Arizona SB1070 – Real Change That Gives America Hope

By David A. Black, Sr.

On Friday, Governor Brewer, from Arizona, signed SB1070.  Instantly, the critics went ballistic.

President Obama used the swearing in ceremony of new citizens to criticize Arizona legislators saying, “Our failure to act responsibly, at the Federal level, will only open the door to irresponsibility by others, and that includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona.”

Brian Williams, on NBC Nightly News, said on Friday, “A central question in the news tonight, ‘is it legal, is it right, for a police officer to come up to you and ask you to produce I.D. if you’re suspected of entering the country illegally?  This is playing out tonight in the State of Arizona.”

Jose Diaz Balart of TeleMundo in Phoenix reports, “Late this afternoon, Governor Jan Brewer signed the controversial Bill, the toughest State Law against illegal immigration in the country. With her signature, Arizona is in direct conflict with the White House…  The law makes illegal immigration a State crime and requires local police to check the status of anyone they believe is here illegally.”

Actually, if any of the critics had taken five minutes and read SB1070, instead of simply adopting liberal talking points, they would have found that, contrary to the ‘leftist’ talking points, Law Enforcement Officers may only inquire about an individual’s immigration status during “lawful contact”.  Additionally, any complaint of illegal immigration status, levied by one person against another and found to be frivolous, is punishable by monetary fines against the accuser.

Does potential questioning of an individual’s immigration status invite racial profiling?  It could, although the Bill contains specific language banning ‘racial profiling’.  Then again, most of those opposed to SB1070 support affirmative action which is based on racial profiling.  Why is it, that the practice is welcomed on one hand, and demonized on the other?

To solve for this, if Law Enforcement Officers adopts a ‘standard operating procedure’ of simply using the same line of questioning with every person, of whom they request identification, questioning legal immigration status becomes just another question.  No prejudice, no malice, no racial profiling.  Regardless, Governor Brewr is calling for additional training of Law Enforcement to ensure against racial profiling and to maintain respect of the peoples rights.

Of course, President Obama, who can never pass up on an opportunity for societal divisiveness, instructed the Justice Department to ‘closely monitor’ activities in Arizona for ‘Civil Rights Violations’.

Governor Brewer emphasized, “Racial Profiling is illegal.  It will not be tolerated in America, and it certainly will not be tolerated in Arizona.”

“This Bill,” Governor Brewer continued.  “The ‘Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act’, strengthens the laws of our State.  It protects all of us, every Arizona citizen, and everyone here, in our State lawfully, and it does so while ensuring that the Constitutional Rights of all, in Arizona remain solid, stable, and steadfast.”

Nonetheless, cries of the Bill being unconstitutional rang out from almost every protest.  Is this the same Constitution they were willing to throw under the carpet, as if hiding dust and debris from visitors, when backing the passage of the Healthcare Reform, or bailing out the financial, housing, and auto industries?

Why is it, every time legislation to protect our country and our citizens is passed, it is immediately deemed unconstitutional, yet laws and programs that clearly are not in accordance with the Constitution receive accolades?

So the question arises, is Arizona SB1070 constitutional?

We all know Article I, Section 8, Clause 4, states, “Congress shall have Power… To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization.”

However, Section 13 of SB1070 refers to the Bill’s ‘Short Title’ as the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act”.  There is no reference in the title, nor anywhere in the Bill, to “Rule of Naturalization”.  That makes SB1070 a “Public Safety Law”, not an “Immigration Law”.

Upon reading the Bill, the language of the Bill does not even allow the State’s Legislature, Law Enforcement, or any member of the State’s Judiciary the Authority to determine any individuals ‘immigration status’.  Rather, all questions, regarding immigration status, are immediately deferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  The last time I checked, ICE is a Federal Agency.

Arizona SB1070 does not even give the State the Authority to deport anyone.  Any person found to be in the country illegally, is to be transported to Federal Custody, and if said transportation includes removing an individual to a location outside the boundaries of the State, the State must first receive a Court Order to do so.

Clause 15, of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution says, “Congress shall have Power… To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions.”

All enforcement activities in SB1070 defer to existing Federal laws.  One could argue that Law Enforcement is the ‘active duty branch’ of the ‘State Militia’, and that the constant flow of illegal immigrants could be considered a form of societal invasion.

Furthermore, Article VI, Clause 2, stipulates, “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the Law of the Land.”

Because SB1070 consistently defers to Federal Authorities, it should be deemed as being “in Pursuance” of the Constitution, where we have established Congress has a duty to create “Rules of Naturalization”.

Article VI, Clause 3, clarifies that, “The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution.”

That means that, by passing SB1070 into law, the Arizona Legislature is actually executing their duties under the Constitution.  I am willing to bet you are wishing we could say that about Congress.  Instead, Congress is too busy taking over the financial industry, the auto industry, the housing industry, the healthcare industry, increasing taxes, passing laws that do not pass constitutional muster, and spending our way into oblivion, to actually perform the duties obligated to them by the Constitution.

In fact, we should applaud the Arizona Legislature.  Now residents, and those of us who are asked for our I.D. while visiting their great State, can announce with great pride,

I AM AN AMERICAN!

President Obama Violates Constitution

By David A. Black, Sr.

Although I disagree with President Obama’s policies, and his political agenda, until now, he has not violated the Constitution.  (The Stimulus and the Healthcare bills are definitely arguable) However, that has now changed.

During a scheduled recess of Congress, President Obama used the opportunity to make 15 recess appointments to administrative positions that would normally require Senate confirmation.

In a written statement, the President declared, “The United States Senate has the responsibility to approve or disapprove of my nominees. But if, in the interest of scoring political points, Republicans in the Senate refuse to exercise that responsibility, I must act in the interest of the American people and exercise my authority to fill these positions on an interim basis,”

The President is quoted by FOX News as saying, “At a time of economic emergency, two top appointees to the Department of Treasury have been held up for nearly six months,” he said. “I simply cannot allow partisan politics to stand in the way of the basic functioning of government.”

President Obama went on to note that former President George W. Bush made 15 recess appointments by this point in his presidency, then claimed that the former President was not facing the same level of obstruction.

Does the President have the authority to make “recess appointments?

In Article II, Section 2, Clause 2, of the Constitution, we find that,

“…and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for…”

Article II, Section 2, Clause 3, goes on to state,

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

So let’s take the Constitution for what it actually says for once, instead of what some want it to say for their own political purpose, or as a method of promoting their personal agenda.

