Keynote: Government In Our Hands by Ronald Lewis March 17, 2012 at the Libertarian Party of Colorado State Convention

View the video of this keynote at http://bit.ly/IPdLLK Good morning. Its a pleasure to be with you. Id like to share a quote from a famous TV ad in the 80s: Heres to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. Theyre not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you cant do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song thats never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. America: We are crazy the ones. Our future must be saved today by the people. Not at the voting booth, but in our hearts and minds. Thats where great change begins. America is burdened with a crushing national debt of nearly $16 trillion dollars. By 2013, this number may well increase to over $18 trillion dollars at the current rate of debt accumulation. This number is embarrassing, for both sides of the political aisle contributed to this frightening number. As a nation, we cannot be proud nor accepting of this level of debt. Were suffering daily for it, and it

must be corrected. Changing the course of reality is a major battle intellectually and politically. It requires us to change our thinking about politics in America. There isnt time to continue rooting for the Donkey or Elephant. Instead, we must cheer for a new direction forward. A direction that is politically agnostic, independent in reasoning, sound in judgment and guided by our priceless blueprint, the U.S. Constitution. Forging a new way forward wont be easy. It will require a lot of work on our part as citizens, activists, and influential voices. The first step is recognizing we dont require Washingtons permission to save our country, for our elected officials are mostly irrelevant and lacking great credibility. Being an American today is more than citizenship and the red, white and blue. It means standing up to elected officials whove abused our trust for too long. It means speaking out on the wrongdoing of our government. It means asserting our rights and protecting the few that remain. Its stepping outside of our comfort zone to make a point or change the conversation. Its pulling together for a common cause. When the Declaration of Independence was drafted, our nations architects didnt seek permission to develop a better society. We are faced today with a similar event. We must declare our independence once more of a faulty government, not by violence or bloodshed, but by claiming our natural right as human beings to usher in great change. The American people and the world must demand a better future. We must desire more for each other, our children, their children, and generations to come. Passing the buck of unsustainable debt and liabilities cannot continue, for the world has entered a dangerous phase that challenges our survival and prosperity in these very uncertain and unpredictable times. The belief that a small body of individuals must always decide a nations fate is rooted in mans desire to rule the world. Abuse of power is rampant for one simple reason: Public office requires a rare breed of individual to protect and respect the blueprint set-forth for any modern society. The concentration of ego and power in few hands is never good for humanity. From the Roman Empire to Washington, man has proven countless times that we must rethink the functionality of societies and how theyre governed. America is home to

the greatest Constitution of any nation on Earth. Sadly, it is rarely exercised by society or the very politicians that carelessly swear to uphold it. Just as entrepreneurs innovate in business, we need to become intellectual innovators in government and money. We must discuss and consider sound and reasonable alternatives to current politics. We must think outside the box on everything. We must challenge politics as usual everywhere. Current events demand it. In the northeast, communities are innovating new currencies such as BerkShares, a highly popular regional currency for businesses and residents in the Berkshire, Massachusetts region. Their leading example of rooting out the ineffectiveness of central banking to control their own destiny should inspire more like it across America and the world. Theres also BitCoin, an Internet-powered currency thats gaining acceptance worldwide. Innovation in currencies is a necessity in 2012 and beyond. The gatekeepers of government and money must be replaced with decentralized, community-driven efforts to carry us forward. The future of government will be unlike anything we know today. The Internet will play a large role in transparency and accountability to all. Technology affords us an incredible opportunity to change government from the ground up. For example, imagine government being in the palm of your hand. Government may well be another app on our smartphones. With the right approach, government will never be the same. But its imperative that we have bold ideas, bold thoughts and bold initiatives. Fear of challenging the status quo will inhibit our progress and happiness forever. Whats most important? Your life, or your government? We owe ourselves honest government and honest money in 2012.