Source; Tea Party Patriots;
The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects from the Congress our God-given right to engage in political activity. The text specifically says, “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
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Yet, despite the Constitutional prohibition against Congress making a law that abridges the freedom of speech, the U.S. Code contains almost 400,000 words devoted to regulation of just one aspect of our speech – explicitly political speech, that is, speech intended to influence the outcome of elections. Beyond that, there are further regulations on speech designed to influence the outcome of public policy debates regarding legislation at the federal, state, and local levels, and ballot initiatives and voter referenda.
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For some, that’s not enough. For some, the notion of making an argument, marshaling facts to support a proposition, trying to influence your fellow citizens through the power of ideas, is too much to ask. Rather than work hard to persuade, they’d prefer to simply shut down speech they find offensive.
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Enter H.R. 1, the improperly named “For the People Act of 2021,” which would vastly restrict our rights in this arena. The bill is an 800-page monstrosity, a collection of more than a dozen pieces of individual legislation, each of which would, on its own, make life more difficult for citizens trying to use their First Amendment rights to affect public policy or influence the outcome of elections. Rolled as they are into omnibus bill, one could be forgiven for wondering if the real purpose of the legislation isn’t to achieve and then ensure continued political dominance of our public policy sphere by liberal political actors.
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H.R. 1 would overturn more than two centuries’ worth of American public policy and political tradition and experience by centralizing election administration at the federal level. Rather than allow the states to administer their elections with procedures that take into account each state’s unique political topography, the new legislation would mandate administration from the federal government, with a one-size-fits-all approach. Imagine ObamaCare for elections and public policy arguments, and you’ve got the idea.
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This is why we created this toolkit.
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This simple “how-to” guide is designed for individual activists and groups alike. We have included sample social media, a sample letter to the editor (as well as guidance for how to write a letter to the editor), and a sample letter to Congress, among other resources. We look forward to seeing how you employ the various components of this toolkit!
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In liberty,
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The Tea Party Patriots Action Support Team
