Let’s do that one.” She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing.

Why should I be discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

I sing because I’m happy;
I sing because I’m free.
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me.

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, “Oh, y’all go back to your coffee! I didn’t come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin’ to drink, just like you!” But the ovation continued.. I embraced my new friend. “You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!”

“Well, it’s funny that you picked that particular hymn,” she said. “Why is that?” “Well . ..” she hesitated again, “that was my daughter’s favorite song.” “Really!” I exclaimed. “Yes,” she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual.. “She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week.”

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. “Are you going to be okay?” She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. “I’m gonna be okay. I’ve just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything’s gonna be just fine.” She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it’s no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything’s gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can’t use YOU, just remember…

Noah was a drunk (Gen 9:18 – 27)
Abraham was too old (Gen 18:9 – 15)
Isaac was a daydreamer (Gen 24:63)
Jacob was a liar (Gen 27:18 – 29)
Leah was ugly (Gen 29:15 – 20)
Joseph was abused (Gen 37)
Moses had a stuttering problem (Ex 4:10 – 17)
Gideon was afraid (Judges 6:11)
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer (Judges 14 – 16)
Rahab was a prostitute (Joshua 2:1 – 3)
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young (Jer 1:1 – 10; 1 Tim 4:12)
David had an affair and was a murderer (2 Sam 11)
Elijah was suicidal (1 Kings 19:1 – 8 )
Isaiah preached naked (Is 20:1 – 3)
Jonah ran from God (Jonah 1:1-3)
Naomi was a widow (Ruth 1:1 – 5)
Job went bankrupt (Job 1)
John the Baptist ate bugs (Matt 3:1 – 6; Mk 1:1 – 6)
Peter denied Christ (Matt 26:69 – 75; Mk 14:66 – 72; Lk 22:54 – 62)
The Disciples fell asleep while praying (Matt 26:36-46; Mk 14:32-42; Lk 22:39-46)
Martha worried about everything (Lk 10:38 – 42)
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once (John 4:1 – 26)
Zaccheus was too small (Lk 19:1 – 8 )
Paul was too religious (Acts 26:1 – 5)
Timothy had an ulcer (1 Tim 5:23) …AND
Lazarus was dead! (John 11:1 – 46)

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. “Your son is here,” she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient’s eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man’s limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man’s hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital – the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her. “Who was that man?” he asked.

The nurse was startled, “He was your father,” she answered.

“No, he wasn’t,” the Marine replied. “I never saw him before in my life.”

“Then why didn’t you say something when I took you to him?”

“I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn’t here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.”

“I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His Son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman’s Name?”
The nurse with tears in her eyes answered, “Mr. William Grey.”

The next time someone needs you … just be there. Just Stay!

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

Why the apology??????

At a time when our president and other politicians tend to apologize for our country’s prior actions, here’s a refresher on how some of our former patriots handled negative comments about our country. These are good!!

JFK’S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60′s when DeGaule decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaule said he wanted all US Military out of France as soon as possible. Rusk responded, “Does that include those who are buried here?”
DeGuale did not respond.

You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush. He answered by saying, ‘Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.’

You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying ‘Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?’ A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: ‘Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?’

You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U..S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.’ He then asked, ‘Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?’ Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied ‘Maybe it’s because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn’t have to speak German.’

You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. ‘You have been to France before, monsieur?’ the customs officer asked sarcastically.’ Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. ‘Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.’ The American said, ‘The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.’ ‘Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!’ The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ‘Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.’

You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~

I Bet this was a surprise to NBC

Their Poll Question: “Do you believe that the word God should stay in American culture?”

They had the highest number of responses that they ever had for one of their polls.

86% were for keeping the words, In God we Trust and God in the Pledge of Allegiance.
14% were against

That is a very commanding public response. Therefore, I have a very hard time understanding why there is such an uproar about having “In God We Trust” on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Why is the world catering to the 14%

You’re sound asleep when you hear a thump outside your bedroom door. Half-awake, and nearly paralyzed with fear, you hear muffled whispers. At least two people have broken into your house and are moving your way. With your heart pumping, you reach down beside your bed and pick up your shotgun.

You rack a shell into the chamber, then inch toward the door and open it. In the darkness, you make out two shadows. One holds something that looks like a crowbar. When the intruder brandishes it as if to strike, you raise the shotgun and fire. The blast knocks both thugs to the floor. One writhes and screams while the second man crawls to the front door and lurches outside. As you pick up the telephone to call police, you know you’re in trouble. In your country, most guns were outlawed years before, and the few that are privately owned are so stringently regulated as to make them useless.

