Like Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech, in the United States the concept of Freedom of the Press as it developed has been uniquely American. Along with free speech for the general population, it is surely the source of what has become known as American Exceptionalism. American Exceptionalism Alexis de Tocqueville originally referred to […]
The First Amendment to the Constitution: Freedom of Speech
February 12, 2013 by
The US Constitution’s first ten amendments are called The Bill of Rights. The First Amendment limits the authority of government to enact laws impinging upon the natural rights of the people to practice religion, engage in speech, publish their ideas and assemble together to petition their government. Freedom of religion is the first named freedom. The second named […]
The Web of Law: International, Natural, Common, Constitutional, Statutes & Regulations
February 3, 2013 by
While the Constitution is the organic legal document of the United States, it is not the only source of law or legitimate government authority. There is a hierarchy and interrelationship among the laws that govern our lives. Each strand in the complex web of law has different sources and relationships to the other. People rely […]
New HHS Contraception Mandate Rules Create a Shell Game
February 2, 2013 by
On Friday, February 2, 2012, the Obama administration released new Department of Health and Human Services[1] (HHS) contraception mandate rules. The government contends the new rules address the religious objections resulting in lawsuits from its existing rules. On close inspection the changes are an Orwellian shell game. There are currently 44 lawsuits across the country opposing the mandate […]
First Amendment to the Constitution: Freedom of Religion
January 18, 2013 by
Freedom of Religion is the first of our natural rights acknowledged in the First Amendment and limits government’s power to establish an official religion or interfere with a citizen’s exercise of religion. This is a recognition of freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. The first ten amendments to the US Constitution are referred to […]
Amendment I to the US Constitution: An Overview
December 11, 2012 by
The US Constitution grants enumerated powers to the central government. The drafters believed enumerating the powers limited the government. This was the argument Federalists made based upon an accepted rule for interpreting legal documents: Expressio unius est exclusio alterius (“the express mention of one thing excludes all others”). With that principle in mind, the government could not […]
Article VI of the Constitution: US Debt, Oaths & The Supremacy Clause
December 2, 2012 by
Article VI’s first clause was a bit of housekeeping in reassuring creditors of the United States that they would be paid by the new government formed under the Constitution. The third clause ensured that the government of the country would be secular and office holders at all levels of government would swear loyalty to the […]
ICE Agent Lawsuit Asserts Obama Dream Act Policy Is Illegal
November 12, 2012 by
On June 15, 2012 President Obama announced that his administration would stop deportation of certain classes of illegal aliens. The question arises: does he have the constitutional authority to execute such a policy? Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and theState of Mississippi believe he does not. In a June 15 White House statement, President […]
Article II of the US Constitution: Election & Powers of the US President
November 6, 2012 by
The President of the United States is considered to be the most powerful individual in the world. The principal source of this power is Article II of the US Constitution. Article II outlines term of office, the selection, the qualifications, the oath, the powers of appointment, the responsibilities and provisions for impeachment. This is done […]
Byron Donalds, THE TALK Part I: What Happened in the 2012 Elections?
The first of a three part look at the 2012 elections: What happened? What’s next for the GOP? Who is the next leader? Part I: What Happened? It’s been three months, so enough time has passed since the November elections. It takes time to get over heartbreak, but time in politics goes fast and the […]