The non-binding measure, House Joint Resolution 587, recognizes the “destructive and insidious nature” of the controversial UN scheme — “a comprehensive plan of extreme environmentalism, social engineering, and global political control.” The bill easily sailed through the House on March 15 with 72 votes in favor, including at least six Democrats, and 23 votes against.
“I think this planet carries me and the eight billion people that are here right now, just fine. And what these individuals want to do, they want to cap the number of people that this planet can have," noted bill supporter Republican state Rep. Glen Casada, citing China’s barbaric “one-child” policy and its enforcement through forced abortions as among the many reasons why the UN plot to limit population is dangerous.
“It is insidious and it should scare you if you love freedom,” Rep. Casada warned. “I’m sorry, but humans are not enemies to the planet. We need to be creating more energy, not consuming less.”
The efforts by Tennessee lawmakers follow a growing tsunami of awareness and outrage all across America about the highly controversial global agenda adopted in 1992. According to experts, other legislative bodies, and even official UN Agenda 21 documents, the worldwide scheme aims to foist so-called “sustainable development” on the people of the world.
That is where the problem lies, according to critics of the plan. What the UN defines as sustainability is — to say the least — completely contrary to the American system of constitutional government and individual liberty. Even Agenda 21 architects admit that much.
"Current lifestyles and consumption patterns of the affluent middle class — involving high meat intake, the use of fossil fuels, electrical appliances, home and work-place air-conditioning and suburban housing — are not sustainable," claimed UN Earth Summit Secretary-General Maurice Strong as he ushered in Agenda 21 two decades ago.
The Tennessee bill notes that, while Agenda 21 is still non-binding in America because it has not been ratified by the U.S. Senate, the UN agenda is being covertly pushed into local communities by a global organization known as ICLEI (formerly called the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives).
The controversial plans are usually disguised using a variety of innocent-sounding terms such as “Smart Growth, Wildlands Project, Resilient Cities, Regional Visioning Projects, and various ‘Green’ or ‘Alternative’ projects,” the resolution points out. But Agenda 21 is dangerous nonetheless.
“This United Nations Agenda 21 plan of radical so-called ‘sustainable development’ views the American way of life of private property ownership, single-family homes, private car ownership and individual travel choices, and privately owned farms all as destructive to the environment,” the resolution explains, echoing a measure adopted earlier this year by the Republican National Committee (RNC).
The UN Agenda 21 also describes “social justice” as “the right and opportunity of all people to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment,” the Tennessee bill points out, adding that such a radical vision would have to be accomplished “by socialist/communist redistribution of wealth.” Meanwhile, the legislation observes, Agenda 21 considers national sovereignty a “social injustice.”
As such, the measure recognizes the threat of the “insidious” UN plot and aims to expose Agenda 21’s “dangerous intent” to both the public and policymakers across America. “We hereby endorse rejection of its radical policies and rejection of any grant monies attached to it,” the resolution concludes.
More than a few analysts and lawmakers have pointed out the similarity between the Tennessee legislation and a model bill offered by the liberty-minded John Birch Society on its website. However, the language is also very similar to a resolution adopted by the Republican National Committee earlier this year that was sent to GOP officials across America urging action.
Also, there is at least one key difference between the RNC and Tennessee resolutions and the JBS bill. The model legislation offered online by the Birch Society would prohibit the state and local governments from implementing or spending money on any Agenda 21-related programs, or from working with ICLEI. And according to Tennessee lawmakers, the JBS did not play a role in drafting the state’s resolution.
“It really is a problem that many Tennesseans do know about,” resolution sponsor Rep. Kevin Brooks told the press, noting that he supports conservation but not the loss of liberty. “The responses we’ve received — emails, letters, phone calls, petitions signed by hundreds of Tennesseans saying, ‘Please protect us’ — that’s what we were elected to do.”
Despite publicly admitting he had not even heard of Agenda 21, state House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner nonetheless expressed his opposition to the bill in what critics ridiculed as childish antics. “Whoo! Insidious! Communist! Socialist!” he was quoted as saying by The Tennessean, without addressing any of the concerns raised by the resolution.
“I didn’t know what Agenda 21 was, to be honest with you,” Turner confessed, saying he wanted to learn about it. “I had never heard of it before.” Based on his statements quoted in press reports, it was not immediately clear why he opposed the bill. But he did promise to hunt for “communists” on his drive home.
At least one Democrat publicly defended Agenda 21. Numerous House Republicans, meanwhile, highlighted the true nature of the UN scheme during a debate on the floor.
Rep. Rick Womick, citing recent examples of controversial government actions in Tennessee, said Agenda 21 is "a step-by-step methodical process that denies United States citizens their property rights." He also blasted UN-inspired government overreach rearing its head in the state.
"And what we're saying in this resolution is: No, you cannot come in our country, in our backyard, on our property and tell us what we can and cannot do with our private property," Womick added on the House floor.
Various extreme far-left groups including People For the American Way (PFAW) and the largely discredited Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) have attempted to vilify efforts to fight Agenda 21. But so far, their wild statements and hysterical defense of the UN plan have mostly fallen on deaf ears.
The Tennessee Democratic Party also issued a press release inaccurately claiming the UN scheme was “non-controversial.” It cited support by other “democratic nations” as evidence, even while ignoring the plan’s backing by dozens of mass-murdering regimes and assorted brutal dictatorships.
But activists fighting Agenda 21 — supporters of private property rights, national sovereignty, economic prosperity, and more — celebrated the bill and its passage through the state House.
“I have never been more proud of our lawmakers,” noted Bobbie Patray, Tennessee chapter president of Eagle Forum, a conservative group that has played a key role in exposing Agenda 21. “This is just the first step in drawing attention to this very important issue — which most people know nothing about — and lays the groundwork for pushing back where pieces of this agenda are already being implemented without the [U.S. Senate] ratification.”
The John Birch Society, which has also played a key role in raising awareness about the UN scheme, praised the Tennessee resolution as well. “It just gives a sense to Congress where Tennesseans feel on this threat from sustainable development policies,” JBS state coordinator Jim Sandman was quoted as saying by a local newspaper. “Private property and freedom are inseparable, and when there’s a threat against private property…. It’s already happening, some of it.”
The Tennessee resolution will now go to the GOP-controlled state Senate for approval. At least two other state legislatures — New Hampshire and Georgia — have introduced similar measures this year, according to reports. Others are expected to join the battle in the coming months as pressure continues to build. Also, a growing number of local governments have been dropping their controversial memberships in ICLEI, saving taxpayer money and ensuring that UN “sustainability” schemes do not take root in their communities. More local governments will be joining the fight this year, too.
The UN, meanwhile, is seeking to build more support for its agenda at an upcoming "sustainability" summit in June. The summit, dubbed Rio+20, will be led by Secretary General Sha Zukang of the communist dictatorship ruling mainland China, and Executive Coordinator Brice Lalonde, a "Green" socialist from France.
Photo: Tennessee State Capitol Building
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