April Barry Co. PRC Meeting Notice

The Best Defense Against Hard Times is a Well-Fed Neighbor.

Galen Chadwick, founder of the Southwest Missouri Well-Fed Neighbor Alliance will be speaking at the Purdy Community Center on:

April 2, 2009
at 7 p.m.

Mr. Chadwick has forty years’ experience as an organic gardener. He will be speaking and answering questions on:

• Organic horticulture
• Intensive grazing.
• Local Food Production
• U.N. Agenda 21 (sustainable development)
• Soil-development

Meeting Sponsored by the Barry County Chapter of the Ozarks Property Rights Congress.

For more information call 417-835-5036.

PRC Meeting notice

The Ozark Property Rights Congress Far S/W Chapter will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday October 14th 7:00 p.m. at the Bethpage Community Center. Elkhorn Road 1/2 mile off 76 Highway.

The candidates for McDonald County and U.S. Congressional Districts 7 have been invited. Also Francis Parkinson will give us a short talk on his confinement as a POW in World War II. For information call 417/435-2661

Become Vocal Local - Weekdays on RBN

Good news for the ongoing campaign for liberty...
Become Vocal Local is on the air!

Will Roberts, one of our own Ozark neighbors, now has his own daily one hour radio broadcast on the Republic Broadcasting Network, and it is called "Become Vocal Local."

You can listen in live Monday through Friday from 1:00-2:00 PM, or if you are unable to tune in at that time (or you miss a show) you can listen to a previous show's archive anytime it is convenient for you.

Listeners will become more aware and better educated about important events, and it also offers you something much more important... Real solutions.

This program is unlike the multitude of common "chat & complain" talk radio broadcasts, (which are frequently very informative and enjoyable - though exist largely for hosts & callers to vent their frustration at the latest government acts of tyranny). Instead of merely pointing out and discussing the latest outrages being perpetrated upon us, the "Become Vocal Local" program offers real and easily implementable solutions that can work anywhere in the United States of America.

The show introduces, discusses and clarifies Will's longstanding and tested methods to get voters "Vocal Local" on a precinct-by-precinct basis. Local voting precincts are the primary building blocks of government, and if we can get voters organized and "vocal" in most every local precinct, we can achieve victory after victory in upcoming elections, instead of the all-too-frequent disappointing and disheartening defeats we've endured for years.

Forming local precinct groups committed to promoting more liberty, freedom, and the protection of property rights, presents us with our best hope of creating meaningful change - and working towards making a real difference in future local, state and presidential elections. The "Vocal Local" plan has many similarities to Ron Paul's last-minute "Precinct Leader" plan which many of you may be familiar with (and which unfortunately never had time to fully develop), but this works well beyond any one candidate, election or issue.

Though it is fairly simple to implement once understood, the entire "Vocal Local" solution is more complex than can be explained in a blog post like this one, or even a complete one-hour radio show... That's why you'll want to tune in daily to each and every show as more pieces of the puzzle are presented and explained, for you and your neighbors to assemble in the way which fits best for your local situation.

In my discussion with Will earlier today, he outlined his plan to produce and distribute materials to supplement the weekday broadcasts, to make it much easier for listeners to implement and customize the Vocal Local concept in their own local precinct. We will provide links to these materials on the OzarksVoter.Info website when they become available later this summer (just click on the Vocal Local buttons).

I urge you to support Will Roberts by tuning in to his program daily. Not only because it is good to support a neighbor's work, but because this plan can work - and you own it to yourself and your family to become Vocal Local and bring about real & meaningful change.


About the show's host:
Many of you may know Will Roberts from his tireless efforts campaigning for Ron Paul over the past year. He is the organizer of SW Missouri's Rocky Comfort Ron Paul Meetup group #56, and he is a frequent guest (and guest host) on several pro-liberty programs on radio, shortwave and internet broadcasts. He is a dedicated scholar of history and political science, and has spent decades researching, writing, implementing and perfecting his area of study. He has fascinated both politicians and PhD professors alike with his in-depth and insightful knowledge on the inner workings of society in general and politics in particular.

Ron Paul coming to Branson May 30th

Fellow Ozarkers:

If you're on Ron Paul's national email list, then you probably have received a letter from Ron Paul stating that he will be at the Branson Rally on May 30th.

The rally will be held at the Tri-Lakes Center in Branson, Missouri. This facility seats over two thousand and is eleven minutes from the Chateau on the Lake where the Republican convention will be held.

