Transcript posted HERE.

Gov. Thos. Hutchinson

Massachusetts Colony

Boston, Massachusetts

January, 1774

We believe it is healthy for a historic effort to be subject to so much scrutiny and debate. The failure of past attempts at workable colonial policy is a reminder that this question represents a defining issue in our colonial history — it is well worth the time it takes to get it right. We are confident that we will get this right.

Already, three committees have passed critical colonial reform legislation, and we will work closely with those three committees to produce one strong piece of colonial reform legislation that the House of Commons will approve in the coming months.

In the meantime, as colonial delegates spend time at home during the recess, they are talking with their constituents about the new colonial tax reform and the Second Quartering Act. The dialogue between delegates and constituents is at the heart of our system and plays an integral role in assuring that the legislation written in Parliament reflects an appreciation of the genuine needs and concerns of all the colonists.

However, it is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the new legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent delegates and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue.  These tactics have included:

Hanging (and even burning) delegates and public officials in effigy

 

Protesters holding signs displaying tombstones sporting the names of delegates. 

 

Shouting and drowning out those who wanted to explain how the new colonial policies will work.  

 

Dumping three entire shiploads of tea into Boston harbor this past December.

 

Setting the HMS Gaspee on fire.

 

Tarring and feathering public officials at town hall meetings throughout the colonies. 

 

Ransacking of many of the offices (and even homes) of public officials.

These sorts of cheap political stunts are simply not conducive to a rational and reasoned explanation of how, for example, the new colonial taxes will be raised, and on whom they will be levied. 

These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the official truth itself. Drowning out the voice of the governors and delegates is simply un-British. Drowning out the truth is how we have failed to settle these matters for decades.  The loud voices of dissent are those of a tiny but overly-vocal minority, which are, truth be told, not loyal patriots at all but rather well-paid professional activists in the employ of indemnity companies.  They claim they represent a natural movement of the people, but in truth they are to a natural movement of the people what a green carpet is to a patch of real grass.  Thus, Samuel Adams and his ilk should be identified for what they are : GREEN CARPET.

Colonial policy is complex. It touches every colonist. It drives our economy. People must be allowed to learn the official truth from the governors and delegates without being sidetracked by noisy voices and cheap political stunts and green carpet operations funded by the indemnities.

This month, despite all the disruptions by the unwashed rabble, delegates will listen to their constituents back home and explain the new colonial legislation. We are confident that our principles of reasonable colonial policy will stand up to any and all critics.

Now — with colonists strongly supporting the new colonial poliices, with Parliament reaching consensus on a plan, and with King George squarely behind it, Parliament is closer than ever to this goal.

This Summer, at long last, we must reach it.

Fellow Common Sense Citizens:

I am not 100% certain that all of you are in opposition to the Administration's Health Care 'Reform' Plan (HR3200), but I have to assume that the vast majority of you are.

In the original 'Star Wars,' the Rebel Alliance was able to take out the 'all-powerful' Death Star only by identifying and targeting a weak point, described as 'a small thermal exhaust port.'  The Rebels prevailed only by focusing all of their limited resources on that one exhaust port, thereby overwhelming the Imperial resources assigned to defending that specific target.

If we are going to bring down the leviathan, we need to start thinking the same way.

It's common to talk of 'the Congress' doing this or 'the Congress' doing that, but when we speak of what 'the Congress' does, we're actually speaking about the things that a majority of individual members of the House and Senate vote for.  You can't make 'the Congress' 'change its mind' about something.  To the extent we can do anything to change what Congress does, we can only do so by changing the minds--and the votes--of individual members.

As we know, in a tight election, the race generally comes down to the 'swing' voters, who are not dedicated to either party or candidate.

Similarly, in any given legislative battle, the fight generally comes down to a few 'swing' members, who cannot necessarily be counted on to vote the party line, either for reasons of political necessity, philosophical disposition, personality or all of the above.

Many of the points that follow below are fairly straightforward, but it doesn't hurt to take a step back and look at this conflict, what is likely to kill HR3200 and what may allow HR3200 to slip through.

THIS FIGHT COMES DOWN TO WHETHER THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS HOLD RANK

I think the following can be taken as universally agreed:

1. The vast majority of House members are either solidly in the OPPOSED camp or solidly in the SUPPORTING camp.  Most are highly unlikely to be moved.
   

 

2. So far as we can determine, all of the House Republicans are OPPOSING HR3200, and are highly likely to remain so.
   

 

3. The substantial majority of the House Democrats are SUPPORTING HR3200, and most of them are highly likely to remain so.
   

 

4. If all of the House Democrats support HR3200, the bill will pass.
   

 

5. HR3200 will be stopped if, and ONLY IF, a significant minority of House Democrats oppose the bill.

It seems that the most likely candidates are:

those who are politically vulnerable in 2010,

those who have already shown independence from the Administration and

those who are the most philosophically disposed against fiscal irresponsibility.

Discussion of these three groups follows below.

As you know, the Administration is trying to use fear and intimidation to silence their critics, and they're not even being particularly subtle about it.
 
They're now asking our fellow citizens to INFORM on us, to help Administration investigators determine where they can best focus their efforts to 'correct' those who are opposing the Administration party line.
 
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2030790/flagwhitehousegov_a_snitch_line.html
 
They're also deploying their thugs to silence dissent at rallies and town halls.
 
Taken together, it's what they like to call 'The Chicago Way.'
 
The 'Chicago Way' mentality in a nutshell : 'If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.'
 
As another put it, the Administration plans to 'punch back twice as hard' against dissent.
 
The Administration doesn't want us to be talking.  The Administration expects us to 'get out of the way.'  That's straight from the top.
 

As you probably know, the Administration has set up a "snitch line" and encouraged all Americans to snitch on their neighbors if they suspect anything 'fishy'--such as opposing Administration policy.

We want to let the world know that we will not be silenced, and we will not be intimidated by the Administration's thug tactics.

If you are with us, just send us a short video clip of yourself letting the world know that you just turned yourself in to the Administration's Goon Squad.

Here's the script : "I just turned myself in."

Send your video clip to: you.cant.get.us.all@gmail.com

We'll take the best clips and include them into a video letting the world know that we won't be intimidated by the Administration's tactics.

Please Note: this should be obvious, but by sending us a video, you are giving us your permission to use your video clip in our video (or not) as we see fit, and we make no commitment that any person will be included in the video.