According to the Constitution, as quoted, “the President shall have the Power to fill up Vacancies THAT MAY HAPPEN DURING a Recess of the Senate,”

The Founders did not intend this sentence to serve as a method for the President to get around the authority of the Senate to provide “Advice and Consent” of Presidential Appointments.

The sentence was put in place for the President to make temporary appointment to key administrative positions when they become vacant during a recess of Congress.

The vacancies filled by Obama’s ‘recess appointments’, have existed since the President took Office.  They did not happen during the “Recess of Congress”.

The fact that the President does not like “partisan politics” holding up the advancement of his agenda, or that some may be doing so to “score political points”, has no bearing on the subject.  The President needs to get over it.

The fact is, there is NO provision in the Constitution for the President to override the authority or the responsibilities of the Senate.  That would have opened the door for a dictatorship, and that was one thing the Founders were attempting to avoid.

The idea of pointing out the errors of his predecessor does not make the action legal under the Constitution.  These appointments, made by President Obama, are a direct and blatant abuse of the Power of his Office, and a willful violation of the Constitution.

Is this an impeachable offense?

According to the Constitution, Article II, Section 1, Clause 8,

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:–“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Accordingly, the President must take the ‘Oath of Office’ to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution” to the best of his ability.  President Obama has publicly reminded the nation, on several occasions, that he taught Constitutional Law at the University level in Illinois.  Therefore, it is safe to assume that the President should be fully aware of the intent of Article II, Section 2, Clause 3.

Article II, Section 4, states,

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Article VI, Clause 2, states,

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

Therefore, Article II, Section 2, Clause 3, as part of the Constitution, is Federal Law. Any action that willfully and purposefully violates the Constitution, by using the provision to usurp the Authority of the Senate, is a Federal Offense.

It is time for the Government to understand that the ‘Powers of Government’ do not lie solely in the three branches of Government.  The Constitution provides for the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial branches.

However, under the ninth and tenth amendments, the Constitution also provides for the Several States and the People to be active participants in shaping our Government and legislation

Therefore, it is part of our civic responsibility to monitor the actions of the individuals elected to Office, and take action when necessary.

Amendment IX – The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X – 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.

It is time for the President to be introduced to the Power of the People.

The Constitution points out, in Article I, Section 1, Clause 5,

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Article VI, Clause 3, states,

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution;

I am sending a letter, defining the points of this article, to my Representative in the House.  I am demanding, under the Authority of the Constitution, that my Representative formally begin the process of forcing the President to rescind his “Recess Appointments”.  If the President refuses to act accordingly, I am demanding that my Representative begin the process of impeachment for the willful and deliberate usurpation of the Authority of the Senate under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States.

Please join me and do the same.

To receive a copy of the letter I wrote to my Representative, make a request in the comments box.  I will reply to all that I can.  Thank you.

The 2010 Census – An Endorsement of Socialism

By David A. Black, Sr.

The 2010 Census is officially under way.  The ad campaign, costing millions of dollars, for television, cable, and radio ads, and thousands of billboards, paid for by your hard-earned tax money, tells us all to stand and be counted.

“Help your community get a fair share.”  They proclaim, urging people to fill out the Census Data Form and return it to the Government.

Get their fair share of what?  I had my fair share until the Government confiscated it through taxation, now they want to pretend to give a portion of it back.

According to a letter from the U.S. Census Bureau, “Results from the 2010 Census will be used to help each community get its fair share of government funds for highways, schools, health offices, and many other programs you and your neighbors need.”

In all fairness, the members of the House and Senate are just doing their job.  The Constitution instructs Congress to collect a direct, heavy, progressive tax from every person in the country.  Then, they are to withhold a sizeable amount of the Gross National Product for financing the cost of running the Government.  Finally, Congress is to disperse the proportionately small amount of remaining money back to the people, disguised as ‘Investing in America’.  Any such investing in the ‘public good’ shall be at the sole discretion of Congress, based on the projected return value of those investments, as realized in the results of polls and elections.

Based on the questions contained in the 2010 Census Questionnaire, two out of ten deals with ethnicity, Congress seems quite concerned about ensuring proper funding of ethnic groups.  Rest assured then, so long as you are of the proper, favored ethnicity, Congress is doing their job and looking out for your best financial interest, in relation to ‘Public Investing’.

Pardon my sarcasm.  Actually, unlike most members of the House and Senate, I’ve read the Constitution.  Article 1, Section 2, later modified by Section 2, of the 14^th amendment, calls for representation to be “apportioned among the several States”.  The same paragraph, later superseded by the 16^th amendment, calls for the “apportionment of direct Taxes” as well; and thereby calls for a Census to have been performed within three years of the first Meeting of Congress, and every ten years thereafter.

Therefore, according to the Constitution, the Census was intended to be used only for the purpose of apportioning representation in the House, and apportioning direct Taxation among the several States.  There is no mention of using the Census as a means to justify congressional spending.

Think about it.  For the purpose of “apportioned representation” based on the total populations of the several States, does not call for Congress to have any idea of the ethnicity of the populace; they do not need any demographic data as a means to cater to any particular groups.

This means that Congress does not need to know who owns the house I live in, what the genders of any residence are, the actual age of residents, or if a resident has a secondary residence.

Instead, Congress is using the Census to get the American People to endorse the Socialistic practice of ‘redistributing wealth’.  They took away Constitutional apportionment of direct taxation with the 16^th amendment, and perverted the use of the Census.

Now, we have a scenario where the government taxes the groups determined by the Census, to be the “haves”, to provide benefits to groups determined as the “have not’s”.  This is known simply as Socialism.

For the record, there are only five questions the Census could ask under the authority of the Constitution.

1. Verify your address.
2. How many people live at your address?
3. How many people, living at your address, are of legal voting age?
4. How many people, living at your address, are American Indians?
5. What is your status of residency in the United States?  (Circle one)   Natural Born Citizen   Naturalized Citizen   Legal Resident   Other

As to the cost of the Census, the entire questionnaire, as authorized under the Constitution, would fit on a post card, the cheapest form of U.S. Mail correspondence and would be easily administered by, and reported through, local governments.

It is at this point, I must ask the obvious question; if we, The People, are going to allow the elected members of Government to pervert the intentions of our Founders and the meaning of our Constitution, to what they want it to say, rather than what it actually says, why should we have a Constitution?

