The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is our foundational document. It is our first law as a nation. It was written to declare that the thirteen colonies were no longer part of England, but their own country. Understanding the Declaration is important to our understanding our country. A simple reading will dispel many myths about our nation and its history that are being circulated.

“When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another (We need to be our own people) and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station (separate from and equal to England) to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God (Gasp! What’s this? A mention of God in our founding document? YES! Contrary to what some are saying, most of our Founding Fathers were Christians and those that weren’t still acknowledged the Christian Creator God and the morals taught in the Bible. The thought of a “secular” country never entered their heads.) entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.(You, England, deserve to know why we are “divorcing” you.)

“We hold these truths (Not opinions, TRUTHS) to be self-evident (Everyone can see them), that all men (The words men, man, him, his, he and several others are gender neutral unless the context of the sentence says otherwise. In the sentence “The man ate his soup.” man means a male member of the human race. In the sentence “Man is in control of his destiny” man and his are generic and can be replaced with “humankind.” So here our founding fathers are saying “all humans…”) are created (You have to have a Creator to be created.) equal (This does not mean they thought everyone to be of the same intelligence or deserving of the same salary. Nor does it mean “equality of outcome.” It means they believed that all humans are subject to the same moral laws of God. In history until this time, if someone was of a higher social rank they could kill you, imprison you, or take your property, all with the assumption that because they were your “better” they had the moral right to do this. The common man- peasants or serfs- were in fact slaves, mere property of the lords, dukes, kings, barons, etc. Our Founding Fathers were saying here that it is obvious to them that all humans, no matter their station, are subject to the same laws. It was worded in the New Testament, “God is no respecter of persons” Acts 10:34), that they are endowed (given) by their Creator (Here’s that God thing again) with certain unalienable (“Not to be separated, given away, or taken away”) Rights, (“legal or moral entitlements or permissions.” In other words, “God has given all humans certain entitlements that are not to be taken away.”) that among these are Life (“Do not Murder.” Exodus 20:13. If you have been reading my blog, or probably even if you haven’t, you have heard that certain politicians oppose the “born alive” act. This law would require doctors to save the lives of babies born alive after an attempted abortion. Currently in some states doctors are not permitted to save these children’s lives. As if letting little babies die from exposure, starvation, or dehydration isn’t bad enough, this state of law actually threatens EVERY citizen of the US. Anyone born in this country is a citizen. These babies are born in hospitals in this country. THEY ARE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! Yet, their Unalienable Right to LIFE is being denied without Due Process of the Law- trial by jury with the right to face their accusers, conviction of committing a federal crime. If our politicians so callously destroy these citizen’s rights, what would make any of us believe our Right to Life or any other right is any safer? Once that breech is made and we allow ANY citizen’s rights to be taken away, ALL of EVERYONE’S rights are very much in danger and it is only a matter of time before we lose them all. It gets scarier…), Liberty (“Liberty” is not the right to have sex with whoever you want, nor the right to behave in vulgar and selfish manners. “Liberty” is the right to control your own life. In Europe at this time, a common man could not move or change jobs without his “lord’s” permission, and if the lord told him to move, he had no choice but to obey. In many European countries today, you are still told what occupation you will pursue in high school and college and you are not allowed to change. If the auto companies need two hundred new workers, then by golly, you are going to be an auto worker! Socialist countries are even more restrictive, often telling you how many children you can have and who you are allowed to marry.


