My father was the cowboy in Eastern Oregon who was shot three times
in the back by government agents while his hands were up in surrender on
January of 2016. He was on his way, with others, to a meeting with a
county sheriff. As a man of high integrity, he was seriously concerned
about the abuse and irresponsible actions of government prior to this
tragedy.
In his concern, he took on the heavy responsibility of media
spokesman at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in the State of
Oregon.
This task fell upon him due to his keen ability to calmly and competently communicate in stressful situations.
I deeply respect my father for his moral courage to stand firm
against tyranny and for the proper role of our constitutional republican
form of government.
Several others in the convoy were arrested and put on trial.
The court first tried those whom they considered were the “leaders”
of, what the prosecution called, “a conspiracy to impede federal
officers from discharging their duties and other federal weapons
charges.”
I must emphasize the importance of the Oregon Federal District Court’s outcome.
The jury found ALL the defendants in the first trial NOT GUILTY of all charges.
As the media spokesman, my father’s right to life, due process, and a
fair trial would not have been taken from him, had he been tried in the
first group of “leaders”. He would have been acquitted by the jury, and
would have returned home to his family a free man—a living free man.
But killing this innocent man was not enough.
The media and the “powers that be” maliciously showcased his death
with edited footage strategically intended to deceive and sway public
sentiment.
This continued for as long as the story served their purpose.
Fools mocked. Countless uninformed people passed judgment. The media
spewed deceptive rhetoric based on lies and laced with slander.
Their goal to destroy the lives of innocent Americans was
accomplished. Out-of-control employees of government, who were acting on
false political rhetoric from appointed and elected state and federal
governors, abused their authority, arbitrarily satisfying their personal
agenda of greed and pride.
It shames our country that a peaceful American’s right to life, liberty, and property was vindictively taken as a result.
My dad’s inalienable right to life, to peacefully assemble, and to
petition his government for a redress of grievances was also robbed from
him.
His own government was used to kill him for merely doing the very
thing government was created to be used for – secure the natural rights
of its citizens.
After
my father’s murder, my mind was filled with questions.
How, in America, could a God-fearing, peaceful, family man with no
criminal record (or even a parking ticket) be shot in the back by
authorities while his hands were in the air in surrender?
I had been rudely awakened to the horrific state of our nation, to say the least.
If this could happen to my father, it could happen to any of us.
After a few months of traveling the nation with my mother, telling the true story of
LaVoy Finicum,
I became angry at the world. I lost an unhealthy 30 pounds and my hair
was literally falling out. I was sick of and disgusted with people
profiting from our trauma so they could increase their subscribers,
listeners, and ‘Likes’. I grew wary and suspicious.
I wanted to share with others and teach them the lessons learned, but it was not working out.
I felt like my efforts were having little effect.
It was me against the whole evil world.
Through it all, the good Lord kept gently reminding me of the truth, “One cannot give that which they do not have.”
I wanted and needed to learn. I yearned for real, meaningful relationships of trust. I needed mentors.
While I could confidently testify of Jesus Christ to all those
following our story across the nation, I could not confidently provide
wise counsel to those seeking answers concerning effective interaction
with my government.
In response to my personal, prayerful pleadings, my journey with the
Center for Self Governance began the summer of 2016, just a few months
after my father’s murder.
At my lowest point, I enrolled in a Level 1 class. I really enjoyed
the content of the class and was excited to progress and learn.
While in times past I had found satisfaction in my life’s
ecclesiastical studies, I quickly found myself humbled by the CSG
training, because of my ignorance regarding civics and government.
I quickly pleaded for forgiveness and began adding knowledge to my virtue.
I have since gained an undeniable understanding that in my mind, the
church of God promotes spiritual liberty and the kingdom of God promotes
civil liberty.
I discovered that the kingdom of God and “the laws of nature and
nature’s God” are one in the same. Applied to our form of government,
the result is freedom, peace, and prosperity.
Quite honestly, at the end of the Level 1 class, I was stuck on what
my issue should be when instructed to write the position paper for the
training exercise.
Ideas such as property rights and agent intimidation crossed my mind,
but I was frustrated that these subjects did not ring true.
Because of my ignorance of our system of government, I could not connect the principles to the system.
I had no idea how to go about addressing my issue on paper. I wrestled with this for weeks.
During another level 1 class I hosted, the instructor made the point
that the position paper training exercise is to impress upon the mind of
the student how they lack understanding of their system of government.
This made complete sense and I determined that the focus of my issue paper should be about my lack of understanding.
So, what is my issue? It is I.
Again, “I cannot give that which I do not have.”
I intend to continue to study and understand constitutional republican principles that produce the fruit of freedom and liberty.
I also intend to learn my current state and federal systems of
government so that I might use the political power, coupled with other
citizens, to maintain and restore our constitutional republican systems.
Since I still deeply fear being deceived, I will call upon God and my
trusted mentors to assist me in my journey as I study and practice
seeking to be a “Keeper of the Republic.”
I am now fully aware and understand my duty to myself, my children
and my God, to stand for truth and what is right in all things and in
all places, both temporal and spiritual.
Thara Lynn Tenney, Daughter of LaVoy Finicum
The Language of Liberty series is a collaborative effort of the
Center for Self Governance (CSG) Administrative Team. CSG is a
non-profit, non-partisan educational organization, dedicated to training
citizens in applied civics. The authors include administrative staff,
selected students, and guest columnists. The views expressed by the
authors are their own and may not reflect the views of CSG. Contact them
at CenterForSelfGovernance.com.
https://freedomoutpost.com/lavoy-finicums-daughter-one-cannot-give-not/