Some people have criticized me for not speaking like a psychologist. By profession, choice, and a lot of work and experience, I am an Industrial and Organizational Psychologist (I/O Psych). An I/O Psych collaborates with people to improve systems, organizations, and the processes that naturally occur when you put a bunch of people working together on a task in the same room. I do not charge people $500 an hour to listen to them and offer platitudes. By this comment, I am not dismissing, denigrating, or deriding my fellow practitioners; I am merely drawing a distinction. My education, experiences, or talents do not make a patriot; my choices do!
The First Amendment of the U. S. Bill of Rights states:
“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.”
Notice the stress placed upon peacefully assembling. I do not care about your grievances, but, as long as you protest peacefully, do not block commerce, traffic, or allow emotions to cross over into violence, I will fight to the death your right to peacefully assemble. The same is true of expressing speech; you can speak like a blathering idiot, and I will fight to the death for your right to be the blathering idiot and only expect that you respect my freedoms of speech and fight to help me maintain those rights. I do not care what god, gods, or God you worship, even if you refuse to worship a god, gods, or God. I will fight to the death your right to believe as you choose, provided you respect my rights to worship as I choose; this includes not waging lawfare to change religious expressions in society. Peacefully allowing religious displays does not intrude, hurt, or even influence you, so please stop wasting community resources as you practice lawfare.
The Second Amendment of the U. S. Bill of Rights states:
“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.”
People who own weapons legally, per the codified laws of the 50-states, are not terrorists, hell-bent on capturing the world; cease criminalizing the ownership of firearms! Emotion has overcome reason, logic, and common sense on this issue. The tools of policy (law enforcement) should not be made the bad guy because a political figure is demonizing legal gun owners. If you want to stop crime, reduce gun-related violence, and improve society’s safety, arm the citizens, don’t demonize them!
The Third Amendment of the U. S. Bill of Rights states:
“No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.”
Some people will erroneously think this is not that big of an amendment; I beg to differ. America is a Country of law! How grateful we all should be that the government cannot lodge soldiers in our homes in peace or war without law properly ascribed. Now, I am not claiming that all laws are good or bad, merely stating that there is a law, and the laws can keep us free.
The Fourth Amendment of the U. S. Bill of Rights states:
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
The Fourth Amendment has been beaten and bloodied but remains a crucial and vital aspect of constitutional law in protecting citizens from the government. However, legislation continues to be passed that infringes upon this amendment. The FISA courts are a perfect example of unconstitutional legislation being allowed to thrive, based solely upon the excuse, “National Security.” The cogent points of the laws allowing this abuse of constitutional rights are found in Charles Reich’s (1943) writings, specifically since the early 1930s in America, the citizens have been seen as the property of the Federal Government and the bureaucratic lackey’s! As Americans, if we are to remain safe and secure in our homes from illegal government overreach, the Fourth Amendment needs to be strengthened! As a patriot, I will fight to the death for your right to be safe in your home from illegal government search and seizure, for if you lose your rights to safety in your home today, I will surely lose my rights tomorrow.
The Fifth Amendment of the U. S. Bill of Rights states:
“No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
The Fifth Amendment continues to be bloodied and badgered by the liberal leftists who seized the government, regardless of their stated political party! Consider how the FISA Court warrants were abused to obtain support for false accusations before President Trump took office. Yet, put the same liberal leftists on trial, and they will scream their rights under the fourth and fifth amendments are being infringed. As a patriot, I will fight to the death for your right to be safe from illegal government overreach, for a jury trial, and to protect your rights to life, liberty, and property. If you lose your rights today, I will surely lose my rights tomorrow.
The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights states:
“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.”
Over the last four years, the legal-political theater has been a constant reminder of the Sixth Amendment’s importance. How many people were arrested, charged, then waiting for a year or more while the political drama played out, and the accused were innocent of any crime; too many! The importance of a speedy trial is understood in the phrase, “make charges appear against them.” Too often, where politics and law merge, this phrase is being used, the law abused, and the political gamesmanship is disgusting! Consider General Flynn; he was innocent, lost his job, and had to fight a multiple-year battle to clear his name, all because the liberal leftists “made charges appear against him.” Due process of law is fundamentally enshrined in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. Every time the government overreaches and abuses these amendments, real people suffer, and chaos in the law ensues! Why does chaos ensue; well, there is another legal axiom at work, “Bad cases make bad case law!” Essentially, when a judge issues an order, this creates the opportunity for another lawyer to use that case law as an example to stretch the envelope just a little bit further.
For example, eminent domain, June 2005 – Eminent Domain, Kelo v. City of New London by a 5-4 majority, affirmed the city’s right to seize private land as part of an economic development plan—a redefinition of the “Takings Clause” under the Fifth Amendment. The U.S. Constitution clearly states that “private property [shall not] be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
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- Until this decision, the Eminent Domain and Taking Clause had been strictly and rigidly defined. Five judges who believe in judicial activism opened this “Pandora’s Box,” and the havoc has been nonstop ever since.