My dad told me about some men from Sweden he worked with who were appalled when a coworker quit his job. In their country, to quit like that was a death sentence since you would not be allowed to get another job for six months as punishment and would be given no public aid. They were totally floored when the same man showed up the NEXT DAY in a delivery truck for another company. They could not comprehend having that kind of control of your own life. In America, if my hubby were to decide to quit being a middle manager, move to New Jersey and become a Petunia farmer, there is nothing anyone in government can say to stop him. He has Liberty.) and the pursuit of Happiness. (“Do not Steal.” Exodus 20:15. This is a quote borrowed from John Locke who said that "no one ought to harm another in his life, liberty, or possessions." Thomas Jefferson evidently believed ownership of property to be just one aspect of “the pursuit of happiness” and so changed it to a more inclusive word. Again, this phrase does not mean we have the right to unlimited partying or big screen TVs. It means we have the right to own land and houses and other things, that we earn the money for, without anyone taking them away from us without Due Process of the Law. Throughout history, any higher official (which would be anyone higher on the social ladder) had the right to tear down your house and make it a manure pit if he wanted to. You did not own your own land unless you were a lord or higher. Everyone else (the common man) had to rent his home and land from the “land lord.” This document states that everyone, no matter their rank, has the right to own their own land as well as pursue their own interests (something unique to the US and ancient Israel. Check out your Old Testament). It does not guarantee the attainment of those things we pursue. That is between us and our God. It does guarantee that the government can not take your land away, nor stop you from doing what you want without a jury trial. Everyone, from that unwanted baby in a ghetto hospital to the President himself has these rights and are not allowed to interfere with anyone else’s right. Unfortunately, zoning laws and “environmental” laws are increasingly infringing on these rights.) — That to secure (make sure everyone has them and are un-interfered with) these rights, Governments are instituted among Men (not among higher, simi-devine beings as many think of politicians, but human beings), deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, (the only just government power comes directly from permission from the people being governed) — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness (If a government becomes oppressive and quits acknowledging and respecting these rights, it should be replaced by the people of that nation.). Prudence (wisdom), indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes (We should work within the system whenever possible); and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed (Humans tend to put up with a lot of abuse in order to keep the peace. Things have to get pretty bad before they will be changed). But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security (But we owe it to ourselves and our children and even to God to change things when they do get bad). — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States (King George of England had treated the colonies as little or no more than slaves. Things had got to the point that the colonists felt they had no other choice than to revolt). To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world…”

They then list their complaints against King George (murder, kidnapping, stealing property, torture, burdensome taxation, etc.). They had in fact tried every peaceable way they could to achieve a tolerable amount of their rights. The King just wouldn’t listen and, in fact, had intentionally treated them worse for their attempts.

“We, therefore, the (Elected) Representatives of the united States (A “state” is an independent country. The colonies thought of themselves as thirteen mini-countries, not one big one.) of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world (God) for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence (“Providence” is God’s direction, His will.), we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Did you notice how often God is mentioned? So much for this not being a country founded on the Christian religion. In fact, the rights listed here come from our Bibles. These men were some of the most educated men the planted has ever seen and they were very familiar with their Bibles as well as history. They had seen what worked in the past and what didn’t.

For the complete Declaration of Independence complete with the biographies of the signers, go to http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/index.htm

Dublin Declaration | Committee for Excellence in Maternal Healthcare

Dublin Declaration | Committee for Excellence in Maternal Healthcare

A Declaration of the Rights of Childbearing Women - by Leilah McCracken

A Declaration of the Rights of Childbearing Women - by Leilah McCracken

Women and Mothers

My nutty children have taught my 2yo to call me Mamasita (sp?). to see such a little squirt saying such a big word and in another language- hilarious. (We have been using Rosetta Stone for Spanish lessons for a few months now. I highly recommend it. Your family will be much better off with all the discussions of pantelones sopa added to your life:-D)

Big news of the week: The house four doors to the north of us burned down. We had six different police departments and at lest four different fire companies here. A little touchy when the field/backyard caught, but they got it all out. Such a beautiful house, too. The only sight-built on the street:-(

Things like this remind us all of the impermance of stuff. The young couple that lived there went to work like normal that day. I can imagine them coming home and thinking "I'm sure I left the house right there." They havenothing but what they had in their car left. Nothing.

The facts on college.

A blantant example of propaganda. A publisher puts a warning lable on the Declaration of Independance and the Constitution. The lable itself advises parents to tell their children that our society's ideas on certain issues have changed since these were written. This very "disclaimer" is the publisher's attempt to undermine the documents it is selling; an atempt at question begging. They are planting the idea that these documents no longer apply to us without giving us the honest option of facing the question "do these documents apply to us." Disgusting.

christianity has been the biggest force for equality of respect for women. Other religions either elivate them to dimi-goddesses or subjects them to sub-humanity. However....