Yours was never registered. Police arrive and inform you that the second burglar has died… They arrest you for First Degree Murder and Illegal Possession of a Firearm. When you talk to your attorney, he tells you not to worry: authorities will probably plea the case down to manslaughter.

“What kind of sentence will I get?” you ask. “Only ten-to-twelve years,” he replies, as if that’s nothing. “Behave yourself, and you’ll be out in seven.”

The next day, the shooting is the lead story in the local newspaper. Somehow, you’re portrayed as an eccentric vigilante while the two men you shot are represented as choirboys. Their friends and relatives can’t find an unkind word to say about them. Buried deep down in the article, authorities acknowledge that both “victims” have been arrested numerous times.

But the next day’s headline says it all: “Lovable Rogue Son Didn’t Deserve to Die.” The thieves have been transformed from career criminals into Robin Hood-type pranksters. As the days wear on, the story takes wings. The national media picks it up, then the international media. The surviving burglar has become a folk hero. Your attorney says the thief is preparing to sue you, and he’ll probably win.

The media publishes reports that your home has been burglarized several times in the past and that you’ve been critical of local police for their lack of effort in apprehending the suspects. After the last break-in, you told your neighbor that you would be prepared next time. The District Attorney uses this to allege that you were lying in wait for the burglars.

A few months later, you go to trial. The charges haven’t been reduced, as your lawyer had so confidently predicted. When you take the stand, your anger at the injustice of it all works against you. Prosecutors paint a picture of you as a mean, vengeful man. It doesn’t take long for the jury to convict you of all charges. The judge sentences you to life in prison.

This case really happened. On August 22, 1999, Tony Martin of Emneth, Norfolk , England , killed one burglar and wounded a second. In April, 2000, he was convicted
and is now serving a life term. How did it become a crime to defend one’s own life in the once great British Empire ?

It started with the Pistols Act of 1903. This seemingly reasonable law forbade selling pistols to minors or felons and established that handgun sales were to be made only to those who had a license. The Firearms Act of 1920 expanded licensing to include not only handguns but all firearms except shotguns. Later laws passed in 1953 and 1967 outlawed the carrying of any weapon by private citizens and mandated the registration of all shotguns.

Momentum for total handgun confiscation began in earnest after the Hungerfordmass shooting in 1987. Michael Ryan, a mentally disturbed man with aKalashnikov rifle, walked down the streets shooting everyone he saw. When the smoke cleared, 17 people were dead. The British public, already de-sensitized by eighty years of “gun control”, demanded even tougher restrictions. (The seizure of all privately owned handguns was the objective even though Ryan used a rifle.) Nine years later, at Dunblane , Scotland , Thomas Hamilton used a semi-automatic weapon to murder 16 children and a teacher at a public school.

For many years, the media had portrayed all gun owners as mentally unstable or worse, criminals. Now the press had a real kook with which to beat up law-abiding gun owners. Day after day, week after week, the media gave up all pretense of objectivity and demanded a total ban on all handguns. The Dunblane Inquiry, a few months later, sealed the fate of the few sidearms still owned by private citizens.

During the years in which the British government incrementally took away most gun rights, the notion that a citizen had the right to armed self-defense came to be seen as vigilantism. Authorities refused to grant gun licenses to people who were threatened, claiming that self-defense was no longer considered a reason to own a gun. Citizens who shot burglars or robbers or rapists were charged while the real criminals were released. Indeed, after the Martin shooting, a police spokesman was quoted as saying, “We cannot have people take the law into their own hands.”

All of Martin’s neighbors had been robbed numerous times, and several elderly people were severely injured in beatings by young thugs who had no fear of the consequences. Martin himself, a collector of antiques, had seen most of his collection trashed or stolen by burglars.

When the Dunblane Inquiry ended, citizens who owned handguns were given three months to turn them over to local authorities. Being good British subjects, most people obeyed the law. The few who didn’t were visited by police and threatened with ten-year prison sentences if they didn’t comply. Police later bragged that they’d taken nearly 200,000 handguns from private citizens.

How did the authorities know who had handguns? The guns had been registered and licensed. Kind of like cars. Sound familiar? WAKE UP AMERICA; THIS IS WHY OUR FOUNDING FATHERS PUT THE SECOND AMENDMENT IN OUR CONSTITUTION..

“..It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds..” –Samuel Adams