Sher Zieve
A We the People's protest whose time has come
By Sher Zieve
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with and interviewing Lynn Vogel — the owner of the website 20Turns.com. Lynn has a unique outlook on protests and — for those who work for a living and can't make it to out of town rallies — has a recommendation for protests against the tyranny in Washington D.C. in which almost all can participate.
To offer a bit of perspective on Lynn's background, he writes: "A child of the 60's, I watched from my father's lap as the riots and protests of the times mingled with Walter Cronkite's war reports. I grew up aware that our great nation and the preservation of our Constitutional Republic would become the duty and obligation of those of us who understood the hard work and sacrifice of others who provided this for us. My father made it very clear that efforts were underway to undermine all that made the United States great and he instilled in me the sense of duty to resist such changes.
"The future was technology so my advanced education began with a degree in Electronic Technology followed by years of Economics, Business Administration and Industrial Management. I am an avid amateur historian because to understand the problems of government and societies we must know the mistakes and successes of our past."
The Interview
Sher: Lynn, thanks so much for your time today. I'm intrigued by the idea you have for a National call to action via a National Day of Protest that your Group "20turns.com" has planned for 13 March 2011. Rather than telling patriots that they need to march on Washington D.C., your idea allows anyone to protest almost wherever they are. Please tell us how the planned protest developed and how all of us can join in to tell elected federal officials in Washington D.C. — especially the Marxist-Leninist Democrats — that we've reached our breaking point in our national bondage, as they're still not listening to us.
Lynn: This project began with an idea from General Vallely and his group at SUA. (www,standupamericaus.com) The General wanted to launch a National Call to Action campaign designed to combine and focus energies. We were asked to help develop some ideas for the Call to Action and that was the beginning. I wanted something different, something more than an afternoon of being ignored by the major media while standing around holding signs. I believed most patriots are ready to stand and be counted but few have the time or finances for a trip to DC. We have seen over 1 million at the National Mall only to have them brushed off as a few crazy astro-turfers. Coverage of such events is always light and the returns on the effort are minimal.
I wanted a method that any concerned patriot could employ close to home with minimal investment but, would be impossible to ignore. I wanted something that could be covered so broadly by local media outlets the national news groups could not kill the story. I pondered this for awhile and suddenly woke up at 3 a.m. with the idea complete in my mind. I wrote down details, shared with SUA the next morning and one day later, we were promoting it. It just happened.
Sher: Would you give us a bit of background on how 20 Turns developed?
Lynn: Like many groups today, The 20 Turns Project grew out of frustration with the obvious source of our nations ills. Using the elections of 2010 & 2012 to TURN this nation back to control by We the People. It is my sincere belief that most of our troubles can be traced directly back to the career congressmen who are firmly entrenched in DC serving themselves first, their spider webs of donors and lobbyists second and their constituents when they believe it will help in the next election. We identified 8 criteria for voters to use to vet candidates during the primary process and we asked them to confront candidates with these points to see the heart of the person and their true intent in seeking office. Packaged as the "8 Point Pledge of 20 Turns." This is that pledge for voters:
The 8 Point Pledge of 20 Turns
1. I Pledge to vote against any politician that fails to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
2. I Pledge to end the Congressional Crisis by voting in 2010 and 2012 to remove every career politician in Congress.
3. I Pledge my vote only to candidates that will promise no new spending programs until failed programs are repaired or eliminated.
4. I Pledge to only support candidates that have experience in a successful private business, not career politicians.
5. I Pledge my vote only to candidates that promise, practice and support permanent Term Limits for Congress and ending Congressional pension programs and retirement benefits.
6. I Pledge my vote only to candidates that will work to end the influence of professional paid lobbyists and their campaign dollars.
7. I Pledge my vote only to those that will stop the voter fraud and manipulation which is corrupting our election process.
