Tulsa County GOP State Committee Members

September 2013

Syria Not Our War

by TC Ryan

Creativity Over Violence

by Joanna Francisco

Over the last few weeks a coalition has been building in Tulsa. Tea Party and Occupy, libertarian, conservative, and progressive, Republican and Democrat have been coming together for a single cause and with a single message: the United States should stay out of Syria; it is not our war. Not only have political lines been blurred, but also racial and religious lines because ultimately we are all American and intervening in the Syrian civil war will affect all Americans negatively. The American people should not have to endure the loss of one more drop of blood intervening in conflicts across the globe that have absolutely nothing to do with national defense. The American people cannot afford to allow our government to place us further into debt arming, aiding, training, and engaging itself and its resources to all sides of every conflict around the world. This particular conflict in Syria is an egregious one indeed. Like the intervention taken unilaterally by President Obama in Libya, any intervention in Syria will result in American tax dollars funding the efforts and conquests of al-Qaeda. That would be the same al-Qaeda that our government has been using as a poster child in its efforts of total security for the American people through the diminishing of our civil liberties right here in America e.g. the PATRIOT Act, NSA spying, TSA groping, and so on. This type of schizophrenic foreign and domestic policy should not be tolerated. Currently, as I type, Congress is being welcomed back in session. President Obama has already announced that he will be speaking from the White House Tuesday,
continued on page 2

When we entered this world, we entered it surrounded by layers of governments and myriad systems and institutions established by and composed of people who would manage, lead, rule, intervene, govern, protect, guide, influence, control, monitorthe list is as endless as the human imagination. These entities did not come to us from On High or by magic, but were birthed by the imaginations of mere humans humans no better than you or me. These systems, these institutions, these hierarchies these are simply the products of creative, enterprising men and women with motives ranging from noble to nefarious. Must you dutifully accept or support these entities simply because they exist presently? Must you accept immoral institutions because tradition or blind patriotism demands it? Should you accept the reality you were born into and, at most, figure out how to best maneuver through the established systems? Or should you, will you, seek out ways to create a superior reality? Create a superior reality? Isnt that utopian? Absolutely not! While we cannot escape the fact that as long as we are dealing with fallen man, we will deal with the problem of man violating the rights of others, the question we must ask is whether or not we will continue to tolerate a system of government in which such violence is institutionalized, legal, and enforced by bureaucrats and SWAT teams. I think we can do better than that. Dont you? So how do we cast off a system in which the power to initiate violence is illegitimately bestowed upon government bureaucrats by cowardly, greedy citizens who have some perverted sense of entitlement to the resources of others? It starts with each one of us boldly acting in defense of our own life, liberty, and property AND refraining from socially acceptable acts of aggression against others, namely, utilization of the ballot box. Be at peace with your neighbors by not outsourcing violence against them when you visit the voting booth. Every tax, every bond, is a government gun pointed at your neighbor. Its a
continued on page 3

Tulsa GOP State Committee Members Newsletter

Page 1

Common Core and Representative Government

By Karen Cuellar, Guest Contributor

I was recently invited to take part in the non-partisan "Understanding Common Core" event held in Tulsa which was sponsored by the Tulsa912 Project. Oklahomas State Superintendent of Public Education, Janet Barresi, addressed the attendees on the topic of Common Core. I served on a panel of well-informed Republicans and Democrats, some of whom will be running to replace Superintendent Barresi when her term expires. After hearing from Superintendent Barresi, every single member of the panel agreed in unity on the importance of stopping the implementation of Common Core, along with 99.9% of the audience. Yes, Republicans and Democrats were solidly unified in opposition to Common Core. During the Q&A, I asked Superintendent Barresi if she would continue to push for implementation of Common Core over the strong objections of the people she represents. She responded that she answers to the Legislature. I reminded her that I had voted for her and that she answers to the people. She disagreed. It should be noted that the Republican side of the Oklahoma Legislature has come out strongly against Common Core and even included the opposition in the GOP platform on which Superintendent Barresi will be running. Superintendent Barresi and Governor Fallin are only serving two entities: the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers PRIVATE entities that are not accountable to the public, whose meetings are not open to the public. Governor Fallin is now the chair of the NGA, the main group pushing for Common Core to be implemented in all of the states. Ask yourself, why would our conservative Governor and Superintendent be pushing to implement the Obamacare of Education? I think it's time for the public to wake up, get involved, and start doing some research.

If you relinquish your authority and your children over to the state, then you cant complain about what you get or what this society turns out to be a few years down the road. We all know "God is in control" but God's sovereignty is not an excuse for your laziness and apathy when you simply don't want to face something. Evil prevails when good men do nothing, see nothing, say nothing. Our children's minds and their worldviews were never intended to be shaped and molded by the state, educated to be the state's workforce, or used as human capital/minions. Teachers were once hired to teach - now they implement what the state tells them to implement. Several teachers present spoke out on this and warned that if Common Core is implemented, we can expect a mass exodus of good teachers in the next year if the people do nothing to stop it.

continued from page 1, TC Ryan

September 10th. If you have not already done so, contact your representative and voice your opposition to any further intervention in Syria. TC Ryan State Committeeman Tulsa County GOP tc_ryan@yahoo.com Congressman Jim Bridenstine: DC - 202-225-2211 Tulsa - 918-935-3222 Twitter - @RepJBridenstine Senator Tom Coburn: 202-224-5754 Tulsa - 918-581-7651 Twitter - @TomCoburn Senator Jim Inhofe: DC 202- 224-4721 Tulsa 918- 748-5111 Twitter - @jiminhofe

Tulsa GOP State Committee Members Newsletter

Page 2

continued from page 1, Joanna Francisco

government hand in their wallet. If you want a free society and claim to support the free market, you must respect the fact that we are not morally at liberty to take from others, even when such thievery is made legal by politicians. So the next time you have the opportunity for personal gain by voting for a tax on others, refuse to be a part of the problem. Instead find creative ways to reach your goals without the use of violence. If your business cannot compete in the market without special legislatively created privileges, then perhaps it is time for a gut check. Consider applying your resources to innovating your business model rather than hiring a fleet of lobbyists to persuade politicians to legislate in your business favor. Is there something you wish to change about society? Apply one of the most fundamental attributes of man, creativity, to the challenges around you. Although it may be easier to impose your views on others or enrich yourself through the ballot box, the path of least resistance just may come back to bite you one day. In fact, it will. And it should. Having confidence in a free society is to focus on the process of discovery in the marketplace of values rather than to focus on some imposed vision or goal. Using governmental force to impose a vision on others is intellectual sloth and typically results in unintended, perverse consequences. Achieving a free society requires courage to think, to talk, and to act especially when it is easier to do nothing, from The Philosophy of Liberty, the epilogue to The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible, A Free Market Odyssey by Kenneth Schoolland.

Joanna Francisco State Committee Member j2and4@sbcglobal.net

Tulsa GOP State Committee Members Newsletter

Page 3