Seating will begin at six o'clock p.m. and Dr. Paul's speech will commence at 6:30 p.m.

After his speech, Dr. Paul will be on hand, to meet and greet folks, and sign copies of his new bestseller.

Organizers are hoping for a big turnout from Ron Paul supporters. This will send a strong message to the State Republicans that support for Ron Paul and his message is still strong in Missouri.

Paul Bingham
Barry County Republican State Delegate.
Seventh District National Alternate Candidate.

---------------------------------------------------------

Additional info from Bruce...
For those who haven't seen it, here is an excerpt from Ron Paul's email announcement:

I want to thank you for all of your hard work during my campaign. I've heard of the obstacles that you have faced in your efforts to represent Missouri at the Republican National Convention, and I deeply appreciate your perseverance and endurance. Your participation in the electoral process is critical not only for the future of the Republican Party and our movement, but for that of our nation.

Our Founders overcame all manner of roadblocks on their way to independence, and I am confident that you will emerge from these challenges even more prepared to reclaim our Party and our Republic.

If you are a delegate or alternate, challenged or unchallenged, I urge you to see your efforts through and make every effort to attend the Missouri State Republican Convention on May 30th and 31st in Branson. In fact, I believe it's so important, that I will be joining you in Branson on the evening of the 30th for a pre-convention rally.

Be sure to check your email for more information in the coming days.

Thank you again for all the sacrifices you've made. I look forward to meeting you in Branson.

For Liberty,
Ron Paul

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ron Paul calls Missouri!
You can hear Ron Paul's message to Missouri supporters, and I expect you'll also see a lot of very familiar faces in this video by CharityAngel:

Revolution March - "Ozarks Express" update

Bureaucracy is an evil thing, a ravenous consumer of productivity and resources, and a destroyer of hope.

For over 6 weeks, the Washington D.C. parks and recreation division permit department has held the "Ron Paul Revolution March" in limbo.

The public response has been predictable: Outrage, but little action. Some are suggesting that permits be dammed, we all show up on June 21st "unorganized" and sans papers. Others are suggesting that such "lawless" behavior would be counter-productive and Ron Paul would likely not participate in such an event.

The bureaucrats think that people in this situation will get their hackles up, turn on each other like wild animals, and the whole idea will eventually fall apart. Are they right? Time will tell.

Still others are suggesting that the "Tax Day" / "Freedom Rally" - which was planned (and issued permits) many. many months ago - long before Ron Paul suggested the whole "Grand March" - is the best thing going right now.

For more details about the current situation:

Ron Paul Forums: March on Washington
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=89

Revolution March
http://www.revolutionmarch.com
http://www.ronpaulmarch.com

Tax Day / Freedom Rally
http://www.freedomrally.info
http://www.grannywarriors.com/rally.htm


I don't know how many thousands of people are planning on attending any of these events, but I do believe that as of now, far too few are likely to attend to gain any real attention. The anti-war protests in D.C. last January drew about a half-million persons, yet the Elitist MainStream Media gave it little more than a passing glance - as that protest apparently didn't suit their agenda at the time.

Due to the successful delay tactics and fracturing of support, it is extremely unlikely we will see anything close to 500,000 people attending any of the currently scheduled events. (I do hope I'm wrong, but I really don't believe that I am.) You can rest assured that the evil MSM will mention nothing good about a "relatively small" (under a million participants) protest march that is connected with Ron Paul. The best thing about the idea for such a single big "million person march" was that it would have helped buoy up support among the Ron Paul Revolutionaries... But now even that possible result has been diminished.

This past month, I ran a Pledgebank.com pledge that if at least 10 other people signed up for the pledge to share a chartered bus to Ron Paul's "Grand March" - I'd arrange the trip and go with them.

The deadline just passed... Sunday at midnight. Only 7 people pledged, falling 3 short of the goal.

I wish to extend my sincere thanks to those of you reading this who did sign up. Taking the pledge was no small gesture and showed courage and commitment. Thank You.

And to the hundred or so others that knew about the pledge, but decided not to take it, I do understand your myriad of different points about why you declined, and that's OK too. No hard feelings, we all have our reasons.

My question is: What are YOU going to do now?

Will you give up all hope - throw up your hands - accept a fiat dollar that has lost 96% of its value in the past century - accept $4.00/gal. fuel while the fat oil cats grow even fatter - accept "REAL ID" and carry your papers with you at all times - maybe even plant some of those RFID's that started out for the NAIS cattle program into your own body (you know, for YOUR protection!) - will you give up any and all essential liberties for the temporary illusion of security?

