DEVELOPING . . . Deal or “NO” Deal
While the behind closed door deal was touted by Conservative traitors, public out cry for the non-stimulus and wails from Nancy Pelosi, that the money put back in wasn’t directed to more welfare, they are back to the drawing board.
The good news: there are cameras and we should have video of how this “behind closed door” process works.
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Mark Levin discusses the seizing of the US Constitution and interviews Conservative Sen. Jeff Sessions from Alabama on the stimulus bill –1st 15 min of show. Then at 55:56, Mark goes into detail about the universal health care and hits many kep points in Daschle’s book
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UPDATE:
48 Hour Review Period After Conference?
Posted at 4:25 pm on Wednesday, February 11, 2009
An interesting resolution came from the House yesterday as they officially sent their representatives into conference with the Senate to resolve the differences in the two passed bill versions:
From yesterday’s Congressional Record, Page H1096:
Mr. LEWIS of California moves to instruct the managers on the part of the House that they shall not record their approval of the final conference agreement (as such term is used in clause 12(a)(4) of rule XXII of the Rules of the House of Representatives) unless the text of such agreement has been available to the managers in an electronic, searchable, and downloadable form for at least 48 hours prior to the time described in such clause.
Mr. LEWIS of California moves to instruct the managers on the part of the House that they shall not record their approval of the final conference agreement (as such term is used in clause 12(a)(4) of rule XXII of the Rules of the House of Representatives) unless the text of such agreement has been available to the managers in an electronic, searchable, and downloadable form for at least 48 hours prior to the time described in such clause.
This instruction passed unanimously in a recorded vote. So in theory, talk of votes on Thursday or Friday this week are nonsense, unless the House decides to completely ignore this vote. There is some wiggle room to be had as the instructions specify that the text must be available to managers in the House, not the general public, but that still can’t be strictly true at least until final bill text is ready.
It would seem legitimate to expect the House to abide by this vote — and if it doesn’t, to ask why not….
hat tip: ReadTheStimulus.org
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Realistically, you can not blame this on just one party, this kind of mess is typical blundering breauracratic brilliance, and the reason under the Constitution, Article XIII, there is a clause that specifically stipulates there shall be “NO” lawyers elected or appointed to Congress. Too, bad that one is all but shavings.
So under this so-called stimulus, they are going to remodify the housing loan guidelines again in order that those, who shouldn’t have gotten home loans to begin with, can keep their homes for a few more months so we can start the process all over again?
I don’t re-call that housing loan modofication legislation was granted as a responsibility of Congress under the Constitution, do you?
I don’t get it, can someone help me out here?
(sorry sarcasm sneaks out once in a while)
Explaining The National Debt To the Children
Did you know that during the roaring 20’s, the National debt had been reduced by over 1/4?
“How did the debt get paid down so far then?” you ask. A bit of history not widely told is the depression/recession of 1920.
The Congress, although tempted to step in, stepped back and let the free market correct itself. The next year was a tough one, but the boom created by the free market and booming main street businesses, generated enough revenue to keep the national budget in check, while paying down the national debt. Now, some say it was the fault of the boom that created the “Great Depression” and the crash of the markets in 1929, however, that is not entirely true.
Although ramped spending sprees and less personal saving started the downward spiral, it could have been corrected as it was in 1920. However, Congress decided it knew better and started tinkering, trying several different things as it is doing today, and that children is what actually caused the depression.
It wasn’t until WWII and the need for supplies, that the free market was again unleashed, that is until the mid 1960’s. We’ll visit that bit of history at a later date.
I encourage you to talk to your parents, grandparents and church elders about these times in our nation’s history to learn how they felt during those times and what they did to make it through the depressions.
BREAKING NEWS . . . Lawmakers Resolve Differences on House, Senate Stimulus Bills
Just in from the Wall Street Journal…
By GREG HITT
WASHINGTON – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said an agreement on the stimulus bill was reached between the House and the Senate.
Congress and the White House have reached a tentative agreement on an economic-recovery package that would have a total cost of $789.5 billion over two years. The sweeping initiative is on track for final votes late this week on Capitol Hill.
