Self-Evident Truths, Constitutional Justice, and Rural America’s Fight Against Government Overreach

On this Wednesday broadcast from September 6, 2023, Kim Monson examines constitutional rights under siege, from the treatment of January 6th defendants to the fundamental principles that define American liberty. Cynthia Hughes of the Patriot Freedom Project, author Helen Raleigh, mortgage expert Lorne Levy, and farmer Trent Loos join the conversation.

First Principles and the Battle Against Socialism

Start listening at 31:53 – Hour 1

Helen Raleigh, senior contributor at The Federalist and author of multiple books, explains why she focuses on teaching high school students about first principles. Speaking at Ronald Reagan’s Boyhood Home for Young Americans for Freedom, Raleigh emphasizes that America’s founding proposition, that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights, stands as the essential truth under assault by socialist ideology.

Drawing from her childhood in Communist China, Raleigh shares how government rationing left her constantly hungry, dreaming about food. When Chinese police discovered she had been receiving a boy’s food ration due to a bureaucratic error, they accused her family of cheating and demanded repayment. These personal stories, she argues, cut through ideological debates and reach young people on a human level. Raleigh warns that China’s economic struggles mirror Japan’s 1990s stagnation, while Beijing deploys racial rhetoric reminiscent of Imperial Japan’s pre-World War II propaganda.

“I cannot emphasize enough that decline is a choice. We do not have to witness America’s decline. But we are on the path of decline. And that comes from the leadership.”

Helen Raleigh, Senior Contributor, The Federalist

Government Control of Broadband and Energy Under Attack

Start listening at 73:39 – Hour 2

Trent Loos, sixth-generation farmer and rancher, raises alarms about government-run broadband initiatives receiving $42 billion in federal funding. He notes the irony that his rural Nebraska home has better Internet than downtown Omaha, suggesting the push for government broadband serves political control rather than practical need. Loos connects this to Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission banning gas appliances in large buildings, a policy that will drive up electricity costs for the very families Biden claims to be helping.

On CO2 pipelines, Loos reports that Oliver County, North Dakota rejected Summit Carbon Solutions’ permit application, while Iowa’s Utility Board continues controversial hearings where a private security firm hired by Summit intimidates landowners and tows attorneys’ mobile offices. He celebrates Louisville, Colorado’s successful cattle and goat grazing program, now in its second year of reducing fire risk through natural vegetation management, proof that traditional agricultural practices solve problems government programs cannot.

“At some point, if you start adding this billion to that billion and all these billions, when are people going to recognize the federal government does not spend their own money? They spend yours and mine.”

Trent Loos, Sixth-Generation Farmer and Rancher

January 6th Prisoners and Due Process Denied

Start listening at 15:39 – Hour 1

Cynthia Hughes, founder of the Patriot Freedom Project, details the harrowing conditions facing January 6th defendants in the D.C. jail system. Her adopted nephew spent more than two years in solitary confinement, locked in his cell 23 hours per day with no access to lawyers, family visits, or legal discovery materials. Hughes takes direct aim at Congressman Ken Buck’s letter dismissing concerns about these prisoners, noting that his sources lean heavily on left-wing outlets like Politico and the New York Times.

Hughes reveals that nearly 400 Americans remain incarcerated in connection with January 6th, with some still in pretrial detention more than two years later. She describes a two-tiered justice system where Trump supporters face overcharging and extended sentences while being denied the speedy trials guaranteed by the Constitution. The human cost extends beyond prison walls, with broken marriages, children losing custody, and defendants taking their own lives under the weight of prosecutorial pressure.

“There are almost 1,200 people that are caught up in the event that took place for four hours on January 6th. Were there people that committed some bad things and did some bad things? Yes, there were. And we can’t get around that, and we can’t shy away from speaking about that. Those are the facts. But it’s not the majority, Kim.”

Cynthia Hughes, Founder, Patriot Freedom Project

Creative Financing in a High-Rate Environment

Start listening at 64:09 – Hour 2

Lorne Levy of Polygon Financial Group explains temporary interest rate buy-downs, a creative financing tool helping buyers navigate today’s elevated mortgage rates. Under this arrangement, sellers provide credits that reduce the buyer’s rate by 2% in year one and 1% in year two, giving families time to refinance when rates eventually decline. For seniors 62 and older, reverse mortgages offer another path to tap home equity without leaving their neighborhoods.

“There are people who, even though they have low rates, may have to move for some reason or another for jobs, for family, for a lot of reasons. And so there are homes for sale. There’s just not as many. And that’s keeping the prices up and rates are up. But lenders do get creative, like we always say.”

Lorne Levy, Polygon Financial Group