In Honor of Our Fallen

Please take the time to remember the men and women of our great nation who have given their lives for us this weekend. Also, remember that many gave their lives in training during peacetime. Training for war is dangerous profession.

I pray for the end of this war because no one wants to be at war; but also give thanks to God that we have men and women willing to lay their lives on the line for our nation. I pray that all our leaders will value the lives that they command, direct, and support.

God bless our Armed Forces and God Bless the United States.

How California (and every other state) Lost Its Sovereignty

How California Lost Its Sovereignty; by Fred E. Foldvary; Reposted on Liberty For All; 21 April 2007.

“The State of California is supposed to be sovereign under the Constitution of the United States. There is no higher government authority above California. The Constitution provides for parallel sovereignty for the federal and state governments, each with its own realm of authority. The federal government is not supposed to have a superior status. The 10th Amendment emphasizes that powers not specifically allocated to the federal government by the Constitution are held by the states or the people.

“The Constitution endows the states with ultimate sovereignty because they can change the Constitution. Article V of the Constitution states that “on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, [Congress] shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments” subject to ratification by three-fourths of the states.

“The states have in fact submitted over 500 requests for such a convention to Congress, with the required two-thirds of the states asking for such conventions. The state applications for an Article V convention are registered in the Congressional Record. But Congress has violated the Constitution by ignoring these requests. In so doing, Congress has destroyed one of the checks on federal power that the founders had implemented.

“The states have thus lost their sovereign ability to change the Constitution. This loss was in part the fault of the states themselves when they adopted the 17th Amendment to have a direct election of senators by the citizens rather than the original constitutional provision of having the state legislatures elect their senators. This situation could be reversed by the repeal of the amendment if two-thirds of the states call for it. But Congress refuses to comply.

“Are Americans to have sovereign states as authorized by the Constitution, or will the states be demoted to mere administrative provinces under an all-powerful central government?”

Read the rest here.

Comment: I think it’s fairly apparent to most folks that follow current events that the national government is growing rapidly and becoming too powerful. While the realization of this is only now taking place, the truth of the matter is that there has been a steady march toward the leviathan state since the 16^th and 17^th Amendments were enacted in 1913. Essentially the 16^th allows for national government to reach into your pocket and take your money and fund whatever absurdity the oligarchs’ desire; and the 17^th Amendment subjugated the states to the leviathan giving the oligarchs almost unbridled power. The time has come for the States to take back what was rightly theirs in the first place.

Maybe the path is in Article V. The States have never called for a Constitution Convention, but as events like the illegal alien issue continue to mount and Congress acts without the consent of the people while abandoning the Constitution, the States need to know their rights. The first order of business needs to be the repealing of the 16^th and 17^th Amendments. When that takes place, the Constitution will be partially restored as the founders intended when they created it. It’s time we educated our state assemblies. It’s time the state legislators knew their rights.

In the end all Americans have to answer the question Mr. Foldvary asks, “Are Americans to have sovereign states as authorized by the Constitution, or will the states be demoted to mere administrative provinces under an all-powerful central government?”

Additional Information:

Article V

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.

Soon More Than 12 Million New Social Security Beneficiaries

If Congress gets its way there will soon be more than 12 million new social security beneficiaries. Yes, with this amnesty deal there will be more than 12 million new eligible beneficiaries that will surge into our dying safety net.

So how do George Bush, Ted Kennedy, John Kyl, Arlen, Specter, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Lindsey Graham, and John McCain propose to pay social security for more than 12 million illegals aliens? They don’t say, because there is nothing in this travesty, which is without a doubt an assault on our Constitution, that details how they will support our elderly and disabled that are currently living off of social security plus pay an additional 12 million illegal immigrants.

Yes, our own elderly and disabled that have worked their whole lives will now lose much of the little support they currently receive because Congress lacks courage to do the right thing; because Congress caved into the special interests groups and greedy big businesses; and because Congress has abandon liberty for socialism.