Or will you do something - anything - to rage against the machine, draw a line in the Ozark gravel and say to the Elitist Balrogs: "This Line You Shall NOT Pass!"

The "Ozark Express" was an idea. But as with all ideas, if it doesn't suit the time and the need, it should be modified, or cast aside in exchange for something better.

There are currently plenty of good and worthy efforts underway to continue the rEVOLution. Some liberty-loving and constitutionally-knowledgeable people from our Meetup groups are running for local office, and that is a good and noble effort that could benefit from your volunteer support. Some are working to reform the Republican party from within, while others are bypassing the political process and devising other more direct actions to effect change. What you choose to do is up to you, but don't let it be said that you did nothing.

And along those lines, I don't wish to discourage anyone from going to any of the various national rallies/marches/protests, if that is what you'd like to do and you see some benefit to it that I have overlooked.

If any of you wish to take up the task of organizing such a trip yourself, contact me and I'll pass along the research and contacts that I spent many hours collecting. Who knows, I may even go with you, but I'm not making any more promises. I intend to focus my efforts on actions that have more immediate and tangible results.

But that's just what I'm doing. How about you?

Letter to the Editor (& Voters)

After this morning's fiasco at the GOP caucus in McDonald county, I've decided to write a "letter to the editor." Since I wrote it in a self-depreciating, humorous style someone might actually print it. they like that sort of thing.

(And, for the record... If you are concerned that "me" personally making such negative remarks about this are damaging "our" chances to work within the party... Let me assure you that it was made quite clear that "they" regard "us" as "the enemy" and no amount of sucking-up would change their minds, even if we wanted to.)

While it is worthwhile to "keep your friends close and your enemies closer." - It is best that we all personally recognize the enemy for who they are, and not delude ourselves into thinking they may become our friends.

With that in mind, enjoy the editorial...

---------

Dear editors of the Press and McDonald County voters,

(Caution: Place tongue firmly in cheek before proceeding...)

Yee-haw! We sure have some great representative democracy 'round these parts. Especially, it seems, in the Republicrat party.

Why, y'all should'a seen it, it was a sight to behold at the recent county caucus of registered Elephants. (The "Gamey Olde Partie" as they are affectionately known.) Probably the biggest turnout for them in living memory, a full house packed the courtroom, each and every one in attendance eagerly anticipating some participation in their local party's decision-making process. Not.

But wait... Turns out that the Missouri State Elephants sent out an urgent missive to their registered party hacks (um... I mean "senior party members"):

Beware the Ron Paul Republicans!

The word is out that they might actually attend and try to interject some of their freedom & liberty-lovin' pro-property rights nonsense into the sacred tomb of our party platform. (Even though it is just symbolic - after all, the "platform" is just a pretty thing that elected party thugs can point to with pride, whilst they go ahead and do whatever the heck they feel like doing anyway.)

Yep, the word got out just in time so the hardcore party loyalists (affectionately known as the "know-nothings") could round up enough warm bodies to drag out of bed and away from the cartoons on the tube Saturday morning, to sit for a few minutes and raise their hand when told to.

Yes, it was quite the contingent of the "Barely-Legal Republican Girls Gone Mild" this year. (Perhaps coerced to attend and cooperate under threat of losing the use of daddy's Gold Card this summer? I suppose we'll never know.)

And along with those compliant new recruits (they aren't considered "newcomers" if they are willing to play ball); there were bleary-eyed scruffy looking spouses aplenty, who by their expressions clearly resented missing their morning coffee clutch with their pals to attend this shindig. But all that matters to the party faithful is they did manage to get together just enough patriotic Elephantine rubber-stampers to drown out any trouble them pesky liberty-loving Ron Paul supporters might have caused.

Good for them.

Hear that bell tolling in the distance? That's the death knell of the dominance of Lincoln's Party in ol' Mac county. Democrats, rejoice! You may actually be able to take advantage of your so-called opposition party's mistake of alienating nearly half of its constituency, and win your boys and girls some more seats next time around.

That is, unless enough people have come to my conclusion:

A pox on both your houses!

There's not a dime's bit of difference between the Donkeys and the Elephants, and fortunately, more voters are waking up to that fact every time around. Look at the poll numbers for independents, climbing higher every election cycle whenever there is a choice to be found. Expect that trend to continue sharply upward.

