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CHARLES JAY STATEMENT
TO 2007 PERSONAL CHOICE PARTY OF UTAH CONVENTION
First, let me give thanks to my friend
and colleague Ken Larsen for reading this statement to you today.
I sincerely regret not being there with you, but as I explained in an
earlier campaign letter sent to Personal Choice Party members, at the moment
the bulk of my time and resources is dedicated toward a massive effort to
erect an online presence that not only will serve as the focal point of our
campaign, but will make everyone proud in the way it can yield benefits for
this party both now and well into the future. The internet marketing efforts
we are set to engage in, which include extensive article marketing, search
engine optimization, social networking, multimedia presentation and
affiliate coordination for campaign contributions, will be truly unique
among candidates in the 2008 election.
I am once again seeking your nomination for President of the United
States. I run for this office for dozens of reasons, not the least of which
is that I am extremely concerned about the direction this country is going
in. And yes, I am here for Utah, because Utahns need to hear our message
perhaps more than anyone else, and we are all in a position to deliver that
message effectively.
I firmly believe in the concept of "personal choice," which seems to
be given more casual treatment with each passing day by the powers-that-be.
There is an alarming trend in this country. People have become
conditioned to the idea that its government exists to provide all the
answers for them, not just as it regards their own lives, but the lives of
others as well. This dependence upon government has created a concession to
a level of control that is unprecedented, far exceeding that which was ever
intended when the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution. The sad fact is
that politicians have more or less thrown the Constitution out the window,
in the blind pursuit of power. And no one is stopping them.
Nobody seems to care. Nobody seems to object.
That is a tragedy. And it has to stop.
Benjamin Franklin once said, "They who would give up an essential
liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security." Wiser
words have rarely been spoken, but no one heeds them anymore. Maybe that's
because it takes less effort to simply submit to government than it does to
be vigilant. Since the era of the New Deal, the federal government has
become the dominant force in the lives of Americans, and it is easier for
citizens to roll over, play dead and get whatever they can for themselves
than it is to resist. It is also more trouble-free for people to discard the
rights of others if their own rights are not directly impacted.
But to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, if you deny freedom - and I mean,
ANY freedom - to others, do you truly deserve it for yourself? This is a
true test, and one of my goals is to convince others that it is a test worth
passing. We need to have respect for the rights of others, even if we may
not agree with what they do; indeed, ESPECIALLY if we may not agree with
what they do. But we live in an era where majority rule trumps individual
rights on far too many occasions, and it is about time more people started
to talk about it.
In this entitlement society, when government "gives," it invariably
wants to "take" twice as much. People who want welfare and other "benefits"
from the government are giving it permission to enter and exert control over
EVERYONE. Our objective is to promote less intrusion of government on the
lives of its people, and less infringement by people on the rights of each
other.
My campaign is significant because the people involved in it don't
just talk about personal choice; we live it - day after day. And if you are
the same way, you will understand exactly what we are doing.
HOW we are going to do it is what is most exciting. I don't know if
we can change the world with one campaign. But this time around, we've got a
good chance to get the ball rolling. We WILL be heard. Our campaign website
will be the hub of activity. It will be a wellspring of information about
the campaign and the issues we care about. It will supply a full interactive
multimedia experience with video, podcasts, live radio, blogs, forums, polls
and much more. It will be the equal of any candidate in any party. And it
will offer one of the best opportunities for people to find out about the
Personal Choice Party.
The website will be the fulcrum of what I would like to start calling
"fourth-party politics," which, to me, means a brand of politics:
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Where
we can focus on specific issues we are passionate about, while at the same
time remaining consistent with the Constitution and its fundamental
principles;
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Where
we don't abandon our philosophy or integrity simply for the sake of
aggregating power;
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Where
we understand that there are a number of different ways in which a "victory"
can be achieved;
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Where
we campaign in unorthodox and innovative ways;
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Where
we can bring together groups of people who may not have popular views, but a
right to them nonetheless;
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Where
we value local execution as well as a national vision;
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Where
we fight like hell for what we believe in.
I
find myself with a tremendous opportunity in front of me. The internet is
the most powerful weapon that can ever be placed into the hands of a small
party movement. With the right technique and the right presentation, that
power can be harnessed in such a way that it can be more effective than
anything a so-called minor party has ever done. That is the challenge, and
with the website we are building, as well as the team of individuals who
will help us spread our message, through creative thinking and firm
execution, we can meet that challenge.
I would like to turn this into a great opportunity for the Personal
Choice party as well, by using this campaign to generate awareness for the
party, the Personal Choice Coalition and the PC-PAC. We can drive traffic to
the home base in order to bolster the core organization of the party. We can
coordinate press releases to assist Personal Choice candidates running in
Utah. We can help raise some money to assist ballot access initiatives or
local campaigns. My presence in this campaign can not hurt you; it can only
help you - and the party - in its efforts to grow and thrive and expand. Our
doors are always open for Personal Choice candidates - please tell us how we
can help you.
By the same token, you can help me as well.
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I
want to promote an America where I can do as I wish, as long as I am not
violating the rights of others.
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I
want to promote an America where my lifestyle is not subject to the review
of the majority.
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I
want to promote an America where I can keep what I earn.
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I
want to promote an America where I am not only protected from the invasion
of foreign governments, but from my OWN government.
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I
want to promote an America where no one decides what I can see, what I can
hear, what I can read, or what I can ingest.
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I
want to promote an America where the objective of government is not more
power and control, but LESS power and control.
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I
want to promote an America where the platform of every politician is the
Constitution of the United States of America.
Join
with me in the following campaign goals, which I will reiterate now:
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Registering
people to vote, in Utah and beyond
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Providing
a platform for political views related to limited government
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Coordinating
with organizations that promote freedom, helping their cause as much as
possible
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Encouraging
young people to get involved in the political process
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Challenging
conventional political thinking
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Gaining
support for special issues that may not have the advocacy they deserve
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Gaining
support for issues in Utah that are of great significance, from a
Constitutional standpoint
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Educating
voters on the idea of vigilance
Also,
I hope to have at least your moral support as our campaign seeks ballot
access in other states and official write-in status in all the others. I
firmly believe that, with the communications apparatus that will be at our
disposal, there is very little that can not be accomplished. And rest
assured that ANY awareness of the Personal Choice Party, regardless of where
it is created, is going to have a positive residual effect on your own
efforts at home.
I ask for your vote. It would be my honor to represent the Personal
Choice Party in the 2008 presidential election.
We can make an impact. Just watch it happen! Let's work toward a
nation with more freedom, liberty and PERSONAL CHOICE. As I've said before,
we are the best hope; maybe the ONLY hope.
Thank you.
Charles Jay
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