Category: Commuity

Extension of the Sphere, by Contributing Writer Dianna Greenwood

Extension of the Sphere, by Contributing Writer Dianna Greenwood

Why does the Constitution promote the extension of the sphere of influence and is this good for the country and for free people? It is a question worth asking in this day and age when so many of our young people are being influenced by Marxist and socialists who deem our form of government as reprehensible. A government that by its very definition is racist towards the less fortunate and minorities. I contend it is not because through its creation we have been able to avoid those sorts of governments which suppress freedom and cause more harm to the human condition.

 Extending the sphere of influence in government is the real innovation of the American Constitution because it encourages growth in land mass and population of the country. It suppresses the influence of factions to cause disunity and eventual failure of the government. Finally, it allows liberty to be preserved for the betterment of the union and humanity.

An extended sphere is where a country is spread over a large area with a large number of people. Hamilton stated that it is “the consolidation of several smaller member states into a one great confederacy.[1]While he noted Montesquieu’s idea for a small extended sphere is in proportion to its dimensions, Hamilton said that it doesn’t work in America because of the size of the states in terms of area. Were we to follow Montesquieu’s recommendations, we really would be no better off than we were under Great Britain’s rule because monarchies could form, or we would be split into several small commonwealths that form rivalries with each other. Therefore, the idea of extending the sphere is to amass land and more people to reduce those jealousies that manifest themselves into factions. If we don’t, then powerful factions can form which would be detrimental to the preservation of the union.

Extending the sphere is a way to suppress factions from producing “instability, injustice, and confusion[2] which can lead us down the road to disunion and tyranny. Factions in a small republic “whether amounting to a majority or a minority[3]can be adverse not only to people’s rights but also to the community because they are motivated by their passion for a single interest regardless of whether or not it is good for the community. Since people have different interests and opinions, the strength of factions is reduced when the number of individuals in a country increases. As such when the sphere is extended, by population, it becomes less likely a strong faction will form. In addition, when the populations are spread out over a large area, the people will naturally form different interests, even if they perform the same type of job. For example, a farmer in New England raising cranberries is not going to have precisely the same concerns or interests that a farmer in Georgia raising cotton is likely to have. In this example both individuals have a general farming interests, but the interests are vastly different making it harder for a large cohesive faction to form and suppress the interest of non-farmers in the union.

In addition to removing majority or minority factions which oppress the interest and/or rights of the community; extending the sphere forces the government to grow from a direct democracy to a representative government. If we are spread out over a larger area it makes it hard for everyone to directly participate in government. Not only does this prevent majority factions from forming but, as Madison notes in Federalist Paper 51, “by comprehending in a society so many separate disruptions of citizens, as will render an unjust combination of a majority of the whole improbably if not impractical,” prevents heredity or self-appointed rule. Therefore, the extended sphere lessens the opportunity for tyranny by breaking up majority factions into diverse factions spread over a large area.

Good government is ensured with representatives rather than direct democracy, where the self-appointed ruler can rise out of mob rule. Liberty is preserved because a majority or minority faction is not suppressing the rights or interest of the community because the community is now composed of a large number of people over large areas. Finally, the union is preserved because liberty has been preserved through the prevention of large factions by the extension of the sphere through land acquisition and population growth.

[1] Federalist Paper #9, Gideon Edition, pg. 30 Paragraph 1

[2] Federalist Paper #10, Gideon Edition, pg. 42 Paragraph 1

[3] Federalist Paper #10, Gideon Edition, Pg 43 Paragraph 1

BCRP Monthly Informational Meeting, November 25 Featured

Join BCRP and our guest speaker Deputy Junior Tucker, Livestock Investigator.

