[alloysteel]

Amendment I: 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.

WAKE UP, AMURRICA!

What part of this guarantee of freedom of religion and speech is NOT under attack and being ignored by courts across the land? And what is not being attacked or ignored, is parsed to impossible limits. Burning of the Flag, despicable an act though it may be, or flipping someone off, is protected as "free speech", yet the Feingold/McCain campaign finance reform is in direct contradiction to the spirit and letter of this Amendment, and not found to be unconstitutional. This issue must be revisited again.

[ovrtaxt]

Dude, you're gonna get arrested for inciting a riot or something. Now be a nice citizen and forget all these grand ideas of 'liberty' and stuff.

[spodefly]

Sure, that document looks great, but it'll never hold up in court.

[snopercod]

Thanks for posting these quaint historical documents. At one time in America, they were the supreme law of the land.

• Amendment I - Freedom of speech violated by the Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002. (You can still assemble to petition your government for a redress of this grievance if you have a permit.)

• Amendment II - Right to keep and bear arms violated by the The Firearms act of 1968, The Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act of 1993, The Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, and many others.

• Amendment III - The only one which hasn't been violated (yet). I haven't heard of any soldiers being quartered in private homes.

• Amendment IV - The right to be secure in our persons, homes, papers and effects violated by numerous "War on Drugs" bills, The Telecommunications Act of 1996, The Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, and The "Patriot Act" of 2002.

• Amendment V - Private property? Just compensation? Due process of law? Violated by the Environmental Protection Act of 1970, numerous "War on Drugs" bills, The Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, and The "Patriot Act" of 2002.

• Amendment VI - Speedy and public jury trial? Violated by The "Patriot Act" of 2002.

• Amendment VII - The government has gotten around this one by holding two trials: One criminal, and one civil. If you can't convict someone beyond a reasonable doubt, then lower the standards to "a preponderance of the evidence" and try again.

• Amendment VIII - Excessive bail is routinely required for "political" crimes. Example: B.B. Nelson had to post $1 million bail for setting off a smoke bomb in the local EPA office in Titusville, FL.

• Amendment IX - Retained rights? - Just about every law that congress passes these days violates this one. For instance, do I have a right to fly? This amendment says I do, but Congress says otherwise. In modern America, "We the People" only have the "rights" that the federal government allows us to have. Rights are now permissions.

• Amendment X - "States Rights" have been null and void since the civil war and the passage of Amendment XIV in 1866.

Feel free to add to this list.

[orlop9]

great post

[Grand Old Partisan]

There are eleven, not ten, amendments in the Bill of Rights, the 27th being part of the original twelve passed by Congress as the proposed Bill of Rights.

[Henrietta]

The Bill of Rights: May it rest in peace. The third amendment is the only one that seems to still be working.

[patriot_wes]

Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,

Now who would even think of doing something like that? hhhhhmmmmm?