1Declaration: Free Markets, Free People, Free Minds

I have written about the removal of our individual Liberties time and time again. I have covered Nancy Pelosi's desire to bring back the Fairness Doctrine to stifle free speech. I have covered in depth the unconstitutional tax code, well it was until the passage of the 16th Amendment, which stripped away protections under the 4th Amendment. I have written on the environmentalist cultural revolution to remove individual choice. I have covered many issues that have abrogated the rights of the individual as the founders intended.

Libertarian Presidential nominee Bob Barr has done the same thing and testified recently to the US Congress about holding the executive branch liable for its ever increasing power and urging Congress to carry out a Constitutional inquiry. I urge you to sign the petition below to the US House of Representatives to help take back the freedoms that have been removed by the US government and continue to be stripped away for governmental expedience and in the name of taking care of us through social welfare programs.

Download the Blacked Out Bill of Rights

Petition to the U.S. House of Representatives

Committee on the Judiciary, Congressman Conyers, Chairman

Whereas, the basis for the laws of this great Republic is the Constitution, adopted September 17th, 1789; and,

Whereas, that Constitution provided for a clear but difficult procedure for amending it; and,

Whereas, the founding fathers saw a need for Amendments to guarantee certain civil rights to citizens including the right to a free press, free religious expression, the right to keep and bear arms, freedom from government seizure of their property, freedom from unlawful detention, the right to a prompt and fair trial by a jury, and protection from unreasonable bail requirements; and,

Whereas, these and other rights were considered important enough to be added as the first 10 Amendments and these have become known as The Bill of Rights; and,

Whereas, The Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791 remain untouched by Amendment for more than two centuries; and,

Whereas, the Executive branch of the Federal Government, through executive orders and other schemes has eroded many of these rights and still greater threats loom; Now therefore the undersigned citizens of the United States petition Congress to rise to its responsibilities and enforce and protect the Bill of Rights through any and all means at its disposal including but not limited to Committee Hearings and legal action through the courts.

Liberty is still a new idea and needs your support so take 60 seconds and sign the petition to stop the removal of our freedoms and protect the Bill of Rights! Let the Revolution continue and make your Declaration!

Download the Blacked Out Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights is the most important precedence for the maintenance of freedom for all individuals in the United States. For those not in the know, the Bill of Rights is the 1st 10 Amendments to the US Constitution. I urge you to read the amendments carefully before you continue reading this article. You can view them here.

It should be understood that the Bill of Rights does not constrain the rights of individuals or individual freedoms as some liberals and conservatives would exist such as the right to bear arms, gay marriage, the right for largely unregulated talk radio on political issues, and a host of other issues. The Bill of Rights was designed to protect individuals from the tyranny of government because the founders understood clearly the oppression that government of any size or nature can bring.

The 2nd Amendment is often highly neglected in liberal circles as they try to institute greater gun control laws in an attempt to eliminate gun ownership altogether. The reason for this is not because guns cause crimes, they don't as guns are inanimate objects without the ability to form thought. The reason for their desire for control is to take greater control of society and limit individual choice. No greater evidence can be brought forth aside from the clear wording of the US Constitution of the right to bear arms than from the words of the principal architect of the US Constitution Thomas Jefferson.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

The Bill of Rights is a constraint of the power of government on rights that no power, group, or entity has the power to take away. The rights of individuals is the most important principle in the founding of our government. Unfortunately our rights have been abridged by a government seeking to create a form of social justice in the implementation of the income tax, which has been previously been declared unconstitutional because of its violation of the 6th 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.

The right to privacy in financial matters and secure in papers has been obliterated by the IRS and more importantly perhaps the most oppressive law created by our government the 16th Amendment, which has fostered a climate where politicians espouse rhetoric about the evil rich, greedy corporations, and more generally class warfare. It has fostered an environment that penalizes hard work, individuality, high achievement, sound investments, economic growth, and has pushed jobs to overseas markets resulting in slower job creation and higher unemployment than would otherwise be possible. The reading of the 16th Amendment is frightening in and of itself.

Article XVI [Proposed 1909; Questionably Ratified 1913]: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

The amendment proposes no limits on the amount of taxes collected meaning tax rates could be as high as 100% meaning all income would be collected despite fierce opposition from the governed and leaves no recourse for petition from those whom are affected. This is why I support the Fair Tax, which you can find out more on in my FairTax series in March-May of 2008.

The Bill of Rights does not limit the freedom of individuals only the power of government. Activists judges liberal fascists (like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and the like) have sought to remove these rights in the name of social justice, governmental control, and social order. The founders recognized that increased governmental power is among the greatest evils the world has ever known and sought to ensure the protection of individuals including their ability to protect themself against physical abuses (2nd Amendment) amongst many other governmental abuses.

Have you ever heard the saying, "Well they got off on a technicality?" Then the person might add on something to the extent of "well put them in jail anyway," because the evidence exists that they are guilty. Other similar instances include the crime being so heinous that people say forget the trial and just lock them away. Thomas Jefferson and the founders realized this problem from their own experiences in imperial England where people were arrested and convicted without due process.

The founders found this problem to be of such importance that half of the Bill of Rights (5 of the first 10 Amendments) dealt with this problem. Here is a list of the 1st 10 Amendments and links to their reading.

• Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression
• Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms
• Amendment 3 - Quartering of Soldiers
• Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure
• Amendment 5 - Trial and Punishment, Compensation for Takings
• Amendment 6 - Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses
• Amendment 7 - Trial by Jury in Civil Cases
• Amendment 8 - Cruel and Unusual Punishment
• Amendment 9 - Construction of Constitution
• Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People

The administration of justice is one of the primary roles of government along with the insurance of rights to the individual to life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. While some people may get away with crimes they did commit, these "technicalities" presented in the Constitution ensure the protection of individuals from the corruption and whims of government. It is more dangerous that an innocent person could go to jail, lose their freedoms, and right to life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness than a guilty man going free.

This concept is not hard to understand. A government that is not limited in the pursuit of justice is a government that can take life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness away without question and without mode for recourse.

If we cannot ensure the the rights of the innocent than let the guilty go free for the opposite is most vile!

It is more dangerous that even a guilty person should be punished without the forms of law than that he should escape. --Thomas Jefferson