“That this privilege of giving or of withholding our monies is an important barrier against the undue exertion of prerogative, which if left altogether without control may be exercised to our great oppression; and all history shews how efficacious is its intercession for redress of grievances and re-establishment of rights, and how improvident would be the surrender of so powerful a mediator.”

Now how about that! Without the ability to refuse to pay for unconstitutional power grabs, we buy the rope they will hang us with.

we are the government, we elect those who make these laws... the solution is not to demand no taxes, but rather to demand a clean election system! Any system that "elects" the crowning of the likes of King George W is clearly broken. Fix it and all the rest will naturally flow to correctness.

At the moment individual sovereignty lost recognition and was surrendered to a powerful mediator promising security and mammon, the tyrant began to exercise great oppression.

Reston, I demand no taxes AND a clean election. "Bipartisanship" offers the false alternative of democrat or republican, but there are more parties than just these two. Neither "W" nor Kerry were my choice, so I voted Libertarian (www.lp.org) to tell government I don't approve of what they do and I want a change.

Reston, we are supposed to be the government. We sowed the wind by turning it over to rotten politicians and are now reaping the whirlwind. As to good government, there is no such thing, only some less oppressive than others.

The 'A' from Reston, "we" haven't been the government for a long, LONG time. As demonstrated by the crowning of King George showed, 'We The People' are no more considered the sovereigns with supreme authority and inalienable rights. The anointing of Mr. Obamunist Goodwrench the assassin (with 108% percent of the vote) has also shown that 'fixing it' is beyond a truly voted in individual's capacity to fix. With such malignant despotism as compelled compliance, licensing, victimless crimes, authorized larceny with impunity (income & property tax, funny money, etc.) non-recognition of inalienable rights (including ownership), etc., etc., etc., the occupying statist theocracy now infesting this land will never permit an honest election. Your statement also suggests that the de jure U.S.A. was founded as a democracy - IT WAS NOT ! ! ! A democracy rests on the premise that carnal man is a god and can make law. Man can not make law. Law existed before man's sojourn on this orb and will exist long after he is gone. It is up to man to use reason, experience, etc. to discover law and use such tools as codes, ordinances, regulations, rules, statutes, etc. to define such laws for the administration and betterment of man. Jefferson's above quote is a recognition of the sovereign individual and an indictment against democracy. Until the de jure representative republic at natural law (not a government of men - law makers / enforcers) is re-established there can be no election system fix.

The Origin of the " privilege " Jefferson speaks of ? the barrier provided by the Creator. We the People are "Not given the spirit of fear, but of Power" to resist Tyranny and oppression in any form ! The quote is a stand alone Statement. Easily translated, if anyone seeks to privately interpret such a statement, Congress should be ware and take note, We the People are watching ! check mate upon tyrannical democracy. President Trump in seeking to Drain the Swamp, has the support of We the People, Sovereign Patriots Who "know" they are so. This, our Ship of State will not be Righted in 100 days, though all hands are coming to deck, the seas are rough with corruption in statesmanship and representation. Swings sets on the White House Lawn have been there before. Get the job Done, resign or repent of the Fraud, reform to the fullest degree, by what ever means our laws of nature permit !

Reston, I am self-governing -- all freemen/women are. We are responsible for the condition and quality of our lives. From that responsibility we freely associate, trade, and make agreements with each other. Any government we may charter is subservient to us -- we are still responsible. Government officers must abide by the rules of the office -- the citizens are not bound to the dictates of our hired servants, the government is bound by OUR dictates. A republican form of government is unlike that of our European neighbors' -- we are not beholden to the State, Crown, Pope, or ruling council.

Little by little, our servant government has morphed into statism in which the government is supreme and the citizens its subjects -- just like European monarchies and dictatorships.

Socialism is monarchy-lite. Communism is quite simply slavery to the State. American independence has been under attack since 1776 and has never ceased!

The Reston's of this world demand socialism as their right -- and they are the government, right? So we must obey...

A freeman and socialist define 'responsibility' differently. The socialist is a victim -- he does not take responsibility, he blames 'the rich' for his disempowerment. The freeman blames only himself for his situation -- he takes responsibility.

The socialist complains, "When are 'they' going to fix this road?!" The freeman fixes it -- so he can use it!