by Cody Quirk
Owing to the various events that have occurred within the span of the past two months in the field of American politics, specifically constitutionalist politics, that has caused me to look back upon several decisions that I had made many years ago, and reevaluate them to make several life-altering ones recently, that have been a long time coming, and are significant in which I must now take a different path in order to see my own government restored back to its constitutional foundations, and for my own country to see eventual redemption.
Since 2002, I not only have been active in the political field, but a member of a state party that’s affiliated with the National Constitution Party, which previously was the largest third-party in these United States (in terms of voter registration), and the largest one that favors a return to constitutional government; being government strictly limited and restrained by that guiding document which has been a governing force and beacon to the workings and limitations of American government… Or should be, regardless of what is considered popular and part of the social norm in our present American society.
And it has been this party which has greatly influenced my life to an extent, and has motivated me to stand on my feet and do something about the horrible condition that our government, and especially our country, has devolved into.
Until now.
Yet again, with the brass, naive outlook and drive of youth, which those of the adolescent phase endure and dwell upon, along with the energy and passion of that age; my opinion and outlook wasn’t always accurate or wise, and indeed at times had made me gullible to the many individuals of the National Constitution Party of which I had once considered my friends, and through recurring trial and error, discovered to be wolves in sheep’s clothing.
However, the more involved with the Constitution Party I got, the more my young gullibility learned and improved to easily see the red flags and develop a sixth sense to the perceived dangers and threats to the Constitution Party that I was many times eager, and willing to confront and combat on my own until such a threat was either dealt with, or removed from the CP completely.
After all, with that ferocious zealotry and Irish relentlessness which runs in my own family, I have always been a firm believer that if you get involved with a group, or a cause, or a topic that you care very much about- then such a subject, or ‘subjects’, are something in which you must never be faint or weak-hearted in when it comes to your drive to see such a subject, topic, or group succeed, and also in being unwavering in one’s loyalty to it, especially in defending it against doubt and attacks from both the inside and out.
Yet it is this zealotry, this sheer loyalty which has driven me, on both the conscious and subconscious level- that also functions as a double-edged sword.
And it was this double-edged sword that, while gradually overcoming that brass, overly optimistic outlook from those days of my youth, along with the previous lack of experience and understanding of both politics and of the inner-workings of the CP, that was quickly overcome and learned through my extensive study of it and it’s history, and also the sheer first-hand experiences that I went through and became enlightened on afterward- that those ‘rose-colored glasses’ would soon come off, and those previous perspectives that I had of my own political party, began to dim and afterward, would decimate my own dedication and pierce through the once iron-clad armor of my own loyalty to the CP.
After the eleven years of my own general involvement in politics, one thing I had learned, and learned the hard way, was that in politics itself, while principles and beliefs can stay the same, or at least remain invariant throughout each generation- everything else is susceptible to change, and in fact will change.
So many times before have I seen good friends turn into bad enemies and even once bad enemies into good friends; for in the world of politics, regardless of what side, and what extreme of the spectrum it falls on- there is no clear path, nor consistent direction.
In reality, politics is a maze, and one where we have to backtrack whenever we come to a dead end.
And unfortunately, it is also one where sometimes one may never find his/her way to the exit in their lifetime.
So far, I would say I’m right in the middle of this maze, and after coming to a dead end; being, to continue onward within the CP without giving any thought to the rival parties out there that believe as we do, and yet, regardless of their size and strength, continue to splinter our end of the spectrum in which we upon, to the point of dividing resources and even the vote itself.
So I started a group that would bring these other parties together on this side of the spectrum, and backtracked to what I thought was a clearer path, to the exit.
I was correct and justified in doing so, but I soon discovered, after coming to a ‘T’ in my part of the maze, and taking what I thought was the right way… That I came to another dead end.
As large and as organized as the CP is, or was, the long held belief that my own political party was one that was governed by sincere, dedicated patriots that always put ‘Principle above Politics’, was soon disproved; as the leaders of the CP, whom I once looked up to and respected, were as unscrupulous and equally petty as the typical mainstream American politician, whom are the responsible culprits for our government being the way it currently is, and which parties like the CP were first created to counter and fight against in the first place!
