"In the Name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress."

On May 10, 236 years ago, the Ethan Allen led 83 Green Mountain Boys of Vermont to capture Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain by overrunning it in the early morning while the British sentry was sleeping.

He demanded immediate surrender.

The bewildered British captain asked in whose name such a request was being made. Ethan Allen hotly retorted: "In the Name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress."

Fort Ticonderoga's 50 cannons were incredibly moved by 25-year-old Colonel Henry Knox over 200 miles from New York across Vermont and New Hampshire to a hill overlooking Boston Harbor, forcing British ships to evacuate.

Three weeks after the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, Harvard President Samuel Langdon told the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, May 31, 1775:

"If God be for us, who can be against us? May our land be purged from all its sins!

Then the Lord will be our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble, and we will have no reason to be afraid, though thousands of enemies set themselves against us."

A surprise attack before dawn on MAY 10, 1775, gave America one of its first victories of the Revolutionary War.

Now, today, 236 years later, May 10, 2011, the ever vigilant conservative Republicans leading this great state have determined that they need REAL ID to “secure us”. Enough is enough already.

For those not familiar with REAL ID here is a short synopsis:

The Real ID Act calls for national standards for state-issued driver licenses and non-driver identification cards, supposedly for securing national borders and protecting against terrorism. It would nationalize driver licenses, effectively turning them into national ID cards, which would be required to fly on commercial airlines, enter government buildings and open bank accounts, to name a few. Many states have passed resolutions or binding legislation to not participate in the program, and many bills introduced in Congress have called for its repeal. This was a GW2 era program. And it needs to die!

Senate Bill 9 will be heard today by the Texas House's Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee. Let’s put a little heat on the hearing by letting them know we don’t need REAL ID.

It’s time for our own Ethan Allen style sneak attack to destroy this abominable legislation.

Here are some contact names that we are asking everyone to call and tell them WE DON’T NEED REAL ID.

Names, phone numbers and Capitol offices for committee members are:

Rep. Sid Miller - Committee Chair - 512-463-0628 - CAP GN11

Rep. Allen Fletcher - Vice-Chair - 512-463-0661 - E2.906

Rep. Marva Beck - 512-463-0508 - E1.310

Rep. Lon Burnam - 512-463-0740 - CAP GW.8

Rep. Joe Driver - 512-463-0574 - CAP 1N.10

Rep. Dan Flynn - 512-463-0880 - CAP GN.10

Rep. Barbara Mallory Caraway - 512-463-0064 - E2.420

Rep. Aaron Pena - 512-463-0426 - E1.304

Rep. Armando Walle - 512-463-0924 - E1.220

For those near Austin, the Committee meets today, Tuesday, May 10 - House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee at 8:30 a.m. Texas Capitol Room E2.026

If you would like more information about SB 9, please watch the testimony given by Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw at the Senate Transportation & Homeland Security meeting on March 30: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/avarchive/?yr=2011&lim=200.

McCraw's testimony begins approximately 50 minutes into the video.

"Brings Texas into compliance with REAL ID" (0:53:00)

Collection of Biometrics (1:01:30)

"REAL ID Act requires a number of measures. We're at 18; there are 39 requirements." (1:08:40)

"Nationalizes our Texas driver licenses" (1:15:30)

Is this what Texans want and need? What about checkpoints? Where is all this ID business headed? For a great parody of this bill, I want to encourage you to watch this video here. WOW. Be warned. It is not visually offensive, only politically!

For God, Family and the Republic,

Bryan Malatesta

Chairman