8. I Pledge to abandon any political party whose candidates serve themselves and the party instead of We, the People.
Thousands of copies of this Pledge were downloaded and distributed at Tea Party and Town Hall events. Many people used them as they spoke with candidates and they demanded to know if the candidate would back that pledge. We are proud to say this resulted in exposing questions about the motives of some real bad apples who did drop out of the races. We posted a state by state list at our site showing all who would or would not agree. It got more hits than we had even hoped for. We also had a companion booklet available for free downloads illustrating the problems inherent with career Congressman. That booklet, 20 turns, is still available, free of charge, at our site.
Sher: You're partnered with Gen. Paul E. Vallely's (Ret) group Stand Up America. How did that come about and how has it been beneficial to both of your organizations?
Lynn: Somehow, the news of our 8 Point Pledge campaign and our state list of candidates responses was discovered by the General's staff. Scott Winchell is the national director and Managing Editor for SUA and he contacted me about using some of our work in their site. We have gradually developed and solid working partnership with them. We are in absolute agreement about the nature of our ills and the path to restoring our nation so we have been very happy working together toward our common goals. Both of our groups have a reliable network of very sharp patriots with various skills and areas of expertise. By working together we share info with each others' memberships and we are able to join efforts for developing projects like the Call to Action and particularly the 3/13 Nationwide Patriot Protest. We are all stronger and smarter by uniting and combining our talents and numbers.
Sher: When we talked, you said that there are five more projects that you have planned throughout the rest of this year. Would you give us an idea as to what they are?
Lynn: I'd rather not give too much detail yet because our opposition has already moved to counter the 3/13 event and I do not wish to tip our hand to them. However, I can say that all future projects will share the same strategy of easy participation coast to coast and in your neighborhood with little effort. The most complicated event will involve horses and family-fun but all will be interesting and will provide a forum for patriots to demonstrate their grievances in a peaceful way.
Sher: One of the most intriguing pages on your site is Project Clean Sweep. In fact, it's both revolutionary and brilliant. Can you give us a synopsis?
Lynn: It is interesting to me that people often call it revolutionary. I prefer to think of it as a definite action to halt the revolution we are all now witnessing. The problems of corruption, anti- Constitution and self serving government go much deeper than just the few officials we are able to vote for every few years. Those that seek to destroy our Republic have been infiltrating our system — top to bottom — for decades. They are in many levels of our bureaucracies and even our courts. Some we cannot vote out because we'd have to vote for a worse choice from another party. Others never come up for election. I refuse to believe we are simply 'stuck' with a government full of brigands that openly violate our Constitution and often, their sworn oaths of office.
I believe our Founding Fathers made it clear to us that it is our duty as free citizens to watch for this type of bad behavior and take whatever steps necessary to correct the situation as circumstances demand. This is clear in the words of our Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and the individual writings of these great Patriots. They did not warn us to be vigilant so we could be spectators of our own destruction. We were warned to be watchful and demand that our government be limited to the Constitutional powers our Founders knew government officials would try to exceed. It is time to identify the culprits, remove them and replace them through a series of peaceful, organized special elections. Waiting decades to accomplish this through a traditional series of corrupt elections they control simply will not work. I do not believe a true patriot can read Clean Sweep and reach any other logical conclusion.
Sher: Thanks so much, Lynn, and remind us once again what we can do to assist in gaining OUR country back on 3/13/11.
Lynn: 3/13 can truly become a turning point for the restoration of our Constitutional Republic. But, only if patriots determine to act for their own benefit. 3/13 provides a platform for each and every concerned patriot to make their demands known and to show the true combined strength of our numbers. We are counting on patriots in Utah and California to take to the roads at the same time as the patriots in New Jersey and Maryland to show that we are a truly united group that will NOT accept the end of our Constitution and our traditions of rights and freedoms. We have the numbers to easily make 3/13 the largest national patriot protest in the history of this nation. A national protest of this size cannot be ignored by the media or the powers in Washington D.C. We need friends to talk to friends and all to contact their local media and their party headquarters. Spread the word, it costs nothing to do. Get your protest signs ready and decide where you will meet your fellow patriots and on 3/13, meet there and take your protests to the roads which all of us have paid for. Complete information is available at the website but there is no one who cannot find a way to help if they are serious about saving this nation for the future of our children. It is our time, our duty. This nation must NOT be lost on our watch.
