A great New Year's resolution ~ By Henry Lamb

The subject of this column by Henry Lamb may not be easily understood by the average American citizen. For the most part, none of us were around before the 17th Amendment was ratified. And I doubt that the importance of the 17th Amendment was discussed in your high school civics or history classes. We have only known that U.S. Senators are elected by popular vote. But it wasn't always that way:

The idea of people-powered government control of society offered by Marx ran head-on into the unregulated activities of laissez-faire capitalism. This produced a new system of political thought dubbed "Progressivism" by Theodore Roosevelt and others, in the late 19th century. This new hybrid political system pursued government policies that regulated economic and social activity without the government actually owning the sources of production – as Marx advocated.

Woodrow Wilson, a champion of Progressivism, ushered in the Federal Reserve, the income tax and the 17th Amendment – which destroyed the carefully balanced, unique structure of the American government. The 17th Amendment removed the states from the federal government altogether by allowing senators to be elected directly by the people rather than by the state legislatures.

Henry goes on to explain, "Since the Progressives sent Wilson to the White House, the states have had no voice in the approval of federal law to which states must conform."

In all honesty, I can't say that I was aware of the critical significance of what the 17th Amendment did until recently, and I'm still learning about it, with the help of the following two videos:

Restore the Republic - Part 1 ~ 26:04
Restore the Republic - Part 2 ~ 17:06

If you could spare the 43 minutes to watch the two videos above, along with reading Henry's entire column, you will probably understand much more about why the Constitution was written as it was, and why the 17th Amendment is leading the United States of America away from being a Republic as it was founded, and is being transformed into a Democracy, a "tyranny of the majority."

A great New Year's resolution

HENRY LAMB

By Henry Lamb

January 01, 2011 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2011

In hopes of returning to a previous, "better" condition, millions of Americans will resolve to: quit smoking, lose weight, or engage in some other activity to make their life better in some way. Suppose there were an activity in which Americans could engage that would make the entire world better, especially that portion of the world we call the United States of America. There is!

We can resolve to restore the original, unique republic created by our founders.

George Washington, Ben Franklin, James Madison and the handful of other great Americans who assembled in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 used nearly half of the Convention time debating the single issue of representation in the new government. Shall the new government be a government of the states, or a government of the people?

The Articles of Confederation created a government of the states, and any amendment to the Articles required unanimous approval. This arrangement was inadequate; no state could be compelled to comply with any directive from the government. James Madison's Virginia Plan proposed a new government of the people; Andrew Hamilton wanted a strong central government, with the president to be elected for life.

Small states argued that the Virginia Plan would essentially erase the small states because the large states would always have more delegates to the new government and could always outvote the small states. Delaware delegate John Dickenson nearly ended the Constitutional Convention by declaring that Madison's plan would exchange the tyranny of the king for the tyranny of the large states – tyranny to which small states would never submit.

Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman, of whom Thomas Jefferson once said: "… here is a man who never said a foolish thing in his life," suggested a compromise. His compromise would make the lower legislative chamber consist of representatives elected by the people based on population; the upper chamber, the Senate, would consist of two representatives from each state, chosen by the state legislature.

Madison compared such a government to a centaur – half man and half horse. Sherman's compromise government would be empowered half by the people and half by the states. This new form of government – unique in the world – would allow competition between the two sources of power, which would serve as a check and balance on each other to ensure that neither became domineering or tyrannical.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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Time for an amicable separation ~ By Walter E. Williams

Is Walter Williams suggesting that States start seceding from the United States?

The bottom-line question for all of us is: Should we part company or continue trying to forcibly impose our wills on one another? My preference is a restoration of the constitutional values of limited government that made us a great nation.

By Walter E. Williams

Posted: April 07, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010

Here's the question asked in my September 2000 column titled "It's time to part company": "If one group of people prefers government control and management of people's lives and another prefers liberty and a desire to be left alone, should they be required to fight, antagonize one another, risk bloodshed and loss of life in order to impose their preferences, or should they be able to peaceably part company and go their separate ways?"