And when I protested such efforts and actions taken against my sincere, humble efforts to bring all patriots and like-minded parties together in friendship and harmony- that the true nature and motivation of these individuals came fully out in sneering arrogance and haughty demeanor, tarnishing my long held views and beliefs on this party that I had belonged to for so long. And when a few other individuals from the fringe side of the CP made several threats to harm my own physical person, in addition- then not only was my long held, iron-clad loyalty demolished, but I was pushed to make a very serious and irreversible decision that would greatly come to affect the long-term aspects of constitutionalist politics.
Many years ago, I had come across, and butted heads with a rival party known as the National Independent American Party, whom shared the same same as the Nevada affiliate (my affiliate), of the CP, and whom previously contained individuals that I found to be of extremist and reprehensible character.
Hence my negative view of this party for many years before, until recently.
This national political party only had ballot access in a few states and indeed lost all of that ballot access before to ineffective leadership and the passing of their national leader, Bruce Bangerter, years ago.
Then again, in politics, things change.
Over the past two years, this political party redid their website, voted in new national leadership, regained ballot access and ran a candidate for U.S. Senate, along with fielding candidates in the presidential race that was on the ballot in one state and had write-in status in several others. While this may not seem at all impressive at first sight; the fact that a long-dormant political party which hadn’t fielded it’s own candidates for office, or even was on the ballot anywhere for nearly ten years, to suddenly became active again and regain those two factors after a ten year hiatus, is indeed a matter that is worthy of praise and a second look.
It was also around that time that when my project for bringing the parties together first took off, I befriended the IAP and opened dialogue with them, along with actively participating in their meetings as well. In contrast to the contentious, sometimes tumultuous national meetings with the CP had; while less sparsely attended, the IAP meetings lacked these features and instead harbored a friendly and productive atmosphere, where resolutions and actions were not hotly debated or torn apart under contention and threats of leaving their own party if one, or several, didn’t get their way; in fact my opening proposition to them about uniting the parties together was rather enthusiastic received in a unanimous voice.
Starting off, my own views and opinions of this party remained negative and pessimistic (as it had been for quite some time before), yet the imperatively of this one goal was enough for me to put aside my animosity and attempt to include their party with the CP, and others, that were open to dialogue on unification; since to accomplish such an effort as this one, which I still am pursuing, requires skilled diplomacy and a lot of patience, regardless.
Yet when their party further included me in their efforts, and warmed up to my own even further, to the point that they began to publicly support the goal of unifying the parties, and in an official manner as well, that’s when my perspective on the IAP started to change.
In contrast, my situation with the CP headed quickly into the opposite direction, which thereupon lead me to that dead end in the maze which we call, ‘politics’.
Granted, I could have remained where I was, and simply continue to pound against the wall until I could at least make a dent. But then again, would that get me closer to the exit? Would that have actually gotten me to the other side of that wall and towards another direction within the maze, in the first place?
Then again this is politics; things change.
So I turned around…
The National IAP may not be perfect in some things, especially in terms of organizational strength, and ballot access, at the moment, yet, being their appointed Affiliations Coordinator, I hope to change that, and to better improve the IAP itself, where it can hopefully become a organized, everlasting beacon to all constitutionalists, principled-conservatives, and like-minded patriots- and finally make that gradual breakthrough into major offices that is vital for such a party like this one to become a changing, and permanent force upon American politics; a force that, despite the twenty years that the CP has been in existence, has repeatedly failed to become, and will never be.
… And I turned my back to this dead end, and started for the other direction of the ‘T’.
While I will continue in my recently adjusted goal of reaching out to, and including the other parties out there which believe as the IAP does, especially to the good and well-intentioned leaders, members, and state affiliates of the CP, which have not been touched by the whims of sectarianism, incompetence,and dogmatic approach, that has already consumed many levels and aspects of the National CP itself, yet which is absent in the IAP itself. Nevertheless, I do this after careful and meticulous mediation, and prayer, and without the Holier-than-thou self-righteous dibble, or even the vain, extremist ranting that some of this political persuasion might use in frustration or anger.
Granted, there have been plenty of other dead ends that I have met in the past before, and only through the wisdom of my mentor, the late William K. Shearer, and several others- have I been able to turn around in time, and not end up back in the same spot that I started in.
Now begins another path that hopefully leads to the exit, or at least closer to it, in this maze that we, again, call politics, that I take, and do so… As a Independent American.
These days, Cody Quirk has had enough.
sucker, ʟʟᴄ