"I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids. She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance. She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons are shown and extended for her defense, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal. Conscious of this, she never wounds 'till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of
treading on her."1
This is my adopted symbol -- the First Navy Jack, also known as the Continental Navy Rattlesnake Jack. Let me say that I respect the Office of the President of the United States, and because of that, I cannot sit idly by as our cherished freedoms disappear and the bowl of socialism begins to cover our lamp. I hope President Obama reverses his present course and experiences an epiphany of freedom so that America can once again be "a shining city on a hill." I mind my own business and expect others to do so as well, but the American people will not be silent anymore because our rights are slowly being infringed upon. It's time to rattle, folks! We live in perilous times, if you haven't noticed. The silent majority must begin to speak, and speak loudly. We must stand up to election fraud, and we must once again respect the rule of law -- this includes questions of eligibility to become the President of the United States. We must not live in fear; we must not allow potential riots or unrest to keep us from obeying the law of the land. Racism is not a charge to be thrown out merely because we disagree with the president; the color of one's skin does not make a man right or wrong - his actions do. No one should get a free pass in the United States of America.
I am a Constitutional originalist/textualist. The Second Amendment guarantees the Constitution will survive. The reason we cannot believe the Constitution evolves or can go beyond the plain meaning of the text is because of what history has taught us:
"In the Nazi period, German judges rejected formalism. They did not rely on the ordinary or original meaning of legal texts. On the contrary, they thought that statutes should be construed in accordance with the spirit of the age, defined by reference to the Nazi regime. They thought that courts could carry out their task 'only if they do not remain glued to the letter of the law, but rather penetrate its inner core in their interpretations and do their part to see that the aims of the lawmaker are realized.' . . . .After the war, the Allied forces faced a range of choices about how to reform the German legal system. One of their first steps was to insist on a formalistic, 'plain meaning' approach to law"2
The United States Congress needs to get back to their Constitutionally prescribed duties in Article I, Section 8 and go no further. Anything else not prohibited by the United States Constitution belongs to the States (Amendment X). The President, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, should have extraordinary powers to deal with all enemies of the Constitution, foreign and domestic, but his peace-time power over the people should be limited in scope, adhering to the prescriptions of the Constitution. The government should return to being "of the people, by the people, for the people."
The States are simply going to have to stand up against a federal government that is growing in power and scope with each passing day. Our liberty depends on it. We're overtaxed to support others who choose not to work, who have figured out the system and milk it for all it's worth. There are people with legitimate disabilities who cannot work, who would give anything to work, but somehow are given less than those who choose not to do so.
Phase out welfare. Reduce the size of the federal government by adhering to the Constitution. Abolish the IRS and put in a flat tax. Engage in fair trade with other nations. Take away penalties (aka taxes) on corporations. Take away penalties (aka the death tax) on heirs. Give people a choice when it comes to education, retirement and healthcare. This is what I want for the people of the United States:
- Individual liberty
- Justice for all
- Free enterprise
- Strong national defense
- Limited government
- Traditional family values
We must stand together, not as FReepers, but as Americans, and sound out the battle cry:
DON'T TREAD ON ME!
1. Quote from "An American Guesser" (believed to be Benjamin Franklin). Pennsylvania Journal, 27 Dec 1775.
2. Sunstein, Cass. "Must Formalism Be Defended Empirically?" John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 70, March 1999.
About Me:
Single/Married: Single, never married (not by choice)
Favorite Quote: “Whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed
to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream
is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty’s lamp guiding your steps and opportunity’s arm
steadying your way." Ronald Reagan