Junior has worked for the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office for 14 years. He is responsible for the investigation of livestock theft, animal cruelty, and the Bastrop Estray Program

Monday, November 25. 
Doors open at 6pm
Program starts at 6:30pm
Bastrop County Republican Party Office
443 Highway 71 West, Bastrop
(next to Harbor Freight)

Veterans Day Message, by contributing writer Dianna Greenwood

On this date, 106 years ago at the 11 th hour of the 11 th day of the 11 th month, the Allies signed a ceasefire agreement with the Germans at Compiégne, France. This date, at the time, was regarded as the end of World War I or “the war to end all wars.” However, this was only a ceasefire and World War I would not officially end until June 29, 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed just outside of Versailles, France at the Château de Versailles. One year after the ceasefire was signed, President Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day as Veteran’s Day was then known. Since then, we have commemorated this day every year. The sacrifices that countless veterans have made since World War I have not gone unnoticed, and we give tribute to all veterans whether deceased or alive because without them we would not have the freedoms we enjoy today. This is vastly different from Memorial Day which is a day set aside to honor those who gave the highest sacrifice, their lives to save our freedom.

Our history is replete with men answering the call to duty from Jamestown up to today and it is woven into the fabric of America. It is what makes us the greatest nation on earth, and it is a spirit of not only individualism but of pragmatism, honor, and duty. It is really the fabric of America and something that most people in the world cannot understand until they actually experience it.

In Jamestown, a group of British men initially come as part of the Virginia Company to make money and find the northwest passage among other things. They were to be run by those back in London and their sole responsibility was to work for the Virginia Company but soon the hardships of living in the New World would appear; from dealing with local Native tribes to starvation and near annihilation from disease and tribal attacks they endured hardship, death, starvation, and mismanagement until finally they realized the system they were living under in this new world was unworkable and needed to be changed.

Through that hardship, the first representative assembly now known as the House of Burgess was formed. While this is not a military issue, it is here that the roots of liberty unknowingly begin to take place. Those roots of liberty would grow into the American Spirit which appears in 1775 resulting in thousands of men willing to sacrifice their lives for their fellow citizens so that all could live unencumbered by a monarchial government.

And since then, our fellow citizens have answered the call of duty to serve and protect this nation and its values repeatedly. We honor all of those who came before us and gallantly served starting with the American Revolution, through the War of 1812, the Texas Revolution, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and until now with the Afghanistan and Iraq War. Never before in the history of the world have so many people been freed from the constraints of tyrants and allowed to enjoy the fruits of liberty should they choose to. It is veterans, who we can thank, that accepted the call to arms to preserve, protect and defend liberty and freedom.

To all veterans we thank you, but especially our American Veterans both living and dead whom without you and your courage, we would not exist as a country. You are an inspiration to us all.

November 5th 2024 Election Results

The Results 

These are the winning results of the November 5, 2024, election. The results are from Bastrop County Elections, and they reflect how registered voters of Bastrop County voted. 
To see more results and more comprehensive election reports, please click here 

