Recognizing those who have excelled in the cause of advancing freedom in the United States.


Freedom Heroes At the upcoming Freedom21 National Conference to be held August 13-15, 2009, at the Sheraton Midwest City Hotel in Midwest City (on the outskirts of Oklahoma City), Freedom Hero Awards will be presented to two individuals who have been selected as this year's Freedom Heros. You are invited to participate in the selection of these patriots. Please vote for your choices below (voting multiple times is not allowed). Voting will be open through July 4, 2009, after which time the "polls" will be closed. Thanks for your participation.

The Freedom Hero Awards are intended to recognize the efforts of individuals not well known on the national scene, individuals with names not familiar to most Americans. Many patriotic citizens are working tirelessly to improve local conditions, correct county problems, or resolve state issues. The Freedom Hero Awards are intended to celebrate these citizens and highlight their dedication and achievements.


Candidate Selection Winners of the Freedom Hero Awards -- one elected to public office, one not elected to public office -- will be recognized for their outstanding contribution to the cause of freedom in the United States during the past year.

Candidates in each voting category below were proposed by representatives from the organizations sponsoring this year's Freedom21 Conference (see Sponsors and Co-Sponsors, at left).

No Sponsoring Organization proposed as candidate someone who is a member of that organization.

The principal reasons each candidate was selected are presented below.


Vote The voting is now closed for this year's Freedom Hero Awards. Vote tallies are shown below.

Individuals elected to public office. 630 votes. Tallies and comments. Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff. . . . . (162 votes) 26% Randy Brogdon, Oklahoma State Senator . . . . (72 votes) 11% John Garfield, Michigan State Representative . . . . (92 votes) 15% Karen Johnson, Arizona State Senator . . . . (14 votes) 2% Charles Key, Oklahoma State Representative . . . . (265 votes) 42% Sam Rohrer, Pennsylvania State Representative . . . . (8 votes) 1% Mae Smith, Holland, Texas Mayor . . . . (17 votes) 3%

Individuals not elected to public office. 542 votes. Tallies and comments. Bob Basso . . . . (33 votes) 6% Steve Bierfeldt . . . . (53 votes) 10% Don Casey . . . . (5 votes) 1% Norman Davis . . . . (245 votes) 45% Paul Garfield . . . . (131 votes) 24% Zeldon Nelson . . . . (12 votes) 2% Ralph and Marcia Snyder . . . . (43 votes) 8% Kevin Starrett . . . . (20 votes) 4%

Thanks for voting. There are patriots all over the country working diligently for the cause of freedom. They need your encouragement and support.

Won't you please join us at this year's Freedom21 Conference at the Sheraton Midwest City Hotel just outside of Oklahoma City?

Reasons for Candidate Selection Each of these candidates is a patriot. Each loves America and is dedicated to seeing this country thrive. Each has expended considerable time and effort on behalf of American values of capitalism, the rule of law, equal opportunity, and private property. Each is dedicated to the rights of citizens as enumerated by the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

. Individuals elected to public office. . . .Click on a name for a link to the Internet. . . .Click on a picture for an enlargement. . Joe Arpaio Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff. . For his views that prisoners are in jail to be punished, for establishing the "tent city," for banned inmates from having "sexually explicit material," and for his aggressive stand against illegal immigration. . Randy Brogdon Oklahoma State Senator. . For championing "The Taxpayer Bill of Rights" and "The Taxpayer Transparency Act," and for his successful effort to opt out of the federal "REAL ID ACT" of 2005. He is also author of SJR 10, known as the "10th Amendment Resolution," designed to protect states rights and prevent the federal government from exceeding its Constitutionally-limited legislative power. . John Garfield Michigan State Representative. . For his strong conservative leadership, his passion for the Bill of Rights, his support of gun laws, and his distinguished service in the Michigan legislature. (He is expected to run for the state senate in the next election.) . Karen Johnson Arizona State Senator. . For her strong support of the Second Amendment, her firm belief in the right to life, her dedication to family values, her concern for the taxpayer, and her concerted efforts on behalf of small businesses. . Charles Key Oklahoma State Representative. . For his 20-year dedication to and support of states' rights. His Tenth Amendment legislation has now been introduced in many states across the nation. . Sam Rohrer Pennsylvania State Representative. . For his outspoken efforts in opposition to an international ID system, which, if implemented, will destroy our privacy and subject us all to massive Big Brother surveillance. . Mae Smith Holland, Texas Mayor. . For her bravery and patriotism to be the first Texas mayor standing up against the Trans-Texas Corridor. She recruited numerous state and local leaders to join her in blocking the path of the TTC, thereby preserving the private property of thousands of Texas landowners.

. Individuals not elected to public office. . . .Click on a name for a link to the Internet. . . .Click on a picture for an enlargement. . Bob Basso . For his inspiring YouTube videos portraying Thomas Paine, rallying the nation to take action against government misdeeds, support Constitutionally-guaranteed rights, and aggressively work to restore American freedoms. . Steve Bierfeldt . For his courage to stand for his rights against federal agents in the TSA as they interrogated him in a windowless room, threatening arrest, attempting intimidation, and demanding answers to personal questions they had no right to ask. Yet, at age 25, he refused to bend. . Don Casey . For his efforts to inform citizens of Alabama about sustainable development, for the impressive library of DVDs he has produced, and for his leadership with the Alliance for Citizens Rights, a group dedicated to resisting policies that infringe on private property rights. . Norman Davis . For his activism to keep Kentucky elected officials in step with Constitutional principles; his leadership as head of Take Back Kentucky, a group of grassroots individuals working to influence the Kentucky legislature; and his work with other groups around the country to focus on safeguarding constitutionally-protected freedoms. . Paul Garfield . For his work as director of USA Next (formerly: the United Seniors Association), Christian Seniors Association and The 60 Plus Association; his activism in Michigan on behalf of the Second Amendment; and his encouragement of citizens to become involved in the political process. . Zeldon Nelson. . For his efforts, as director of the National Center for Constitutional Studies, to distribute nearly two million copies of a pocket-size version of the U.S. Constitution. NCCS provides a wide array of education materials advancing the principles of freedom. . Ralph and Marcia Snyder . For their efforts in starting the first sub-regional planning commission to fight the Texas Department of Transportation's plans for a Trans-Texas Corridor. In 2008 they won the "Spirit of Liberty" award for their fight, since 2003, against the TTC. . Kevin Starrett . For his leadership as head of the Oregon Firearms Federation; his efforts to thwart restrictive gun legislation; his book, Understanding Oregon's Gun Laws; and his work with various grassroots groups to advance a variety of freedom-related issues.

Award Ceremony The presentation of awards to the Freedom Hero Award winners will be made at the Freedom21 Banquet, Friday evening (August 14, 2009) at the Sheraton Midwest City Hotel. We invite you to attend this important event, and recommend you attend the entire three-day conference.