Modern "Christianity" has lost its way. It is now a feminized religion. I don'treally blame men for leaving the church. It's time we began acknowledging God as the Warrior King He is. Can't wait till the sequeal of this article is printed.


"Motherhood is not about the mother; mothers are in full-time ministry serving the Lord.”-Mark Driscoll

The consumer is the ultimate power.

Woman as Mother by Mark Driscoll

No more twitter

I am too long winded for twitter. I will be deleting my account soon.

This is my Great-Great-Great-grandma.

I guarantee this woman did not eat fast food (picture was taken in the 1890's). In fact, all her food would have been organic and made from scratch. She did not spend her time watching TV or surfing the net either. Her floors were swept, not vacuumed, she walked nearly everywhere she went, washed all her clothes by hand, etc.

If weight is the result of laziness and fast food, why is she a large (though I understand short:-)) woman? Could it be that some of us are just made to have more to love? That it is natural and healthy for some of us to be a size 20 just as it is natural and healthy for some to be a size 3?

Almost 900 doctors sign Dublin Declaration, affirm abortion is not maternal health 

 

At last! Beginning to match the outcry of an angry left

 

 

Today's and Yesterdays work

Chapter 5

1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.’ “

2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.”

What the King James Bible renders “LORD” is the word Yehovah which means “The Existing One;” In other words, “The I AM.”

Pharaoh was not familiar with this particular God. If he was Neferhotep I of the 13^th dynasty, he was brought up the son of a priest. He would have known about all the gods of the Egyptians. This was not one of them.

3 And they said, “The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.”

4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, “Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? Get you unto your burdens.”

Pharaoh felt no threat from the God of a bunch of slaves. He probably thought that if their God was powerful enough to cause him harm, they wouldn’t be slaves in the first place.

5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.”

“Ahhh, you all just want a vacation.”

6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

7 “Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

He is punishing Israel for asking for a vacation.

8 “And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

His logic is that if they were working hard enough they wouldn’t have time to dream up such ideas as vacations and other gods than the ones he worshipped.

9 “Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard vain words.”

10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, “Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

11 “Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.”

Israel was being used to make bricks.

Archeologists have discovered a town in the Egyptian delta named Kahun that was inhabited by sematic slaves. This town was by the great building projects of the 12^th dynasty, including the last of the great pyramids (which was built of bricks, not stone). Scarabs found in the town tell us it was occupied until sometime in the reign of Neferhotep I, when it was abandonded suddenly (lots of furniture and tools left behind as if the people didn’t have time to pack.) There are boxes with baby boy bones in them under the floorboards of most of these houses, sometimes several skeletons, all about 1-3 months old.

12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

In most of the world throughout history bricks were made with just mud and then baked to make them stronger. However, in a country- like Egypt- with no trees, this would have been too costly to fuel.

Instead, archeologists tell us the Egyptians made bricks with a mixture of straw and mud. The straw gave substance for the mud to hold to, but more importantly, the acid produced by the decaying straw “baked” the bricks, making them much stronger with much less fuel than baking them in a kiln.

13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, “Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.”

The Israelites had a certain quota they had to fulfill[1] which was not lessened even though they were no longer provided with the materials they needed to make bricks with.

14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, “Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?”

15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, “Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

16 “There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick:’ and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.”

17 But he said, “Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, ‘Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.’

18 “Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.”

19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, “Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.”

20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

21 And they said unto them, “The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savor (scent) to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.”

 The Israelites were upset. They wanted Moses to deliver them from slavery, not make more work and a cause for beating! Yet God knew their slavery was not harsh enough yet to keep them from returning when things get hard in the wilderness, so He is making sure it gets uncomfortable enough they won’t want to come back.

22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, “LORD, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? Why is it that thou hast sent me?

23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast Thou delivered thy people at all.”

Moses is confused. He evidently expected God to cause Pharaoh to just release them, even though God told him that wouldn’t happen that way. Sometimes we all get impatient for God to act even when He has told us His timing was different.

Chapter 6

1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, “Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.”

God promises that not only will Pharoah LET them go, he will MAKE them go.

2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, “I am the LORD:

3 “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

4 “And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

5 “And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered My covenant.