All I know is that there is no way our national Social Security system can bear the weight of more than 12 million new beneficiaries. It will either go broke in the short term, or with massive tax increases, will go broke in the next two decades. Either way it will go broke. And don’t think that for one minute the numbers will remain at 12 million, because once this amnesty is given the flood gates will open up and the rest of Mexico and Latin America will be flooding in.

These people are taking to the streets demanding we give them something. I say bunk, its time we took to the streets and demanded Congress and the President did what we elected them for: the protection of our country; the protection of our people; and the protection of our ideals. It’s time these oligarchs were kicked in the ass and made to do their job, and time we wake up. We better wake up soon because it isn’t looking too good for the United States.

President Democrats and RINO's Cut Backroom Deal

President Democrats and RINO's Cut Backroom Deal; by Julie Hirschfeld Davis; Associated Press; 17 May 2007.

WASHINGTON — Key senators and the White House reached agreement today on an immigration overhaul that would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and fortify the border.

The plan would create a temporary worker program to bring new arrivals to the U.S. A separate program would cover agricultural workers. New high-tech enforcement measures also would be instituted to verify that workers are here legally.

The compromise came after weeks of painstaking closed-door negotiations that brought the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans together with President Bush's Cabinet officers to produce a highly complex measure that carries heavy political consequences.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said he expects Bush to endorse the agreement.

The accord sets the stage for what promises to be a bruising battle next week in the Senate on one of Bush's top non-war priorities.

The key breakthrough came when negotiators struck a bargain on a so-called "point system" that would for the first time prioritize immigrants' education and skill level over family connections in deciding how to award green cards.

The draft bill "gives a path out of the shadows and toward legal status for those who are currently here" illegally, said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

A spokesman for Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., one of his party's key players in the talks, confirmed that the group had reached agreement.

The proposed agreement would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a "Z visa" and — after paying fees and a $5,000 fine — ultimately get on track for permanent residency, which could take between eight and 13 years. Heads of household would have to return to their home countries first.

They could come forward right away to claim a probationary card that would let them live and work legally in the U.S., but could not begin the path to permanent residency or citizenship until border security improvements and the high-tech worker identification program were completed.

A new temporary guest worker program would also have to wait until those so-called "triggers" had been activated.

Those workers would have to return home after work stints of two years, with little opportunity to gain permanent legal status or ever become U.S. citizens. They could renew their guest worker visas twice, but would be required to leave for a year in between each time.

Democrats had pressed instead for guest workers to be permitted to stay and work indefinitely in the U.S.

Read the entire article.

Comment: Say good-bye to the U.S. Constitution; say good-bye to Social Security because 12 million illegals are about to be put on the rolls; say good-bye to English; and say good-bye to sovereignty!

Wrap-up of the 17th Amendment on the Web for 16 May 2007

Here is the wrap-up of web postings that mentioned the 17^th Amendment for 16 May 2007. There are two noteworthy articles; the first is by Fred E. Foldvary, called How California Lost Its Sovereignty. The second is by the long time supporter of the repeal Devvy Kidd called, The IRS, Amero And The Battleground For Liberty. I will comment upon these two separating this week.

Regards,
BD

How California Lost Its Sovereignty
By R Lee Wrights
This loss was in part the fault of the states themselves when they adopted the 17th Amendment to have a direct election of senators by the citizens rather than the original constitutional provision of having the state legislatures elect...
Liberty For All - http://www.libertyforall.net

Worst Constiutional Amendments
By Dellis
17th - Direct Senate elections vitiated the Framer's vision of having the states possessing a structural role within the federal government, and the result has been the demagogue Senator, increased judicial review, increased federal ...
It's DELLISTACULAR!!! - http://dellistacular.blogspot.com/index.html

This Day on Capitol Hill: April 27
Politico - Washington, DC, USA
... reacting to Berger’s challenge, approved the long-delayed direct-election resolution – ultimately ratified as the 17th Amendment to the Constitution.

Race to Succeed Senate-Bidding Colorado Rep. Udall Already Getting ...
New York Times - New York, NY, USA
... adopted popular election of senators in 1912, a year before the 17th Amendment made that the national norm, and Shafroth won a Senate seat that year.

