Posted on May 1, 2015
Are we slowly losing our constitutional rights?
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I feel as each day passes, Americans are being slowly "conditioned" into a state where our constitutional rights are little to none.
Talk of gun control is absurd to me; it's obvious that the 2nd Amendment's original intent is to allow Americans the right to protect themselves with their own firearm without fear of repercussion. I don't understand how the argument, "Guns kill people." is legitimate to anyone because mentally unstable people kill people.. a weapon is a tool; an extension of a man's will. If the man chooses to kill someone, how can you justify punishing an entire nation by the actions of a few morons?
Just my $.02. There are a bunch of examples, but I wanted to get the input of the RP community. Am I imagining this?
Invite others to respond by typing @name
Talk of gun control is absurd to me; it's obvious that the 2nd Amendment's original intent is to allow Americans the right to protect themselves with their own firearm without fear of repercussion. I don't understand how the argument, "Guns kill people." is legitimate to anyone because mentally unstable people kill people.. a weapon is a tool; an extension of a man's will. If the man chooses to kill someone, how can you justify punishing an entire nation by the actions of a few morons?
Just my $.02. There are a bunch of examples, but I wanted to get the input of the RP community. Am I imagining this?
Invite others to respond by typing @name
Constitution
Bill of Rights
Politics
United States
Freedom
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 29
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Here is how I feel, and I hope none of you think I am crazy. Let me break it down by individual Amendments of the Bill of Rights.
1st Amendment:
Speech: Political Correctness dictates what and how we can say things without perceived (read: false) offense. Any criticism of the President means one is racist. Any criticism of Hillary means one is sexist. These are blatant violation of the Freedom of Speech.
Press: According to Senator Feinstein, any journalist not affiliated with a major newspaper or network, is not a real journalist. Any news site not affiliated with the above criteria i not a real news site. Many other people feel the same way.
Religion: Christians cannot publicly display manger scenes or any other Christian symbolism without being sued. This violates freedom to exercise religion. It seems only atheists and Muslims have any religious freedom.
Redress of Grievances and Peaceable Gathering: Marked off protest zones off the beaten path and laws against protests within a certain distance of officials who have secret service protection infringe on this. Also, selective permission for only certain groups to protest on college campuses violate this.
2nd Amendment:
Bans on types of magazines, construction of firearms, and certain types of ammunition are direct attacks on this amendment. Banning people from owning guns with no recourse for appeal, such as involuntary commitment, or being diagnosed with PTSD are blatant violations. (Convicted felons can petition for their gun rights and often can get them reinstated. Those mentioned above can't.
Also, any legislation (there are many) that limits the ability to procure, carry, or utilize certain firearms violates this.
3rd Amendment:
Contrary to popular and majority opinion and understanding, this amendment does not mean just housing soldiers in private homes, but primarily addressed the military acting as general civilian law enforcement. The militarization/nationalization of the country's police forces violates this in my opinion.
4th Amendment:
Using drones to spy on people, NSA's collection of emails, texts, and cell calls are the biggest violations of this. Laws being passed and upheld by higher courts allowing LEOs to search your car (without probable cause) during a traffic stop, and New York City's stop and frisk law are blatant violations of this. There are many more; all you have to do is a little online research.
5th Amendment:
The confiscation of personal property without due process (Just being charged, but not convicted) and it being sold, which happens in many jurisdictions violates this.
8th Amendment:
Bail amounts of astronomical amounts are being levied for minor offenses. Locally, a guy with a drunk and disorderly was levied a bail of $5000. This is more common than people think. This violates the 8th, in my opinion.
10th Amendment:
Ever since the Civil War, federalism has become less and less common. The federal government has been overruling states rights over and over again. The federal laws trump state laws, even though a separation of powers between the states and the federal government is guaranteed. The act of secession was indeed allowed under this amendment, but after the Civil War, the federal government has tried to keep all the states under its thumb.
So... are we slowly losing our rights? I believe we are indeed. Certain political figures, as well as special interest groups, who happen to be in the minority of the country's population, seem to be driving the direction of who gets what rights and when. As we move on into the future, I think this country will be so much more different than the original intent of the framers of the Constitution, even more than it is right now. If the Founding Fathers saw what was happening right now, they would not recognize this country as the same one they established.
Also, if we do not get away from this two-party political system that has all the politicians in bed with the corporations and the special interest groups, and start electing actual Constitutionalists, our rights will continue to further erode.
1st Amendment:
Speech: Political Correctness dictates what and how we can say things without perceived (read: false) offense. Any criticism of the President means one is racist. Any criticism of Hillary means one is sexist. These are blatant violation of the Freedom of Speech.
Press: According to Senator Feinstein, any journalist not affiliated with a major newspaper or network, is not a real journalist. Any news site not affiliated with the above criteria i not a real news site. Many other people feel the same way.
Religion: Christians cannot publicly display manger scenes or any other Christian symbolism without being sued. This violates freedom to exercise religion. It seems only atheists and Muslims have any religious freedom.
Redress of Grievances and Peaceable Gathering: Marked off protest zones off the beaten path and laws against protests within a certain distance of officials who have secret service protection infringe on this. Also, selective permission for only certain groups to protest on college campuses violate this.
2nd Amendment:
Bans on types of magazines, construction of firearms, and certain types of ammunition are direct attacks on this amendment. Banning people from owning guns with no recourse for appeal, such as involuntary commitment, or being diagnosed with PTSD are blatant violations. (Convicted felons can petition for their gun rights and often can get them reinstated. Those mentioned above can't.
Also, any legislation (there are many) that limits the ability to procure, carry, or utilize certain firearms violates this.
