Indiana Constitutional Republic Caucus

Charter Meeting

Neighborhood Outreach Program

I would like to begin by posing a question.

What brought about your becoming a Constitutionalist?

You probably didn't wake up one morning and suddenly "see the light" constitutionally.

Someone showed you the constitution and you liked it!!!

What are the characteristics of the person/s that showed you the way?

They were kind and likeable.

This person had your respect and maybe even your gratitude.

They seemed to know what they were talking about...

They were informative without pushing you away.

Things suddenly started to make sense.

Suddenly you weren't confused.

They told me things that checked out!

I had consistent contact with this person through: Work, church, neighbor, hobby...

To become constitutional educators and opinion molders the challenge is for us to first become friends, then to gain respect, then to educate carefully through consistent contact, and finally to encourage them to action.

If you keep these in the correct order of friendship, then respect, then educate it can

happen quickly. Get it out of order and it might never happen.

Remember when you first learned to ride a bicycle? I bet I know just how it happened. Your dad came into your bedroom where you were sleeping soundly, carried you out to your bike still in your pajamas, and put you on the seat while still sleeping. He ran as fast as he could and then shoved you down a hill right?

NO? Are you sure? Mom and Dad love you and they would never put more on you than you could handle safely. Constitutional education doesn't work all at once either. I know, because I tried it once.

My good friend, John, and his family accompanied my family on a small trip after I received a year of good Constitutional education from my mentor, the late, Jim Neuendorf. I had everyone in the van for 4.5 hours. What a great opportunity to teach him absolutely everything I know!!! John was politically asleep when we started the trip. He's a grade school teacher with tenure, a pension, a nice house, and wonderful family. He gets to teach kids to feel good every day at school and all seems well in his world. I, on the other hand was telling him how everything was in a real mess. Looking back, I'm sure he was terrified when we arrived at our destination... not due to the condition of our country. Just of me and my 4-hour lecture.

To this day, John is not a Constitutionalist. I had some very valuable friendship credit with John before I started. I really cared for John and his family. I also had respect enough to be effective in educating him, yet I squandered it due to my lack of experience. I told him the truth. I made confusing things understandable.

I had friendship and respect with John, but there is another very important factor to education. Capacity to retain what is being taught is a huge issue. Your car will burn fuel at a variable rate depending on speed and load. People will only accept education in the same manner. Don't try to put a whole month of fuel into the tank at one time. Learn to read your friends fuel gage. There will be signs to tell you when it is overflowing. Be sensitive; and know when to stop the pump! In John's case, he had not even taken the gas cap off.You need to know that the listener is receptive. If they are receptive, (because they asked a question), you need to be concerned about the volume of information you give them. Some people will have the education capacity of the Queen Mary and others a lawn mower. There will be times when you need to move on to a better target for your education and that doesn't mean you are closing a door to anyone. It is however better to spend your effort where you can be successful. Some people will NEVER become activists.

Insulting or belittling someone whether in conversation or debate is never a good way to convince others of the virtues of the Constitutional Republic. I'm not saying don't challenge a bad point; just do it with kindness and clarity.

How can you get to an influential place with many people in a short amount of time?

The neighborhood outreach program is a method for doing this in a really fun way!

Why your neighborhood?

· These people know where you live. This makes you a peer, and an equal, with more credibility than a door knocker canvassing from "who knows where, USA".

· Your opportunity for friendship and respect are much higher in your own neighborhood.

· The benefits of success are much greater for you in your own neighborhood.

I recently heard an internet mp3 recording of a woman in Missouri losing her house to the bank. The recording was of a phone call conversation she was having with an internet radio program as her house was being confiscated by the local sheriff. She was holding papers received from a judge in a judgment, that gave her possession of the home free and clear. Apparently the bank she won the judgment from sold the mortgage to another bank after the court decision, and that bank was pursuing her through foreclosure. The Sherriff was heard on the recording busting down her door, putting her on the floor and then the phone went dead.

The internet will not save you from an out of control, unconstitutional action by a police force.

