I was once asked the question: "If you could have all Americans memorize one part of U.S. written history or law, what would it be?" I said: The Bill of Rights, aka, the First 10 Amendments of the Constitution of the USA. The reason is simple, because everyone should know them and have them readily available. I personally have a book that is a copy of the constitution, declaration of independence, and the articles of confederation. Also i have a magnet on my refrigerator that is of the Bill of Rights. So i, and anyone else in the house, can look at them whenever they please and be reassured that they have these rights.
So as follows I'll give you the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution of our country, and you yourself can decide what they represent. Although, anyone that can read should feel they are very straight forward.
First 10 Amendments to the United States Constitution (The Bill of Rights)
I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
II. A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
III. No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
IV. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
V. No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
VI. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed; which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.
VII. In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States than according to the rules of the common law.
VIII. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
IX. The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
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.
These 10 Amendments were ratified effective on December 15th, 1791.
Give credit to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. That's not to say many others didn't have their parts, and that if it wasn't for these 2 others wouldn't have come along and done the same thing. But it went the way it did, when it did, because these 2 men feared the government could be too powerful and take away our civil liberties and rights at will. They worked very hard in a time that never had the back of a constitution like this before, to give us these guarantees.
That's not to say the Magna Carta and Petition of Right were not great in their time, but there wasn't a Constitution to this magnitude. Our Constitution has made the standard for all laws in all countries since it came to be.
Now if you noticed that Article II (the right to keep and bear arms) doesn't say "in war time". And it says this right "shall not be infringed". That means it cannot be broken, aka, taken away. If you take this right away from the American people, then what is to say our freedom of speech and peaceful assembly can't be taken? It's these 2 freedoms that is making this such a hot debate around the country to begin with! Once you've changed one of The Bill of Rights, it will become much much easier to change others. Soon after we will have lost our freedom.
Article 4 (unreasonable/unwarranted searches and seizures of property) is one that i believe has been broken by the search procedures done at airports. "random" security checks is NOT a reasonable search, and never do they give a precise description of what they are looking for. They have taken things to a whole new level of being invasive of personal being and treating people like security threats when they are not a REASONABLE threat to the security of the other people on the plane and airport. Why not make the procedures mandatory on buses, taxicabs, and entering the damn mall!? And on top of that, a majority of the personal objects they obtain are fucking ridiculous and not a "probable" threat to begin with.
I have plenty of opinions on how other amendments are being stretched and flopped on a daily basis also, but i felt i should mention those two, being the time we're in.
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
-- Albert Camus (1957 Nobel Prize for Literature)
"There are only two kinds of freedom in the world; the freedom of the rich and powerful, and the freedom of the artist and the monk who renounces possessions”
-- Anais Nin (Author)
"Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
-- Benjamin Franklin (Statesman, Scientist, Philosopher, Printer, and Inventor.
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
-- Martin Luther King (Baptist Minister and Civil-Rights Leader)
"There is no such thing as a little freedom. Either you are all free, or you are not free.”
-- Walter Cronkite (Journalist, and News Anchor)
“Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right.”
-- Mahatma Gandhi (Philos
So as follows I'll give you the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution of our country, and you yourself can decide what they represent. Although, anyone that can read should feel they are very straight forward.
First 10 Amendments to the United States Constitution (The Bill of Rights)
I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
II. A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
III. No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
IV. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
V. No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
VI. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed; which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.
VII. In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States than according to the rules of the common law.
VIII. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
IX. The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
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.
These 10 Amendments were ratified effective on December 15th, 1791.
Give credit to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. That's not to say many others didn't have their parts, and that if it wasn't for these 2 others wouldn't have come along and done the same thing. But it went the way it did, when it did, because these 2 men feared the government could be too powerful and take away our civil liberties and rights at will. They worked very hard in a time that never had the back of a constitution like this before, to give us these guarantees.
That's not to say the Magna Carta and Petition of Right were not great in their time, but there wasn't a Constitution to this magnitude. Our Constitution has made the standard for all laws in all countries since it came to be.
Now if you noticed that Article II (the right to keep and bear arms) doesn't say "in war time". And it says this right "shall not be infringed". That means it cannot be broken, aka, taken away. If you take this right away from the American people, then what is to say our freedom of speech and peaceful assembly can't be taken? It's these 2 freedoms that is making this such a hot debate around the country to begin with! Once you've changed one of The Bill of Rights, it will become much much easier to change others. Soon after we will have lost our freedom.
Article 4 (unreasonable/unwarranted searches and seizures of property) is one that i believe has been broken by the search procedures done at airports. "random" security checks is NOT a reasonable search, and never do they give a precise description of what they are looking for. They have taken things to a whole new level of being invasive of personal being and treating people like security threats when they are not a REASONABLE threat to the security of the other people on the plane and airport. Why not make the procedures mandatory on buses, taxicabs, and entering the damn mall!? And on top of that, a majority of the personal objects they obtain are fucking ridiculous and not a "probable" threat to begin with.
I have plenty of opinions on how other amendments are being stretched and flopped on a daily basis also, but i felt i should mention those two, being the time we're in.
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
-- Albert Camus (1957 Nobel Prize for Literature)
"There are only two kinds of freedom in the world; the freedom of the rich and powerful, and the freedom of the artist and the monk who renounces possessions”
-- Anais Nin (Author)
"Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
-- Benjamin Franklin (Statesman, Scientist, Philosopher, Printer, and Inventor.
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
-- Martin Luther King (Baptist Minister and Civil-Rights Leader)
"There is no such thing as a little freedom. Either you are all free, or you are not free.”
-- Walter Cronkite (Journalist, and News Anchor)
“Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right.”
-- Mahatma Gandhi (Philos
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