This latest party circus was highlighted for myself personally when I had enough of the rubber-stamping of the party hacks (um... I mean "loyalists"), and moved that the written suggested amendments to the party platform be read, rather than just tucked away in circular file #13 never to be seen again. (All such amendments were suggested by that obnoxious intellectual-constitution-quotin' Ron Paul crowd anyway, as no true believer in the heavenly-granted supremacy and divinely-inspired wisdom of the State GOP would dare question their perfectly written platform.)

But the crowd had already enjoyed enough of that dreadfully long meeting. Gosh, they must have been there for a whole 40 minutes already, and their hindquarters musta been all sore and itchy by then. We certainly don't want to waste up to 5 more precious minutes to hear what about a third of the audience had proposed. They're just the "newcomers" anyway.

Definition: "Newcomers" means "infiltrators" in party hackspeak. After all, these "new" people had only been voting Republican for most (if not all) of their lives, what do they know?

So even that small, symbolic gesture was defeated by the Pachyderm party-loyalist majority. Not that it made any difference, but I was cheered by the fact that I'd managed to at least elicit a single win for "Nay" that day. Too many "Ayes" had me dizzy from all the bobblehead votes that preceded it.

But to be serious for a moment: It says a lot when a party is too scared to even take a few short minutes to hear the opinions of many (not just a few, even if still a technical minority). Whenever you see someone, and especially a group of people, stick their fingers in their ears, close their eyes, and start chanting "blah, blah, blah" quietly to themselves - you know that "they" know "they're" wrong, and are just too afraid to hear the truth. It is the classic sign of impending doom of any organization, when the powers-that-be have their heads stuck firmly...

...In the sand.

Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves. Next time, bring your brain or stay at home.

Most sincerely,

Bruce Arnold
disgruntled republican
McDonald County, Missouri

Washington DC March via the "Ozarks Express"

Ron Paul's "Grand March" on D.C. is still in the planning stages at this time, so we are also just starting to plan our trip. Here's what we have so far...

The plan:

A fun, inexpensive, and quick group bus trip
to the D.C. March & Rally

We have an opportunity to plan some very low-cost travel options, but we need to know how many are interested right now...

We've been given a very affordable option to use standard shuttle buses with W/C lifts, that seat 18-20 adults comfortably.

We plan to offer "fare & rooms" as a package deal and sell advance tickets. A PAIR of tickets (for a couple sharing a room) could be as low as $390 (only $195 per person). This would include all transportation and lodging costs, plus simple refreshments during the trip. Anyone needing a single ticket (not sharing a room) could buy one for approx. $280. We will also likely offer discounts for minors/children sharing rooms with their parents.

Because of the travel time (approx. 20 hours including scheduled rest stops approx. every 2 hours), we will likely be leaving Springdale, Arkansas very early in the morning the day before the rally - and make a quick pickup of passengers in Missouri along the way. Then we travel all day and arrive on the outskirts of D.C. late that evening and check in to a hotel. We bus to the rally the next morning and have plenty of time the remainder of the day for everyone to sightsee and have dinner. The bus can make return trips during this time to the motel for anyone tired and wanting to rest, then come back to the rally parking area for a final pickup later that evening. We all return to the hotel that night and get a good sleep before heading back home very early the next morning.

For cost comparisons: Airfare prices on Expedia show that the prices currently range from $300-$400 per person - not counting the taxi or car rental to get you back and forth from the airport and the rally, overnight parking, or your hotel costs ($100+ per night for rooms in the DC area). Amtrak costs are about the same, and require several extra days travel time. Greyhound bus rates are nearly the same as our "bus travel expense" (actually slightly higher), but the trip is much longer, with numerous stops along the way, and you still have to get to the Rally and hotels from the bus stations.

This is all just a rough estimate, as it is too early to set costs in stone (we will need to know the exact date of the March to be certain). But it gives us all something to work with and talk about among all our local Ron Paul Meetup groups.

It would be helpful if we knew now about how many folks are interested, given the above information and approximate costs. To make this as easy as possible for everyone in all the different Meetup groups in our area, There is a simple signup "pledge" here:
http://www.pledgebank.com/ozarksexpress

If you're serious about making this trip, please take a minute to add your name and email address to the pledge at the link above.

If you're not ready to pledge just yet, but want to get updates, the easiest way to do this is to subscribe to the "Ozarks Voters For Ron Paul" email digest. (Enter your email address in the box provided on the left.)


