Below is the letter I received from J. Lee
Douglas a couple week ago, notifying me that my membership in the 9-12 organization was being revoked.
Rod,
I've been reading your articles about our 912 group, its direction, intentions,
and criticisms of government.
There have been some parallels in our views but I'm finding an increasing
departure from what you view in government and what we view.
I've recently had a few of our members contact me to point out that verbatim,
you have used our Email announcements, some of which obviously were not
intended to be passed on to others until a future date and you took it upon
yourself to disregard our timing. (I reference our Resolution, here, Rod.)
I think that I don't want to contribute any longer to your library because you
and I, or 912 and you , don't share goals that are close as they ought to be.
Thus, your membership is being withdrawn and you'll not receive any further
Emails.
My best to you,
Lee
One of our members (as I said, there have been others) said:
I think Rod is doing more damage than helping us, for sure.
Here are just a few quotes that portray us as the “rebellion”, or “conspiracy
theorists”, “zealots”, and “religious bigots.”
“Maury County Republicans join the rebellion. “ (Speaking of article in
Columbia Daily Herald)
“The division within the Republican Party has become a chasm. It is now a
public conflict. I wonder if the Party's period of ascendancy is coming to an
end. Is there anything that can heal this divide? Will independents and
moderates vote for a candidate of a Republican Party dominated by conspiracy
theorist and zealots? Democrats should be dancing in the streets.”
“Healthy concern about those who would sympathize and collaborate with the
enemies of America is quite a bit different from open religious bigotry against
someone because they are a Muslim, and advocating apparent discrimination
against them because of their religious beliefs. However, it would seem that we
may have an ever-widening group of people that are simply making the assumption
that if a person is a Muslim, they are the enemy because of their religion
alone. “
And then this particular blog post is definitely not supportive of the 9/12
group.
http://www.adisgruntledrepublican.com/2012/07/ron-harwell-to-challenge-chris-devaney.html
Quote from this post: “This fringe faction of the Party is planning to take
over more county parties and run more candidates for the State Executive
Committee and take over the Executive Committee and elect one of their own to
the post of Party chairman. “
I would have a hard time believing that this person would want to further the
values of the 9/12 group. He says he is conservative, but goes right along with
Establishment name-calling. He says he’s disgruntled, what is he disgruntled
about? Looks like he’s pretty happy with how things are going.
Just my opinion. I don’t know him personally, never met him.
Blessings,
My comment:
I have been kicked of better places.
I am not losing any sleep over it.
I really don't remember joining 9-12. I didn't fill out an application and
anxiously await to see if I would be accepted. I don't remember any background
check. I never paid any dues. I never took a blood oath or learned a secret
handshake. One day, I was just a member. I may have joined by a meet-up site. I
have joined several meet-up sites and then never attended a meeting or did
anything else. Maybe, I clicked "like" on facebook. Anyway, I was a
member and now I am not.
I have gotten the emails of 9-12 for some time now. I am sure the members of
9-12 and I agree on most things. I vehemently oppose Obamacare. I want a
smaller federal government. I oppose a state income tax. I opposed the recent
metro property tax hike. I am pro-life. I think the federal government has
expanded into areas never envisioned by the founding fathers and without
constitutional authority. I support a balanced budget and reducing the deficit.
I support school choice and curtailing union influence in education. I support welfare reform and curtailing of entitlements. I support
ending the death tax.
However, I do not believe Agenda 21 is a plot to kill 96% of the world's
population by poisoning them with aspartame and fluoride. I don't think shady
sidewalks are a slippery slope to the gulag.
I believe concern over Agenda 21 is waste of time.
I do believe Islam is really a religion. I believe Muslims have every bit as
much of a right to build a Mosque in Murfreesboro as do the Church of Latter
Day Saints, Jehovah Witness, Catholics, or Baptist to build a church. I do not criticize Governor Haslam because his
administration hired a person who happens to be Muslim. I believe the First
Amendment applies to Muslims.
I support the Second Amendment right to bear arms. However, the Second Amendment is a
restriction on Government, not one's fellow citizen. The Second Amendment does
not give a person the right to carry a gun onto the private property of another
who does not want guns on his property.
I like Bill Haslam and think he is a great governor. I also like Senator Bob Corker. I think some pragmatism and compromise is necessary in order to change the course of the nation. It is better to compromise and get half a loaf than to maintain absolute purity of position and get none of what you want. I think the art of governing must involve give and take and persuasion and negotiating.
I guess I am not a good fit for 9-12. When the 9-12 group is fighting Democrats and liberal policies, then we will be working for the same cause. Other times, we will not.
I am not really mad about getting expelled form 9-12 and on most issue 9-12 and I are in the same camp. I admire J. Lee Douglas for the good that he does when he is not doing the nutty stuff, and I admire him for his dedication and leadership abilities. I wish everyone in 9-12 the best. I am sure you can carry on without me in your ranks and my feelings have not been hurt by being expelled.
God Bless. We part as friends.