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Mark Levin discusses the seizing of the US Constitution and interviews Conservative Sen. Jeff Sessions from Alabama on the stimulus bill –1st 15 min of show. Then at 55:56, Mark goes into detail about the universal health care and hits many kep points in Daschle’s book
No Matter How You Slice It . . .
Stimulus 
Bill . . . . . . . . “If getting rid of it was only this easy”
With the “NOT” surprising vote of 61 – 37 in the Senate yesterday, we are headed for a very long battle to reclaim Constitutional legislation. I was very proud of Sen. Thune again as he stood up and fought for us. His office staff have been very polite, concerned and accommodating in directing me to the staff who can best address my concerns.
Sen. Johnson and Congresswoman Herseth-Sandlin still stand by their votes saying because of certain provisions aka earmarks for South Dakota, they don’t have a problem and feel the excessive spending is justified to get the bill passed and signed. This only leaves me to conclude that they feel the same as NY Sen. Chuck Schumer. Here’s a gem from the Senate floor: “the American people really don’t care” about pork spending Democrats laced throughout the bill.
Well, Mr. Schumer, “I DO CARE”, especially the earmark legislation that has “NO” business being in there that sets the pace for Universal Govt Controlled Health Care by the year 2014.
Stimulus Bill page 444: “The utilization of an electronic health record for each person in the United States by 2014.”
This is only one line of many in the bill where is refers to “each person in the United States by 2014.
Now, MediaMatters, a left wing watchdog site to protect the liberals, is trying its hardest to dispel this and kill any objection quickly so those that say we don’t care about “PORKY” spending aka “HIDDEN TRUTHS” can ram this down that Americans throats before we would even know what hit us.
Daschle’s agenda since the Clinton era has been this very topic. His book, “Critical: What we ca do about the Health Care Crisis”, lays it out step by step on page 196, as how to get it slipped into an emergency/budget bill such as the stimulus, because he is tired of all the debate and just wants his way . . . a must watch . . .
For MORE stimulating video, please go to my vodpod.
Last night while visiting with the daughter, who works at Sanford, she told me of a conversation she had with Dr. Scott Ekland. It seems he is not thrilled about this new legislation, so if the doctors are leery . . . one can only imagine how it is going to affect the patients.
No matter how you slice it, it comes down to the US Govt making the decision as to what is “deemed” appropriate care. I think it is time we stand up and make it known to them what we “DEEM” is “APPROPRIATE” legislation for a stimulus/budget bill.
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Proverbs 11:23-25
The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
The 1st Step To Nationalized Healthcare..NOT A “Good Thing”
Much to my dismay, it seems that the 1st step to totally nationalize our health care system is well under way, and much to the detriment to our youth, but especially to the South Dakota elderly population.
Who do we have to thank for this? You don’t have to look too far, it is none other than our once Honorable Senator Tom Daschle, wo just recently brought great shame to his home state. Not by what he did to disguise income as a gift, but by waiting to see if he got a lucritive cooshy government appointment before he took action on it.
I know Sanford is on board getting things in place for this program, but I have not heard about Avera yet.
I also wonder if Sanford realizes the harm they will be imposing their esteemed staff and practitioners once they are made to only treat patients per national government guidelines lest they be penalized heavily. Not every technologically advanced item or system that is invented is done in good faith for the good of ALL people, this we have learned many times over.
I now leave you with this article that explains rather simlply the plan Daschle had all along and is why he was NOT re-elected in 2004.
Ezekiel 34:3-5 ~ You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.
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Commentary by Betsy McCaughey
Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — Republican Senators are questioning whether President Barack Obama’s stimulus bill contains the right mix of tax breaks and cash infusions to jump-start the economy.
Tragically, no one from either party is objecting to the health provisions slipped in without discussion. These provisions reflect the handiwork of Tom Daschle, until recently the nominee to head the Health and Human Services Department.
Senators should read these provisions and vote against them because they are dangerous to your health. (Page numbers refer to H.R. 1 EH, pdf version).
