Representative Jim Guest Defends Constitution

By: D.S. Reif

A crowd of some 130 listened attentively to a nearly hour long speech by Missouri House Representative Jim Guest who spoke at the 8th Annual Col. John T. Coffee Camp's Confederate Heritage Dinner in Osceola, Missouri Saturday April 18, 2009. Interrupted seventeen times for applause Rep. Guest delivered a spirited talk about how the central government is purposefully eroding Constitutional protections for the States and the public.

The theme for this year's dinner was the importance of the 10th Amendment to the Constitution; the Coffee Camp believes the 10th Amendment most nearly represents the cause for which their ancestors fought. Rep. Guest said, "The 10th Amendment is our protection" against infringement from Washington. Citing the recent Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) scandal Guest explained that federal government funding was being used for "political profiling" against opponents of the administration. "This is something that we will continue to investigate" said Guest.

Saying that although "...The War Between the States dealt a setback to the 10th Amendment" since then Americans have reasserted this firewall between the States and the central government. He said that in Missouri the Republican legislature was doing what they can to protect the public from privacy intrusions using his opposition to the "Real ID Act" as an example. His speech was followed by a standing ovation.

Coffee Camp Commander Gary Ayres said that he was pleased with the turnout for this annual Sons of Confederate Veterans event. "You could have heard a pin drop while Rep. Guest was talking; the people were so interested in his presentation". Ayres remarked, "He is just the sort of speaker we think exemplifies the spirit of our ancestors."

Master of Ceremonies was, Commander Gary Ayres, Invocation by Chaplin Bob Philips, and the Benediction was delivered by Chaplin Brian Stewert. Accompanying Rep. Guest was his Chief of Staff, Louise Diender, also on hand was Alderman Clint Lacy of Marble Hill, MO; Green County Archivist, Robert Neuman; and UDC President, Joan Jones, of St. Louis.

Raffle winners were Joe Vincent, Deepwater, MO; Ken Llewellen, Wichita, KS; Kulani Lawler, Clinton, MO; and Dee Mathews of Kansas City.