6 “Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

7 “ ‘And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

8 “ ‘And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.’ “

God is reassuring them that He exists, knows what is going on, and is in control. His promises WILL come true.

9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

They didn’t believe him because things were so bad they couldn’t picture them ever getting any better.

10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

11 “Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”

12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?”

“If those who are supposed to worship You don’t believe me how can someone who doesn’t even believe in You? I still don’t talk so good.” Evidently Moses thought the Israelites lack of belief was due to his inelegance of speech, but it wasn’t. They just chose to not believe.

13 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Now we are going to get a list of who all was meant by “Israel.”

14 These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.

Each son of Jacob headed a tribe (with Joseph’s two boys leading one each, also.) Each of their boys headed a clan. The tribe of Reuben had four clans.

15 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon.

The tribe of Simeon had six clans.

16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

Levi had three clans. The Bible further breaks them down;

17 The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.

18 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

Amram, Moses dad, was Jacob’s great-grandson. Now, my great-grandfather was born only a hundred years ago, but then, his dad didn’t live to be 133. With these much greater lifespans, plus the fact that Moses was eighty, it is easy to believe Israel has been in Egypt for two-hundred years.

God told Abraham that “…Thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;” Some older translations and the Jewish scriptures interpret this scripture as “…and they shall afflict them UNTIL four hundred years.” Meaning four hundred years from the time God was speaking, not from the time Jacob went down into Egypt. They would inherit their land in 400 years.

Accounting for the time from the prophecy (1939_BC) until Jacob’s birth (1878_BC) and the famine that drove him to Egypt (1757_BC), there was 182 years before Israel even arrived in Egypt. Add another two hundred years of sojourn there, and you get your four hundred years to fulfill the prophecy. This would be about 2513_AM (1533_BC).

21 And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.

Izhar and Uzziel were Amram’s brothers.

22 And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.

23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Aaron’s wife was the Great-great-grandaughter of Judah. Her brother was a leader of the tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:9).

In modern Judism the linege is figured throughthe mother. If your mom is a Jew, than you are too. This is apparently not true here in ancient times. Aaron’s wife was from the tribe of Judah but their children were called “Levites” after their dad’s tribe.

24 And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.

Korah was Izhar’s son, Levi’s great-grandson.

25 And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

26 These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.”

27 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.

I wonder if these last few verses were written sometime after the first chapter of Exodus? It sounds like it.

28 And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt,

29 That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, “I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.”

30 And Moses said before the LORD, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?”

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[1] Archeologists have found records in Egypt keeping a tally of bricks required and produced by slaves during various times throughout history.

The Bill of Rights

(This is a continuation of a seris of posts I began some time ago. Click to see my explination of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independance)

Congress of the United Statesbegun and held at the City of New-York, onWednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

[Several states were concerned that the federal government would become too powerful and tyrannical, so as a condition to their passing the constitution, congress was to make certain amendments to it to protect the individual from the government]

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

Note: The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form. These amendments were ratified December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights."

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…

[This does not say, “there shall be a firm wall of separation between church and state.” That statement comes from a private letter written by Thomas Jefferson. This amendment says that the federal government cannot force everyone in the country to be Presbyterian, Methodist, or Episcopalian. It does not protect government from religion, but religion from the government. The fact is that no human being is non-religious. Those who claim to be worship themselves or humanity in general. Thus, everyone brings their religion to public office and that religion influences how they behave and what laws they want to pass.]

…or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;

[The government is not supposed to have the power to decide who says what. Certain music stars have accused us of violating this when their record sales fell after they made disparaging remarks about George W Bush. That is simply nonsense. Private citizens have the right to spend their money however they want to and if they choose to not support a singer who they disagree with politically that is their right. A violation of this clause would be if Bush had thrown them in jail for their comments.

Some politicians would like to enact the “fairness doctrine” which would force radio stations to give equal time to liberal and conservative talk show hosts. This is a blatant violation of the first amendment. You see, people who listen to the radio talk shows are generally conservative working people. That is why liberals can’t make a profit on talk shows. Since radio stations cant afford to give large amounts of time to liberals for free, this law would force them to take conservatives off the air. The law would not apply to TV or newspapers, which are largely used by liberals and are unprofitable to conservatives.]

