American Patriots for Freedom Meet and Greet held in Dodge City

DODGE CITY – Best known for the Boot Hill Museum, Dodge City, a town of nearly 28,000 people in southwest Kansas, became the meeting point for a four day event called, ‘American Patriots for Freedom Meet and Greet.’ This event saw two national groups: The People’s Movement and 1776 Restoration Movement come together to discuss how they can work together to expand and protect liberty and freedom in the U.S.A. Both groups are similar in their mission and even started around the same time in March of last year.

According to Caroline Smith, national lead of The People’s Movement, Dodge City was chosen as it was the most central point in the U.S. for people to come together to meet.

The event kicked off on Friday, August 25 with the noon arrival at Western State Bank Expo Center, 11333 HWY 283. At 6:00 p.m. people were able to enjoy coffee and hors d’oeuvres as well as listen to live music played by local musician Joey Dean.

Saturday was the main day of events starting with a continental breakfast. A table outside allowed attendees to receive pocket constitutions and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s book, ‘The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health,” at no cost. A private roundtable brainstorming discussion began at 9:00 a.m. for the leads of the groups.

“We’re not a Republican organization, we’re not a Democrat organization,” David ‘Santa’ Riddell, national lead of 1776 Restoration Movement told The Kansas Constitutional. “Our saying is: ‘We’re not red or blue, we’re red, white, and blue.’ We don’t care, because we see both parties as a problem. Not just one.”

“Their walk must match their talk,” Smith told The Kansas Constitutional. “We the People are responsible to ensure that they do for us on our behalf. And if they’re not, then We the People are responsible for replacing them with those who will…. The American people have gotten too comfortable thinking that the government is working on their behalf, and they’re not, and that’s where we have to step up and make those changes…. We need to get involved. We need to get on committees and councils at the county level, at the city level. We need to get into the medical, we need to get into the school boards. We need to get into every level of political and government branch at the county, city, and state level.”

The leads also made it clear that they believe in taking power back peacefully.

Directly following the discussion was a convoy where semis and cars with different flags, but most prominently the American Flag, were hitched to the vehicles as they drove to the Fort Dodge Veterans’ Home while honking their horns for passersby to hear. At the veterans’ facility, the attendees spoke with veterans during an ice cream social. Mona Miller also told the story of ‘The Ragged Old Flag’ originally set to music by Johnny Cash, but included an original update to the story to recall the events of 9/11 as well.

After visiting with the veterans, the convoy started again, going back to the Western State Bank Expo Center where over 30 attendees were able to enjoy food from food trucks before listening to the speakers. Peggy White was the emcee for the speaker event. Speakers included founder of The Kansas Constitutional Ian Brannan who spoke on media, propaganda, and S. 1094, better known as the ‘Journalism Competition and Preservation Act of 2023.’

“[The bill] was born out of this idea that we need to save local media,” Brannan said. “It was introduced by Amy Klobuchar…. She is a Democrat from Minnesota and it’s been cosponsored by Republicans and Democrats. So, this is a bipartisan bill that has been introduced, and what it does is make it so that journalists can come together and they can basically negotiate with platforms to get money for the information they put out that these other platforms like Facebook and Twitter, otherwise known as ‘X’ now, use. These bills are in other countries, and what these bills end up doing is they incentivize these platforms to no longer provide you with news.”

Brannan also said that Canada has recently passed a similar bill and now Canadians are no longer able to access news through Facebook or Instagram. He also stated that due to people finding smaller, alternative news sources like his through platforms like Facebook and X, bills like this would make it so that only mainstream media would be able to survive.

Angel Cushing spoke next, informing attendees of the 30×30 land grab.

“What conservation easements do is stop growth,” Cushing said. “So, it says we’re going to put this in its native state, you cannot develop it any further. Depending on who owns that conservation easement depends on how hard you’re going to get harassed. Depending on whether that area is being looked at for a monument or another preserve also depends on how much you’re going to get harassed, but at the very basic level, it stops growth.”

Cushing said that this is how they depopulate an area and take land. She also noted that around two-thirds to 80 percent of land in the U.S. is in some form of conservation program.