The bill’s health rules will affect “every individual in the United States” (445, 454, 479). Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system. Having electronic medical records at your fingertips, easily transferred to a hospital, is beneficial. It will help avoid duplicate tests and errors.
But the bill goes further. One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions (442, 446). These provisions in the stimulus bill are virtually identical to what Daschle prescribed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” According to Daschle, doctors have to give up autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners.”
Keeping doctors informed of the newest medical findings is important, but enforcing uniformity goes too far.
New Penalties
Hospitals and doctors that are not “meaningful users” of the new system will face penalties. “Meaningful user” isn’t defined in the bill. That will be left to the HHS secretary, who will be empowered to impose “more stringent measures of meaningful use over time” (511, 518, 540-541)
What penalties will deter your doctor from going beyond the electronically delivered protocols when your condition is atypical or you need an experimental treatment? The vagueness is intentional. In his book, Daschle proposed an appointed body with vast powers to make the “tough” decisions elected politicians won’t make.
The stimulus bill does that, and calls it the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (190-192). The goal, Daschle’s book explained, is to slow the development and use of new medications and technologies because they are driving up costs. He praises Europeans for being more willing to accept “hopeless diagnoses” and “forgo experimental treatments,” and he chastises Americans for expecting too much from the health-care system.
Elderly Hardest Hit
Daschle says health-care reform “will not be pain free.” Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. That means the elderly will bear the brunt.
Medicare now pays for treatments deemed safe and effective. The stimulus bill would change that and apply a cost- effectiveness standard set by the Federal Council (464).
The Federal Council is modeled after a U.K. board discussed in Daschle’s book. This board approves or rejects treatments using a formula that divides the cost of the treatment by the number of years the patient is likely to benefit. Treatments for younger patients are more often approved than treatments for diseases that affect the elderly, such as osteoporosis.
In 2006, a U.K. health board decreed that elderly patients with macular degeneration had to wait until they went blind in one eye before they could get a costly new drug to save the other eye. It took almost three years of public protests before the board reversed its decision.
Hidden Provisions
If the Obama administration’s economic stimulus bill passes the Senate in its current form, seniors in the U.S. will face similar rationing. Defenders of the system say that individuals benefit in younger years and sacrifice later.
The stimulus bill will affect every part of health care, from medical and nursing education, to how patients are treated and how much hospitals get paid. The bill allocates more funding for this bureaucracy than for the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force combined (90-92, 174-177, 181).
Hiding health legislation in a stimulus bill is intentional. Daschle supported the Clinton administration’s health-care overhaul in 1994, and attributed its failure to debate and delay. A year ago, Daschle wrote that the next president should act quickly before critics mount an opposition. “If that means attaching a health-care plan to the federal budget, so be it,” he said. “The issue is too important to be stalled by Senate protocol.”
More Scrutiny Needed
On Friday, President Obama called it “inexcusable and irresponsible” for senators to delay passing the stimulus bill. In truth, this bill needs more scrutiny.
The health-care industry is the largest employer in the U.S. It produces almost 17 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Yet the bill treats health care the way European governments do: as a cost problem instead of a growth industry. Imagine limiting growth and innovation in the electronics or auto industry during this downturn. This stimulus is dangerous to your health and the economy.
(Betsy McCaughey is former lieutenant governor of New York and is an adjunct senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. The opinions expressed are her own.) To contact the writer of this column: Betsy McCaughey at Betsymross@aol.com
Last Updated: February 9, 2009 00:01 EST
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Proverbs 11:23-25
The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
A Time For Change ~ “The Speech”
A Time for Choosing, also known as “The Speech”, was presented on a number of speaking occasions during the 1964. It is 28 min long and worth every minute of EVERY Americans Life to hear.
