IT'S YOUR RIGHT

Can you imagine being forced by the government to worship a certain way? How about being arrested and sent to prison with out a trial? Or knowing that the police could come to your home without and warrant, even in the middle of the night and take you or a family member away?

People in other countries and in other times in history have suffered under government systems that allow(ed) things like this to happen. But we Americans are protected from such occurrences thanks to our Bill of Rights....or are we?

I have always believed that the Bill of Rights is a perfect document, one with out flexibility or question. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger picked the first Amendment as the most important, he said "It opens the door to ensuring all other rights." But over the past 100 years the bill of rights has been under attack by those seeking to destroy the very freedom we have come to enjoy.

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.

That is pretty straight froward. People have the right to practice the religion of their choice and to express their opinions freely; the press can not be controlled by the government; the people may meet freely and may ask the government to address their complaints. However, there is a growing voice on the part of the current administration to silence such people as Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Glen Beck. Why? Well, simply put, it's because they do not fall in line with the policies of this administration, or simply because they question; when all they are asking is a redress of their grievances. Let's say the new FCC czar does silence these voices. Who will he come after next?

AMENDMENT II
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.

Here again it is straight forward and concise. State militias are important to the security of the states; the government may not interfere with the right of the people to have guns. However, That last statement has come under scrutiny. Some interpret that to mean; only the militia can have guns. But read what it says. look at how it is written, including the punctuation. ...the security of a free state ,(the comma meaning and) the right of the people (not the militia) to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Now let's say that the unthinkable happens and they interpret this to mean only the militia can have guns. Where does it stop? the amendment reads...the right of the people to keep and bear arms...How will they interpret the word arms? Is it your hunting bow? Is it your knives? Is it a sharp stick? My friends, once that door is opened...

For the sake of time I have reviewed only two of the amendments of the Bill of Rights, I hope to do more very soon. Fight the battle with honest questions and demand logical answers. For what its worth. BJ