Are we truly a nation of Free and Independent People?  Or, are we, The People going to allow the endorsement of Socialism, and idly watch it take root and grow into an uncontrollable despotic dictatorship?

President Obama’s Biggest Failure and Success

Approximately one year ago, Rush Limbaugh countered Barack Obama’s continuing mantra of “Hope and Change” with a Hope of his own, that President Obama’s Socialistic agenda fails.

Although Mr. Limbaugh articulated his message clearly, the “left” could not break the habit of misconstruing his words, and soon there was an all out media blitz.  With the simplest of ease, any grade-schooler could have put together a seemingly endless montage of media ‘talking-heads’ stating; “Rush Limbaugh says he hopes the President fails.”  Very few in the media defended Mr. Limbaugh’s statement.

Even the First Lady, Michelle Obama, jumped on the ‘Rush-bashing’ bandwagon, obviously suffering from willful ignorance, when she aped the media in wrongfully citing Rush’s statement, and then claimed; “If the President fails, then America fails.”  Then asked, “Is that what you want for this country?”

President Obama has complained, on numerous occasions, about “inheriting” a financial meltdown.  However, not once has President Obama admitted that, as a member of the Senate, he helped create the very meltdown he fully credits to the former President.  According to the rants of President Obama, and members of his administration, President Bush was an absolute failure.

Watch it!  Mr. President, you are on the verge of contradicting your wife.  Mrs. Obama informed us that, beyond a doubt, if the President fails, so too, does the country.  Should America assume that you, Mr. President, or your wife, believes that our proud nation is a failure?

Oh, that’s right.  President Obama already explained that we were in a tailspin, spiraling out of control, when he took the helm.  But for his brave and determined actions, America was destined for absolute ruin.

So, what bold, great actions can we attribute to President Obama that has turned our nation from the path of destruction to a soaring success?  Let’s examine what the President has accomplished in his first year in the Oval Office.

We have watched the President travel all over the world, and listened to him badmouth America at almost every stop.

We have listened to President Obama’s adolescent like claims, that former President G.W. Bush is single-handedly to blame for all of the problems our nation faces today.

We have watched him gratefully accept gifts that denounce America, while he tries to earn ‘Brownie Points’ from our communist foes.

We have experienced national embarrassment when he bowed to foreign leaders, not once, but on at least two separate occasions.

Although partially successful, by inflicting damage and creating an atmosphere of control in some financial institutions, President Obama failed in his attempt at a hostile Government takeover of Wall Street.  After the Presidents support of the “Financial Bailout”, with a ‘sky is falling’ mentality, the President, who claimed he did not want to run the banks, turned around, and in his next breath appointed new bank executives, began dictating salaries, and refused banks that offered to pay back the money, borrowed by the Government to initially “lend” to the banks.  Even now, many banks are trying desperately to rid themselves of government intervention.

The President has succeeded however, in partnering with the Labor Unions, most significantly in the act of taking control of a large portion of the American auto industry, namely General Motors and Chrysler.  His latest commitment to this partnership is in naming Union Boss, Andrew Stern to his newly formed Debt Commission.

Then there is the failed ‘Stimulus Bill’.  The President was sure that the stimulus bill had to be passed immediately.  Without a stimulus, America was going to fail.  Unemployment was going to rise to over ten percent, we needed to supply more money into the public because the financial institutions were on the verge of ‘post-bailout bankruptcy’, threatening devastation to the taxpayers.  Businesses were shutting down, bailed out banks were not lending money, the housing industry was sinking like a lead balloon, people were losing their homes, livelihoods, and the promise of a future.

President Obama and the Congressional Democrats forced their will on America, and passed their $1 trillion ‘Stimulus Bill’.  After unaccountably spending some 20% of the money, nothing has changed except the size of our nation’s unsecured debt.

Reported unemployment still jumped to over ten percent, financial institutions continue to fail, people continue to lose their homes and livelihoods as companies close their doors at a rapid pace, and our financial future looks very bleak.  As to overwhelming expenses to the taxpayers, we do not even know how much it will cost for what the Government has spent until now, let alone where they have spent it.  So much for the promise of transparency and accountability.

Ironically, when it comes to spending America’s money on socialistic government programs, such as bailouts, stimulus, and efforts to socialize healthcare, President Obama is fearlessly bold and willingly decisive.  He rushes headlong into promoting the most socialistic of programs with an urgency only matched by con artists, or Circus Callers yelling, “Hurry!  Hurry!”

However, in matters affecting our national security, and supporting the troops, deployed at his command, the President’s resolve wavers.  Instead of remaining brave and determined, as is his Constitutional responsibility, he demonstrates a lack of intestinal fortitude, taking months to make a decision such as that regarding the deployment of reinforcements in Afghanistan.

The President consistently proves to be unwilling to commit to actions against our nations invaders and enemies, yet has boldly circumvented the Constitution.  Instead of nominating people to necessary offices, and allowing the Senate to fulfill their Constitutional duty of providing “Advice and Consent” through the confirmation process, the President, in performing his few successes, unflinchingly named Czars.

So, the President has, in his first year in the Oval Office, taken control of a large portion of one of the last remnants of American industrialization in the auto industry, and partnered heavily with the unions.  He has attempted to takeover the financial industry, committed to unprecedented spending, committing our future generations to an unsustainable burden of debt, and continues his attempts to take control of our healthcare industry, or financially speaking, up to 15% of our nation’s economy. No communist mentality here.  But, I digress.

All of this said, President Obama’s biggest failure is that he has no comprehension of what America is, or what makes the People of our nation great. 

President Obama fails miserably in understanding that America is envied and loved, the world over, for her iconic representation of Liberty, individual Freedom, and the promotion of Independence. 

The President fails to understand that our common conviction to these core values is what makes America great; that individuals believe so strongly, they are willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice to protect these values, not just for our own Freedom, but for that of our families, friends, and neighbors; and yes, for our country.

The President fails to understand that Freedom allows for different political ideologies, but that these core components of our belief may not be jeopardized, for they are the foundation of our country, and every American.

Amazingly, the President’s biggest success is derived from his biggest failure.  President Obama, with a little assistance from his leftist base, has roused the “Sleeping Dragon”, galvanizing America into action.  The President, along with the Congressional Democrats, have given voice to the “Silent Majority”, causing conservatives to rally around our liberty and freedom; and we are fighting mad.