…or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,…

[We have the legal right to hold peaceful protests and to associate with whoever we want to. During the Revolutionary War, England made it illegal for more than three colonists to be in the same place at the same time, except for church on Sunday morning. Some local governments are violating this clause by trying to end in-home Bible studies. They allow lare groups in homes to watch football games and hold teas and book club meetings, but studying God’s word is illeagle. This also violates the free exercise of religion.]

… and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

We have the right to complain; to write our congressman.

Amendment II
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

[The first thing any tyranny does is remove the weapons from the citizens so they can’t fight back. The philistines did it to the Israelites in the time of king Saul. Hitler and Mao Se Tang did it to their populations. Tenimen Square would not have happened if those college students had had guns to shoot back. The government would have had to listen to their complaints. As one bumper sticker stated, “Fear the government that fears your guns.”

There is also the practical fact that states with the toughest gun control laws have the highest crime rates. After all, criminals have no problem breaking gun control laws any more than any other law, leaving the law-abiding citizen an unarmed victim. States where a bugler is very likely to find himself looking down the barrel of a 45, don’t have nearly as many robberies. Crooks are evil, not stupid.]

Amendment III
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

[When England sent their army to control the colonists, they forced the average citizen to house and feed their soldiers in their own homes.]

Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

[The government does not have the right to send policemen into your home fishing for something illegal. They have to know ahead of time what they are looking for and where it will be and get a judges permission. The courts have ruled that this applies to social workers, too. If they show up at your door, you do not have to let them in unless they have a search warrant.]

Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury,…


[The government must give you a trial. They can’t just throw you in jail indefinitely.]

… except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; …


[This does not apply to the military, which needs to function under different rules due to the nature of war.]

…nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; …

[Once a person has been tried once for an offence and found not guilty, the government cannot come back and retry him, even if they find more evidence against him. This is to prevent them from keeping those who politicians disagree with out of commission fighting court cases over and over.]


…nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself,…


[You can not be forced to say anything against yourself in the witness stand. This is called “pleading the fifth.” The courts have said that it applies to spouses, also. A wife cannot be forced to witness against her hubby and vice versa.]

… nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;…


[The government cannot punish you without a proper trial. Unfortunately, they have forgotten this in their enthusiasm for the pursuing the drug war. The federal government now regularly “arrests” property of those they accuse of being drug trafficking and the owners will never see that property again. This law has been used to harass law-abiding citizens who have disagreements with government officials. Since there is never any trial, they have no way to fight back.]

… nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

[The government cannot take your land to build a freeway without paying you the value of that land. But who decides what a piece of land or other property is worth? Owners are often paid well under what their land is worth. Also, it is common for the government to declare a piece of land “environmentally sensitive” and force the owner to not use that land (while still paying property taxes, of course). This has forced many a rancher to sell out just plain go bankrupt, only to have the government (Nature Conservancy) turn around and parcel up his land into luxury “ranchettes” sold at a high price. Or the government regularly condemns a perfectly good, low income neighborhood in order to sell the land to business developers who will pay higher taxes than low income citizens will. Many of our officials need a serious refresher course on this amendment.]

Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial,…


[It was common practice in England to leave the accused in prison for years and never quite get around to holding a trial. Great way to control your enemies without actually having evidence they did anything wrong.]

… by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation;…


[In other countries it is not unusual for your to be arrested, tried and imprisoned without ever knowing what you did wrong. Here, the government must tell you what you are being accused of and present evidence of your wrong-doing.]

… to be confronted with the witnesses against him;…


[The accused has the right to sit in the courtroom and hear all the evidence and look the witnesses in the eye and ask them questions. This is to protect the innocent from being railroaded by the government and to lower the risk of mistakes being made.]

… to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, …

[All these laws are stated here because England and other countries were violating these basic rights. It was not uncommon for someone to go to jail because they were not allowed to have someone come and witness for them.]


…and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense….

[You have the legal right to a lawyer. Our system will pay for a lawyer if you can’t afford one and if you don’t like the one appointed to you, you have the right to demand a new one.]

