Americans have reason to fear Agenda 21, according to Dr. Michael Coffman, an out-spoken advocate for private property rights and a global warming critic.
Coffman, president of Environmental Perspectives Inc., was the speaker in a video shown on June 11 during a meeting of the Mesquite Tea Party, held at the Highland Estates Hotel, 555 Highland Dr.
In the video, Coffman said that the federal government should be the least powerful arm of government because local and state governments are more connected to the people. But the opposite is happening: the federal government has the power to override state and local governments.
Coffman said he fears that Washington having that kind of power could lead to a federal government takeover.
He argues that Agenda 21 does exactly that. He claims Agenda 21 is a federal government program created to expand government power to the point of taking away all private property rights and that there is even a plan for depopulation, a goal of keeping the world population under one billion.
According to the United Nations, Agenda 21 is an action plan to control sustainable development globally. It was an outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
It attempts to set sustainable development standards for every area of human activity that effects the environment.
But in the United States, many conservatives view Agenda 21 as a conspiracy or plot by the UN. According to the Agenda 21 entry at Wikipedia.org, several state and local governments have considered or passed motions and legislation opposing Agenda 21.
Wikipedia also reports that the Republican National Committee (RNC) drafted a resolution this year opposing Agenda 21, calling it "a comprehensive plan of extreme environmentalism, social engineering and global political control."
According to Wikipedia, the language for this resolution, and others introduced in various state houses around the country, was drafted by the John Birch Society as a "model resolution" to oppose Agenda 21. Alabama has become the first state to prohibit government participation in Agenda 21, the on-line site says.
After the video, Barbara Cegavske, a Republican running for the nomination to represent the party in the District 4 congressional race, spoke about her background and polices and then took questions from the people attending. When asked about her record on taxes, Cegavske responded saying that she voted against raising taxes, and that her opponent’s attack on her tax record was not accurate.
Another speaker was District 20 Assemblyman Cresent Hardy, who spoke in support of Cegavske, saying she has a strong backbone and good morals and has proven that by voting against her own party in the past.
The next day Cegavske was narrowly defeated by Danny Tarkanian.
If you’re interested in attending a meeting or want more information about the Mesquite Tea Party, contact Rick Crain by email at rickcrain2000@gmail.com or by phone at 521-4665.