Because this is a "low-cost whirlwind non-stop trip" We're calling it "The Ozarks Express" - perfect for those of us on a budget that want to take part in this historic rally but can't afford a more luxurious and/or time-consuming option.

If there is enough interest we will also plan a second bus that will take an extra couple of days with a more relaxed schedule and some extra perks - but the cost will of course be a bit higher - primarily because of the additional hotel expenses. Once the date for the D.C. Rally is set in stone, we'll need to see exactly how much interest there is in each option.

But if you pledge for the "Ozark Express" trip but later decide to go on the longer trip, that will be perfectly fine. Right now we are still in the early planning stages so all things are possible. We just need to start finding out what our people want to do at this point.

Your comments and suggestions to this post are encouraged!

Jopin Sign Rally makes local TV news

The Southwest Missouri Ron Paul Meetup Group (Formerly Joplin Ron Paul Meetup Group) held a sign waving rally in Joplin at the intersection of Rangeline and 7th street. The local news media was there and did positive stories on Ron Paul. When you do anything, be sure to get the local media involved. They have been really good to us here in Joplin. Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a70RI5M1_f0 and bump this post often: http://www.dailypaul.com/node/30287

We are planning a 3rd sign waving event next Saturday (2-2-2008 2pm to 4pm) and have again invited the local media. They have aired stories both weekends and we hope they do again. This next time, the Joplin Globe will be there as well. We invite Rocky Comfort and Springfield to come and join us and make this the MOST awesome showing of support. Please let me know if you can make it so we can tell the media how much the local support has grown. We had 45 people the first weekend (thank you Rocky Comfort) and 25-30 people this last weekend, with many new supporters. If we could get 100 people on this intersection, what a statement we would make!! Right before February 5th this is a good way to remind people of Ron Paul and gain those who are still undecided. With all of our canvassing, calling etc this one last time to get the RP name out I believe will really help. With MSM ignoring us the local news can be a great way to advertise free!

Thanks to Richard Graves for the Update & all the great work!

Missouri Supreme Court to Hear Landmark Eminent Domain Case This Week

JEFFERSON CITY - January 14, 2008 — When the Missouri Supreme Court hears the eminent domain case of an Arnold, Mo. dentist on January 17th, the stakes will be much higher than just the fate of one dental practice - the case will affect property owners in 1200 Missouri cities. The Supreme Court’s ruling will determine whether non-charter cities like Arnold have the power to take private property for the benefit of wealthy private developers or if their eminent domain powers will be limited to traditional public uses, like roads and sewers.

The case involves Homer Tourkakis, who has operated a successful dental practice in the Arnold triangle for more than two decades. The city of Arnold wants to take Tourkakis’s property and turn it over to developer THF Reality, which is planning to put a big box store and other retail establishments in the Arnold Triangle.

Tourkakis's legal defense of his property is straightforward. At the root of it is a clause that has been in the Missouri Constitution since 1875. Article I, Section 28 says, "private property shall not be taken for private use with or without compensation". By itself, this provision would protect against the use of eminent domain for private development, but a new constitutional clause was added in 1945 that amounts to an exception to that protection.

Article VI, Section 21 authorizes the taking of private property and conveying it to a private developer if it is in an area declared to be "blighted, substandard or insanitary". But Dr. Tourkakis argues that this provision applies only to charter (home rule) cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City. Jefferson County Circuit court Judge M. Edward Williams agreed and ruled in favor of Tourkakis in May of 2007. The city of Arnold then appealed to the Supreme Court of Missouri. Two nationally-recognized public interest law firms, The Pacific Legal Foundation and the Institute for Justice, have provided legal assistance to Dr. Tourkakis.

Ron Calzone, chairman of Missouri Citizens for Property Rights (MO-CPR), argues that the Tourkakis case is more evidence that the eminent domain legislation passed in 2006 has not given property owners adequate protections. “When the eminent domain bill was passed by the Missouri legislature in 2006, most people assumed that it would put an end to eminent domain abuse,” Calzone said. “But the Arnold controversy, along with dozens of other cases in Saint Louis, Kansas City, Richmond Heights, Sugar Creek, Valley Park, Liberty and elsewhere, demonstrate that property owners are still at risk.”

The owner of a Kansas City parking lot learned the hard way that the 2006 legislation would not help when he appealed to what was supposed to be one of the stronger parts of the bill. A December 18, 2007 decision by the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, ruled in favor of a large developer who sought to use eminent domain to take the parking lot so he could build a new headquarters in its place.