Amendment VII
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

[In a lawsuit you can choose to have a jury decide the matter instead of a judge and the court cannot overrule their decision.]

Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

[Governments have a bad habit of punishing people more than is reasonable. For example, in the middle ages it was normal for a person to be tortured to death on the rack for shooting a deer to feed his starving family. The punishment should fit the crime. This does not however, mean that inmates have a “right” to TV or any other luxury, though prison officials know people are easier to control when the are veged in front of the “Plug in Drug.”]
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

[“We haven’t thought of all the rights a person should have, so just ‘cause it isn’t written in here doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”]

Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

[“If we have not specifically given the Federal government the right to do something in this document, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MESS WITH IT. It is to be left in the hands of the states or the citizens.” This includes education, retirement, healthcare, and many, many other areas; many of which were discussed in the Constitutional Convention and decided against the feds interfering with. This means that Public Schools are inherently unconstitutional as is Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and many other programs our feds are now involved in. In fact, income tax (which was outlawed in ---------- of the constitution) would not be necessary at all if the government wasn’t messing in these areas. That would leave us enough money we could take care of ourselves and wouldn’t need Uncle Sam’s help and would be free form his regulations.]

The Buffet Rule

Don't even know if Buffet said the things attributed to him in this email I received. Doesn't really matter the source though. It's the principals that matter.

 Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise. 

