National Chairman's Letter
Reflections 2001 &
Goals 2002
December 2001
Dear Members and Friends of the Independent American Party,
In behalf of the State and National Officers and National Committee of the
Independent American Party, may I extend a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
to all of you! And may we have a new year with great strides toward
righteousness, freedom and peace for our nation.
2001 has been a year of sadness with terrorist attacks in America, losses of
liberty, war in Afghanistan, and a failing economy. And attacks on the family,
Constitution and US sovereignty continue from the past. But if we seek God,
these things shall pass, and America will overcome!
The national Independent American Party began 2001 with only one state party
-- Utah, which has been the case since 1998. In the past nine months, we have
added formal representation in 15 other states. We now have organized state
parties in Minnesota, Tennessee and Utah. We have prospective state parties in
Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New
York, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming. Area Coordinators have been
appointed to oversee activities in the Eastern, Midwestern, Southern and Western
States. We have individual members in about 40 states.
We held successful National Conferences in January and July with featured
speakers Janine Hansen (President of Eagle Forum of Nevada), Janalee Tobias
(President of Women Against Gun Control), Joel Skousen (Author/Editor of World
Affairs Brief), and Dr. Frank Creel (Chairman of Steering Committee of the
Independent National Committee), plus a number of other speakers. And we voted
to formally associate with the Independent National Committee, which is an
umbrella organization for like-minded political entities.
Our www.usiap.org web site has been updated with new Viewpoint articles
and/or other material each week. The site contains highlights of our 2001
National Conferences (under Archives) and transcripts of the addresses given at
those events (under Viewpoints). Information about the Independent National
Committee (INC) is also provided on the site (under Archives).
We have had a national Mission statement and Principles for three years, but
no national Platform. We have been working on proposed planks for a national
platform through interaction with the leadership in our sixteen states and the
National Committee via email. We plan to have a draft platform ready by time the
National Committee meets in January.
Looking ahead to 2002, we have a National Conference scheduled for January at
which we hope to finalize and adopt a National Platform. We plan to hold a
second conference in July. During this election year, we expect interest in the
IAP to grow and our membership to increase. We anticipate adding more
prospective state parties, and for many of those to formally organize as
recognized affiliates of the national party. We already have announced US Senate
candidates in Minnesota and Tennessee, and expect many more candidates.
Our January National Conference is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, January
18-19, 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Everyone is invited to attend all events.
The events are free of charge except for the cost of meals. The dress is casual.
All events, except for the Friday evening social, will be in the North or South
buildings of the Salt Lake County government offices, at 2001 South State
Street, in Salt Lake City. The scheduled events are as follows:
Friday, January 18, 2002
- 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Standing Committee sessions in
North Building
- 7:00 pm - 9:00
pm Evening Restaurant Social; location to be announced
Saturday, January 19, 2002
- 9:00 am -
3:00 pm National Committee business meeting in
Commission Chambers
- 3:00 pm - 5:00
pm Freedom Forum with featured speakers in Commission
Chambers
- 6:00 pm - 9:00
pm Light dinner with additional speakers in South
Building
The Standing Committee sessions on Friday are primarily for members of the
National Committee and individuals approved by state or national leaders, but
anyone may attend. The Committee of the Whole will convene mainly as the Issues
(Platform) Committee; but will also convene for shorter periods as the Rules,
Events, Membership and Media Committees.
The Friday evening Social is our traditional informal gathering at a local
restaurant where we dine, visit, hear introductions from each other, and meet
our Saturday speakers. The name and location of the restaurant and its fare is
yet to be announced.
Anyone may attend the National Committee business meeting on Saturday, but
floor participation is limited to regular and provisional members of the
National Committee. Our business will include state and national reports,
credentials, and standing committee reports. Our main business will be
consideration and adoption of a National Platform.
The Freedom Forum Saturday afternoon is the traditional highlight event of
our National Conference. Everyone is especially encouraged to attend. Our
featured speakers will include Ken Bowers, lecturer and author of Hiding in
Plain Sight, speaking on "I Lost Freedom;" and Grant Solomon, our
IAP of Arizona State Contact, speaking on "Educating the
Constitution."
Our Conference will conclude Saturday evening with a light dinner and several
speeches in an informal atmosphere. Our speakers will include Carlton Bowen, Dan
Hansen, Larry Garske, Michael Lehman, and Will Christensen.
Further details for the Conference will soon be posted on the Events page of
our national web site. We look forward to seeing many of you there.
Yours for Freedom!
Bruce Bangerter
IAP National Chairman