The problem our nation faces is very much like a marriage where one partner has broken, and has no intention of keeping, the marital vows. Of course, the marriage can remain intact as one party tries to impose his will on the other and engage in the deviousness of one-upsmanship. Rather than submission by one party or domestic violence, a more peaceable alternative is separation.

I believe we are nearing a point where there are enough irreconcilable differences between those Americans who want to control other Americans and those Americans who want to be left alone that separation is the only peaceable alternative. Just as in a marriage where vows are broken, our human-rights protections guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution have been grossly violated by a government instituted to protect them. The Democrat-controlled Washington is simply an escalation of a process that has been in full stride for at least two decades. There is no evidence that Americans who are responsible for and support constitutional abrogation have any intention of mending their ways.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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Congress' legalized corruption ~ By Walter E. Williams

Lobbyists - with big money behind them - are in control of what Congress does. Does it make you wonder if it matters who is elected? Hmmm... a question worth pondering...

Okay, I'm done pondering. The answer is, YES, it DOES matter who we elect! We need to find people that will stick to the constitution, and not be bought off. Well, that is the hard part. Who's going to vote for some "loser" that doesn't care about money and power?

Hopefully, our nation's constitutional reawakening will begin to deliver us from the precipice. There is no constitutional authority for two-thirds to three-quarters of what Congress does. Our Constitution's father, James Madison, explained, "The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government, are few and defined ... (to be) exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce."

By Walter E. Williams

Posted: March 24, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010

If there is anything good to say about Democratic control of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives, it's that their extraordinarily brazen, heavy-handed acts have aroused a level of constitutional interest among the American people that has been dormant for far too long. Part of this heightened interest is seen in the strength of the tea-party movement around the nation. Another is the angry reception that many congressmen received at their district town-hall meetings. Yet another is seen by the exchanges on the nation's most popular radio talk shows such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and others. Then there's the rising popularity of conservative/libertarian television shows such as Glenn Beck, John Stossel and Fox News.

While the odds-on favorite is that the Republicans will do well in the fall elections, Americans who want constitutional government should not see Republican control as a solution to what our founders would have called "a long train of abuses and usurpations." Solutions to our nation's problems require correct diagnostics and answers to questions like: Why did 2008 presidential and congressional candidates spend over $5 billion campaigning for office? Why did special interests pay Washington lobbyists over $3 billion that same year?

What are reasons why corporations, unions and other interest groups fork over these billions of dollars to lobbyists and into the campaign coffers of politicians?

One might say that these groups are simply extraordinarily civic-minded Americans who have a deep and abiding interest in elected officials living up to their oath of office to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution. Another response is these politicians, and the people who spend billions of dollars on them, just love participating in the political process. If you believe either of these explanations, you're probably a candidate for some medicine, a straitjacket and a padded cell.

A far better explanation for the billions going to the campaign coffers of Washington politicians and lobbyist lies in the awesome government power and control over business, property, employment and other areas of our lives. Having such power, Washington politicians are in the position to grant favors and commit acts that if committed by a private person would land him in jail.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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Reviving sovereignty of the states ~ By Henry Lamb

I can always depend on great columns about Constitutional issues from Henry Lamb. Once again, he hasn't let me down. The protection of the Constitution is of utmost importance in preserving what freedom we have left. The First 10 Amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, was introduced by James Madison. The Bill of Rights was designed to "further clarify the authority and limitations of the federal government." Henry goes on to discuss the 10th Amendment in this column, which will help you understand the matter of States' sovereignty.

There is a growing effort in Western states to force the federal government to honor its constitutional limitation on land ownership and return to the states that which is rightfully theirs.

By Henry Lamb

Posted: February 27, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010

Is the federal government sovereign, with authority over state governments? Or, are individual state governments sovereign, with authority over the federal government? It's a simple question; it's the answer that's a problem.