Dr. Tourkakis serves on the board of MO-CPR, along with David Danforth one of a group of three Clayton property owners who successfully defended their properties in the Supreme Court last summer. Although Danforth won, the narrow decision provides no real protection for other property owners. Calzone says that a victory in the Tourkakis case would provide greater protections for property owners in non-charter cities, but it would still leave property owners in charter cities - more than half the population of the state - exposed to the same abusive tactics.

He argues that only a constitutional amendment will finally end the scourge of eminent domain for private gain for all Missourians. MO-CPR is currently recruiting volunteers and raising money to collect more than 200,000 signatures for each of two constitutional amendments.

A large crowd of concerned property owners is expected to attend the arguments in court next Thursday, which are at 9:30 AM in the Supreme Court building in Jefferson City.

For more info, contact:

Ron Calzone, chairman
Missouri Citizens for Property Rights
33867 Highway E
Dixon, MO 65459
ron@mo-cpr.org
(573) 368-1344

Newton Co. Republicans "Bean Feed"

Fellow Republicans,

The Newton County Republican Committee will be holding its Annual Free Bean Feed on Thursday, November 15 at the Newton County Fairgrounds 4-H Building at 4150 Beaumont St in the Fort Crowder complex south of Neosho. The featured speaker will be Senate President Pro Tem & candidate for Attorney General Michael Gibbons. The Republican Women of Newton County will be holding their Silent Auction, beginning at 6:30p, and dinner will begin at 7:00p.

County Coordinators for the US Presidential Candidates will speak too.

There will be a representative from our area speaking in support of Ron Paul... Newton County residents, please attend and show your support.

Everyone is welcome.

Parades, Parades, Parades

Everyone loves a parade...

And we've reached thousands of people who hadn't heard much (if anything) about Ron Paul yet by participating in numerous parades, handing out flyers to the potential voters, and stickers for their kiddies!

Thanks to the research of Virginia Waggoner, we have this upcoming schedule of parades in the SW Missouri area... (There are several overlapping parades on the same day.)

Please Note: Parades listed in GREEN WILL have a Ron Paul float organized by the Rocky Comfort Meetup group. All Ron Paul supporters from all Meetup groups are encouraged to come out for any or all of these parades and join us in the fun!
OR: Your Meetup group might consider participating in one of the other parades going on at the same time, that would otherwise be missed!
(If your group does this, please let us know so we can post it here.)

UPCOMING PARADES:
11-24 @ 2:00 pm in ANDERSON
11-24 @ 6:00 pm in Granby
12-01 @ 9:30 am in Diamond
12-01 @ 10:30 am in South West City
12-01 @ 1:00 pm in Washburn
12-01 @ 2:00 pm in Noel
12-01 @ 5:00 pm in NEOSHO
12-01 @ 6:00 pm in Wheaton
12-08@ 10:00 am in MONETT
12-08 @ 1:30 pm in Exeter
12-08 @ 5:30 pm in Pierce City
12-08 @ 6:00 pm in Grove, Oklahoma
12-08@ 6:30 pm in CASSVILLE

Remember, if you are coming to participate in the parade (and we hope that you will) please plan to arrive early! The times listed above are when the parades are scheduled to START... It helps to join the line up at least 30 minutes early.


ALSO... NEW Carthage Maple Leaf Parade Photos:
Thanks to Angela Covington and Richard & Christie Graves, we now have
New photos of that parade... Click here to view!

New Meetup group - Spread the word!

(Since Paul is too modest to say anything about his new group, I'll be more than happy to!)

A new Ron Paul Meetup group has formed in SW Missouri/NW Arkansas, and we need YOUR HELP (yes, YOU) in getting the word out to all your Christian friends, neighbors and brethren...

This Meetup group is specifically intended to help bring together Christian Young Folk from ALL OVER the Ozarks who support the candidacy of Congressman Ron Paul for President.

The first meetup will be in Fayetteville, Arkansas this Thursday evening (Nov. 8th). Please tell all your Christian friends about this exciting new Meetup, and ask them to encourage their children to participate!

For more info, please explore their Meetup webpage...

NW Arkansas TV picks up on the rEVOLution...

Fayetteville Ron Paul Meetup organizer interviewed on KNWA-TV.
See the video (or just read the text of the interview, if you're on dial-up):
http://nwahomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=8797

Another Straw Poll Landslide for Ron Paul

Southwest Missouri is the conservative stronghold in the Show Me State. Its very well known that if you don't win Southwest Missouri, you don't win the state.

