The US Bill of Rights – R.I.P.?

Friday, 15 December, is Bill of Rights Day as established by Congress. Just as 15 September is Constitution Day.

Like too many people (and religions) who celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth on 25 December and His resurrection (on Easter) but do not follow His teachings, many people (and government agencies) “honor” the Constitution and especially the Bill of Rights while ignoring and perverting its provisions and guarantees of God-given rights.

In 2023, it seems that such violations (of what is supposed to be the fundamental law of the lands we call the States) are expanded weekly. And at the same time, there are more and more calls for further violations. And for outright repeal of some – much – of the Bill of Rights.

Of the various ways that the rights are chipped away, it is the perversion of the text of the Bill of Rights that perhaps is a greater hazard to liberty. The rights as listed and protected in the ten articles are argued over constantly. The explanatory content of those short statements is used (like the Preamble to the Constitution) to try and restrict or actually remove much of the force of the prohibitions on government actions contained in them.

And things which are privileges and not truly rights are squeezed into the interpretation.

Starting particularly with the FDR regime, additional “rights” are shoe-horned into the understanding or various laws, generally claiming powers that are specifically restricted from the FedGov by this very document. Freedom from fear and freedom from hunger were added to the constitutionally-protected freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Yet at the same time, government and special interest groups (usually activists for both common types of statists:”conservatives” and “progressives”) chip away at all of those rights. Americans in general and school children are constantly encouraged to fear such things as manmade climate change and white supremacy and racism. Hunger is promoted and increased through attempts to prohibit the use of fossil fuels and raw ingredients (from mining and oil production) of fertilizers and banning of effective pesticides, and promoting warfare and combat that destroys crops and cropland while hysteria about diseases disrupts supply chains. Religious freedom is reduced and denied in the name of diversity, separation of church and state, and by government promotion of various ideas and philosophies. Free speech is resisted and restricted to prevent offense and supposedly to protect people from false ideas.

The list of violations of the freedoms, the God-given rights, guaranteed by the federal Bill of Rights (and the States’ Bills of Rights) is long. Far too long to include in TPOL’s commentaries. But one way or another, it appears that there are no provisions which have not been violated. Time and time again, starting with free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, continuing through the right to keep and bare arms, right down to the statement in the Tenth Amendment banning the FedGov from taking rights and powers away from the States and the people themselves.

As many (particularly Boston T Party and L Neil Smith come to mind) has said, there is no clear method of enforcement for the Bill of Rights: no specified method of holding Congress (or the rest of the FedGov) accountable for failing to live by the Bill of Rights. This is a serious concern.

But there are recourses available. Beyond the courts and refusing to re-elect people to Senate and House.

Freedom = I WON’T

Molon Labe (Come and take it)

The God-given right to defend ourselves, and the God-given obligation to defend others. From tyranny and other forms of aggression.

But doing these things requires courage. Both physical and moral courage. Which it appears more and more Americans do not have.

So, do we get the government we deserve? Regardless of what the Constitution says?

Your call.

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