Thank-you Sher, for this opportunity to reach out to all who are sincere about saving this great nation.
20 Turns: http://20turns.com/new_web/
© Sher Zieve
February 25, 2011
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with and interviewing Lynn Vogel — the owner of the website 20Turns.com. Lynn has a unique outlook on protests and — for those who work for a living and can't make it to out of town rallies — has a recommendation for protests against the tyranny in Washington D.C. in which almost all can participate.
To offer a bit of perspective on Lynn's background, he writes: "A child of the 60's, I watched from my father's lap as the riots and protests of the times mingled with Walter Cronkite's war reports. I grew up aware that our great nation and the preservation of our Constitutional Republic would become the duty and obligation of those of us who understood the hard work and sacrifice of others who provided this for us. My father made it very clear that efforts were underway to undermine all that made the United States great and he instilled in me the sense of duty to resist such changes.
"The future was technology so my advanced education began with a degree in Electronic Technology followed by years of Economics, Business Administration and Industrial Management. I am an avid amateur historian because to understand the problems of government and societies we must know the mistakes and successes of our past."
The Interview
Sher: Lynn, thanks so much for your time today. I'm intrigued by the idea you have for a National call to action via a National Day of Protest that your Group "20turns.com" has planned for 13 March 2011. Rather than telling patriots that they need to march on Washington D.C., your idea allows anyone to protest almost wherever they are. Please tell us how the planned protest developed and how all of us can join in to tell elected federal officials in Washington D.C. — especially the Marxist-Leninist Democrats — that we've reached our breaking point in our national bondage, as they're still not listening to us.
Lynn: This project began with an idea from General Vallely and his group at SUA. (
I wanted a method that any concerned patriot could employ close to home with minimal investment but, would be impossible to ignore. I wanted something that could be covered so broadly by local media outlets the national news groups could not kill the story. I pondered this for awhile and suddenly woke up at 3 a.m. with the idea complete in my mind. I wrote down details, shared with SUA the next morning and one day later, we were promoting it. It just happened.
Sher: Would you give us a bit of background on how 20 Turns developed?
Lynn: Like many groups today, The 20 Turns Project grew out of frustration with the obvious source of our nations ills. Using the elections of 2010 & 2012 to TURN this nation back to control by We the People. It is my sincere belief that most of our troubles can be traced directly back to the career congressmen who are firmly entrenched in DC serving themselves first, their spider webs of donors and lobbyists second and their constituents when they believe it will help in the next election. We identified 8 criteria for voters to use to vet candidates during the primary process and we asked them to confront candidates with these points to see the heart of the person and their true intent in seeking office. Packaged as the "8 Point Pledge of 20 Turns." This is that pledge for voters:
The 8 Point Pledge of 20 Turns
1. I Pledge to vote against any politician that fails to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
2. I Pledge to end the Congressional Crisis by voting in 2010 and 2012 to remove every career politician in Congress.
3. I Pledge my vote only to candidates that will promise no new spending programs until failed programs are repaired or eliminated.
4. I Pledge to only support candidates that have experience in a successful private business, not career politicians.
5. I Pledge my vote only to candidates that promise, practice and support permanent Term Limits for Congress and ending Congressional pension programs and retirement benefits.
6. I Pledge my vote only to candidates that will work to end the influence of professional paid lobbyists and their campaign dollars.
7. I Pledge my vote only to those that will stop the voter fraud and manipulation which is corrupting our election process.
8. I Pledge to abandon any political party whose candidates serve themselves and the party instead of We, the People.
Thousands of copies of this Pledge were downloaded and distributed at Tea Party and Town Hall events. Many people used them as they spoke with candidates and they demanded to know if the candidate would back that pledge. We are proud to say this resulted in exposing questions about the motives of some real bad apples who did drop out of the races. We posted a state by state list at our site showing all who would or would not agree. It got more hits than we had even hoped for. We also had a companion booklet available for free downloads illustrating the problems inherent with career Congressman. That booklet, 20 turns, is still available, free of charge, at our site.
