When a national election is held and a subsequent “congress” is called, it’s fairly remarkable how hard nearly 150 men and women will work to craft and pass a set of “recommendations” to the State and Federal Government.

Continental Congress ’09, an event conceived and executed by noted Constitutional activist Bob Shulz and his “We The People Foundation,” convened one week ago today (November 11) in St. Charles, IL, a suburb of Chicago.

Representatives from 48 of 50 states have assembled under the mission statement “To Defend, Not Amend The Constitution” and are addressing a wide array of subjects, all of which are tied to some form of constitutional abdication or usurpation. The elected delegates are largely conservative and libertarian, and draw mainly from groups such as The 9-12 Project, Tea Party Patriots, Constitution Party and Campaign for Liberty.

“We’ve been working tirelessly,” said CC2009 delegate Darin Stevens of Spokane, WA. “It’s unusual that we’re going to bed prior to 1 or 2 AM. We start at 8:00 every day, earlier if we’re having a committee meeting. Then there’s presentations, debate, more presentations, committee meetings, independent work… it’s consuming.”

In addition to drafting the aforementioned recommendations, tomorrow the body will begin work on what is currently entitled “Articles of Association,” which are modeled after the 1774 “Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress.” This document is described by many delegates as a “Road Map” to take back to individuals and groups as a future action plan for similarly concerned citizens.

Several delegates, including Schaffer Cox from Alaska, have pressed for the utilization of strong language in many of the instructions being considered. “If we go straight from petitioning to fighting, we skip the critical step of ‘saber rattling.’ The tyrants who would impose their will on free people, whether they are foreign or domestic, are human beings with a will. They need to understand the consequences of their actions before they make that choice. We have a moral duty to give them fair warning, and begging doesn’t suffice.”

Other delegates offer a more moderate tone. “While I do support the call for ‘saber rattling,’ I think it is important to choose carefully the words we use, so as to gain as much popular support as possible,” said Kate Vandemoer, delegate from Wyoming. “We’re not just ‘saber rattling’ – we are serious about redressing the injuries to the Constitution and informing Americans with the most serious of intent.”

Former Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik, who is also an elected delegate from Texas, has served as parliamentary president of the event after being selected by event participants.Live video streaming of the event is available at www.cc2009.usAfter 11 days of deliberation, the event concludes on Saturday, November 22.A promotional video and the official press release is listed below:  

Official Press Release: Citizens Rising in Defense of the Constitution

Please view You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiwtfk_uAhQ&feature=player_embedded

Citizens fed up with constitutional violations causing devastation to the economy and the Nation, are stepping up to join constitutional activist Robert L. Schulz, Chairman of We The People Foundation for Constitutional Education, to prepare for a modern-day Continental Congress to take place starting November 11, 2009 at the Pheasant Run Conference Center in St. Charles, Illinois. Continental Congress 2009 is not political or partisan and seeks to defend, not amend, the current Constitution.

Billed as the “next appropriate step for the free people of America,” planners hope the historic national assembly will inspire the critical mass necessary to restore constitutional governance. 153 citizen-nominated-and-elected Delegates – three from each state and Washington, D.C. -- will convene for two weeks to methodically and factually document constitutional abuses which have taken place over many years, across many administrations, every branch of government and both parties. Delegates will consider specific non-violent, legal civic actions to stop the wrongs.

To help finance the historic event a .999 pure silver CC2009 commemorative round will be given for each donation of $100.00 or more. Planners are also seeking bigger donors they are calling the “patriotic, brave and wealthy” who “understand what Continental Congress can do for America.” Furthermore, a money bomb is also in the works.

The decision to convene CC2009 comes after fourteen years of filing Petitions for Redress with the federal government for repeated violations of the Constitution by We The People Foundation for Constitutional Education, a national 501 c3 non-profit with headquarters in New York. Schulz says The Right to petition was put in the First Amendment by the Founding Fathers, “who did not want Americans to ever again experience a situation where their individual rights or civil liberties were threatened.” To date, this Right has never been recognized by the government nor defined in any court of law. Schulz says it must now be used to hold elected officials accountable to the rest of the Constitution “which will shift the power from the government back to The People where it belongs.”

“Americans are waking up to the urgent need to stand strong for the Founding Principles and our Constitution, as every violation further devastates our economy and our way of life,” says Schulz. “We all desire the same outcome: restoration of our Nation. Continental Congress 2009 is the only strategy we see that is not political or partisan, does not rely on the electoral process, and can bring peaceful and legal solutions to our current situation. We hope this effort can be the catalyst that brings the freedom-loving people of America together at this critical time,” he concludes.Readers can learn more about CC2009, by going to www.cc2009.us