On November 1st, voters picked their choice for the Republican nomination for the 2008 Presidential election.

During the last 20 years, every Republican Presidential winner has made a campaign stop in Southwest Missouri (the fastest growing part of the state). Reagan in 1980, 84, Bush Sr. 88, 92, Bush Jr, 2000, 04. Other Candidates that made appearances were Pat Buchanan in 1996 (he Won the Missouri Primary that year); and Matt Blunt the current Governor of the State is from Springfield and has a home in Southwest Missouri.

The results of tonights straw poll show overwhelming support for Texas Congressman, Dr. Ron Paul who received 78% of the vote.

The results are as follows:

Ron Paul - 85 votes
Mike Huckabee - 11 votes
Mitt Romney - 6 votes
Fred Thompson - 2 votes
Rudy Giuliani - 1 vote
Tom Tancredo - 0
John McCain - 0
Allan Keyes - 0
Other - 4

Ron Paul Wins Newton County Missouri Straw Poll

UPDATE:
It appears that our initial information from the Newton County Fair Presidential Straw Poll was somehow inaccurate. As it now turns out...

Ron Paul WON this Straw Poll!

Here are the long-awaited official results of the Straw Poll conducted by the Republican Party at the Newton County, Missouri Fair on July 11-14, 2007:

% / VOTES / Candidate


12.82% / 10 / Paul

11.54% / 9 / Thompson

05.13% / 4 / Brownback

03.85% / 3 / Giuliani

03.85% / 3 / Romney

02.56% / 2 / Huckabee

01.28% / 1 / Gingrich

00.00% / 0 / McCain

58.97% / 46 / Undecided


Official results provided courtesy of:
Newton County Republican Party
Nick Myers, CPA
myerscpa@swbell.net

Huge turnout for Maple Leaf Parade

What a parade!


Our Ron Paul floats, van and walkers were quite a sight to behold, and our huge number of dedicated workers positively swarmed the crowds watching the parade, handing out flyers, slim-jims, buttons, stickers, candy for the kiddies, and all sorts of great stuff to educate the voters about Ron Paul - the champion of the constitution!

It was a very, very long parade - several miles long - and also fast-moving. Those of us working the crowds had to really run at times to catch up to our floats. (I'm a little sore all over this morning, but it was worth it!) We had over 40 participants in all.

It sure made an impact on the crowds... All these volunteers supporting a politician? Hard to believe! What must that Ron Paul be like?

One of the most encouraging things for myself, was seeing how very interested most of the crowd was in Ron Paul. When I was working behind the float, I could see how people were actually reading the Ron Paul slim-jims and flyers they had just been given to them by people working further forward of the float. I actually saw two different people grab a slim-jim from their friend's hand, saying: "Let ME see that!"

I guess Ron Paul is right... FREEDOM IS POPULAR!

Once people learn what Ron Paul is really about, most will support him. We just have to keep doing all we can to introduce people to Ron Paul, and the rest will follow. We're getting people interested in voting again who gave up on the political process years ago.

We've only got about a dozen weeks before the voter registration deadlines - which are only a month before the election. Time is of the essence!

Some photos are available on the Joplin Meetup site:
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/344/photos/?photoAlbumId=235906

I'm still hoping that someone will please submit photos that show our floats and walkers as we were actually going through the streets and crowds. (It seems like just about everyone with a camera was too busy passing out flyers and getting the word out about Ron Paul, to stop and take photos as they were going. Oh well... Spreading the word is what we were there for, after all!)

UPDATE: 11-07-07 New photos of the parade are available here!

Huge thanks to everyone involved. Our large and well-organized floats certainly made a big impression on the thousands and thousands in the audience.

Apple Butter Makin Days Parade Report

Will Roberts reports on the parade:

We had a fantastic turnout at the Apple Butter Makin Days Parade this morning. Though I was unable to get a head-count myself, I heard that there were a total of 40 people, both as walkers and drivers/riders, from Meetups in Joplin, Springfield, Benton County and Rocky Comfort.

The line up began with our new Ron Paul "Hope for America" (4ft x 8ft corrugated plastic) sign - provided thanks to Roman - supported by a ten foot long 1" dia. pole held by two nice teens from the Springfield group. Then came Mike's white "Ron Paul Revolution Van" towing the "Liberty" trailer, then came Arthur's Rocky Comfort/Ozarks Voter Pickup float, next was Mel and Jeanette in their classic suicide door MOPAR car, another pickup float from Springfield followed Mel, and lastly, a couple carried a pair of our "Ron Paul Revolution" signs as a double sided sign.