- What was in this legal “Pandora’s Box;” before Kelo, eminent domain had been limited to direct government ownership, excluding property transfers to private corporations. With Kelo, the question of whether economic gain, resulting from a “taking” for corporate interests, constituted “public use” finally came under Supreme Court scrutiny, and five judges declared that if a corporation has interests, those interests are the same as government interests.
- As proven by Eminent Domain, corporate interests change with economies. When corporate interests change, the property holder does not get their property back, and if seized under eminent domain, the government can choose what the value of the property is worth.
- Ever want to see the power of bureaucrats in action, look at the abuses that property owners have suffered through eminent domain. Ever want to see why judicial restraint is critical, look no further than the still undeveloped land in the Kelo case!
As a patriot, I will defend your rights to a speedy trial. A trial with due process of the law, speed, and urgency to restrain the lawyers and political operatives from “making charges appear” against you, hoping for your help in protecting my rights when the government comes to remove them from me.
The Seventh Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights states:
“In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.”
The Seventh Amendment is another amendment that, unless you have been a small claims court party, does not get a lot of attention. Yet, I am exceedingly grateful for this amendment! But, like the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments, this amendment continues to be bloodied and abused at the hands of willful people for personal gain! As a patriot, I choose to uphold the rights enshrined in the U. S. Bill of Rights, even those deemed obscure by politicians and activist judges who would see these amendments removed.
The Eighth Amendment of the U. S. Bill of Rights states:
“Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”
The courts regularly change the rules where bail is concerned, the various state legislatures also continue to meddle and change bail rules because of the term “Excessive Bail.” More, the lawyers continue to claim particular punishments are “cruel and unusual.” However, as a patriot, I do not see the death penalty as either cruel or unusual, as I have studied crime and punishment throughout history. There are much worse punishments that have been inflicted! When a penalty is harsh, less crime is committed for fear of suffering the same fate. Examples of this abound, even though many practitioners in psychology and lawyers will disagree. To really influence crimes committed, both the sentencing needs to be a deterrent, and the nuclear family needs to be supported in society. As a patriot, I support both the nuclear family and harsher punishments for a crime being committed. Better still, I support freedom under the Rule of Law; the same law that applies to a poor man applies to a rich man. The same Rule of Law that applies to the politically unconnected applies to the politically connected. There is no reason why position, money, or influence should create a rule for thee and a different one for me, and this practice must cease forthwith!
The Ninth Amendment of the U. S. Bill of Rights states:
“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”
The Ninth Amendment is essential, as not all human rights were encapsulated in the U. S. Bill of Rights, and this is a good thing! The government cannot proscribe rights, nor can a person claim a right in ambiguity. For example, recently, a person declared they had a right to a driver’s license. A driver’s license and the privilege to drive is not a right; driving is a liberty closely controlled by the government. Just as marriage is closely regulated and guarded liberty by the government, while I agree with driving, marriage should not be governed by the government but by religion. However, since the government has seized marriage control and regulation from religion, as a patriot, I will support the government’s assumed right to regulate marriage until this can be changed in the legislatures at the Federal and State levels of government. Is the purpose of the Ninth Amendment clear?
The Tenth Amendment of the U. S. Bill of Rights states:
“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.”
My favorite amendment allows me to declare, as long as I follow the laws as rightly established in the legislatures and enforced by the executive branch of government, leave me alone! More, as long as my actions do not infringe upon others’ rights, I can insist on being left alone by the tools of government policy. You can insist upon being left alone to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, all because of the Tenth Amendment! Celebrate this amendment, for, without it, the government could invent a right to pester you, and you would have no recourse. Better still, this amendment declares something that is profoundly simple and exquisite in design; the individual states have control over the Federal Government.
Legal precedence and judicial activists would have you think otherwise, but this is not true. The states were designed to be independent bodies, joining the Federal Government to solve conflicts between states amicably, ensure commerce between states was fair, and provide for the common defense rationally and logically. Thus, the U.S. House of Representatives as the “People’s House,” and the U. S. Senate was the “State’s House,” where governors dictated who should represent the state. When your governor lost control of the Senate, individual states’ rights were captured by the Federal Government, and chaos has ensued ever since.
The following has been written expressly for American society; however, the same dissection of your countries laws should be made to understand your rights and plot how to dissent legally while supporting your society’s good. It remains imperative that before one launches on a dissension path, they know how to sail the waters successfully. Hence, look at individual rights in your society, claim those rights, for if you do not claim those rights, they will be taken!
Regardless of your society, being a patriot is a choice. You choose to stand for another person’s rights because you know if you do not stand today for others, tomorrow the government will come to take your rights, and no one will care. Please choose to be a patriot.
A final word, faith is like freedom; when you possess freedom, and when you see freedom violated, you know. Hope is believing in that which you cannot see, but long to keep. Charity is the mindset of believing that all are equal and deserving of their fundamental human rights. The fight to throw off the chains of bondage placed by the liberal leftists will require faith, hope, and charity. Be believing, be hopeful, and be charitable and that which you send out will return!
© Copyright 2021 – M. Dave Salisbury
The author holds no claims for the art used herein, the pictures were obtained in the public domain, and the intellectual property belongs to those who created the images.
All rights reserved. For copies, reprints, or sharing, please contact through LinkedIn:
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