Warren Buffet is one of the richest men in the world. He made his money partly by being smart with the stock market (a good thing) and partly by manipulating politicians to pass laws that drove his competitors out of business without really hurting him, all in the name of "protecting the consumer."Any ideas he proposes need to be examined very carefully. In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.      I REPORT, YOU DECIDE.   The BUFFETT Rule   We must support this - pass it on and let’s see if these idiots understand what people pressure is all about.   Salary of retired US Presidents .. . . . .. . . . . .. . $180,000 FOR LIFE   Actually, CEO's get 3-4 times this much (or more). This doesn't sound out of line to me for the CEO of the most powerful country in the world. Of course, it doesn't count that his housing, travel and a whole bunch more is paid for outside this salary. So this is actually an artificially/dishonestly low number but even then not unreasonably high. Salary of House/Senate members .. . . . .. . . . $174,000 FOR LIFE This is stupid   Salary of Speaker of the House .. . . . .. . . . . $223,500 FOR LIFE This is really stupid   Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders . . .. . . . . $193,400 FOR LIFE Ditto last line   As we discussed, "for life" needs to end. However, if the entire US budget were $1.00, Congress and presidential salaries and benefits would come to a fraction of a penny. This is not where America's biggest financial problems lie. Average Salary of a teacher . . .. . . . .. . . . . .. .. $40,065 This is for 9 months of work per year, or about $53,000 if they actually worked a whole year like everyone else; Dead Average. Certainly not something to pity them over, especially since many don't work 40 hours per week for this pay. This is included here as an emotional trigger and doesn't really have anything to do with government. Average Salary of a deployed Soldier . . .. . . .. $38,000 This doesn't count his room and board, though, does it? Isn't this on top of Uncle Sam giving him food, clothes, medicine and housing? So this is a dishonest number meant to pull on our emotions, as the teacher numbers are.   I think we found where the cuts should be made! If you agree pass it on, as I just did.   As I just said, congress is a tiny fraction of the government's money. Cutting out 100% wouldn't affect our budget one twit. Military and social security are the biggest expenses, followed by social programs. Public Schools (another unconstitutional idea) are the biggest problem for state budgets.  As I said Sunday, give congress a raise, but make them pay for all their own staff and goodies like the rest of us do. They want to hire their wife as a full time assistant? Great! They can pay her salary instead of us. That's fair. Currently, the congressman gets his pay, his wife gets an additional salary as his "assistant," his adult kids, cousins, best friends, etc all also get additional salaries paid for by the tax payer. Talk about milking the system... Warren Buffet, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:   "I could end the deficit in five minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election".   Agreed! though, I firmly believe in term limits which makes this irrelevant. They would be ineligible for re-election by the mere fact that they are in congress. Actually, Buffet could end the debt in 30 seconds by simply writing a check (he's that rich), but that's besides the point... And "no budget = no pay!" It's stupid for us to constantly run without a budget. It keeps them from being accountable and making it so we can see what is going on. Also, we need to require honest bookkeeping. Currently, all budgets are made for the next ten years. All numbers you see are intentionally reported in such a way as to hide what they are really doing. When you hear the complaint "The Republicans hate (say) children because they cut (say) school budgets by 50%" what they are really saying is "The Republicans only approved a 30% school budget raise ten years from now instead of a 60% raise." We need to force them to use honest budgeting methods that show the truth. The 26th Amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only three months and eight days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.   Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.   Historically, if an amendment doesn't pass within a couple of years, it never will. Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.   In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.   Congressional Reform Act of 2015   1. No Tenure / No Pension.  A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office. Amen And a limit of one term for the senate and two for the house. No more aristocracy. Actually Andy says what we should go back to the states each choosing their Senator (like the Constitution says) and have the House filled through a lottery system; anyone with an income of $40,000 and who voted in the last election goes into an electronic "hat." Whoever is chosen at random (and the state appointed senators) gets a good quality computer and free internet, a congressional salary, and is required to join eCongress meetings. This would make the House truly normal citizens (because it could easily be argued that only the mentally ill/narcissistic would choose to participate in current politics). Doing it electronically would mean they continue to live in their home towns (not DC fairyland) keeping the reps in the real world, connected with those they are supposed to represent.   2. Congress (past, present, & future) participates in Social Security. Well, I personally believe SS should be fazed out. It is unconstitutional and really nothing more than a Ponzi scheme, but since so many have been depending on it for so many years, we need to set an age (35? 40?) and say "If you are over this, nothing changes. You still get SS. We will continue to go in debt to keep our promise to you. If you are younger, you don't pay SS taxes, your employer doesn't pay them (15% total), but you must save for your own retirement." Before SS the average American saved 20% for "a rainy day" Today it's less than 1%. Chili did this a few years ago and it is working well.   All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose. Meh, Ok. The real problem with SS, though, is that we don't have enough babies. Anyone who can do basic math can see that if you have 4 retiring grandparents for every 1.8 workers being born (the current birth rate) you WILL run into problems eventually. Ponzi schemes only work as long as the base keeps getting bigger and bigger. Simply making everyone responsible for their own retirement instead of taking from their kids and grandkids (that's how SS runs) solves this problem.   3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. Should, not do.   4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. OK   5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. The American People do not have one type of healthcare. Many have insurance paid for by their employers (some better than others). I have no problem with serving officials getting health care as part of their employment package. But when they leave office, it goes away.   6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.   "All (hu)men(s) are created equal..." -Declaration of Independence. This is what this means! It's already law. 7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/1/15. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.   Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and go back to work. Amen!   If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people, then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Don't you think it's time?   THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!   Fix congress, yes, sort of. This is actually just a knee jerk reaction that makes us feel better but doesn't address the problem. Our government needs to be returned to what our founding fathers first set up, with only a few tweaks (the postal service, for example, is in the Constitution and I supposed the FF could be forgiven for not foreseeing UPS, FedEx, email and texting, but the principal of USPS violates the principals of the Constitution. The government needs to get out of mail service.) I once looked up the US budget and roughly figured what was not constitutional (about 2/3). Then I looked up all the unconstitutional taxes (such as income tax, SS tax) and fees. Eliminating the unconstitutional expenses would eliminate the "need" for the unconstitutional incomes. Or in reverse, congress violates the Constitution to collect money for programs that violate the Constitution and remove our freedoms to control our own lives. Government is like fire. We must have fire to live (cook our food, heat our homes, cars run on tiny fire/explosions, etc.) But fire is dangerous and must be kept as small and controlled as possible to do the job. And if the job can be done with a different tool it should be. You could, theoretically, cut the wood to build a house with fire, but it would be dangerous, messy and wasteful. Government is necessary but must be kept as small and controlled as possible. It is too dangerous to use it for anything more than absolutely necessary. If we can do the job without government it is safest and most efficient to pursue that method.