Happy Independence Day!

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,

Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

Author: Emma Lazarus

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.

- Declaration of Independence

 

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. 

- Preamble to the United States Constitution

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.

- Amendment IV, the United States Constitution, Bill of Rights

 

Hey, LOOK . . . . . . . a Flag!

With all the fighting about the 1st amendment (freedom of religion, speech, & press) and the 2nd amendment (right to bear arms),

We seem to have forgotten about the 4th amendment:

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.

We also might want to remember the 9th amendment:

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

And the 10th amendment:

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.

9 & 10 kind of go together.


In fact, most of what I see in the news today makes me think that we need to go back and read what our Constitution actually says,  especially our politicians.

Many patriotic people would be surprised.


If anyone is interested, here are links to: 

the DECLARATION of INDEPENDENCE,
the CONSTITUTION,
the BILL of RIGHTS (that's Amendments 1-10),
and AMENDMENTS 11-27.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

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

- U.S. CONSTITUTION, Bill of Rights, Amendment IX.