2024 is the 37th Anniversary of my admission to practice law. The final act of becoming a lawyer is to swear an oath to the US Constitution. As I took that oath in 1987, it crossed my mind that the meaning of this oath was never discussed during law school. I’ve thought a lot about that since. As […]
Constitution and Corona Virus
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin “The Constitution is not a suicide pact.” Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson “If the government will not protect constitutional rights designed to preserve our freedom, it is up to the people to reclaim them.” Wisconsin […]
Thomas Jefferson and I Need Your Help!
Never thought I would write about the connections of Adolf Hitler, Benedict Arnold and Thomas Jefferson, but they have come together in my life. Here’s how the world’s most infamous murderer, America’s most famous traitor and the author of the Declaration of Independence have become connected, and how you can help to separate them. Like […]
Why the United States was Designed as a Republic
Ben Franklin famously replied when asked about the government that was created by the Constitution: “A republic, if you can keep it.” “Democracy ” Not In Any Founding Document The US is a Constitutional Republic, not a “democracy.” No American founding document, not the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, or the Constitution mentions […]
The USA vs. King George. Or as we know it, the Declaration of Independence
While the Declaration of Independence is revered for its eloquence, and inspirational philosophies, in the most straightforward sense it is a legal document written by a lawyer and approved by lawyers. Of the Declaration’s signers 25 of 56 were lawyers. Of the non-lawyers, the rest were in business and active in public affairs. The statistics […]
Birthing of the Declaration of Independence: Part Seven, Quill is Set to Parchment
The celebration of American Independence Day on the Fourth of July has come to include parades, barbecues and fireworks. The celebrations should include discussions of how the Declaration of Independence came to be. In Part One. The Committee of Five appointed to draft a declaration of independence had dwindled in reality to just Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. In […]
Birthing of the Declaration of Independence: Part Six, Defining the American Mind
The celebration of American Independence Day on the Fourth of July has come to include parades, barbecues and fireworks. The celebrations should include discussions of how the Declaration of Independence came to be. In Part One. The Committee of Five appointed to draft a declaration of independence had dwindled in reality to just Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. In […]
Birthing of the Declaration of Independence: Part Five, Historical Precedents
The celebration of American Independence Day on the Fourth of July has come to include parades, barbecues and fireworks. The celebrations should include discussions of how the Declaration of Independence came to be. The story began in Part One as The Committee of Five appointed to draft a declaration of independence had dwindled in reality to just Thomas Jefferson […]
Birthing the Declaration of Independence: Part Four, Jefferson’s Selection
The celebration of American Independence Day on the Fourth of July has come to include parades, barbecues and fireworks. The celebrations should include discussions of how the Declaration of Independence came to be. The story began in Part One as The Committee of Five appointed to draft a declaration of independence had dwindled in reality […]
Senate Moves to Erase Thomas Jefferson From History and now Joined by House
During the 2017 controversies over Confederate monuments, President Trump sent out a prescient tweet with the following question: “…who’s next, Washington, Jefferson?” On December 21, 2017, the United States Senate, which operates under rules evolved from A Manual of Parliamentary Practice for the Use of the Senate of the United States by Thomas Jefferson, took […]