American’s are standing up, united in telling the Government,

Stop!  We are fed up with politics as usual!  American Government is out of control and we are not taking it anymore!  We will not stand by and idly watch incompetent politicians destroy our nation, or our children’s future.

Government has overstepped it’s permissions and authority and we the People are demanding it’s members to cease and desist all such activities.  If Government refuses to listen, we the People will exercise our Constitutional Authority and take back control of our nation!

The Real State of the Union

By David A. Black, Sr.

President Obama gave his first State of the Union Address yesterday evening. For the most part, I must say, the speech was far from impressive; just more of the same dribble we have come to expect.

We listened to him attempt to recognize the hardships faced by the middle-class, cite to some letters, or experiences which were personally related to him, as he demonstrates his compassion for the little guy, and then claim he is working diligently to solve the problems of the nation.  I may be too critical, but I thought he ran as a candidate for change.  I thought he promised to shake things up in Washington.  For some reason I seem to recall that he was not going to get caught up in “politics as usual”.

Then why was the content of his speech so predictable?  All we heard was the same old, same old.  The list goes something like this;

• I understand the problems of America.
• I inherited a mess that is worse than we expected.
• I have outlined a plan to solve your problems and the Republicans are fighting us every step of the way.
• America is tired of “partisan politics”; more is expected from us.
• Feed the “class envy monster” to keep the societal divisions strong.
• The American Spirit is strong but the government is not responsive to the needs of the country.
• It will be expensive, but I am here to fix the nation and blame everyone else for not heeding my advice.

Sound familiar?  We hear the same speech every time President Obama stands up to the teleprompter.  He even went into the standard “rope-a-dope” tactic of trying to identify with his opposition, citing the following points.

• A need to cut taxes.
• Comprehending that small business is the backbone of America and is vital in solving the unemployment.
• Need to allow off-shore drilling.
• Need to develop nuclear power.
• Pursue alternate forms of energy but that they need to be profitable instead of just another form of taxation.
• Institute policies to keep large companies here instead of taxing them into moving to other countries.
• Seeking more marketing opportunities. (this almost sounds like embracing a free market)
• Increase the excellence of education instead of rewarding the failures of the NEA.

Of course, President Obama rattling off these points, as reading from a depth chart, only served to highlight that all of these issues, sought by Conservatives for years, is what is right for the country.

However, it was only a feign.  Immediately the President slipped back into his comfort zone, taking on a “never say die” mentality in regards to Health Care Reform, we have a deficit because Bush failed to pay for two wars, and I know I added more than $1 trillion to the deficit, but it was the right thing to do.

This was a nice way to lead into pretending to identify with “average America” that is forced to tighten their belts, by announcing that “like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don’t”.  Therefore, the President is proposing a Congressional Spending Freeze for next year.  Not now, like you cash-strapped families must do.   The President promised to do this next year, after America has forgotten what he said. And besides, cuts to save an estimated $25 billion, which we all know is terribly optimistic, and in no way begins to compare to the $1 trillion he has already added to the deficit.  Do you have any idea what that actually costs the taxpayers after calculating the interest we will pay on the additional spending?

Alright, I cannot go on any further.  I listened to the President attempt to revive his socialistic ideology, refusing to recognize that America is rejecting it.  So, I will take the opportunity here to explain a few points the President and Congress need to figure out, according to me.  Then he can get back to us about truly moving the country forward.

• This President has increased the deficit by over $1 trillion, and until he assumes absolute transparency, and details how he intends to make his plans work, he is simply trying to spend America into a form of socialism.  If you truly want to help America recover, cut taxes, stop irresponsible, unconstitutional spending, and get out of the way.  Other than that, it is not your job.

• The President still wants Socialized Health Care and views the recent rejection of it as a “political kink”, just a minor setback.  The fact is, most Americans agree that we need Health Care Reform.  We want affordability, accessibility, transportability, and a true referendum on Tort Reform.  What we do not want is government involvement.  Legislate these four issues, and leave it alone.  Quit trying to use our Health Care as another way to usurp our liberty and assert control.  We are NOT having any part of it.

• He claims he is persistently trying to keep our country secure from terrorism, while in practice he is behind giving terrorists the protection of Miranda Rights after failed attacks on our citizens.

• The President claims to support our military, yet he dragged his feet in authorizing additional troops to reinforce those deployed in Afghanistan.

The President does not support our military.  He sees the military as a “social experiment”.  You want proof?  The President said he wants Congress to repeal the law banning openly gay military service.  Anyone who understands the military knows the military is a fighting force, in place to protect our country.  There is no place for open homosexuality within the ranks, just as there is no place for heterosexuality in the military.  The military is NOT a social experiment, it is a protective service provided for the defense of the country.

Now he wants First Lady Michelle Obama along with Jill Biden to forge a national commitment to military families.  The fact that they are to “forge” this commitment identifies it is a new concept to the President.

Most of America has always been committed to our military.  What we want from the Commander in Chief is a clear and definite purpose for the mission he sends our military to accomplish, what constitutes victory, how he intends to be victorious with the least cost of American Lives possible, maintaining an allegiance to those being sent to face a declared enemy, instead of appearing to protect the enemy.

• The President is quick to announce his willingness to work with other countries through the United Nations.  This makes sense due to his obvious support of subjecting America, and our citizens, to a form of “Global Authority”, regarding environmental policy, thus diminishing our sovereignty as a nation.  What will it take to convince this President that the policies being bantered about, at the UN, are proposals to punish America for our exceptionalism?

What this President, and the Liberals in Congress fail to understand, is that America is truly a sovereign nation of great People.  What makes us great is that we all believe in a common belief, Individual Freedom, established by the Declaration of Independence, and protected by the Constitution of the United States.

America is suffering today, because too few politicians read the Constitution for what it actually says, and instead read it for what they want it to say, or pervert it into something other than that which it was intended.  Modern politicians believe they are elected to legislate “one size fits all solutions” to every issue known to man, while the Constitution was implemented to limit Government to very specific functions.

If the President, and Congress alike, truly want America to succeed, might I suggest they read our founding documents, understand them for what they say, and do it.  Pretty simple, actually.

Health Care Reform Act of 2010; Dead On Arrival

David A. Black, Sr.

