RONAN — Are you unhappy with the direction of our country?

If so, a newly formed group in the area may be your answer. Calling All Conservatives, also known as Concerned Citizens of Lake County, held its first meeting last Tuesday night, drawing more than 300 attendees hoping to protect their rights as citizens of the United States of America.

“It was a good showing,” group leader and organizer Terry Backs said. “There were quite a bit more people than we anticipated. We guessed around 150 would show up.”

Organized and run by St. Ignatius resident Backs and other Lake County residents, the gathering gave an introduction to the organization’s mission, as well as presentations, talks and videos by organizers.

“Our number one issue is to restore our country to the Constitutional principles on which it was founded,” Backs said.

The idea for the group, according to Backs, came from a similar group based in Hamilton.

“I’ve been very frustrated with what’s going on in Washington, D.C. and Helena, and I wanted to get something done,” Backs said. “I went to the meeting in Hamilton and they had 500 or 600 people show up.”

The Hamilton group’s organizers came and spoke to the crowd as well: Mona Docteur spoke about their beginnings and subsequent growth, Dan Cox about the Federal Reserve and Jim Thayer discussed the Constitution. 

The meeting began with a potluck dinner at 6 p.m., and continued with a presentation by mediator and group organizer Keith Baker. Baker asked the assembled crowd for their ideas on what the purpose of the Constitution was.

Many shouted “Freedom” and other related responses.

Baker said that the founding fathers wrote the document to “limit the government, but not to rule citizens.”

Many of the assembled felt that the current administration is violating the Constitution, and that change is needed. Particular points of emphasis with the group include the Second and 10th amendments, the Constitution as a whole and property rights. Each of these issues will also include focus groups that will meet each month, and expand further into discussion on the specific topic.

People attending had different reasons for coming to the meeting. Brad Jones, a Polson resident, is from Canada, but became an American citizen in November 2009. He said his perspective as a Canadian, a country that offers universal health care, has made him a fierce opponent to the current American attempts at health care reform.

“I feel that society is moving away from what the Founding Fathers developed in our country,” Jones said. “We need to be a part of the solution in changing that.”

Backs emphasized that despite the name of the group, they are open to any interested community members.

“We accept anyone of any party, whether they are liberal or republican, democrat or conservative,” she said. “We are open to all citizens who are concerned about where are government is headed.”