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In my last entry, I wrote: “The links of organizations such as Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR) to racists within the 'Patriot Movement' is a topic that requires further analysis.” While several other links exist, one obvious connection between OFIR and the militia movement is through the Constitution Party. The Constitution Party (formerly known as the US Taxpayers Party) is generally seen as militia-friendly. The party aims to “restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations [i.e. to institute Old Testament law] and to limit the federal government to its Constitutional boundaries.” [1] The party’s national platform does not refer positively to any Constitutional Amendments beyond the first ten (The Bill of Rights) and explicitly calls for the repeal of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments. While the Constitution Party does not plainly demand repeal of the Fourteenth Amendment in its national platform, the party’s founder and three-time presidential candidate Howard Phillips has written that the Fourteenth Amendment “was not properly ratified, and […] has improperly been treated as part of the Constitution”. [2] Furthermore, the Party makes an implicit attack on this amendment in its national platform by rejecting “the practice of bestowing U.S. citizenship on children born to illegal alien parents while in this country.” [3]
The Constitution Party’s 2008 presidential candidate, Chuck Baldwin, [4] uses rhetoric of the racist militia style, attacking multiculturalism [5] and the “New World Order”. [6] Baldwin is OFIR’s candidate of choice for US president. [7]
The Constitution Party’s 2008 presidential candidate, Chuck Baldwin, [4] uses rhetoric of the racist militia style, attacking multiculturalism [5] and the “New World Order”. [6] Baldwin is OFIR’s candidate of choice for US president. [7]
OFIR's choice for President
Baldwin’s recent appearance at a Tigard, Oregon library to rally support for his presidential campaign was a scary experience. [8] In front of an audience of over 200 people, Baldwin proclaimed that “the most violent people you can imagine” were entering the United States through its “porous” borders, and vowed to place National Guard and even US Army troops along the southern border if necessary. OFIR and John Birch Society members, greatly buffered in numbers by the remnants of the Ron Paul campaign, applauded loudly to Baldwin’s denunciations of immigration, the United Nations, and the Federal Reserve. All of these, Baldwin insinuated, were elements of a nebulous conspiracy against God-fearing Americans. [9]
OFIR’s connection to the Constitution Party is long-running. OFIR’s president, Jim Ludwick, was a star speaker at the Constitution Party’s 2003 convention, where he delivered a speech promoting the “Reconquista” conspiracy theory that the Mexican government is invading America. Constitution Party of Oregon propaganda is made available at OFIR gatherings while the party’s candidate for Senate, Dave Brownlow, links to OFIR from his campaign site. [10] (Brownlow was amongst those who talked before Baldwin at the Tigard rally.) Brownlow, incidentally, is one of the founders of the hardline anti-choice group “Life Support” [11] alongside Lon Mabon, an ex-Constitution Party candidate in Oregon who is best known for activism against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals throughout the state. Other Constitution Party of Oregon members are likewise involved with “Life Support”.
NOTES:
[1] http://www. constitutionparty. com/party_platform.php
[2] http://www. constitutionparty. com/news.php?aid=543
[3] http://www. constitutionparty. com/party_platform.php#Immigration
[4] Baldwin has also been endorsed for President by Ron Paul of the Libertarian Party, see: http://www. campaignforliberty. com/blog.php?view=547#
[5] http://www. chuckbaldwinlive. com/c2006/cbarchive_20060413.html
[6] http://www. newswithviews. com/baldwin/baldwin457.htm
[7] http://www. oregonir. org/presidential_race.htm
[8] The Portland appearance took place on October 21st, and was part of a brief Oregon tour.
[9] For video footage of this speech, see: http://www. constitutionpartyoregon. net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=191&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
[10] http://www. davebrownlow. com/Links.html
[11] http://www. lifesupportoregon. org/
OFIR’s connection to the Constitution Party is long-running. OFIR’s president, Jim Ludwick, was a star speaker at the Constitution Party’s 2003 convention, where he delivered a speech promoting the “Reconquista” conspiracy theory that the Mexican government is invading America. Constitution Party of Oregon propaganda is made available at OFIR gatherings while the party’s candidate for Senate, Dave Brownlow, links to OFIR from his campaign site. [10] (Brownlow was amongst those who talked before Baldwin at the Tigard rally.) Brownlow, incidentally, is one of the founders of the hardline anti-choice group “Life Support” [11] alongside Lon Mabon, an ex-Constitution Party candidate in Oregon who is best known for activism against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals throughout the state. Other Constitution Party of Oregon members are likewise involved with “Life Support”.
NOTES:
[1] http://www. constitutionparty. com/party_platform.php
[2] http://www. constitutionparty. com/news.php?aid=543
[3] http://www. constitutionparty. com/party_platform.php#Immigration
[4] Baldwin has also been endorsed for President by Ron Paul of the Libertarian Party, see: http://www. campaignforliberty. com/blog.php?view=547#
[5] http://www. chuckbaldwinlive. com/c2006/cbarchive_20060413.html
[6] http://www. newswithviews. com/baldwin/baldwin457.htm
[7] http://www. oregonir. org/presidential_race.htm
[8] The Portland appearance took place on October 21st, and was part of a brief Oregon tour.
[9] For video footage of this speech, see: http://www. constitutionpartyoregon. net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=191&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
[10] http://www. davebrownlow. com/Links.html
[11] http://www. lifesupportoregon. org/
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