Hello fellow patriots from South Carolina. My name is Terry Funderburk and I am one of those Americans called a domestic terrorist. Some of you might know me as lone protester. It is an honor to be asked to get up here and speak to you. I am up here as a spokesman for the native born construction workers of South Carolina. I am also speaking as one of the angriest people in this state. What has been done to us is criminal and I indict every politician, every mayor, every police chief and every sheriff for dereliction and abdication of their responsibilities to the citizens of this state

A prime example of what I speak of is the building across the street. On April 15th, tea party day, on my way here to listen to Governor Sanford speak about a bright future for South Carolinians, I saw my future going straight down the drain when I noticed what appeared to be illegal workers on that building site. Four years ago I had six employees in my construction business, Today I have none. Four years ago I was living the American dream and today it has turned into a nightmare.

My son was born in West Germany in 1981 yet he was an American citizen from the first moment. He never petitioned the German government for assistance and he never demanded German citizenship. My wife and youngest daughter are legal immigrants from the Philippine Islands. It took two years and thousands dollars to get them here legally and in the meantime 3 million illegal aliens just up and strolled across our southern border without a worry in the world about filling out the first page of immigration paperwork.

In two weeks time I have a special anniversary coming up. Two years ago on July 16th 2007 my protest sign was rudely snatched out of my hands by one of Columbia’s finest. And what was my offense? Calling an admitted employer of illegal aliens exactly what he presented himself to be to me. ‘A cheap bastard’. For that grave offense to humanity I was taken at ninety miles an hour to the Richland County Detention Center and processed into the criminal justice system. I was mug shot, fingerprinted and spent 22 hours in jail for calling somebody exactly what he was.

I have found out that in the state of South Carolina justice is not blind. In this state justice is simply determined by the size of your bank account and if you think different then you are wrong. You might think that your First Amendment right to free speech is protected in this state and you would be wrong again. You might think that your right to a quick and speedy trial is guaranteed in South Carolina and once again, you are wrong! I have found out from personal experience, that in this state, if you try to speak out against corruption in the construction industry then the full force of our criminal justice system will come down on you like a ton of bricks. In South Carolina the more money you got the more justice you get.

At my arraignment I demanded a trial by jury and it took nine months and 6 court appearances before it happened. I went through threat after threat from the prosecutor who exceeded the limits of his office on several occasions. Finally, the sixth time proved the charm. My trial started after the judge gave the jury a politically correct speech about my case having nothing to do with illegal immigration. It lasted for an hour and was a learning experience for me. Every time the prosecutor brought up the word illegal the judge would shut him up quick. Thank God when it finally ended.

The jury went out and within 30 minutes came back in with a not guilty verdict. After 9 months and 6 court tries a jury of my peers most definitely saw the truth with no spin to it. From that point I thought my experiences with the criminal justice system was over. I was wrong by a long shot. It took another 9 months to get a copy of my trial transcripts from the clerk of court. A few months ago my lawyer filed suit in 5th Judicial Circuit Court here in Columbia. The defendants are the city of Columbia, Richland County, the police department and the criminal employer that I protested. I am claiming that they conspired together to deprive me of my constitutionally guaranteed rights. The charges are malicious prosecution, abuse of the judicial process, assault and battery, false arrest and imprisonment, civil conspiracy and violation of my rights.

But I am not stupid. How can I get justice when the same legal system that tried to shut me up for speaking the truth must decide if they will allow themselves to be put on trial. How can I expect a court to decide to prosecute itself? One way or another, I demand that they make a decision in my case or get the hell out of the way because it is a long path to the US Supreme Court.

Today my business of 22 years is gone thanks to a bunch of jerks in charge who never have to worry about their jobs and businesses being stolen by criminals. My American dream is a nightmare, I myself am listed as a domestic terrorist, criminals steal my business and I in turn become a criminal. Tell me, does this sound like America? Does this sound like a country that is going to celebrate its 233rd birthday tomorrow? Last week I got an email from a friend in North Carolina. He is closing his drywall business of 45 years because of the same problem I experienced here. A business his father started in 1964 is no more because he has the same type of spineless leaders who refuse to enforce the laws much like we have here.

The day after I got out of jail I wrote about what happened to me. My son had taken pictures of my protest sign being ripped out of my hands and being arrested. I put them together and put it out all over the internet. In two weeks I probably received over 10 thousand emails from Americans everywhere who had read my story. I started documenting my case and letting the American people know what was happening. Every time I was in court 15 to 20 supporters were there beside me. They watched the travesty of justice unfold like I did. Kendra Linkowski, Winthrop Spofford, Patricia Wheat, Mr and Mrs Gebroski, Odess Brinkman and others, I love you like brothers and sisters. You have my undying gratitude for the support that you gave me. You are American patriots and I am proud to have you by my side.

I was interviewed by the State newspaper 6 weeks after getting out of jail. The conclusions that the reporter came to was that I was a racist and had no state license. I was listed as a racist by that liberal rag because I told the reporter that 75% of the Hispanic workers in construction around Columbia were here illegally. Curiously enough that same night I participated on a radio show that had another guest that had been married to a Mexican coyote for 15 years. Ten years ago they bought a used trailways bus and once every 10 days they would drive from here all the Way to New Mexico, cross the border there, pick up about 80 illegal aliens and bring them back to the southeastern United States. They did once every 10 days for 10 years. Do the math. They brought over 42 thousand illegal aliens into this part of South Carolina. Just two individuals. She told me that the correct percentages of illegal alien Hispanics in construction around Columbia was closer to 99% because they had brought most of them here. I told that reporter and her editor afterwards that the only use for their newspaper I would have anymore was in my bathroom when I run out of tissue paper.

I could never be a politician in South Carolina because one major requirement is that you have the ability to speak out of both sides of your mouth at the same time. Last year, in this building behind me, our legislators passed laws that Governor Sanford signed. Those laws were designed to protect South Carolinians like myself in the workplace. Those laws were a sham. They were designed to make us think that they would be effective but in reality they had no teeth. In the year that the first part of them became law not one company or individual has been charged with employing illegal workers. On July 1st of this year the second part of those laws became effective and if the last few years has taught me anything about the enforcement of immigration laws, they will be ignored also.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, Independence Day and we need to start taking this state back for its rightful owners. We need to get rid of the ash and trash and put this state back on the road to prosperity. We need to put the citizens of this state back to work and the criminals in jail. We need to give every cop in this state the right to arrest anybody that chooses to go outside the law and employ illegal workers. We need to get rid of every mayor and police chief and sheriff that likes to pick and choose what laws they will enforce. They will arrest me for spitting on the sidewalk and a criminal employer and his illegal workers have get out of jail free cards.

Does this sound like the America I grew up in? Is this the land of the free and home of the brave? 233 years ago American patriots overthrew a tyrannical government much like the one we have now. Tomorrow is Independence Day, the 4th of July but what exactly will we be celebrating? My belief is that we are all the way back to square one.