Registered Voters in Bastrop County – 61,423
Ballots Cast – 39,956 

President/Vice President
Donald J. Trump/JD Vance

US Senator
Ted Cruz

US Representative, District 10
Michael T. McCaul

US Representative, District 27
Michael Cloud

Railroad Commissioner
Christi Craddick

Justice, Supreme Court, PL 2
Jimmy Blacklock

Justice, Supreme Court, PL 4
John Devine

Justice, Supreme Court, PL 6
Jane Bland

Presiding Judge, Ct. of Crimm. App.
David J. Schenck

Judge, Ct. of Crimm. App, PL 7
Gina Parker

Judge, Ct. of Crimm. App, PL 8
Lee Finley

State Representative, District 17
Stan Gerdes

Justice, 3rd Ct. of App, Dist. PL 2
John Messinger

Justice, 3rd Ct. of App, Dist. PL 3
Chari Kelly

Justice, 3rd Ct. of App, Dist. PL 5
Karin Crump

Justice, 3rd Ct. of App, Dist. PL 6
Gisela D. Triana

Dist. Judge, 21st Judicial Dist. 
Carson Campbell

Dist. Judge, 335th Judicial Dist. 
John D. Winkelmann

Dist. Judge, 423rd Judicial Dist. 
Chris Duggan

Dist. Judge, 465th Judicial Dist. 
Elizabeth Beyer

Sheriff
Maurice Cook

County Tax Assessor – Collector
Ellen Owens

County Commissioner Pct. 1 
Butch Carmack

County Commissioner Pct. 3
Mark Meuth

Justice of Peace, Unexpired Pct. 2
Zachary Carter

Constable Pct. 1
Wayne Wood

Constable Pct. 2
James L. Scoggins

Constable Pct. 3
Tim Sparkman

Constable Pct. 4
Joey Dzienowski

Unincorporated ESD No.3 
62.27% – FOR

 

Calendar of Events

November 7 – Registration for the LPRW Christmas Party opens. Click here for more information.
November 9 – 9 am to 5pm, Texas Constitutional Enforcement 89th Legislative Agenda Workshop at Paige Farmhouse Diner, Paige TX. Hosted by Tom Glass. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
November 9 – 6:30 pm, Red, White, & Blue Veterans of Bastrop 20th Annual Veterans Appreciation Banquet.at the Bastrop Convention Center. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. 
November 11 – Veterans Day
November 18 – 5:30 pm, Bastrop County Conservatives Monthly Meeting with Senator Mayes Middleton at Casa Chapala in Bastrop. Click here for more information. 
November 21 – 6:00 pm, LPRW Monthly Meeting at the LPRW Club House. Click here for more information. 
November 25 – 6:00 pm, BCRP Monthly Meeting. Speaker to be announced.
November 28 – Thanksgiving Day
 
Visit our website calendar for more information and other events.

Trump Train & Jessica Colon!

Join Bastrop County Republican Party & Lost Pines Republican Women Sunday, October 13

BCRP & LPRW are hosting another Trump Parade & After Parade Social with special guest

Jessica Colon, Trump Campaign/RNC State Director

*Deck your vehicle out with Trump flags and signs!

* Line up at Mayfest Park, 3 pm – 25 American Legion       DR., Bastrop

*Maps of the parade route will be handed out when you arrive

*The After Parade Social with Jessica Colon will begin immediately following the parade (4:30 – 6:00) at the BCRP office.

You can find all Trump gear at the BCRP (443 Highway 71 West Bastrop, next door to Harbor Freight)

OR

LPRW’s Club House (3000 Highway 71 East Bastrop – building right after Super 8 on Hwy. 71 feeder road)

See y’all Sunday!!!

Multi-County Trump Train

Get ready for another Texas-Sized Trump Train & Cruz Convoy


Join us for a Texas-Sized Trump train & Cruz Convoy on Saturday, October 26th! The train and convoy will depart at 10:30 am from Buccees in Bastrop, with the final destination being Apache Pass in Rockdale. Here, we will host a grand TRUMP RALLY, a celebration of our shared values and a call to action for the upcoming elections, beginning at 4 pm (more details and speaker lineup coming soon).
 
See y’all on the train. Let’s make America great again together! MAGA! 

July Informational Meeting followup

One of our best attended Informational Meetings so far, with a full house and some of us standing in the hallway.  Sergeant Miller spoke on the presence, dangers and Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office reduction efforts of the Fentanyl epidemic sweeping our County, State and Nation, and answered several questions at the end.  The biggest take away is being aware of the symptoms:

  • slow, shallow breathing or respiratory distress
  • slurred speech
  • loss of consciousness

These can quickly become serious health problems, resulting in permanent injury or death. The next biggest is knowing what forms Fentanyl is typically trafficked:

  • pills
  • powder
  • liquid

Don’t take chances and certainly DO NOT TOUCH anything suspicious, such as small plastic baggies with unknown pills, powder or other substances.  It could contain products that, in the smallest quantities could cause you or others irreparable harm or death. If you see or find anything suspicious, or encounter someone who might need medical assistance Call 911 immediately.   If you have any questions or would like further details, please call Bastrop County Sheriffs Office .

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