I was watching Gov Huckabee last night and then again on re-run and he had a little kid on reciting passages of the bill of rights and the Constitution, and some lady spreading how that she was going to educate Americans about what it means, which in Fox language means there are a whole lot of lies coming sooon to a TV near you.
The document that is the basis of law in this nation is really a simple document, that men and women have fought for 230 years about what it really says should tell you right there that people have been attempting to make it say what they want it to say, rather than what it does say.
Some people claim it is a living and breathing document and must change s we change, which in some cases it must when it was written they never imagined the internet, nor a court that would claim that a corporation would have the same rights as a human being to contribute money to a political candidate without limits. Space flights and who owns outer space, who owns DNA and genes, etc? That is where the Supreme Court comes in and as we have seen in the past decade even those 9 exalted robed ones make some bad decisions Bush V. Gore, and Citizens United.
By 5-4 vote, the court overturned federal laws, in effect for decades, that prevented corporations from using their profits to buy political campaign ads. The decision, which almost certainly will also allow labor unions to participate more freely in campaigns, threatens similar limits imposed by 24 states.
From this MSNBC Supreme Court rolls back campaign cash limits
The United States Constitution
The Bill of Rights or the first 10 amendments
Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
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Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
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.
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Amendment 3 - Quartering of Soldiers. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
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.
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Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure. Ratified 12/15/1791.
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.
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Amendment 5 - Trial and Punishment, Compensation for Takings. Ratified 12/15/1791.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, 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; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
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Amendment 6 - Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses. Ratified 12/15/1791.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, 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; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
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Amendment 7 - Trial by Jury in Civil Cases. Ratified 12/15/1791.
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.
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Amendment 8 - Cruel and Unusual Punishment. Ratified 12/15/1791.
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
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Amendment 9 - Construction of Constitution. Ratified 12/15/1791.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
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Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
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.
Many people want this document to say many things, many of them not even close to the truth,but this document has lasted 230 years and is one of the most famous documents in the world. It is the backbone of this nation, and it is what both Republicans and Democratic elected officials point to as the glue that holds this nation together.
Many nations use it as a basis for writing their own Constitutions for a creation of a democracy in their own lands.
I spent most of my life is military service to this nation and I always loved coming home, as bad as it seems some times due to poltics, this is still the greatest place to live, that I know, it is where my family lives, my friends, and compared to most other nations, it is by far a much nicer place to live, and our Bill of Rights and the Constitution and even the decisions the Supreme Court makes most of the time, make it the most fair place to live, we are a nation of laws, we do not rule by which person has the most weapons or the most powerful weapons as some countries do, we settle our political differences at a ballot box every 2, 4 or 6 years.
I am amazed while we have large military forces in 2 nations forcing democracy down their throats at the point of our weapons, we have a group that is made up of 18% of all Americans called the TEA Party that seem to think they can intimidate the other 82% into accepting their idiotic ideology as facts. Where was their concern about deficit spending of trillions of dollars when President George W Bush and VP Cheney were cramming 2 wars on our nations credit cards down our throats, Medicare Part D (none of it paid for) 2 major tax cuts during 2 wars, which we could not afford, and then a major bail out of Wall Street that they lied and stated they were going to buy the bad mortgages, instead they bought bank stock or was it just a interest free load? That gets confusing what with the Maverick suspending his campaign back then.
The republicans railed against an activist court and yet that is exactly what they have in the Roberts Supreme Court activist judges and yet they demand President Obama pick a moderate for the new vacant position why? Would they have demanded President Bush pick a liberal? I doubt it, I hope President Obama tells them to go pound sand. Hell put Ron Reagan or Robert F Kennedy Jr on the Supreme Court and tell the Republicans to suck wind.