Bridging America, County by County

There is little doubt that the 70 straight days I spent on the ARISE USA tour in 2021 were some of the most impactful of my life. It needed to be because of the sacrifices made by the family I left at home which paralleled the things that accompany being deployed. With that said, the folks I met that have become dear friends, the expansion of the tribe fighting for freedom and the things I experienced from coast to coast certainly made it a worthy investment. So when Amanda Radke from Mitchell, SD suggested that we have a reunion of some of the ARISE tribe in Keystone, SD on July 4, 2022 at the base of Mt Rushmore, I was all in. We are going, are you?

This year's event will be called Bridging America; How Food Security Unites US All. The other aspect that will be front and center in Keystone, SD is the sacrifice that so many military families have made. I recently learned about a North Dakota project called the Wall of Honor that features local Veterans and a brief biography of each one. Currently, 7% of the United States population are Veterans and I believe not only are they responsible for our nation’s freedom in the past but also for our future.

I am not suggesting that we sit back and expect the veterans of the nation to continue to carry the load. I know that every single one of them took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and protect “We the People”. That oath does not cease to exist when they are no longer in service. These men and women are ready, on a minute's notice, to be there defending freedom once again if need be. 

If you have a loved one that you would like to nominate for the Wall of Honor, submit that information online at WallOfHonor.org.

Returning to Keystone for the 2022 Bridging America event will be Kevin Jenkins of NJ, Amanda Radke of SD, SD Sen Julie Frey-Mueller, John Bolin of IN and Rebecca Cunningham of Red Flyer Media from TX (streaming the event). Additionally, we have added Dr. Mollie James of James Clinic in St. Louis, MO and Theresa Thibodeau of Omaha. Of course, I will be returning as emcee for the entire event. We have a full-fledged music program in locals Allen and Jill Kirkham who did a fantastic job with the Cowboy Church service last year. 

What has changed in the 52 weeks since we last visited Keystone? Quite a bit actually. Americans seem to have a much better sense of the severity of the food security issue. We certainly have a much larger labor problem than we did one year ago, not to mention the fact that fuel prices have more than doubled in 12 months. The real question is what can we do about it?

The answer is exactly the same as it was 52 weeks ago: folks need to engage at the local level. More than ever, we need people who are willing to show up at school board meetings and ask the question: What are you teaching my kids?

We need to have a Constitutional Sheriff in every single county in the nation. Each citizen needs to have a relationship with that Sheriff and he/she needs constant reminders from the community that the sheriff is in place to protect the citizens of the county from threats, foreign or domestic. 

The County Commissioners or Supervisors need constant monitoring because the decisions they make in their budget meetings have a greater impact on your profit and loss than anything that happens in Washington, DC. 

In closing, the answer is quite simple to me: tell the Federal Government that they have exceeded their authority and we now fully understand that we have been forfeiting our rights to the state and federal government for far too long. Elected officials and bureaucrats, here is your notice: We the People, who have footed the bill for this madness in the past, will not take it any longer. We are here now to take back the country, both Urban and Rural America. We truly must begin Bridging America for all of our futures.