Leading the way to truly reforming Congress, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts elected Republican Senatorial Candidate, Scott Brown to fill a Senate Seat held by a member of the Kennedy Family for 50 plus years.  I guess Massachusetts agreed with Mr. Browns assessment that he was not running for “Kennedy’s Seat”, but rather the “People’s Seat”.

As a matter of fact, Senator Brown beat the ‘media, odds-on favorite’, Democratic Candidate, Martha Coakley by a decisive 5% margin, giving a climactic ending to a race featuring an incalculable long-shot.  This, even after President Obama came to town, stumping for Coakley and ‘dissing’ Brown because he drives an old pick-up truck.  Sure makes you wonder who is out of touch with the People.

The election of a Conservative Republican, in a State largely held by Democrats, has significant meaning.  For instance, we can draw from the election result is that Massachusetts gave the nation Hope for real Change in American Politics.

It is really too bad that Representative Barney Frank, of Massachusetts, does not understand the message the voters of his State sent to Congress.  Rep. Frank thinks the necessary Change is to require 67 votes to block a filibuster, instead of 60.  He did not have a problem with the standard 60 votes while he and his fellow Democratic Congressmen were forcing their Government take-over of the American Health Care System down our collective throats.  I wonder if he has been reading the writing on the wall?

No, the real message is that the People are fed up, and want an end to “politics as usual”.  Most of the Massachusetts voters backed Candidate Obama because he promised to do just that.  Instead, the nation has watched President Obama, and his Democratic Majority, use strong-arm tactics in politically hijacking America.

Now the People are doing what comes natural to American Patriots, they are retaliating.  Like Flight 93, like Richard Reeds’ attempt at a ‘shoe bomb’, or the recent attempt to bomb the flight into Detroit from Amsterdam on Christmas, hijack a plane, win or lose, Americans will fight back; hijack our government, the reaction of the American People is the same.  It really does not matter what State we live in, Americans are not good at being willing victims.

Another distinct reality of Sen. Brown being elected is that the Health Care Reform Act, as envisioned by President Obama and constructed by his Democrat henchmen, is ‘Dead On Arrival’.  The loudest, most significant campaign promise made by Candidate Brown was that as Senator, he would be the forty-first vote to stop Health Care Reform and the Cap and Trade bill.

Prominent Democrats are already trying to establish new positions on these two bills.  After a year of the Democrats claiming they have a mandate from the People and constantly reminding us who won the election, now they are attempting a last stitch effort to save their latest socialistic take-over bid of the American economy.  That is, the Health Care System was soon to be added into the pot where the financial, auto, and housing industries are stewing.

If Mr. Brown holds true to his word, the fact that he has become the most recent addition to the United States Senate is good for America.  I only wish we could apply such impact to the man elected into the Oval Office.  Instead, the contrary is true, President Obama has proven to be only a detriment.

In fact, President Obama still doesn’t get it!  In his response to Sen. Brown’s election, he wore a look of disgusted concern indicating that Democrats must be more focused on the voter concerns.  Of course, I guess the idea of Obama attempting to distance himself from the debacle at center stage and throw his fellow Democrats under the bus, comes as no big surprise.

America, as in the Revolution, with the Tea Party, Massachusetts has taken the lead in returning our nations sovereignty.

DO NOT STOP NOW!

Unlike President Obama, who dragged his feet in reinforcing our military in Afghanistan, we can all stand firm in November and reinforce the message delivered by our brethren in Massachusetts.  Together, we can fight back and stop the current hijacking of America.

Just to clarify, I am not backing Republicans entirely.  Rather, I am supportive of the referendum set forth by the voters in Massachusetts by endorsing Conservatism.

In closing, I will borrow a famous quote from Neil Armstrong; the traditionally Democratic State of Massachusetts, electing Republican Scott Brown to the United States Senate, is one small step for Republicans, one giant leap for Conservatism.

Health Care Reform – Merry Christmas? Or, Welcome Comrades?

By David A. Black, Sr.

So, Senate Majority Leader,  Harry Reid succeeded in forcing his Health Care reform through the Senate on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas, America!

Almost immediately after the Bill passed, an entirely party-line vote of 60 – 39, I believe it was Senator Barrasso, of Wyoming who asked, why, if the Bill so good, did it require exemptions, or special deals, for Senators from at least 13 States.

Good question!

What kind of special deals were carved out of Sen. Reid’s Health Care Reform Act?

Nebraska received guaranteed funding to cover all additional costs for expansion of Medicare to low income individuals, thanks to Sen. Ben Nelson.

Louisiana received a $300 million payoff for Medicare benefits to Sen. Mary Landrieu.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed “Socialist”, from Vermont, gets a huge chunk of change for his “pet project”, the Community Health Centers Program.

Sen. Chris Dodd received funding for a new hospital in Connecticut in an attempt to help his re-election bid.

Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Maine, Nevada, California, New York, and Illinois are all to receive funding for Medicare for low income individuals, some of the funds are delegated to go to illegal immigrants who now qualify for the TANF program (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) who were already in the country prior to the Welfare Act of 1996.

Apparently, Sen. Reid’s Health Care Reform Act was a first step toward Comprehensive Immigration Reform as well.  After all, if we are already paying for “illegal immigrants” under the Health Care Bill, we should find our way clear to legalizing these poor individuals, and make them official, productive members of society.

Wait, just a cotton-pickin minute!  If they have been here since before 1996, and are still on “temporary assistance”, how can anybody profess they are productive members of our society?  This dramatically contradicts the claim that not providing illegal immigrants with a pathway to citizenship is unfair because they already pay taxes, yet receive no benefit.  I guess the “shadows” are not as bad as we were led to believe.

OK, I digress.  The question is, where is this thing headed now?

It works like this.  The Senate Bill goes back to the House of Representatives, causing Speaker Pelosi to meet with Sen. Reid, behind closed doors of course, and find ways to manipulate the rest of their party to reconcile the two Bills, now passed by the separate houses of congress.

Chances are, the Democrats will force a Health Care Bill through by the end of January and present it to President Obama by the first week of February.  Then the Democrats can tout that a “Historical President” has mentored a “Historical Bill” through Congress.  What they will not tell us is that they are in fact making history.  Their Health Care Bill will make America, as we know it, history, in a relatively short time.

If bankrupting the country, in an attempt to usher in a socialistic agenda, is their goal, the Health Care Reform Bill is the ticket to their success.  Think about it!  California, New York, and Michigan, three of the most liberal States, are the leaders of the pack of States, already rushing toward bankruptcy, or at the very least, financial insolvency.

