"Let them freeze in the dark!"
~

Alaskan Independence Party

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To the E-board and members.

This 2nd Vermont Republic speech given at Montpelier, Capitol of Vermont, from the floor of their House of Representatives, and a couple of pictures. Thanks and let me know what you all think. I am heading for Hawaii next and will meet with the elders of the Hawaiian Nation, the Kingdom of Hawaii, and representatives of various Hawaiian Sovereignty groups.
Lynette


Good morning all, and, thank you Dr. Naylor for the opportunity to address this forum in so historical a setting. I am humbled and honored to attend this conference. We are all here now to commit to freedom, to justice, and to end tyranny, just as our ancestors had to find their own way many years ago. I know what it means to fight for individual Rights and Freedoms. I know what sacrifices must be, and, have been made to secure it.

IMG_1479s.JPG - 21698 BytesI am Lynette Clark, Chairman of the Alaskan Independence Party. I am an Alaskan. I’m a self-employed gold miner by trade. I am also a Veteran of the United States Air Force, enlisting during Viet Nam. In doing so, I pledged "to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic." That sentence is close to my heart and will always remain so.

Now, *who are we,* the history of the AIP is most simple. Although the origins of the Alaskan Independence Party date back to the early 1970s, it wasn't until 1984 that it became an "officially recognized" party by the State of Alaska. Advocating an "Alaska First" policy focused around the land and resource development, the AIP has since emerged as one of the most significant state-level third parties operating in the late 20th and now 21^st century.

The formation and history of the AIP largely revolved around Joe Vogler, a plain-spoken gold miner, real estate developer, a non-practicing attorney, and certainly, a charismatic icon of local and state politics.

Joe Vogler founded *Alaskans for Independence* (AFI) in 1973 in order to promote the idea of an "Independent Nation of Alaska", and as a community "watch dog" of sorts.

As AFI was a non-partisan "club" and devoted to issue advocacy statewide, because of our successes, the State of Alaska approached Joe and said that AFI must become either a registered "Political action committee" or become a Political Party.

Joe placed this decision in the hands of the AFI membership. We decided to build a Political Party, while keeping the AFI as the activist non-partisan "club" it was. We, with Joe as Chairman of this new Party, formed the AIP in order to support the more political and campaign-related aspects of the Alaskan Independence movement and his candidacies for governor.

It was difficult ... how do you build a "beast"! I was reminded of the old Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland movies, where they would go into a barn and "put on a show!" With that aside, about thirty of us found a large enough meeting room, taking thirty days and copies of the By-laws of the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian Parties, proceeded to give structure and therefore "life" to the Alaskan Independence Party.

As a new Political entity, we stated our goals and defined our Platform.

The platform of the AIP is, as one would expect, centered on Alaskan issues. Although it is widely thought to be a secessionist movement, the Party makes great effort to emphasize that its primary goal is merely a legal vote, something that Party advocates say Alaskans were denied during the founding of the state. A plebiscite was, in fact, held in Alaska at the state's inception in 1958, but AIP members argue that voting was corrupt and that residents were not given the proper choice between statehood, commonwealth status, or complete separation -- something they say has been granted to other U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico.

IMG_1472s.JPG - 24461 BytesJoe Vogler’s success in the 1986 campaign for Governor, he received 10,013 votes and retained "official party" status for the AIP in Alaska, placing it alongside the Republicans and Democrats. In 1990, the AIP seated Governor Walter Hickel and Lt. Governor, Jack Coghill. AIP has also had representation in both houses of the Alaskan Congress and public offices with local representation of citizens.

Mr. Vogler served as Chairman of the Party from 1980 until his death in 1993, when he was kidnapped and murdered. I was advised for my own safety to step out of any leadership position in the AIP and did so. At that most terrible of times, the AIP was 20,000 plus members strong, but its membership, and the Party itself, went into a "caretaker" mode for over a dozen years.

In 2006, my husband Dexter and I attended the AIP Statewide Convention, where I was elected by unanimous consent to the Chairmanship of the Party and am now in my second term of office. Our membership is up, as well as donations, and we’re learning there is more support to being "less dependent", which bodes well for Independence.

Now it’s 2008 and now comes our Governor, Sarah Palin ... Vice-Presidential Candidate! Her decision to run put Alaska on the map and under a microscope. Because of her husband’s membership years ago, the AIP was right there in the "catbird’s" seat, in full view of the "Nation". The "slings and arrows" were from talking heads and citizens of Blogville!

We were Secessionists, Anti-American, terrorists, treasonous, seditionist ... really bad guys, but nothing could be further from the truth!

*What we stand for ... .*

This is simple and an easy to answer ...

We stand for a Legal vote as required for a non-self-governing territory, per Resolution 73 in the United Nations Charter signed by Harry S Truman in 1945.

We stand for Alaska’s State Sovereignty, and Alaska’s States Rights.

We stand for the Declaration of Independence, which states, "when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security." Just as "Atlas Shrugged", we look to the future!

We stand for the US Constitution and all rights therein reserved by and for the individual States in this union.

We stand and protect the Bill of Rights as the true Liberties never to be taken for granted. We do swear to protect such through peaceful, lawful means.

In representing Alaska’s needs, the Alaskan Independence Party pledges to ...

In closing, if the United States continues with their "Broken Promises" and violations of the Alaska Statehood Compact, we will have no choice but to believe like the 2nd Vermont Republic ... that even in this largest of States, smaller is better ... and move to take the 49th Star off that flag. Alaska is not afraid of Seccession. Alaska’s only fear is the Fascism coming out of Washington DC, and the death of liberty and freedom.

I thank you kindly for your attention, and God bless you and your efforts in freedoms' name!

Lynette Clark, Chairman,

Alaskan Independence Party

(November 7, 2008)