Even though Kennedy was a Democrat, JFK atleast knew that “We the People” should always be put before government ambitions and it is obvious in this speech that Ronald Reagan, “The Gipper”, was campaigning to make sure JFK’s legacy & the dreams of the American people he spoke so often of, and worked so diligently to protect from BIG government, would continue to flourish. Too bad we lost those years and we now stand to loose even more if we do not diligently work to constrain this 111th Congress and the Obama administration.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
more about “A Time For Change ~ “The Speech”“, posted with vodpod
1 Peter 5: 1-3 ~ To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
2 Peter 2: 2-3 ~ Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
What? Another $1.3 Trillion for Bank Bailouts On Top of the Stimulus? ARGH!
This is beyond imaginable; I hope the airwaves and internet blast this all day today and tomorrow and crush Obama’s campaign for his SPENDULOUS BILL!!! This is not a “Recovery and Reinvestment Act”…this is more like an “ACT OF RAPE” on the American people.
BREAKING NEWS:
Bloomberg is now reporting that coming this Tuesday, the new Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy (tax-cheat) Geithner is going to unveil a bank rescue plan, consisting of asking Congress for an additional $1.3Trillion for the Troubled Asset Relief (TARP) program. This is to be added to the already allocated (and spent) previous EESA funding for the TARP of $700Billion.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aOIOHVbliZdQ&refer=home
For those of you not keeping track at home, this is a possible total of $2 Trillion of taxpayer money that could end up in the vaults of the banks that caused this mess in the first place.
At the same time this hit the wires, Larry Summers, who took Geithner’s place at the New York Fed, gave an interview to ABC News’ George Stephanopolis. This is the opening exchange:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me ask about that financial overhaul. Originally, Secretary Geithner was supposed to give that speech tomorrow. Administration officials are telling me it’s now more likely on Tuesday?
SUMMERS: Yes, I think there’s a desire to keep the focus right now on the economic recovery program, which is so very, very important.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So Tuesday it is.
Full Transcript here: http://www.abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/story?id=6830708&page=1
This just goes to prove that a politician will say anything to get elected . . . 4 minutes of priceless video. If Obama really wanted to do what was right, he would have stuck to his so called values and principles in this video . . .
Reagan’s 2nd Inaugural Address, January 20, 1985, 4 yrs after our country’s greatest recession . . .
1 Peter 5: 1-3 ~ To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
2 Peter 2: 2-3 ~ Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
The “American Government Gone Mad” Recovery Act of 2009 – A Breakdown of What We Know So Far
The stimulus bill (H. R. 1) that left the House at 820 billion and quickly gained weight in the Senate to the tune of an additional 120 billion has now been relieved of that added pork and then some, but it is still NOT enough. My figures show it currently at 714, 516, 050 billion, however natl media is reporting it near 780 billion. Some of the appropriations are still held up in the Senate and have not made it to the final tally column yet. Those items listed are showing as [up for discussion]. I have placed the Excel Speadsheet in the BOX.NET widget for easy download.
What I can clearly see, from this extravaganza of a “Government Spending Spree”, is the fact that nearly 2/3 of the spending in this bill will not even hit the economy until late 2010 and in some cases, not until 2015 or later.
Thus, I can only conclude the we should all be: “Looking for tax increases and interest rate increases” in the near future as we did under the Carter & Clinton Administrations. Now, there’s a plan for jump starting the economy we “CAN’T” believe in.
200+ years of history have repeatedly proven that this type of spending does nothing to stimulate ANYTHING BUT GOVERNMENT. I wonder how many years we will have to endure? 2 or 4? I am praying for the lessor of the 2 evils.
UPDATE: It seems that Senate leader “Dirty” Harry Reid is refusing to allow a vote on an amendment to the stimulus, SA 239, cosponsored by GOP Senator Jeff Sessions and Democratic Senator Ben Nelson. This amendment would require any entity that recieves funds from this pkg to use the federal E-Verify citizen check system so that none of the funding would go to illegal immigrants.
The House passed their version of the E-Verfy amendment by a vote of 407-2, so what happened and why did it not make it into the Senate bill?
“Dirty Harry, I have a question for you: Did you forget you were working for US CITIZENS? There is still time for you to do what is right by the people of the United States of America. The time has come for you to either stand with us or resign”
Senator Harry Reid: 1-800-459-1887 or 1-202-224-3542 don’t be afraid to let him know how you feel about the E-Verify issue.