There you go!  We already have examples to follow.

I know, you probably think this is another “The Sky is Falling” episode from Chicken Little.  However, I would encourage you to consider the ten pillars of Communism, as stipulated by Karl Marx, in his book, A Communist Manifesto.

1.  The abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes. America was built, in part, on pride of ownership of property.  Have we not witnessed the grabbing, hoarding, and assuming control of land (eminent domain), and uses thereof, by the government in recent history?

2.  A heavy progressive graduated income tax. This is a process of punishing success, or exceptionalism.  When is the last time you got a pay raise and actually received more net income?  Doesn’t happen under the modern U.S. Tax System.

3.  Abolition of rights of inheritance. Can you say “Death Tax”?  As it stands, the Government heavily taxes that which you inherit from the hard earned success of your parents, or grand-parents.  I have heard it said, “It costs more to die, than to be born”.  That is a significant statement for anybody that is a parent.  For those of you who are not parents, ask yours.

4.  Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels. All right.  I have no concrete evidence of this.  However, I wonder if the Secretary of Homeland Security announcing that Conservatives and ex-military personnel are potential terrorists would qualify as a precursor to a strategy of this magnitude.  Just a thought.  If you think about it, we did “encamp” those of Japanese descent, during World War II, under President Roosevelt.  He was a “Progressive Democrat” too.

5.  Centralization of credit in the banks of the State, by means of a National Bank, with State Capital, and an exclusive monopoly. OK.  This is a “no brainer”.  Think about the “Financial Bail-Outs”, and the fact that several of the banks that received TARP Funds were told NO when they attempted to pay back the money.

6.  Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State. This is taking place as you read this article.  Liberal Democrats are chomping at the bit to enact the “Fairness Doctrine” to control what is said over the airwaves.  They are currently attempting to put control of the internet in the hands of the President and his Czars.  Of course, they are only considering our “cyber-safety”.  Needless to say, I know very well, the over burdensome regulations of transportation, which tightens its stranglehold on the throat of interstate commerce every year.  But that too, is done in the name of Safety.  Funny, how Public Safety in the eyes of legislators relegates to Government Revenues.

7.  Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state; the bringing into cultivation of wastelands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. The easy indicator here is a glance at the recent takeovers of the auto industry, and the unprecedented affiliation of the Government with the Labor Unions.  However, to fully understand this aspect of a potential Communist takeover, you must look beyond the surface of Government subsidization and Co-Ops in the farming industry, and think about the control exhibited in the Government’s ability to not only dictate who grows what, but how much, when, and to whom the crops must be sold.

8.  Equal obligation of all to work.  Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture. Again, I must refer to the Government / Labor Union affiliation.  How many favors are due to the Labor Unions in return for various forms of assistance to campaigning candidates?  The pay backs from campaign promises to the unions continue to mount at a cost, yet to be determined, to the American Tax Payers. And as to an “Industrial Army”, did not Candidate Obama mention a “Civillian Army”?

9.  Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of all the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the populace over the country. Maybe you have noticed, or maybe it’s just my ill perception, that most of the emphasis of Government Programs deal with urbanizing America by moving people into the city and away from less accessible locales.

10.  Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children’s factory labor in its present form. As a candidate for president, then Sen. Obama, pushed for Public Service Volunteers and involvement in Community Service.  I think those statements dovetailed nicely with the “soon-to-be” First Lady promoting the ideology of abandoning the “Corporate World”.  Apparently, there is some form of “Volunteer Act” being floated around Washington, D.C., to accommodate President Obama’s “Civillian Army“, that would require every graduate of the Public School System to various forms of Community Service.  How long before a program of this nature gives Congress the right to dictate who receives what form of education in order to fulfill the “Public Need”?  How long then, until the needs of the Labor Unions are disguised as “Public Needs”?

Just a series of thoughts.  But, I am willing to bet, you get the picture.  The passing of a Health Care Reform Act, that is opposed by more than 60 percent of Americans, and the indication that it is merely a disguised first step to something more sinister, is at the very least, a red flag, maybe even a Communist Red Flag.

I think it is time that even the most uninvolved American should sit up and pay attention to what our Government is up to, and start looking at the Majority of influence on our Government, and gain a clear understanding of where our current path will lead us.

Could this be the beginning of, Welcome Comrades?

Think about it.  You decide.

Brandenburg Gate; and Our Heroes at Check Point Charlie

By David A. Black, Sr.

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin and said, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace; if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe; if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

On November 9, 1989, just two years after Reagan’s Brandenburg Gate speech, the people of Germany did tear down the Berlin Wall, and hundreds of millions of people were liberated from communism.

Berlin just celebrated the twentieth anniversary of that momentous day.  Unlike our fearless “Commander and Chief”, I chose to acknowledge it.  I did so by talking to retired Veteran I know.

I wanted to present his thoughts of the subject as a tribute to Veteran’s Day this year.  I will apologize for failing to meet my self-imposed deadline, but the message is too important to allow, a little issue like, timing to prevent its telling.

Let me introduce you to a man I know as Paul.  Twenty years ago, he was known as Chief Master Sergeant, stationed at Templehof Air Force Base, Berlin, Germany.

“I was there.”  Paul informed me.

“There?”  I inquired, noticing he was reading a VFW magazine article about the fall of the Berlin Wall.

“Here!”  He said, holding up the magazine to display a picture.  “Berlin, Germany, November 9, 1989.”

“Really?”  I replied, inquisitively.  “What was it like?”

And this is what he had to say…

…My wife and I were living off base in Berlin.  Scattered information was all over the news.  We did not know exactly what was happening yet, but I knew something big was in the works.  I told my wife that we needed to go see what was happening, that we could possibly witness history.

We hailed a cab and when the cabby asked where we wanted to go, I told her, “We want to go see what is happening!”

“Me too!”  The cabby responded, and then drove us to the Check Point Charlie.

When we arrived, my wife and I found a large crowd of people at the gate and we edged as close as we could.  On the East German side, a great number of people had amassed.  The crowd was growing exponentially by the minute.  As the crowd grew, the people began to surge toward the gate, each time edging nearer and nearer to the “No Entry Zone”.

I think everyone there was collectively holding their breath, in fear that the soldiers would begin firing at the crowd.  We all knew the soldiers were trained to “shoot to kill”, but the people continued to chant and cheer raucously, and the surging continued, closing the distance to the gate.