Sher: You're partnered with Gen. Paul E. Vallely's (Ret) group Stand Up America. How did that come about and how has it been beneficial to both of your organizations?
Lynn: Somehow, the news of our 8 Point Pledge campaign and our state list of candidates responses was discovered by the General's staff. Scott Winchell is the national director and Managing Editor for SUA and he contacted me about using some of our work in their site. We have gradually developed and solid working partnership with them. We are in absolute agreement about the nature of our ills and the path to restoring our nation so we have been very happy working together toward our common goals. Both of our groups have a reliable network of very sharp patriots with various skills and areas of expertise. By working together we share info with each others' memberships and we are able to join efforts for developing projects like the Call to Action and particularly the 3/13 Nationwide Patriot Protest. We are all stronger and smarter by uniting and combining our talents and numbers.
Sher: When we talked, you said that there are five more projects that you have planned throughout the rest of this year. Would you give us an idea as to what they are?
Lynn: I'd rather not give too much detail yet because our opposition has already moved to counter the 3/13 event and I do not wish to tip our hand to them. However, I can say that all future projects will share the same strategy of easy participation coast to coast and in your neighborhood with little effort. The most complicated event will involve horses and family-fun but all will be interesting and will provide a forum for patriots to demonstrate their grievances in a peaceful way.
Sher: One of the most intriguing pages on your site is Project Clean Sweep. In fact, it's both revolutionary and brilliant. Can you give us a synopsis?
Lynn: It is interesting to me that people often call it revolutionary. I prefer to think of it as a definite action to halt the revolution we are all now witnessing. The problems of corruption, anti- Constitution and self serving government go much deeper than just the few officials we are able to vote for every few years. Those that seek to destroy our Republic have been infiltrating our system — top to bottom — for decades. They are in many levels of our bureaucracies and even our courts. Some we cannot vote out because we'd have to vote for a worse choice from another party. Others never come up for election. I refuse to believe we are simply 'stuck' with a government full of brigands that openly violate our Constitution and often, their sworn oaths of office.
I believe our Founding Fathers made it clear to us that it is our duty as free citizens to watch for this type of bad behavior and take whatever steps necessary to correct the situation as circumstances demand. This is clear in the words of our Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and the individual writings of these great Patriots. They did not warn us to be vigilant so we could be spectators of our own destruction. We were warned to be watchful and demand that our government be limited to the Constitutional powers our Founders knew government officials would try to exceed. It is time to identify the culprits, remove them and replace them through a series of peaceful, organized special elections. Waiting decades to accomplish this through a traditional series of corrupt elections they control simply will not work. I do not believe a true patriot can read Clean Sweep and reach any other logical conclusion.
Sher: Thanks so much, Lynn, and remind us once again what we can do to assist in gaining OUR country back on 3/13/11.
Lynn: 3/13 can truly become a turning point for the restoration of our Constitutional Republic. But, only if patriots determine to act for their own benefit. 3/13 provides a platform for each and every concerned patriot to make their demands known and to show the true combined strength of our numbers. We are counting on patriots in Utah and California to take to the roads at the same time as the patriots in New Jersey and Maryland to show that we are a truly united group that will NOT accept the end of our Constitution and our traditions of rights and freedoms. We have the numbers to easily make 3/13 the largest national patriot protest in the history of this nation. A national protest of this size cannot be ignored by the media or the powers in Washington D.C. We need friends to talk to friends and all to contact their local media and their party headquarters. Spread the word, it costs nothing to do. Get your protest signs ready and decide where you will meet your fellow patriots and on 3/13, meet there and take your protests to the roads which all of us have paid for. Complete information is available at the website but there is no one who cannot find a way to help if they are serious about saving this nation for the future of our children. It is our time, our duty. This nation must NOT be lost on our watch.
Thank-you Sher, for this opportunity to reach out to all who are sincere about saving this great nation.
20 Turns: http://20turns.com/new_web/
© Sher Zieve
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