UPDATE #2:
Back during The Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover ordered the deportation of ALL illegal aliens in order to make jobs available to American citizens that desperately needed work.
Harry Truman deported over two million Illegal’s after WWII to create jobs for returning veterans.
Then again in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower deported 13 million Mexican nationals! The program was called ‘Operation Wetback’ so that American WWII and Korean veterans had a better chance at jobs. It took 2 Years, but they deported them! Now, if they could deport the illegal’s back then, they can sure do it today!! lf you have doubts about the veracity of this information, enter Operation Wetback into your favorite search engine and confirm it for yourself.
Reminder. Don’t forget to pay your taxes… 12 million Illegal Aliens are depending on you.
Hat tip to Mar, thx for another tidbit of history revived!
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Partially cut:
• $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion)
• $75 million from Smithsonian (original bill $150 million)
• $200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund (original bill $800 million)
• $100 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (original bill $427 million)
• $100 million from law enforcement wireless (original bill $200 million)
• $300 million from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles (original bill $600 million)
• $100 million from FBI construction (original bill $400 million)
Fully eliminated
• $55 million for historic preservation
• $122 million for Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters – does this mean they finally are admitting that “Global Warming” is a myth they created?
• $100 million for Farm Service Agency modernization
• $50 million for Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
• $65 million for watershed rehabilitation
• $100 million for distance learning
• $98 million for school nutrition
• $50 million for aquaculture
• $2 billion for broadband
• $100 million for National Institute of Standards and Technology
• $50 million for detention trustee
• $25 million for Marshalls Construction
• $300 million for federal prisons – Now how is this going to affect their goal of closing Gitmo? hmmm
• $300 million for BYRNE Formula grant program
• $140 million for BYRNE Competitive grant program
• $10 million state and local law enforcement – nothing like totally elimaninting funding to hire more law enforement to keep our communities safe. What kind of message is this sending?
• $50 million for NASA
• $50 million for aeronautics
• $50 million for exploration
• $50 million for Cross Agency Support
• $200 million for National Science Foundation
• $100 million for science
• $1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees
• $4.5 billion for General Services Administration
• $89 million General Services Administration operations
• $50 million from Department of Homeland Security
• $200 million Transportation Security Administration
• $122 million for Coast Guard Cutters, modifies use
• $25 million for Fish and Wildlife
• $55 million for historic preservation
• $20 million for working capital fund
• $165 million for Forest Service capital improvement
• $90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management
• $1 billion for Head Start/Early Start
• $5.8 billion for Health Prevention Activity
• $2 billion for Health Information Technology Grants
• $600 million for Title I (No Child Left Behind)
• $16 billion for school construction
• $3.5 billion for higher education construction
• $1.25 billion for project based rental
• $2.25 billion for Neighborhood Stabilization
• $1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing
• $40 billion for state fiscal stabilization (includes $7.5 billion of state incentive grants)
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1 Peter 5: 1-3 ~ To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
Despite Popular Belief By Many Liberal Idealogs, “God” Has Everything To Do With Our Constitution And The Laws Of Our Nation
On July 4, 1776, our Founding Fathers took the initiative and with the backing of “the people” signed the “Declaration of Independence” which gave the Republic its independence from Great Britain and the British Crown (Monarchy).
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the 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. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; 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. 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 — 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.
What we learn here is that from the time of the drafting to the signing, God played a pivotal role in adopting a new form of government. A form of government which Abraham Lincoln reiterated some 87 years later when he spoke these words in his address at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863 during the civil war:
…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
In reading the bible, it is self evident that our Founding Fathers were very religious men and held fast to their belief that God’s laws are the Supreme Laws to which all mankind will ultimately be judged.
Therefore, it was their reverence to God’s laws that guided them in the drafting of the 4 most precious documents in our nation’s history: the “Declaration of Independence”, the “Articles of Confederation”, the “Bill of Rights” and the “Constitution of the United States”.