3rd Amendment:
Contrary to popular and majority opinion and understanding, this amendment does not mean just housing soldiers in private homes, but primarily addressed the military acting as general civilian law enforcement. The militarization/nationalization of the country's police forces violates this in my opinion.
4th Amendment:
Using drones to spy on people, NSA's collection of emails, texts, and cell calls are the biggest violations of this. Laws being passed and upheld by higher courts allowing LEOs to search your car (without probable cause) during a traffic stop, and New York City's stop and frisk law are blatant violations of this. There are many more; all you have to do is a little online research.
5th Amendment:
The confiscation of personal property without due process (Just being charged, but not convicted) and it being sold, which happens in many jurisdictions violates this.
8th Amendment:
Bail amounts of astronomical amounts are being levied for minor offenses. Locally, a guy with a drunk and disorderly was levied a bail of $5000. This is more common than people think. This violates the 8th, in my opinion.
10th Amendment:
Ever since the Civil War, federalism has become less and less common. The federal government has been overruling states rights over and over again. The federal laws trump state laws, even though a separation of powers between the states and the federal government is guaranteed. The act of secession was indeed allowed under this amendment, but after the Civil War, the federal government has tried to keep all the states under its thumb.
So... are we slowly losing our rights? I believe we are indeed. Certain political figures, as well as special interest groups, who happen to be in the minority of the country's population, seem to be driving the direction of who gets what rights and when. As we move on into the future, I think this country will be so much more different than the original intent of the framers of the Constitution, even more than it is right now. If the Founding Fathers saw what was happening right now, they would not recognize this country as the same one they established.
Also, if we do not get away from this two-party political system that has all the politicians in bed with the corporations and the special interest groups, and start electing actual Constitutionalists, our rights will continue to further erode.
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SPC Carl K.
I truly am not trying to single out a particular political party. It matters not what party you are involved with, it matters what is said in generality. Both parties are at fault here. It is truly hard to tell one parrty from the other. They both serve their corporate masters, since this country has become an oligarchy, instead of a democratic republic, as it and the media would have everyone believe. I hear all the time about a particular church or religious group being penalized for displaying religious symbolism that does not agree with Islam/Muzzrats.
The media is a tool for the establishment to try and tell everyone what the political status quo is.
The special interest groups I referred to were the gays, who ultimately make up 2.5% of our population. 0.8% of our population are the gays in committed relationships, looking to get married.
How do you tout religious freedom when Christians
The media is a tool for the establishment to try and tell everyone what the political status quo is.
The special interest groups I referred to were the gays, who ultimately make up 2.5% of our population. 0.8% of our population are the gays in committed relationships, looking to get married.
How do you tout religious freedom when Christians
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SGT Joseph Schmalzel
If you put a frog in a pot of cold water he will sit there as you turn the heat up, and in the end boil to death. They are chipping away slowly at our rights.
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MSG Stan Hutchison
SPC Carl K. - You have a long list there so I am going to respond to one at a time. You posted:
"Religion: Christians cannot publicly display manger scenes or any other Christian symbolism without being sued. This violates freedom to exercise religion. It seems only atheists and Muslims have any religious freedom."
That is simply not correct. What is correct is they cannot display those religious symbols on public property, like a courthouse lawn. They can display any symbols on their own property.
At least by Federal law. Some local laws prohibit some displays based on size, etc. We had a local man that had to move his manger display because it was on a corner and so large it blocked view of traffic, causing a potential for accidents. He moved it closer to his house and no problem.
"Religion: Christians cannot publicly display manger scenes or any other Christian symbolism without being sued. This violates freedom to exercise religion. It seems only atheists and Muslims have any religious freedom."
That is simply not correct. What is correct is they cannot display those religious symbols on public property, like a courthouse lawn. They can display any symbols on their own property.
At least by Federal law. Some local laws prohibit some displays based on size, etc. We had a local man that had to move his manger display because it was on a corner and so large it blocked view of traffic, causing a potential for accidents. He moved it closer to his house and no problem.
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Not to beat a dead horse, but far too many people talk about the constitution having never actually read it. The 2nd Amendment clearly states that carrying weapons was a matter reserved for militia.
**A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.**
It was Supreme Court decisions centuries later that redefined that right to include self-defense and hunting. We have the right to own guns, but it wasn't the Constitution, nor was it the correction that gave UA the right (the amendments were corrections or clarifications).
As for other rights, we aren't losing them at all. That's propaganda put out by a particular segment of America. The rest is debateable, I just wanted to clarify that point.
**A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.**
It was Supreme Court decisions centuries later that redefined that right to include self-defense and hunting. We have the right to own guns, but it wasn't the Constitution, nor was it the correction that gave UA the right (the amendments were corrections or clarifications).
As for other rights, we aren't losing them at all. That's propaganda put out by a particular segment of America. The rest is debateable, I just wanted to clarify that point.
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LTC (Join to see)
Your history is incorrect. Simply reading Washington will reflect what the militia is, the People, and their responsibility to deter a tyrannical government.
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1stLt Steven P.
As LTC Martin said, once must look at the words and their meanings at the time the constitution was written. The idea that all citizens could be called to form that well regulated militia required that everyone have the right to own and bear arms. The small military we had was not in the position to arm all the volunteers we needed. The militia of the period was also understood to be there to keep the government from over stepping its bounds.
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LTC (Join to see)
If you are going to beat that horse then please beat it correctly. Answer this- Whom were the militia being referred to in the 2nd Amendment?
The answer is We the People.
The answer is We the People.
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SGT James Murphy
Cpl Kirk Mullins - I'm not sure if we are agreeing on something or not.. I know that Joe Biden Did NOT Win the Presidential Election!
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