In light of the recent actions by the California Governor’s office, and the “stay at home” order delivered today. It is relevant to come together as a community and support each other. That may sound like a simple rah-rah announcement, but we are in far deeper than that as a state.
Our beautiful home of California is in need of an allegiance to our national constitution as well to our state constitution. Being that I’m very familiar to our U.S. Constitution, as many may be, I must admit it is my first time reading the California Constitution. I was pleasantly surprised to read that our state and federal constitutions vastly overlap regarding inalienable rights, with our California Constitution listing more protected rights of its people than the U.S. Constitution.
ARTICLE I DECLARATION OF RIGHTS [SECTION 1 – SEC. 32]
( Article 1 adopted 1879. )
SECTION 1.
All people are by nature free and independent and have inalienable rights. Among these are enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety, happiness, and privacy.
(Sec. 1 added Nov. 5, 1974, by Proposition 7. Resolution Chapter 90, 1974.)
My personal appreciation of the U.S. and our California constitutions comes from a profound respect that they were written to be understood by the reader, and provide reasonable guidance that could be understood and defended by the general population without need for legalese translations and interpretations. The California Constitution, unlike the U.S. Constitution, leads with a bill of rights. Also unlike the U.S. Constitution, our state constitution lays out additional enumerated inalienable rights not found in the national version. In California, as residents of this state, we have explicitly enumerated the rights to enjoying and defending life, liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety, happiness, and privacy.
It is the rights of acquiring, possessing and protecting property that are currently infringed by the executive branch of our state. It’s purely unconstitutional and can be summarily rejected.
In all reality, the first section in our constitution may seem more likely to be the introduction of a constitution in Texas or South Dakota. However, as much as the residents of California have tacitly agreed to relinquishing a great many rights, we always have our constitution to refer to when things get spicy.
Our country, of which the State of California voluntarily joined in 1850, was the result of a revolt against tyranny from England at the time. California at the time, was the Wild West. We still have a great spirit of independence, entrepreneurism, and patriotism that drives people like me and my wife, and many others. We love the freedom we have, and we appreciate that freedom in balance with our responsibility.
We make no mistake that the year 2020 is unprecedented for a number of reasons, but we must take a moment of reflection as we look back, and then also forward.
In March, we all sacrificed for an unknown virus, with predictable, verifiable, and observable consequences. As media surveyors, we watched the clear divide between people who demanded to shut down society and wait it out, and those who demanded opening up the economy and getting back to business. The dug-in opinions on either side have shifted very little — those willing to remain shut and watch the economy crash, and those who do not want additional government stimulus and just want to get back to work.
Around the country, medical experts, politicians, governors, and citizens have varied approaches to the virus. It has been the source of great confusion and conflict. If you want to lose all faith in humanity, just go onto social media and take a read at what people are willing to say to each other about it.
The reality is that this is a virus with a very high recovery rate, and an high average age of death of greater than age 79. The average age of death for Americans is 77. So this virus is a very big concern for anyone over the age of 75, and no shortcuts should be taken. The virus is not benign to those under the age of 75 either. No precaution should be missed.
But precautions can be taken, and personal responsibility is an imperative.
On the other hand, our local businesses will see a much lower recovery rate than that seen by those infected by the virus if we continue to allow punitive and unscientific mandates to influence our lives. It has been said the cure cannot be worse than the disease, and stimulus and government loans are not a vaccine to the disease our business and industry community faces — they are more disease.
The unlawful mandates in Los Angeles County for example have been challenged by a local judge.
But that doesn’t apply like a blanket to all people and all places. By all means, if you are vulnerable or concerned, stay in your home until conditions change.
For the rest of us, we have a long list of concerns and for many the chance of getting, or suffering from, the virus remains a few lines down on our priority list. We are the sons and daughters of Civil War heroes, the sons and daughters of the Revolutionary War, the sons and daughters of immigrants who crossed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and have fought off worse odds than a 99.9 percent survival rate.
We have a constitution to hold our leaders accountable, and to enact our personal inalienable rights whenever convenient. We are the People of the United States and an attack against us is an act of treason. This government, per our constitution is for, by and of us. We are impenetrable, unstoppable, and indivisible. Beginning in March, we have voluntarily joined in what we understood as a protection of our most vulnerable.
Now, we turn our attention to the new vulnerable population — the sovereign and independent American. We own businesses, run households, operate farms, produce and manufacture the needs of our fellow Americans.
We don’t want more stimulus checks. We don’t want more state loans. The government never made any money. All capital is generated by the People of the United States. The U.S. dollar is legal tender for all debts, public and private. We don’t need to take out debt to pay our debts. We are perfectly capable of performing our roles as industry leaders to ensure we have a state and community that can provide the essential and extracurricular needs for our society.
There has always been times when the vulnerable stayed home, and the hardy, sturdy, and resilient took the chances demanded of them.
We don’t need permission from anyone to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle us. We also invalidate the insistence of a Governor whose own actions have evidenced a clear disregard for the strictness and earnestness of the mandates signed with his own name.
We appreciate the concerns of the medical professionals and the resources demanded upon our medical industry apparatus. We recommend the state pay attention to those needs. We also recommend a re-reading of the California Constitution by all Californians so that you can be equipped to know your rights as overreach by the government and violation of the rights of Californians. [CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION]
The information released today by Gavin Newsom threatens withholding of funds from counties that do not enforce the latest unconstitutional mandates, and if the government is not working for the People, it isn’t working at all.
If you are a member of San Luis Obispo County, or even across the State of California interested in joining a coalition to organize efforts to pressure or demand action by our local elected officials in the favor of the People of California. If they cannot act, then they are impotent and useless, which is a very bad sign for our Republic of California.
There is way too much talk about a second civil war, and the reality is we are far too advanced to contemplate such a disaster. What we need is accountability, and the People of the state of California are the only population capable of such a thing. It has been said that as California goes, so goes the nation. Not only do we have a responsibility to lead our state now more than ever, but we have a responsibility to protect our nation, our flag, and our freedom.
This is not a call to action, but a call to organize. We do not claim to list a single grievance for redress here. We simply call for business owners, professionals, and land owners to join us in conversation.
Join us as we begin to organize our communities for the interest of our elderly, and our children, so we can protect the most vulnerable and maintain our independence as a state, a country, and a free People.
Sincerely,
Nic & Hayley Mattson