Many Americans overlook the “Articles of Confederation” and only refer back to the “Constitution”. The Articles of Confederation were more general laws put in place until the final draft of the Constitution was finally ratified between all 13 states in 1789. Because of the tyranny that was enacted upon the people by the British Monarchy, which was the reason for the Revolutionary War, the framers of the Constitution made sure certain detailed rights were granted to the people in the way of the “Bill of Rights” so that the states and the people would have certain protections that a central government could not supersede.
Let us take a look at those rights, but first I would like you to see how many you can write down before proceeding…
Bill of Rights
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 defense.
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 reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
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.
Now that you know what your rights are, can you give examples of your daily life that pertain to these rights?
The most precious right to me is under Amendment I which gives us safe harbor from the government infringing on our religious beliefs.
Some schools have abolished the practice of prayer at special ceremonies such as graduations and they have also abolished the singing of religious songs during school concerts, and some even go as far as to disallow for prayer before meals, even when it is done silently.
There are those that would tell you that the Constitution calls for a complete separation of church and state in every aspect of our lives, however, this is not true. What the Constitution says is that there should be a separation of church and state in the legislation process so that one religion would not be allowed to get a controlling interest in laws adopted by the government that would favor a particular religion.
Last month I was blessed to be asked by our granddaughter to join her at school. She had been selected to be the “Driver” / classroom student of the week.
I got to the school in time to enjoy some recreation time with her and her classmates during recess, then we headed in for lunch. While many of the other students sat down and immediately began to eat and before I even had got completely sat down, our granddaughter said out loud: “grandma, are you ready to pray”? We were blessed to have the freedom to bow our heads and pray silently without any retribution from the other children or the school staff. I have to admit, I had forgotten just how loud a room of nearly a hundred grade school children can be. The gymnasium full of individual conversations, blending into a harmonic symphony of chatter, brought back wonderful memories of our children’s grade school days when I was a room parent.
After lunch we headed back to her room, where I had the laptop ready for her to give a picture slide show of her family and important occasions in her life, including her 1st communion. The teacher was very respectful and the classmates were very inquisitive and had lots of questions for her, which for a 3rd grader, she handled very well with little help from grandma.
In conclusion, I can not reiterate enough the well known fact that: “Children learn what they live”.
~+~+~ “My prayer is that more parents step up and start defending our 1st Amendment
right to freedom of religion; a freedom that could be lost if Christians of all faiths continue
to let those who cry discrimination, under a law that does not exist, to continue to wipe
away piece by piece, letter by letter, any existence of God from our nation, our government
and its history.”
~ James 1:25 ~ But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it ~ he will be blessed in what he does.
~ 2 Peter 2:18-19 ~ For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.
Additional learning: let’s see how many of children and parents can correctly match the word to its definition:
List of words:
Amendment, Anarchy, Authoritarian, Bureaucrat, Constitution,
Constitutional Monarchy, Democracy, Dictatorship, Election,
Government, Head of State, Monarchy, Parliament/Congress,
Political Party, Politics, President, Prime Minister, Regime,
Republic, Sovereignty, State, Theocracy, Vote
- A group of elected representatives that makes laws for a nation
- A society without government or order
- A democracy with a royal family as a symbol of the nation
- A head of state chosen by a diet, parliament, or congress
- A group that tries to control a government
- A system of government that citizens have no power to control
- The rules for the government of a nation
- A nation in which the head of state is not a monarch(not a king, queen, prince, etc.)
- A government by a single person or group, citizens have no power
- A person who is the leader, or symbol of a nation
- A system of official controls over a nation and its citizens
- A government elected by the citizens of a nation
- A process by which leaders are chosen by a group
- Independent power of a nation
- An unelected official who works in the government
- The practice and profession of ruling a nation
- A head of state elected by popular vote
- An official change to a constitution
- The leader receives power throught the familyand receives a traditional title
- The current government of a nation (this is a negative word)
- A nation and its government
- Government by religious leaders
- Making a choice
The answers can be found in this interactive crossword puzzle. Click on “show what you know”.
Constitutionally Speaking 