The federal government exists because representatives of the states created it. This fact should provide a clue. The federal government was designed by representatives from the states in a document called the Constitution of the United States. The federal government became a reality when the Constitution was ratified by the ninth state, New Hampshire, on June 21, 1788. This infant government, created by the states, began operation March 4, 1789. From that day until this, people have been arguing over whether the federal government or the states possess the supreme authority.

It is quite clear that the people who designed the federal government intended it to be limited in its power. Article I, Section 8 sets forth 17 enumerated powers of the federal government. The first clause empowers the new government to "lay and collect taxes," to provide for the "defense and general welfare" of the United States. Here's where the argument gets nasty.

One group of people argues that the phrase "general welfare" means whatever Congress wants it to mean with no limitations. Another group of people argues that if this is what the designers intended, why on earth would they have bothered to enumerate the remaining 16 specific powers? It's a reasonable question that the first group prefers to ignore rather than answer.

To be sure that the federal government's authority stayed limited, the primary architect of the Constitution, James Madison, introduced the Bill of Rights in the very first Congress in 1789. These first 10 Amendments further clarify the authority and limitations of the federal government. The 10th Amendment, in particular, limits the federal government to those powers enumerated in the Constitution and explicitly reserves all other powers to the states and to the people.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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Happy 1st birthday tea-party movement ~ By Chuck Norris

This great column by Chuck Norris should not only be read, but you should definitely pass it on! Email it! Twitter it! Shout it from your roof top (but not if there's snow on your roof)!

There's a host of reasons why America has forgotten it's roots. One of the major reasons is that America's foundations is not taught in public schools like it should be. I'm sure there is a reason for why it isn't. Could it be that it's because progressives control public education in the United States?

America's greatest problem is that we have forgotten our roots. Too many of us don't know or don't feel connected to those who founded our country.

By Chuck Norris

Posted: February 22, 2010 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2010

It's still difficult to believe that last week President Obama actually celebrated Feb. 17 as the first anniversary of his stimulus plan (a.k.a. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), in which Washington borrowed $862 billion on American taxpayers' credit. Celebrate the piling of $1 trillion on the backs of our posterity? Call me clueless, but I've never considered easing present circumstances by going into massive amounts of debt as an answer to anyone's economic recovery and longevity.

But I bet there's one date the president definitely won't be celebrating: this Saturday, Feb. 27, which marks the first anniversary (or first birthday) of the tea-party movement.

To think, last year at this time, the mainstream media and Washington politicians were either completely overlooking them or labeling those patriot gatherings as extreme and wacky fringe resistances. WorldNetDaily was virtually alone in reporting the tea parties as a legitimate patriotic movement, like the original 1773 protest in Boston Harbor.

Today, just one year later, tea-party patriots have proven themselves as a collective and formidable force and foe against big government power and corruption. Even according to the latest CBS News/New York Times poll, roughly one in five adult Americans identifies with the tea-party movement.

Tea-party patriots cross all partisan lines. What unifies us is our fundamental belief that what America's founders established was good and right, that we've largely abandoned their vision, and the only recourse to reawaken America is to return to their principles and values. But that is easier said than done, as progressives have worked double-time to discredit and undermine them and the very pillars of their republic.

A few years back, an editor at the New York Times wrote, "The Founding Fathers were paranoid hypocrites and ungrateful malcontents." He's not alone. Many liberals in media and higher education share his sentiments, labeling our Founding Fathers as racists, bigots, chauvinists and charlatans, among other things. This is not only ungrateful – it's wrong. It's their contributions, not their character flaws, that we should be highlighting. As Samuel Adams said in 1771, "Let us first see it prov'd that they were mistakes. 'Till then we must hold ourselves obliged to them for sentiments transmitted to us so worthy of their character, and so important to our security."

Thomas G. West, professor of politics at the University of Dallas, rightly acknowledged our founders' worth in his excellent book "Vindicating the Founders" by pointing out that they "set up a government that did what no democracy had ever done before: It combined majority rule with effective protection for minority rights. It enabled a larger number of men and women to live in prosperity and liberty than any other nation has ever done."

