National Chairman's Letter

Platform - Defense

June 2004

Dear Independent American friends,

I desire to comment on the Defense section of our IAP National Platform. The eleventh belief point of the Introduction section of our Platform states:

11. [Defense] We believe that a strong defense establishment is essential to the preservation of our nation; that America must not commit its military or firepower to any international organization; and that no foreign military bases should be allowed on American soil.

George Washington said, "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."

The Defense, or eleventh numbered section of our Platform, includes the subtopics Readiness, National Security and Foreign Wars, and begins:

11. DEFENSE

Readiness. We favor military defense budgets, technology capabilities, supplies, storage, and manpower sufficient to fight multiple wars against multiple enemies for several consecutive years. We oppose any wasteful spending of military funds. We support the withdrawal from any treaty or program that restricts full development and deployment of an effective and strategic state-of-the-art defense system for land, sea, air, or space.

In recent years our government has not only reduced our defense capability, it has aided and abetted the enemy. Speaking to the 1983 graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Navy Secretary John Lehman said: "Within weeks many of you will be looking across just hundreds of feet of water at some of the most modern technology ever invented in America. Unfortunately, it is on Soviet ships."

We support the promotion of well organized or regulated militias (the right of the people themselves to keep and bear arms) in every state and community, as a natural and needed defense against sudden and inevitable invasions, and against those who would overthrow or pervert our Constitution. We oppose and consider as treason all efforts to disarm our citizenry of personal firearms, reduce our military budget, close military bases, disarm our missiles, and downsize and weaken America's defense forces, since these efforts weaken our readiness, and guarantee our defeat.

James Madison said, "Americans [have] the right and advantage of being armed -- unlike citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust people with arms."

George Mason: "To disarm the people (is) the best and most effectual way to enslave them..."

Thomas Jefferson: "When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

National Security. We are opposed to the current anti-terrorist legislation (the Office of Homeland Security and the USA Patriot Act), because of the loss of personal freedoms and civil rights. We oppose the use of military forces in local and state matters and the creation of a nationalized police state. We further oppose federal usurpation of state and local jurisdiction, sovereignty, and authority, and their control over the National Guard. We are opposed to destroying Constitutional checks and balances, destroying our Bill of Rights, or granting unconstitutional authority to the Executive Branch, under the guise and pretense of offering greater national security.

The Patriot Act violates our inalienable rights that are guaranteed us by the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. It allows unreasonable search and seizure, ignores due process and equal protection of the law, scorns presumption of innocence, and disregards the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.

We oppose the surrendering or committing of our military to the control of any international organization, for example, a global police force. We oppose allowing U.N. or foreign military forces in our air space, in our harbors, or on American soil or territories. We oppose the establishment of foreign military bases in the United States.

We declare the Panama Canal giveaway as unconstitutional and illegal, and demand its return. It is a risk to national security since both ends of the canal are now under Red Chinese military presence. It is a Constitutional requirement that the federal government protect the states from foreign invasion, both military and immigrant.

Foreign military bases have been established on American soil. After 9/11, AWACS warplanes with foreign UN pilots were invited to patrol US skies by President Bush.

Foreign Wars. We honor the right of our U.S. forces to refuse to serve under the command of the United Nations or any other foreign entity, or refuse to wear their uniforms or insignias. We honor the patriotic right of our U.S. forces and law enforcement officers to refuse any order or command that conflicts with the Constitution, or their sworn oath, duty, and allegiance to protect and defend America.

It is well known that our service men and women have been assigned to UN and NATO commands, made to wear UN uniforms and insignia, and committed to UN military actions.

We maintain that U.S. forces should not be sent anywhere unless our rights are threatened or seriously menaced, or to assert the legitimate rights of the U.S., or to assist an ally which would likewise come to our aid, if needed. We oppose drafting anyone to fight in an undeclared war. We favor Congressional approval for troop deployment.

Congress has not declared war on any foreign power since World War II. Yet we have fought undeclared no-win wars around the world, including in Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and again in Iraq. This was not the intent of the framers of our Constitution.

America scarcely now has the manpower to conduct sustained operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Can she still provide for the common defense at home? We must ensure that we can!

For God, Family and Country!

Bruce Bangerter
IAP National Chairman