The walkers literally swarmed alongside this entourage handing out slim jims, liberty cards and 2.25" Ron Paul 2008 stickers. It took one hour to complete the parade route! The sidewalks were packed.

The Maple Leaf Parade is supposed to be the grand-daddy of parades in Southwest Missouri. This Saturday in Carthage will be important.

Celebrating Constitution Day

We took to the streets on Monday, Sept. 17th to celebrate our Constitutional freedoms with Ron Paul!

Several THOUSAND motorists saw Ron Paul's name during that evening rush 2-hour "Roadside Rally" - it was a HUGE success!


Take a look at the short "music video" we made of the Roadside Rally.




As usual, the overwhelming majority of responses were positive... A lot of people honked their horns and waved or gave a big "thumbs-up" to show their support.

There were only 4 negative responses from passers-by, mostly just frowning and shaking their heads "no" for whatever reason... But one of the really good and interesting things that happened was the HUGE percentage of big-rig truckers that waved and honked their support. (Over 50% of the trucks, at least.) Apparently, more of our American citizen-truckers are realizing that only Ron Paul will protect their jobs and our roads from the cheap and dangerous foreign semi-trucks and drivers that practically all the other candidates are unwilling to put a stop to!

The video is already getting a lot of views and very positive comments on YouTube. Even though this was very roughly shot (no tripods) and a hastily edited video - people seem to appreciate the message and are taking the idea to heart, planning their own local Roadside Rallies for Ron Paul. That's what we're here for... Getting the word out about Ron Paul and getting this good man elected President!

The Ron Paul support song: "Choose Liberty" was provided courtesy of Steve Dore.
You can hear more of his great Ron Paul campaign songs at:
http://www.inflationnation.us
(Thanks for all you do, Steve!)

And many thanks to all those that participated in this event. From the sign-making session on Sunday afternoon at Rocky Comfort, Missouri - to the actual sign-waving at the "Roadside Rally" - we're thankful you all took part in this event, and look forward to doing more just like it!

More great Ron Paul Meetups in the Ozarks!

We have several NEW Ron Paul for President 2008 Meetups in the Ozarks area.

Click on the meetup link to see details on the next scheduled meeting for each group...

Please attend one (or more) of these meetups near you:

The Benton County, Arkansas Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Group
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/620/

The Western Arkansas (Ft. Smith area) Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Group
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/863/

The Eureka Springs, Arkansas Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Group
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/874/

The Joplin, Missouri Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Group
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/344/
(The original organizer, Jim Palmisano, recently stepped down as organizer of this group to focus his efforts closer to home. Who from the Joplin area will step up and jump-start this group? How about YOU!?)


And don't forget... There are several established groups that also deserve your support:

The Rocky Comfort, Missouri Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Group
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/56/

The Springfield, Missouri Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Group
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/29/

The Rolla, Missouri Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Group
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/343/

The Fayetteville, Arkansas / U. of A. Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Group
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/555/


And there may be an even newer Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Group forming right in your own backyard!
Ron Paul's grassroots support continues to spread like wildfire...
Find a Ron Paul 2008 Meetup near you at:
http://ronpaul.meetup.com

Welcome to our new community forum!

Here is a place where we can all share news, ideas, questions, support, and everything else that will help Ron Paul and his 2008 presidential campaign.

Everyone with something positive to contribute is strongly encouraged to participate! In particular, we want all Ron Paul supporters in the Ozarks region to participate.

Any and all Ron Paul Meetup groups, "rallies" or related events happening in the Ozarks you know about needs to be posted here!

Now we can all help spread the word, and circumvent the elitist MSM ("Mainstream Media") that is trying to subdue Ron Paul's message for their own deceitful reasons. This is part of the great power of the Internet, as it gives a voice to the people in a way that we've never enjoyed before!

Help us help Ron Paul save America! As well as keeping a sharp eye out for Internet news about Ron Paul to share, please also share your best ideas for ways we can reach out to the very large majority of the Ozark population that doesn't regularly go online... These are the masses of people that are most susceptible to being manipulated by the MSM, and don't yet know or understand why electing Ron Paul of president is so very important for the survival of what America really is...

A land of freedom, liberty,
and opportunity!