"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."
What this means is that unless it is specifically stated in the United States Constitution, the federal government can not do it. The first amendment states, in part, that Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of a religion. This means that Congress can not tell everyone that they have to belong to the Church of America in order to be a citizen. This was written by people who were forced, by virtue of being British citizens, to belong to the Church of England. However, this amendment was not binding on the states. Massachusetts, for example, has in their constitution (written after the ratification of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights) an official state religion. Other states had official state religions as well, but that is ok, because the Bill of Rights was written to limit the powers of the federal government, not state governments.
Powers that are not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states. Powers such as education, health care, gun control. None of these are mentioned in the constitution, except for gun control, which is not allowed. Gun control is mentioned in the negative by the second amendment which says "...the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." But again, this is meant for the federal government, not the states.
The government of the United States is supposed to do the will of the people, not force the people to do their will. For too long, the federal government has been assuming more power than delegated to them. For too long, they have been taking the rights of the people away. WE THE PEOPLE need to remind them that they are to serve us, not the other way around. WE THE PEOPLE need to pay attention to who we send to Washington DC. WE THE PEOPLE need to vote out our representatives if they don't represent us. WE THE PEOPLE need to take back our rights that have been slowly stripped from us by representatives who do not represent.
Showing posts with label Constitution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Constitution. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
The birthplace of the President
There has been much speculation since before the 2008 election on the true birthplace of Barack Obama. According to official reports, he was born in Hawaii and therefore, a US Citizen by birth. Some reports, however, say that he was born in Kenya and not a native born American. If that is true, he is not legally the President of the United States. What is true and what is not true?
That is a good question. If it were up to me, he would be stripped of the office because of the mess that will be left when he does leave office, but is there a legal reason to do so, based on his place of birth?
Let's look at the facts. Barack Obama was running for the Democratic nomination for president against Hillary Clinton. Mrs. Clinton, with her husband, Bill, know how to dig up dirt on political opponents. If there were any pieces of dirt to be found about Mr. Obama, I believe the Clintons would have found and used said pieces of dirt.
Therefore, my conclusion in this question is that there is no truth to the rumors that President Obama was born in a foreign country and not a native born American Citizen.
That is a good question. If it were up to me, he would be stripped of the office because of the mess that will be left when he does leave office, but is there a legal reason to do so, based on his place of birth?
Let's look at the facts. Barack Obama was running for the Democratic nomination for president against Hillary Clinton. Mrs. Clinton, with her husband, Bill, know how to dig up dirt on political opponents. If there were any pieces of dirt to be found about Mr. Obama, I believe the Clintons would have found and used said pieces of dirt.
Therefore, my conclusion in this question is that there is no truth to the rumors that President Obama was born in a foreign country and not a native born American Citizen.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Constitutional Authority
US Constitution-Article I, Section 8 - Powers of Congress
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
These are what Congress is authorized to do by the US Constitution. No where in here do I see anything about Social Security, running the nation's education system, mandating that every person purchase health insurance or quite a few other things that Congress has done over the years. Ask yourself and ask your representatives in Congress and in the Senate where the authority to do these things is in the Constitution. They have all sworn to uphold the Constitution and if they are passing laws that are beyond their authority, they ARE NOT upholding their oath. Let your representatives know that you expect them to defend and uphold the Constitution and that means not overstepping the authority given them by the Constitution.
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
These are what Congress is authorized to do by the US Constitution. No where in here do I see anything about Social Security, running the nation's education system, mandating that every person purchase health insurance or quite a few other things that Congress has done over the years. Ask yourself and ask your representatives in Congress and in the Senate where the authority to do these things is in the Constitution. They have all sworn to uphold the Constitution and if they are passing laws that are beyond their authority, they ARE NOT upholding their oath. Let your representatives know that you expect them to defend and uphold the Constitution and that means not overstepping the authority given them by the Constitution.
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