The Dec. Of Independence: Weak Judges and a Bureaucratic Army

Have you read the Declaration of Independence? You really should, so you’ll see where we came from and the fact that we’re going back to the tyranny we fought a war over. This is a 10 part series on the Declaration. Let’s begin.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

I had to do a look into the historical context of the above. But the king was worried about more people going to America, in particularly the Germans who apparently had a independent streak. So he made hard to get to America or even buy land here.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

Not only did King George make laws, he stacked the courts in his favor. Judges had to answer to him if they wanted to keep their positions. It’s not the same today, but it is similar when the Senate and President belong to the same party the Federal judges they appoint have a similiar worldview has the party that put them there.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

Bureaucrats and regulations. Just. Like. Today.

We defied one tyrant, fought for freedom, and birthed a nation based on the foundational right to live your own life as long as you do no harm to others. We have been moving steadily backwards from the ideals that founded America, and we should be ashamed. The power is in the people, and we abdicated that authority to faceless bureaucrats. We have a choice, Dependent or Independent. Which are you?

Next week, I’ll look at more of the charges against King George and see if we suffer under the same today.

America, Not The Land of the Free Any Longer: Civil Rights

People are under the impression that one party or the other is out to get them. And I’m getting fed up with the holier than thou attitudes of both parties while they play that tune to the hilt. You want to know the truth, it’s all about power. They just disagree on who has it and will step on us to get it. That’s why I’m turning this into a series exploring how both sides want power over us.

Let’s look at their Civil Rights records. Both sides say their against discrimination. Yes well DOMA, and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell were bipartisan. Both parties supported it. Both sides voted to repeal DADT. Republicans want to ban Gay Marriage with an Amendment. Preferential treatment for one group over another is also discriminatory. That’s not equality.

Gun Rights? The Right to protect myself? Democrats do not recognize the Second Amendment, or the word “infringed”. Republicans have eroded that one also. Not as many, but neither side are paragons of virtue when it comes to gun rights.

Rights for black people? The Civil Rights Act was bipartisan. Both sides supported it, and LBJ filibustered it as a Senator until it became politically popular. Think about that before you praise him.

Free Speech? Democrats want a Fairness Doctrine, Republicans want to make it illegal to burn a flag. Both sides support Hate Speech laws, and will shout over and slander instead of debate the ideas. Everyone above puts a limit on free speech. Any law that limits what you say because you might hurt someone’s feelings or any other reason is there to control you and the ability to transfer your thoughts.

Property Rights? Two words…Income Taxes, one just wants to take less than the other. Two more words…eminent domain. Yeah its Constitutional but that doesn’t make it right. What? Was that blasphemy? We have no property rights, if you do have property you are taxed on it, like your home or car and WILL go to jail if you don’t pay for the “privilege” of keeping the fruits of your labor. The Democrats Healthcare law that requires me to buy insurance, requires me to spend the fruits of my labor on something I don’t want to or I will be fined. Both sides forcing me to buy car insurance. You’ll even be taxed when you die. We have property privileges, not rights.

As you can see, neither side wants you to be free in your speech, money or how you live your life while doing no harm to another. How did I come to this conclusion? Simple, right from the parties websites and their records. Think about it. I’ll bring you more examples soon in this series.

Democrats.org

GOP 2008 Party Platform

New Arkansas Laws Going In Effect; The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Tomorrow the chains tighten in Arkansas. All the new laws kick in gear. ArkansasNews.com had an article on it on Sunday that you can read here. Let’s see what a few of these laws are:

Act 811 outlaws smoking in a car with a 14 year old, primary offense, you will be stopped and forced to pay 25$. This is just another way for the state to get revenue when it is enforced. If they really were worried about young lungs they’d push the limit to 18. I think a cop is more worried about that guy swerving all over the road than you smoking.

Act 1193 makes it illegal to sell scrap metal without documentation, which will push it underground where you’ll have black market scrap just because it’s easier.

Acts 48 & 71, reimburses legislators on the cheapest travel fare and prevents them from being a lobbyist for a year after their out of the legislature.