A collective sigh of relief came when, instead of drawing their side arms, the East German soldiers, guarding the gate, interlocked their arms, forming a human wall.  The crowd continued surging right up to the soldiers.

Suddenly, the soldiers broke ranks, stepped to the side, and tossed their helmets into the crowd, joined in cheering, and allowed the people to pass freely.  The crowd rushed the gate and began to pour through.  The cheering grew unbelievably louder, and as East Germans streamed through Check Point Charlie, they fell upon the ground, hugging the pavement of the street, kissing the ground, almost every one of them dropping to their knees.

As the people passed through the gate, we picked them up, we hugged them, we kissed them, welcoming them with open arms and hearts to liberty and freedom.  Everybody was hugging and kissing, chanting, yelling, and crying.

I can only tell you, I had never seen anything like it before, and have never seen anything like it since.  It was amazing to see the people react to each other.  It was happiness beyond compare.

At one point, my wife stood upon my shoulders, her hands braced on the wall, as she peered over the top to see the mass of people still making their way to freedom.  Only an hour before, she would have been shot dead for even getting close.

The things you remember.  Some of the people that came through the gate had never tasted an orange or a banana.  They could not get fresh fruit over there.

An impish smile creased Paul’s face, remembering a long passed sight.

It’s funny, we used to toss oranges over the wall, before all this happened.  We would watch people sneak over to pick them up and secret them away.  It was amusing to us, yet made us feel sorry to know that little things we took for granted, were so cherished by others.

We have pieces of the wall, my wife and I.  We kept them all these years to remind us of how special that day was.  We did witness history in the making, and it was amazing.

I made arrangements to speak with Paul again and mentioned that I would like to write his story to share with others.  Paul was all too happy to oblige me.

When next we met, Paul showed me a plaque, presented to him upon his retirement, to commemorate 33 years of service to our military.  A beautiful brass map of Germany, etched with the names of significant cities and appropriate borders.  He also has a toy car he keeps as a reminder, a replica of the type commonly driven in Germany at that time.  And then he handed me a chunk of concrete, about the size of my fist, with his and his wife’s names carefully scrawled on it, identified as a piece of the wall from Check Point Charlie.

I asked Paul, “How significant, do you believe, was President Reagan’s ‘Brandenburg Gate Speech’ in promoting the fall of the Berlin Wall?

“It was very important.”  Paul informed me, a matter of fact.  “You have to understand that the movement toward freedom started long before President Reagan.  President Reagan voiced support for the people, and that acted as a catalyst.  In the end, the people proved to be a task that could not be controlled by the communists.  The people wanted freedom, and they would not be denied.”

“Paul.”  I inquired.  “As a member of the United States Military, stationed in a foreign country, in a non-combative role, when you watched the people surge toward the gate, and finally pour through to a free world, how did it make you feel?”

“Let me tell you.”  Paul said, his face brightening, and eyes sparkling.  “At just over five and a half feet tall, I’m not a big man; but that day, I felt like I was ten feet tall.  I was proud to be a witness to it, and I was proud to represent our nation in support of the people abandoning the tyranny of communism.  Not only was I proud to be in the military, but mostly, proud to be an American, welcoming those people to freedom.”

Paul, my friend, I believe I echo the sentiments of anyone that reads this article when I say, “Chief Master Sergeant, thank you.”

A Lesson in Patriotism

I had become a little hungry and entered a local establishment to grab a bite to eat.  Approaching the entrance of the restaurant, I looked up to see a sad sight.  There, dangling from a flagpole, looking more like a rag than a proud symbol of the greatest nation known in the history of mankind, hung the tattered remnant of our proud Stars and Stripes.

I approached one of the employees to register my complaint.

“May I help you, Sir?”  The girl asked pleasantly.

“Yes.”  I said, a certain sternness in my voice.  “I want to register a complaint.”

“Oh, the complaint department is outside.”  She said, humorously.

“No.”  I said, allowing the expression on my face to convey the seriousness of my resolve.  “The ‘Complaint’ is outside.”

“Excuse me?”  She questioned, now comprehending the seriousness of the potentially combative conversation.  “What can I do for you, Sir?”

“Your flag is tattered and torn.”  I informed her.  “The bottom is completely torn free from the fastener.  It looks more like a rag and is disrespectful.”

“OK.  I’ll let our manager know about it.”  The young woman replied, confusedly attempting to placate me.

“Look.”  I countered.  “There are regulatory codes regarding the displaying of the American Flag.”

She simply stood there, staring at me in disbelief.

“I will not make an issue of the fact that the flag may not be properly illuminated.”  I continued my complaint.  “However, you cannot display a flag that is wind torn and shabby in appearance.  It must be replaced.”

“Illuminated?”  She questioned.

“Yes.”  I stated, seizing the opportunity to teach her a lesson in Patriotism.  “A flag flown after sunset must have adequate lighting as to make the flag easily distinguishable to passersby, and must be an ‘all-weather flag’ if flown during inclement weather.”

“Lighting?”  She queried.

“Yes.  Lighting.”  I continued.  “There are very few flags that are excluded from this regulation.”

“Really?”  Her expression confirming her lack of knowledge of the subject.

“Absolutely.”  I confirmed.  “Among the exceptions of  flags that fly permanently, without lighting, is the flag flying proudly on the moon, the flag flying at the South Pole, and the flag atop Mt. Everest.”

“I’ll tell my manager.”  She was trying to quiet me now.  “Really, it’s not my job.”

“Your job?”  I demanded, feeling my blood beginning to boil.  “That is a Flag of the United States; respecting it is everyone’s job!”

“Well, we just had a bad storm.”  She threw out her defense.  “The wind was pretty bad.”

“I understand that.”  I considered her claim.  “But, that flag must be replaced.”

“But, we don’t have anyone to do it this evening.”  She pleaded.

“OK.”  I conceded.  “But, if it cannot be replaced till morning, it should, at least, be removed tonight.  The condition your flag is disrespectful and offensive.”

“I’m sorry, Sir.”  She said, earnestly.  “I don’t have anyone that can remove it tonight.  I
will make sure my manager knows about it first thing in the morning.”

“OK.”  I relented.  “But, I will return in the morning to check on it.”

“You’re going to check back on the Flag?”  She asked, astonished.

“Absolutely.”  I responded, resolutely.

