Hello Everyone!
Orion and I are energized and excited about the potential future of privacy rights in the digital age. We are reaching out to you today with an exclusive opportunity—an opportunity to turn your commitment and enthusiasm for privacy advocacy into tangible action.
We are absolutely thrilled to announce the initiation of a grant that is poised to drive the Fourth Amendment Movement forward: the 'Business Development in Zcash to Drive the 4th Amendment Movement’ Grant. This grant is more than just funding—it’s an investment in the protection of privacy rights and an acceleration of efforts to ensure our Fourth Amendment rights adapt and evolve in the digital age.
We deeply value your insights and invite you to share your feedback on our initiative. Your perspectives can truly shape this endeavor, and we are eager to hear your thoughts on how we can improve and strengthen our future efforts.
We are excited to embark on this journey with you and look forward to the transformative impact we can achieve together in championing privacy rights!
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Here’s a link to the proposal:
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Hi @Honest_Abe - Welcome to the forum, and thank you for submitting your grant proposal! We will review it in the upcoming weeks and reach out if we have any questions.
In the meantime, if you have any questions for us, you can post them to this thread or DM us at @ZcashGrants.
Zcash Community - We want to hear your feedback on this grant! You can post your comments to this thread or DM us at @ZcashGrants if you’d like to provide feedback in private.
Thanks!
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Hi, @Honest_Abe
Thank you for submitting your proposal. Do you have some prior advocacy or other work you could link to so we can get to know you better?
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Hi @aquietinvestor ! Thank you for linking the proposal and the additional information.
Hello @ambimorph !
Absolutely. Our time in the armed forces laid the foundation for the important work we are now undertaking. As we transition into civilian life, we are focused on establishing a nonprofit organization that aims to promote 4th amendment advocacy and foster relatability in the digital age, all through the power of Zcash.
Being both pro law enforcement and pro constitutionalists, we deeply value privacy and operational security. Throughout our military service, we consistently prioritized the principles of the US Constitution, even when it wasn’t the easiest path to follow amidst prevailing norms. Our understanding of Zcash has led us to recognize its immense potential for everyday law-abiding citizens who seek protection against hackers and nefarious nation states such as the CCP or North Korea.
Moreover, I had the privilege of conducting a brief study during my time in the Air Force, which shed light on how Zcash serves as an essential tool for the United States. Its unparalleled ability to safeguard user privacy sets it apart from other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
Once the non-profit is online, we will be more than willing to share the link.
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When you say you are a Consitutionalist, do you mean you work/worked in constitutional law?
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Hey @ZealWizard !
In our service within the military, we were intimately involved with matters of constitutional law, holding positions of authority and discretion. Our roles were not simply occupations, but solemn commitments to uphold the constitutional values of our nation. This commitment was often met with challenges, given the prevalent norms within the system. We noticed an unsettling lack of understanding and, at times, a purposeful avoidance of these fundamental principles, frequently driven by fear of compromising personal rank or reputation. It was disheartening to see these attitudes, and we found ourselves continuously combating against a tide of ignorance or self-interest, which we viewed as contributing to the erosion of our constitutional foundations. Yet, our dedication to maintaining and promoting respect for our Constitution never wavered. Despite these adversities, our determination remained steadfast. As we transition into our next chapter as civilians, we believe our mission will be promoting Zcash to the masses. We aim to assure them of the protections offered by this cryptocurrency in line with the 4th Amendment.
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Let me rephrase, are you lawyers with experience arguing constitutional law at any level in the US Federal Courts system?
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We actively work closely with constitutional lawyers but we are not lawyers. We are constitutional advocates at the highest degree with an emphasis on freedom of speech and privacy.
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Hello Everyone! I wanted to share a quick update. We’ve updated our logo for our nonprofit, The Freedom Shield, on the grant document/PDF. We’ve also clarified that we’ll be conducting impromptu interviews at our events. Rest assured, all video editing will be handled in-house. Our website will be up soon!
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How long has your non-profit been chartered? Can you share any of specific background of how your organization has captured attention, communicated your message, retained advocates to your cause?
I would ask a consideration that if your team will be accepting this large pool of Zcash community funds that you adapt your logo to present some visual indication that Zcash is an explicit piece of the organizations vision and work (it is a part of the “How” freedom of speech and privacy are being defended).
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@Honest_Abe, thank you for your grant submission, the @ZcashGrants Committee views this proposal as out of scope for funding at the moment and has voted to reject this proposal.
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Thank you for your feedback. Technically, we have been operational since November 2022. We recently renamed our organization to ‘The Freedom Shield’ and after your recommendation, we plan to incorporate the Zcash logo in some form.
Regarding our background, after much consideration, we would like to share that we became legal whistleblowers under Title 10 USC Code 1034, also known as The Military Whistleblower Protection Act. As you might imagine, this move triggered a significant reaction. We are not at liberty to delve into the reasoning and motives beyond our steadfast commitment to upholding the U.S. Constitution and its protections. To say that this experience was refining would be an understatement. We also sustained injuries in the line of duty.
Now, our mission is to advocate for the constitutional rights bestowed upon us by our forefathers. We believe that, in the digital age, Zcash is leading the way in advocacy and advancement.
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I would like to extend my gratitude to you @decentralistdan and the @ZcashGrants team for your time and consideration regarding our initiative. We fully understand the set priorities within the Zcash ecosystem. We are confident that our organization will significantly contribute to the mission, and we aim to mitigate any risks ZCG might come across is by utilizing personal funds to fuel our vision. While this approach may only allow us participate in one or two events, it would lay the foundation and provide a vision for others in the Zcash community to rally behind. We anticipate this will take a couple of months, but we would love to regroup afterwards and reassess the sentiment then. Thanks Again. -The Freedom Shield team
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Just to piggyback off of that, I want to express that after going through numerous hurdles and working multiple jobs, such as collaborating with Colonels and Generals to drive the highest recruiting statistics through targeted marketing in 2019 and facing intense competition to become a pilot, I finally reached the dream job I desired.
I became disenchanted with what I initially believed was my ideal career. This led me to pursue a higher calling, which includes advocating against Central Bank Digital Currencies due to their potential to exert control over individuals. The World Economic Forum has expressed their intention to establish transparency and traceability in all aspects. In light of this, I wholeheartedly align myself with the Zcash camp and promote the decentralization of both freedom of speech and currency. I aim to attract others to our cause through open-ended invitations during interviews, hoping to win them over and join our side.
After receiving feedback from everyone, including the committee, I think we will aim to start small by focusing on a minor grant.
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Remote participation (I suggest remote to keep travel costs down) in Zcon4 would be a great opportunity to get some first interactions and feedback from the Zcash ecosystem.
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