[P.O.E.]

Also from the print edition:

"Today's installment of The Morning Call's Bill of Rights Forum focuses on the Third Amendment. It is one of the less-discussed amendments because it deals with an apparently archaic issue - the quartering of troops in private residences. As the accompanying essay by Frank Whelan shows, the issue behind the Third Amendment - control of the military in the United States - has been, and continues to be, relevant and important."

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It seems like the Third Amendment would also prevent the military from confiscating property and merhcandise for its use.

[P.O.E.]

I was pleasantly surprised to notice this morning that our local paper is publishing a series of articles on the Bill of Rights. The next installment is due on July 6, 2003.

The series started on May 1, 2003, with these columns:

The Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights shows founders' genius

Independent courts protect the rights of all

[Fiddlstix]

Ping

[MosesKnows]

it is hardly likely that U.S. leadership might resort to putting soldiers in American homes

I read a posting on Free Republic referencing an article that asked the question,
Which among Bill of Rights remains intact?

Only one amendment has survived intact. One by one all of the rights in the Bill of Rights have been "interpreted" away. Can you guess the single amendment which has survived, so far?

My concerns are for the nine that we have lost.

[Maelstrom]

The Third Amendment should also prohibit the quartering of extensions of those soldiers' senses.

Wiretaps, bugs, audio lasers and the like are all extensions of the senses...thus thwarting the spirit of the intent while seemingly not violating the letter of the law.

[Wilhelm Tell]

The Third Amendment is still important today, although some liberals scoff at it even more than they scoff at the Second Amendment. Either civilians will control the military or the military will control the civilian populace -- either directly or by "following the orders" of some dictator. In either case, the military is reduced to either being the puppet of any dictator or it is a power-broker that chooses the dictator. Countries that don't have an "archaic" protection similar to the Third Amendment seem to have such "modern" features like military death squads. The Founders were very wise in being cautious about standing armies.