“Thank you.”  I heard from behind me.  “For noticing; and for stepping up to say something.”

I turned to face the speaker and found half a dozen other patrons had gathered to listen to the exchange.  After the man expressed his thanks, the rest of the small group began to clap in support and appreciation.

“No.”  I exclaimed, noticing the tattoo of a marine ‘Globe and Anchor’ on the man’s forearm.  “Thank you, for your service.  I will return in the morning, to see that they remove the insult displayed instead of a ‘Flag’.

I am proud to report, the Flag was removed early the next morning.  Now, its replacement waves proud and free, the way it should; an inspiration to the few of us who shared the experience.

For my part, I could not help myself.  I returned to the restaurant, sought out the young woman, and thanked her for following up on her commitment, and told her that I am proud of the patriotism she displayed in doing so.

Now, you know what happened in a small restaurant in mid-America.  Now, like the few who were there that night, you too, should be proud of a young woman for her patriotism, and her manager for supporting her.  But mostly, be proud of our Stars and Stripes, the colors for which so many have fought and died.  Be proud of our flag, and the freedom and liberty it represents, and those who fight to protect it.

Are You Serious?

By David A. Black, Sr.

The question is, as asked recently by a CSNNews reporter; specifically, where does Congress derive Constitutional authority to mandate that individuals purchase health insurance?

Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, of Maryland responded to this subject by citing the ‘General Welfare Clause’.

Representative ‘Stinky’ Hoyer said, “Well, in promoting the ‘General Welfare’, the Constitution obviously gives broad authority to Congress to that end.  We’re trying to make health care more affordable, so I think this is within our constitutional responsibility.”

At least ‘Stinky’ gave his honest opinion when he said, “Congress has broad authority to force Americans to purchase other things as well, so long as it was trying to promote the ‘General Welfare’… we mandate other things as well like paying taxes”.

When asked if there is a limit to what Congress can mandate that an individual purchase in promoting the ‘General Welfare’, ‘Stinky’ said, “I’m sure the [Supreme] Court will find a limit.”

As ‘Stinky’ is the House Majority Leader, apparently the Democrats do not believe there are any limits to which they may dictate how we each spend our hard earned money.

‘Stinky’ is not alone, however.  Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, did not cite the Constitution when he responded to a similar question.

Senator ‘Leaky’ Leahy (as Rush nicknamed him) said, “We have plenty of authority. Are you saying there is no authority?  Why would anybody say there is no authority?  I mean, there’s no question there’s authority.  Nobody questions that.”

Then Senator ‘Leaky’ goes way off the map when he tried to justify his statement saying, “Where do we have the authority to set speed limits of an interstate highway?”

Excuse me.  Senator, the States set the speed limits.  The Federal Government simply coerced the States to change the speed limits by threatening to withhold funds.

I’m not going to say that ‘Leakys’ response was ignorant, yet I can’t help but ask; Senator, shouldn’t you be questioning?  Isn’t that part of your job as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee?

Wait a minute.  Wasn’t ‘Leaky’ involved in a recent, ‘high profile’ case?  Oh yeah, that Valerie Plame thing.  That figures.  He couldn’t get that one right either.  Thanks to his adamant ignorance, an innocent man was incarcerated.  Can you say “A Danger to Society”?

Back to ‘Stumpy’.  Maybe he was referencing the Preamble of the Constitution, which states,

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

But, that says “promote the Welfare”, not provide for the Welfare.  The founders never intended for the Government to implement policies that encourage, or force, the citizens into a state of dependency on the Federal Government.  Rather, they designed a set of limitations by which to avoid “national dependency”, understanding that dependency of the People, on the Government, only leads to tyranny.

On the other hand, maybe, he was referencing Article I, section 8, which states,

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.

Article I, section 8, lays the responsibility to “provide for the common Defence and the general Welfare of the United States”, not provide the Welfare of the individual People of the United States.

Article I, section 8, goes on to list the responsibilities of the Congress in plain English, defining the responsibility of the Federal Government to the several States.

Now get ready, I saved the best for last.  When Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was asked a similar question, she responded with her typical ‘vermin in the headlights expression’, “Are you Serious?  Are you Serious?”

Screecher Pelosi’s press spokesperson, Nadeam Elshami, later explained that questioning the authority of Congress to mandate that individuals purchase health insurance, “Is not a serious question.”

Apparently, the Screecher put out a press release in September claiming Congress has ‘broad powers’ to regulate activities that have an effect on interstate commerce under the ‘Commerce Clause’ in the Constitution.

The ‘Commerce Clause’ is listed in the list of congressional responsibilities under Article I, section 8, stating,

The Congress shall have the Power… To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes.

The Supreme Court ruling in Wickard v. Filburn (1942) is the closest precedent to Screecher Pelosi’s argument.  The Court ruled against Mr. Filburn for planting twelve more acres of wheat, grown for personal consumption, than was allowed by regulations in the Second Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938.

Justice Jackson reasoned that although Mr. Filburn’s wheat alone was trivial, more than twenty percent of all wheat grown, at that time, was privately consumed, and therefore affected interstate commerce by reducing the overall supply and demand.  The Court, determined that the cause and effect of individuals, toward the supply and demand of the market, inherently gives Congress power over the individual under the “Commerce Clause” and thus expanded the powers of government.

The ruling of Wickard v. Filburn followed the logic of the “Commerce Clause” case of United States v. Darby Lumber Co. (1941), which questioned the authority of Congress to institute the Fair Labor Standards Act to institute parity of labor rates to neutralize seemingly unfair interstate competition.

All this said; if Congress truly wanted to regulate health insurance under the Commerce Clause, they should create legislation that allows health insurance to be purchased across States lines.  Congress should disallow States from mandating specific insurance requirements for their State, making it impossible for insurance companies from other States to provide competitive coverage.

What’s that?  A Conservative idea that remains within the confines and limitations of the Constitution?  No.  That’ll never fly in a Congress led by a Liberal Majority.  It does not expand the “Powers of Congress”.  We can’t have that.

As to Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Senator Leahy, and the rest of the blithering idiots in Congress who are trying to force their Socialistic version of Government on America by attempting to “nationalize” our Health Care System;

ARE YOU SERIOUS?  But, then again, we’re not supposed to question the authority of those in Congress.

America, why do we even have these… PEOPLE in Congress if they cannot even correctly cite the Constitution of the United States of America, which they all swore an oath to support?