Act 142 makes it illegal to picket 300 feet from a funeral. This was aimed at Westboro Baptist “Church”. And I don’t like it on principle. You have a right to speak on any public property. If it’s privately owned, then you can keep them off.

Act 1046 let’s cops impound your car if you don’t have insurance or sufficient coverage. I don’t like this law because you shouldn’t be required to buy car insurance. It’s a wise choice, and I would even if it wasn’t required. And before you say it’s to protect whoever you may hit, I have on word for you…Lawsuit. If someone hits you and isn’t willing to repair the damage they caused, sue them. That’s why we have a civil court system. Or Judge Judy, your choice.

Small Town Tyranny Continues; The Regimes in Gould, AR & Quartzite, AZ

Last Monday I brought the First Amendment infringement by the city councils  in Gould and Quartzite, you can read that here. It hasn’t improved. The Gould City Council refuses to repeal the unconstitutional ordinances! Instead they want to amend them. Amend it how? Well to quote this story from the Fox 16 website…

Council Member Harry Hall says one ordinance should actually be written to ban groups from meeting in a city-owned community center because the city can’t afford to pay the utilities for the building.

“Get your own place. Don’t use the city,” said Hall.

Oh, so the taxpayers are not allowed to use a community center that their tax money is paying for. What the hell! Hey Harry! The Community Center is their place! Another quote from the story…

But there are still other ordinances that need answers.  For example, one is written to ban the mayor from meeting with people without council permission.

“The Mayor wants control over everything and were just not going to let him have control,” said Hall.

I wonder if Hall got permission and a script before he talked to Fox 16 or is it “do as I say, not as I do”? How is talking to your employers(the citizens of Gould) being a control freak? They still don’t get it.

Meanwhile in Quartzite…

Now those officers are on leave and under investigation. A Fox11 news story here. How dare they question the authority of their King, the police chief! Its  good to see some good cops willing to stand up. I wonder if they can arrest the police chief? Tyranny can come from all angles, from an abusive and controlling spouse, to a city council, a state government or all the way up to Congress and the President.

Declaration of Independence; My Way Or The Highway

Have you read the Declaration of Independence? You really should, so you’ll see where we came from and the fact that we’re going back to the tyranny we fought a war over. This is a 10 part series on the Declaration. Let’s begin.

“He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.”

Calling together the English congress in weird and far off places doesn’t seem that bad today but remember, this was the 1700s. You had 4 modes of transportation, feet, horse, carriage or boat. And if the King has you hopping all over the country you’ll be more likely to agree just so you can rest. And if you do show some spine, he’ll fire you and liquidate the legislature. The equivalent of when you lose a game of checkers you kick over the board.

“He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.”

After he kicked over the checkerboard he wouldn’t let anyone else play either. And a organized group fights stronger than a lone man, so if a village was invaded, the King didn’t care. The subjects were pawns for his amusement. How does this apply today?

Well the President doesn’t make Congress travel all over to meet, and he can’t liquidate it. But this President and past ones have kicked over the checkerboard and done whatever he wants. How? Executive Orders. The same thing that “gave” the EPA the power to regulate CO2 when Cap & Trade failed. Or entering Libya and staying beyond the War Powers limits.

But it’s not just the President to blame, because we don’t have warring political branches so much as warring ideologies and parties. And when the Congressional majority and the President is from the same party, that Congress will continually abdicate more authority to that President. An example, Iraq. War was never declared, so it’s an illegal war, but Congress kept funding it. And then complain when another party’s President does the same. Not to mention the regulatory power of all the government agencies who make regulations with the full power of the law that Congress doesn’t vote on.

We defied one tyrant, fought for freedom, and birthed a nation based on the foundational right to live your own life as long as you do no harm to others. We have been moving steadily backwards from the ideals that founded America, and we should be ashamed. The power is in the people, and we abdicated that authority to faceless bureaucrats. We have a choice, Dependent or Independent. Which are you?

Next week, I’ll look at more of the charges against King George and see if we suffer under the same today.