I've met failed (and potential?) House candidate Stephanie Strong. She's a cheerful, friendly lady who's always been eagerly polite to me. In person, she makes me want to be nice to her.
But politically, on paper, she makes me want to holler. Strong is promoting another crazy idea that, as best as I can make out, constitutes an effort at vigilante anarchy. Strong is organizing what she calls a "common law grand jury" in Meade County:
PUBLIC ELECTION FOR THE REINSTATEMENT OF A MEADE COUNTY COMMON LAW GRAND JURY
“Whenever people are well-informed they can be trusted with their own government” - Thomas Jefferson
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT – We the People will be holding an election for the reinstating of the Common Law Grand Jury here in Meade County at Piedmont City Hall, 111 2nd Street, Piedmont, South Dakota 57769 on Saturday November 2, 2013 at 09:30 AM. There will be a 35 min presentation starting at 09:30 AM and a vote by showing of hands will be at 10:05 PM. All participants will then be invited to register for the Common Law Grand Jury. This is open to the public [Stephanie Strong, press release, 2013.10.29].
Strong tells me the "common law grand jury" is all about the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights and natural law. Any time I hear anyone outside a political philosophy classroom talking about natural law, I take that as a sign that we're running down the rabbit hole.
There is no such thing as a "common law grand jury." There never has been a common law grand jury in Meade County. It's just another of those fringe ideas that catches on with strong-brew Tea Party types who read the Constitution like The DaVinci Code and think they've discovered some profound new idea to fight the New World Order. Like the similarly bogus "sovereignt" movement, it's also popular with tax dodgers:
Ed Siceloff held a meeting Thursday in the Beaver Area Public Library to begin the process of creating a common law grand jury.
...Siceloff -- who was sentenced in federal court in 2010 to serve one year in prison for failing to pay taxes on more than $700,000 in income -- said the jury will investigate “violations of rights.” He claims the formation of such a body is lawful [Kristen Doerschner, "Group Seeks to Form Common Law Grand Jury," Ellwood (PA) City Ledger, 2013.09.23].
The common law grand jury is really just a club for cranks with no legal authority:
Siceloff cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision, U.S. vs. Williams, as confirming his belief.
But Wes Oliver, an associate professor of law at the Duquesne School of Law, said there is no such thing as a common law grand jury under current law, and the Supreme Court decision being cited does not mean what those seeking to create such juries claim.
“They are taking some straight language from the case and using it for their own purpose,” Oliver said. He said even in the days when such a thing existed, there was an official procedure for forming such a jury.
“It’s not just people getting together and saying they’re mad about something and calling themselves a grand jury,” Oliver said [Doerschner, 2013.09.23].
A bunch Revolutionary War re-enactors calling themselves a grand jury can't compel citizens to appear in court. A mob can't order the sheriff to drag someone to court. As Professor Oliver points out, if the mob tries to drag someone to court, that's kidnapping.
Some people play fantasy football; Stephanie Strong likes to play fantasy Constitution-ball. Have fun, kids, but please, don't show up at anyone's door with handcuffs.
The public notice doesn't say, do we bring our own torches and pitchforks or will they be supplied?
"Natural law" is also a concept promoted by the KKK and white supremacists.
When I was working at the Lake County Courthouse, we got letters every week from prisoners announcing the conviction of judges, sheriffs, states' attorneys, etc. by a "common law grand jury" or whatever the latest crazy law tag was. There is no such thing. Magna Carta ain't us. And - neighbors beware! - people who sign up for such stuff often have a nasty habit of trying to drag their neighbors into court and claim their property. Fun times are fixing to brew in Meade County.
This is an interesting movement. I just got through watching a bunch of videos about "common law grand jury's." They sound a lot like the old patriot movement to me. Don't want to pay taxes, want to make their own laws, and enforce those laws.
Let me give you a scenario about what could very easily happen.
Lets say that one group started a "common law grand jury" without the blessing of those around them.
Now lets say that some of the people that didn't like that "common law grand jury" decided that because they weren't being treated right by the first grand jury they would form one of their own.
Folks what we would have then is in reality a range war just like those from a hundred years ago. Fences versus free range, or farmer versus rancher, you can take your pick. None of those ended good for anybody.
The ones that are starting these "common law grand jury's," only want to pick and choose the parts of the documents that our country was founded on for their reasoning's.
All you need to know about these people is that they don't believe that "WE THE PEOPLE" means anyone but the ones that happen to believe the same as they do. They are in reality the new form of home grown terrorist and lean towards being traitors in my view.
One man one vote. Not a grand jury for every occasion.