How much better off would she have been with a neighborhood of Constitutionalists capable of offering real protection? What would the Sherriff (who needs re-elected) have done if even half the neighborhood showed up in outrage?

Succeeding in your own neighborhood could be critical to your personal security. The steps to succeed here are only effective if you truly care about your neighbors. People know when you really care about them and when you are just out to obtain or sell them something.

Methods and Tactics

1. If possible try to make contact with the most influential people in your neighborhood first. Some people on this list might be current leaders in an existing neighborhood organization. Get involved in those existing organizations or create new ones. There are many ways to impact your neighborhood (see flyer). Become well known as a positive influence in the neighborhood. RESPECTABLE & FRIENDLY I have inserted a letter of introduction to my neighbors in the packet. I will be using this letter to introduce myself and my intentions to my neighbors. The goal is to be friendly and leave them feeling unthreatened and happy to meet with you. You don't have to send out a letter if you don't want to. Decide the best way to proceed based on your experience and connections. Organizing a neighborhood watch is a great way to increase neighborhood security and also a good way to get great face time with your local Sheriff.Your Sheriff's department will be very happy to send out an officer (maybe even the Sheriff himself since he is an elected official) to address your neighborhood meeting and instruct them on proper security tactics and methods. I will be using the security watch as the first opportunity to bring neighbors together. Use each meeting to build the neighborhood organization.

2. Information about your neighbors is your greatest tool. Make an effort to contact neighbors and ask question. With that information bring them together to meet others with common interests. Take every opportunity to ask neighbors about their hobbies, children's ages and names. You can do this one family per afternoon for a month and gather a great amount of new friends!!! People love it when you take an interest in them. Be careful of how you impact their time. Perhaps contact them by phone first so they are prepared for your arrival. Some folks won't even answer the door if the house is not totally spotless. Once you find common interests, ask the parties separately if they would mind if you shared their common interests with another family. If they say yes, you have tied the neighborhood together with friendship. This is a great way to introduce families with like situations where they can help each other.Your value to them and influence grows each time you facilitate their success.

3. Be genuine, show concern, empathy and be helpful and generous with your time. Congratulate new parents. Send sympathy cards to those families that have suffered the loss of a loved one. Take over food when it is helpful. Be a facilitator and assist them in any way you can. The person you are helping will always be much more attentive to what you have to say on any subject. There are probably some people in your neighborhood that you don't care for or perhaps they don't care for you. Mend these fences as best you can. You don't want someone working against your efforts. Perhaps begin your outreach with them. Let them see your helpful spirit first so they don't sabotage your efforts later.

4. Never bash any political personality even if you feel the person you are speaking with would agree with your comment, but rather point out verifiable facts, allowing your neighbors to draw their own conclusions. Bashing a political icon will always come back to haunt you through the mouths of those that heard it. They will inevitably paint you as a hater of POLITICIAN X to the liberal in the neighborhood that voted for him/her, eliminating your ability to reach them.

5. As your friendship and respect progresses there will be opportunities to bring up political matters in discussion. There will always be those of a different opinion. Remember most people have only the major media to thank for their understanding of current events.Never argue, but rather ask questions instead. Education in Constitutional concepts will provide a basis to clearly see and interpret all political positions, where debating politics will only cause a barrier and keep you from reaching your friends with Constitutional education. In the 6th century Sun Tzu wrote in the "Art of War" never go to battle without the preparation to afford a victory. If you are not up on the subject being discussed, just listen. Ask legitimate questions and if the position of your adversary is flawed it will probably begin to unravel without your help. If you haven't said something that cost you your credibility you can address your friend's erroneous positions later. Once you lose your credibility by speaking of things you know nothing about, it will take way too long to recover your reputation to be of any use. Your reputation is your greatest tool - protect it with everything you have. Asking a question shows the other party that you respect their opinion at the same time your question puts them at a logical disadvantage if their position is not reasonable. EXAMPLE: My neighbor says, "I am so glad Obama is spending money to help the economy!" "Where is the money he is spending coming from?" "How is that helping us?" "Don't government jobs just cost us higher taxes?" "Do you know what causes inflation?" "What will happen to the value of your savings if inflation goes unchecked?" "How will you have enough to retire?""Won't our children have to pay off this debt?" This is when you can put in something about the Constitution. EXAMPLE: "I have recently studied the US Constitution and I didn't find any Constitutional Authority for the Federal Government to subsidize or even loan money to any business." Bring every possible political discussion back to the Constitution. When you comment on your recent Constitutional education there might be an opportunity to interest them in the next class.

