Note; This was an event which I attended which shows that
the Left and the Right are not always as separate as the Duopoly would have you think
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Edward Snowden Recipient of 2013 Bill of Rights Award
Concordville, Pennsylvania -December 24, 2013 – Edward Snowden is the recipient of the 2013 Bill of Rights Award. The announcement was made at the 22nd Annual Bill of Rights Commemorative Banquet in New Holland, PA, on Saturday, December 21, 2013.
Carris Kocher, chairman of the Bill of Rights Bicentennial Committee of Concordville, PA, which sponsors the annual event, said, “Several factors are considered in making this award, including that the effort be voluntary, above and beyond one’s ordinary work, the extent of personal risk and sacrifice in undertaking the effort, and the extent to which the matter will impact any of the Bill of Rights and/or Liberty at large.” She added, “However, the success or failure of one’s effort is not a factor. It’s the effort that counts.”
According to Mrs. Kocher, the aftermath of Edward Snowden’s exposure of the National Security Agency’s violations of the Bill of Rights, particularly Articles IV and V, has amply proven the validity of his concerns. “Furthermore,” she said, “his merit for the award, based on the criteria listed above, is self-evident.” Snowden is currently living in exile in Russia.
After a United States Federal Judge ruled earlier this month that the NSA’s massive collection of phone data was “likely unconstitutional,” Snowden stated, “I acted on my belief that the NSA’s mass surveillance programs would not withstand a constitutional challenge.”
Roger Howard of Chester County, PA was the main speaker at the banquet. He spoke to the common longing in the human heart to live free. Mr. Howard illustrated this truth with actual accounts of several individuals and their willingness to make great sacrifices and take risks in order to enjoy freedom – from an Englishman to a Mexican, from a single mother to a soldier.
Another speaker was Roy Timpe of Berks County, PA. Having served two six-year terms as a township supervisor, he addressed the challenges facing a constitutionally minded public official. According to Mr. Timpe, they are often limited by state and federal mandates and laws.
Those attending the banquet were also “introduced” to George Mason by Erik Kocher. Mason was the principal author of both the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the First Virginia Constitution of June 1776. The language and ideas from these documents contributed greatly to the bills of rights in other states and even to Thomas Jefferson’s writing of the Declaration of Independence.
The Bill of Rights Bicentennial Committee was formed in 1990 to promote observance of the Bicentennial of the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1991, and Bill of Rights Day each year since then. In 1992 they sponsored the first annual Bill of Rights Award and Commemorative Banquet. Nominees for the 2014 Bill of Rights Award can be mailed to P.O. Box 912, Concordville, PA 19331.
Anyone wishing more information about the Bill of Rights Award or Commemorative Banquet can contact Carris Kocher at BillofRightsBC@gmail.com .
Contact Person:
Carris Kocher, Chairman
Bill of Rights Bicentennial Committee
P.O. Box 912, Concordville, PA 19331
kochercj@verizon.net 610-476-3482
robertthesmall 