“30 by 30 was passed in January 2021, it was an executive order,” Cushing said. “Unfortunately, Congress just voted to fund it 100 percent, and that is to lock up 30 percent more land by the year 2030. How they are achieving this is by using programs like National Heritage Areas (NHA) and other federal programs. They are stopping growth, depopulating the area, and as they do that, and expand on the front of that depopulated area, they close up land they already own.”

Cushing went into the details of how the government plans to take land across the country and provided literature for attendees in the crowd to take for more information regarding the issue.

Kansas State Rep. Jason Goetz (R-HD 119) spoke in regards to his perspective of things as a legislator in Kansas.

Goetz said, in Kansas, he found that many at the state level are God-fearing people who actually want to serve, but don’t necessarily know how. He also said he prefers to be called a “public servant,” using a metaphor when discussing politicians, stating politics means “many ticks.” He used the metaphor to describe how public servants become politicians by the “ticks” of the lobby groups attaching to them and they start to “suck” and pressure until a deal is made and a public servant becomes corrupt.

“What I would love to get from citizens of Kansas, from citizens of the United States of America… and I think this would be how we would move the needle, any change that is in your heart, I think there are many people here who would like to see one change, if I could get one thing done, I would like to get that done—I would encourage you to focus on that and to send an email… to your legislator… ‘I would like to email you a time where we can have a conversation over the phone, or a zoom call and I see your face and you see mine and I communicate my point that way,” Rep. Goetz said.

Smith and Riddell came up next to speak on their work in their own respective groups and how they were going to move forward to work toward their goals.

“There are so many of us that are doing the same thing for the same reasons, but we’re all so segregated,” Smith said. “We’re all in silos. In order for us to unite, and show the government that there are more of us than there are of them, we have to take our silos down. If we don’t, we might as well just go home, put our masks on, wait for the next lockdown, and gather what food you can. It is up to us to stand united, to show the government that they actually do work for us.”

Riddell spoke on his time protesting, noting it’s not enough.

“Nobody is coming to save you,” Riddell said. “I got a lot of respect for this representative, I love what he said. He can’t save you. He’s a part of the process that can make changes, but he’s one man. He’s only got so much he can do.”

He asked the audience what they would do if someone was coming around with a weapon, searching room by room, stating again that no one is coming to save you, but someone is coming to take you out.

“I’ll tell you what I’d do,” Riddell said. “I wouldn’t be locking myself in a closet. Number one, I would talk to my Maker because I need some help. Number two, I would start trying to figure out how to reverse that situation. I’m not looking for you to come save me. I’m going to take care of this.”

Riddell also said there are a lot of people smearing the founders who wrote the constitution but one thing they cannot take away from them is the fact that they could have created any kind of government including a monarchy and George Washington could be king, but instead they chose to create a government that took power away from them and gave it to We the People.

Other attendees were also able to stand up and speak on issues important to them afterward including: Keith Kendall who spoke on the dangers of 5G, Mona Miller who spoke on the importance of standing for what you believe, Denis Rhodes who spoke on the topic of COVID-19, Robert Hayden who wanted to thank everyone who showed up and Peggy White spoke on why people should come to events like the American Patriots for Freedom Meet and Greet.

Later, the children in attendance were able to play games and participate in contests including a three-legged race, a Gunny sack race, and cornhole. A potluck was also held for dinner time.

Joey Dean returned to play music, this time accompanied by his band The Dry River Band, playing both covers and originals.

Six veterans from the Fort Dodge Veterans’ Home were also bussed in to enjoy the live performance. Two raffles were also held near the end of the night, one for an eagle art piece and a 50/50 monetary raffle where half the proceeds would go to the winner while the other half would go back to the local veterans’ home. A total of $140 was made from the raffle with Lola Lee (age 9) winning the $70. However, she chose to give her winnings to the veterans’ facility as well.

Sunday started with another continental breakfast before worship with Scott Tilley and David Riddell. A continental lunch was also held with the rest of the day being used as free time to see local attractions and rest.

Monday morning ended the event with cleanup and “hugs until next time.”

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