6. Never give away books or large amount of unsolicited reading material. An occasional small article might be appropriate. What you seek are questions. Questions are the door opening to education. A question is the gas cap coming off. Small amounts of information that are provocative can bring on the questions. EXAMPLE: "Did you know that the United States is not a Democracy?" This one almost always starts a discussion. Don't lecture!!! Just answer any questions and maybe make one comment about a related subject. If they ask another question the tank is not full yet. Ask if they understand your answer to the question if it is a complex Constitutionalist perspective. Keep it simple. You'll be able to tell if they want more information. You feed babies with a small spoon and you wait until they have swallowed before you give them another. With careful feeding they grow fast and strong.

7. Memorize quotes of the founding fathers. This does two things. It gives you an educational credibility, as well as, teaches a constitutional concept to the hearer. Use this only when the quotation is appropriate for the discussion or situation. You want them to respect your education because it is helpful, rather than, just thinking you are showing off. We can use the ICRC forum as a place to share appropriate quotations for different situations. The founding fathers will convince someone of the benefits of a Constitutional Republic faster than you will. It is up to you to bring the founding fathers to the discussion. If you can't memorize them at least put some in your wallet or purse to refer to. I think we should come up with a top 20 list of quotes to memorize.

Perhaps some of these might make the list;

Your neighbor speaks of a favorite political personality and how they trust him/her...

" In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." Thomas Jefferson

If the patriot act come up in a discussion...

For security, even nations that love liberty must build institutions that tend to destroy their civil and political rights.  To be safer, they will risk being less free. Federalist paper #8

Then follow up with Ben Franklins famous quote;

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Maybe your neighbor thinks gun control is reasonable...

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

"An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." --Col. Jeff Cooper

Your neighbor says those militia guys are all a bunch of scary kooks...

"A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves...and include all men capable of bearing arms." -Richard Henry Lee, Additional Letters from the Federal Framer (1788) at p. 169

Discussions of the sheer volume of government programs could result in this quotation finding a good home...

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.

Thomas Jefferson

The bottom line for quotes and perhaps the real deal sealer for you could be this great quote from the father of the Constitution James Madison...

"Although all men are born free, slavery has been the general lot of the human race. Ignorant - they have been cheated; asleep - they have been surprised; divided - the yoke has been forced upon them. But what is the lesson? ...the people ought to be enlightened, to be awakened, to be united, that after establishing a government they should watch over it.... It is universally admitted that a well-instructed people alone can be permanently free." James Madison

8. After your initial contacts in the neighborhood, re-contact people that you have introduced with common interests and suggest events, invite them over at the same time, or otherwise facilitate their discovery of each other. Bringing new friends together is great fun and they will love you for it.

9. Half the battle is getting them away from the TV. If all we hear is what the media tells us, we are lost for sure. The TV is your real enemy. Your neighbors will love you for liberating them from it. People love to make new friends. They will be glad to know that others out there feel the same way as they do. Because of your efforts education will come much easier than you think.

These techniques can also work with the American Legion, Boy Scout troops, Optimist Club, Jaycees, Jobe's Daughters, Mason, Lions club...

Nothing is more fun than finding new friends and new soldiers in the fight for freedom!

In closing this outreach program presentation let me say that our success is measured in numbers. Explosive growth is not our dream, but rather, it is our goal.

The attitude and spirit of the successful patriot educator will be in line with Romans chapter 12 verses 9-21.

⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.

¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, "says the Lord.

²⁰ Therefore " If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The New King James Version

If you will become a neighborhood leader we would ask that you sign up on the sheet at the table so we can offer you support in your efforts.

Thank you for your kind attention.