Of course, the founders weren't perfect, but they were far better than what leftist professors and progressives make them out to be. We know that most of the founders regarded slavery as a wrong that would have to be addressed. They knew that equal rights applied to all: men, women and children – slave and free. They did not achieve all they wanted, but what they did achieve was miraculous. That miracle is our heritage. As Joseph Ellis stated in his narrative masterpiece, "Founding Brothers," the Constitutional Convention should be called "the miracle of Philadelphia…"

America's Founding Fathers gave us the framework and foundations to experience freedom and liberty for all. But we can't do that unless we know who they were, what they stood for and what they achieved. To restore America, we need to reclaim our past and learn from it. It is only by turning back and examining the past that we can reawaken or (if you will) reboot our country.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily

Government – of, by and for the government ~ By Pat Boone

Commentary from WorldNetDaily

By Pat Boone Posted: December 12, 2009 ~ 1:00 am Eastern © 2009 How many of us have memorized Abraham Lincoln's immortal words from his Gettysburg address? "…that government, of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth." I suspect that, apart from Thomas Jefferson's equally immortal "… certain unalienable rights, among these life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," there are no words better known or more precious to patriotic Americans. Democracy. Independence. Liberty. Freedom itself. All of these more abstract concepts are actualized and made understandable in the words "government of the people." Government by the people themselves. Government fashioned completely for the benefit not of the governors, but for the people who select their own governors – to do the will of the people. This was a truly revolutionary concept. And it brought about the revolution that changed the world. The colonies that constituted America then were peopled with folks who were subject to a king; they were under his authority and pretty much had to live as he ordered, at his pleasure. But, the king wasn't there, and the people had gotten a very good taste of what it was like to make most of their own decisions and live as they chose. And they liked it. When the commands of the king became odious, and when he forced them to take things they didn't want – and then taxed them heavily on those very things – the people rebelled. In a bloody, impossible war, which against all odds they won, the people formed a whole new kind of government. It was their wish to govern themselves, voluntarily, through elected representatives who would implement the wishes of the majority. It would be a spare, lean government, guaranteeing equality for all citizens and favoritism to none. The framers of the Constitution foresaw, even foreordained, a competitive tension between the executive and legislative branches of this government, so they made the judicial branch the referee, determining which branch was adhering to the Constitution and which was usurping powers not granted it. And to make sure the elected representatives obeyed the Constitution and the expressed wishes of the people, they knew they could be kicked out of office after serving a short term. The people were in charge. The people ruled. And it worked! For over 200 years, this unprecedented, wild dream worked! The United States of America became the best, the most prosperous, powerful and envied country in the history of the world. The people proved they could govern themselves, in a system they called a republic, a democracy. But early on, Ben Franklin warned, "Beware; if the congressmen discover they can appropriate funds by taxation for their own purposes, the republic will be lost." READ FULL STORY>>

Will Americans accept totalitarian government? ~ By Arthur Robinson, Ph.D.

From WorldNetDaily

By Arthur Robinson, Ph.D. Posted: September 03, 2009 ~ 1:00 am Eastern © 2009

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. -- Robert Frost

In the 18th century, Americans decided to take the other road. While most of the nations of the world chose to continue on various roads to oppression – roads that led to socialism, fascism, Marxism, dictatorship and other forms of tyranny, the American people chose individual human freedom. Now, America has retraced her steps to that fateful intersection. Now, she is poised to travel the road of slavery and tyranny. Now, those who still understand her greatness must prevent this. They must turn America back to the road of freedom. Standing upon the shoulders of thousands of years of human experience and upon the inherent character of man that had emerged in the unique freedom of a new continent, the Founding Fathers of the United States built a government based upon the truth that individual human beings have certain unalienable rights that are derived from their Creator and that these rights transcend any and all powers of government. Their Declaration of Independence states:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

These men knew that government tyranny was an ever-present threat to those unalienable rights, so they carefully elaborated further upon the rights of man and created a government that, they hoped, would be protective of those rights. This was done with the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights. Nowhere in these founding documents does the word "democracy" appear. They created a republic. [CLICK HERE TO READ ENTIRE COLUMN]