The Blindman
I believe that George Washington was called a home grown terrorist. He went against the British Rule and the King, sound familiar? When we look at where this country is at, we have the citizens in power and the People of this country are trying to keep it. The Bill of Rights and the Constitution are two different things. For over 100 years, the powers that be have tryed to change the meaning of what they are. Most well educated people that think they are well educated have tried to change the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Why would this be? Do you have a guess? I will tell you why, since you do not have a guess, because the Bill of Rights gives the power to the People and the Constitution limits the government powers. As ignorant well educated lawyers think that the judicial is the strongest branch of government, they are wrong. The Founding Fathers set up this with many checks. First, the most power has been given to the People in the form of a Grand Jury. Second, congress, the legislation, the power of the purse, the senate has been bastardized as it was supposed to be appointed by the state legislators. This was only done for power. Third, the executive, without money, the executive couldn't do anything. The executive can, in times of threat, defend this country. Fourth, the Judicial, because the Founding Fathers knew that if there was not any money or if the Judicial said this was the law, the legislative could say sorry no funding. Also, a Common Law Grand Jury could say the law is unreasonable or unconstitutional and will not be enforced. So I think everyone on this website needs to get a little education because if you are depending on our educational system and higher learning, you will fall short. In case you want to know, Harvard University opened its doors on September the 8th of 1636. We had some real education in this country for 150 years before we became the United States of America and our Founding Fathers were so educated that you cannot even imagine.
From my point of view, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and the whole lot of them were terrorist that make Osama Bin Laden look like a naughty little boy.
It is an insult to the people of Meade County to have a past candidate or prospective candidate for public office to have such poor communication skills, you would think that public officials would be held to higher standard of education.
There is so much wrong with Stephanie's sense of history, again it seems that public officials should be held to a higher standard.
My first question at this time is, aren't grand juries held in secret and the results not always made public?
Roger, is it just me or does Stephanie have trouble communicating? I'm just curious if this might be one of her problems as a candidate. I usually don't have any problem understanding the written word, but right now, not so much.
Her inability to construct a cohesive sentence is an eye opener to say the least. What is more troubling is her sense of history. She seems to be driven by the lack of power that the GOP has when it comes to senatorial control.
She seems to be pretty fond of this article so I'm going to copy and past a couple of things.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2013/04/21/random-thoughts-and-intellectual-armorment/
"For decades now the Modern Progressive movement, spurred by the Fabian-Socialist believers, has tried to deconstruct the very fabric of that constitutional republic. The passage of the 17th amendment, electing Senators by popular vote, was one of their largest victories."
Really Stephanie constitutional amendments don't just happen they are voted on for a reason. The 17th gave the voting power back to the people in the form of one man one vote, instead of those that ran the state governments.
"Senators were supposed to represent the will of the individual State. Senators were supposed to be appointed by the leaders of each state to represent their interests."
"The Senate was constructed to specifically insure that when laws came from the House of Representatives they would be filtered, modified, or eliminated, by people who would look out for the best interests of individual states."
Now let me address what this movement is really about. Control, pure and simple control. To see their reasoning here is more from the above article.
"Currently there are 30 Republican Governors. 19 Democrats, and one Independent."
"Looking at the Senatorial construct given the basis of original intent there would be 60 conservative leaning Senators, 38 Democrat Senators, and two independent Senators."
"That is the current political and ideological perspective that “should” exist – if we were following the construct of our Constitutional Republic. Alas, the bastardization of the Senate by the Progressive Movement’s 17th amendment – has created the very dysfunction the progs now rail against. Now Senators are bound to party ideology and not the protection of states rights as outlined in the 10th amendment."
"In addition, there are only 16 states where Democrats control the State Legislature:"
"Progs do not want you to understand foundational principles, that is why they expend infinite levels of effort to indoctrinate the electorate into clouded understanding of our founding."
"The failure of gun control legislation was merely a reflection of the factually accurate current outlook by the majority. Progs don’t want you to know, and be armed with, that factual aspect."
Well there you have it. The only way they can return to the country that they loved so much is to take the power of the vote away from the very people that they want to represent.
Now I'm not sure Roger but I believe that would be called communism.
Stephanie, you may be an intellegent woman. It's to bad that it doesn't show in your writing skills. You seem to be more of a follower then a true leader. Here's your question for today. Who are you following?
So much for my incoherent thoughts for today.
The Blindman
Bill, I once had a college roommate that would write his papers in one long sentence or paragraph. He wasn't dumb, he was usually high. Amazingly he graduated.
No, it is not just you, her communications and grammatical skills, or lack thereof, are troubling for someone that is seeking public office and should raise a red flag for education reform and funding.
Her attempts to circumvent our political process, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and duly enacted laws is an absolute demonstration her lack of respect for the laws we all live by.
In everything she hopes to address, The Constitution and the Bill of Rights provides for. Free assembly; criminal and civil courts; local, state and national elections. and public servants to enforce laws and deliver services.
Her nonsense is just that, nonsense!
Anyone officially announced on the left or right?
Mike Rounds should be brought before this grand jury!
If Stephanie's campaigning skills are at the same level as her written communication skills, it is no surprise that she is still a candidate for political office. This is a horribly constructed, pompous collection of random word-salad pseudo-revolutionary drivel. which roughly translated equates to "wah wah wah I don't like the way the country is so I am going to set up my own parallel universe legal system". There was only one American Revolution, it was over a long time ago, and it's time for the closet revolutionaries to grow up and start behaving like adults.