The IRS, Amero And The Battleground For Liberty
NewsWithViews.com - Merlin,OR,USA
... home from around the world, get our state legislatures to pass monetary reform bills, challenge the 17th Amendment fraud and stand up for its citizens.

Sombody’s Gotta Say It
By Laura Benjamin
Repeal the 16th Amendment and enact the Fairtax; Repeal the 17th Amendment; Eliminate the Department of Education; Extend First Amendment Rights to the Broadcast Media. Reform healthcare by:. Allow hospital emergency rooms to turn away ...
One Person's Opinion... - http://laurabenjamin.wordpress.com

Candidate's single issue is to weaken Senate, courts
Quad-Cities Online - Rock Island,IL,USA
That changed in 1913 when the 17th Amendment let senators be chosen by election. Mr. Johnson wants to repeal the 17th Amendment with his proposal. ...

Clinton, Obama sign onto to Boxer’s $4,500 climate tax

Clinton, Obama sign onto to Boxer’s $4,500 climate tax; By Marc Morano; the eco•logic Powerhouse; May 14, 2007.

Senate Environment & Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have proposed the "Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act" aimed at combating climate change. The proposed partisan bill (S.309) is supported by another 15 senators, including: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY); Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL); Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT); Sen. Joseph R. Biden (D-DE); Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI); Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-WI); Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI); Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA); Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ); Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT); Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ); Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI); Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), and Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD).

The Kyoto Protocol would have imposed an equivalent tax of over $300 billion a year, 10 times the size of the Clinton-Gore tax increase of 1993. In addition to the MIT study, a new Congressional Budget Office study released recently, details how a carbon cap-and-trade system would result in massive wealth redistribution from the poor and working class to wealthier Americans. [Read more on CBO study] Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), EPW Ranking Member, said today: "Carbon caps would artificially and needlessly raise the cost of energy the most on the people least able to afford it. It astounds me that any Senator could support such a proposal." Read Senator Inhofe's full opening statement from today's EPW subcommittee hearing.

Comment: This is one more example of what is at the heart of the “green” movement; higher taxation and attacks on capitalism. Make no mistake about this is pure socialism. Left unchecked the oligarchs will ruin this country, tear down our sovereignty, and destroy our business competition, all the while the size of government and their power continues to grow. The 50 States must act and regain the power it lost through the 17^th Amendment and stop these oligarchs from further impairment to our nation.

Additional Information:

(S.309) Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (Introduced in Senate)

Alberto Gonzales Works to Thwart 2nd Amendment

Gun Control Bill Seeks to Close 'Terror Gap'; By Susan Jones; CNSNews.com; May 02, 2007.

(CNSNews.com) - A Second Amendment group says Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should resign as the nation's highest ranking law enforcement officer, given his "troubling support" for a new gun control bill that seeks to close the "terror gap" in federal law. S. 1237 would give the attorney general, a presidential appointee, the authority to suspend or cancel someone's Second Amendment right, even if that person has never been charged with a crime, the Second Amendment Foundation warned. At the Justice Department's request, the bill was introduced last week by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), whom SAF describes as one of the most extreme anti-gunners in Congress.

Comment: It is getting tiring everyday reading about the questionable actions coming out Gonzales’ office. Gonzales has done a lot that is often tagged as incompetent because MSM has the agenda to topple this administration, but this story if accurate makes me mad as hell.

Just today the Von Mises Institute published an article on the fallacy of gun control analyzed through the theory of value and the idea of substitutes.

As Mises.org readers know, in economics, we discuss the idea of substitutes. These are goods that can be used to replace each other such as Coke vs. Pepsi, contact lenses vs. eyeglasses, Macs vs. PCs. When a person has ends, a person can select among different means to achieve those ends. These different means are substitutes.

Cho wanted to kill many people, and he wanted it to be visible and spectacular. To that end, he purchases guns, bullets, chains, and locks (to prevent survivors from escaping). Would gun control have prevented this? Or would Cho — who apparently planned this attack for weeks, based on the fact that he acquired guns, bullets, chains, and locks for weeks — have used substitute goods?

What would Cho's substitutes have been? What others means are there by which he could engage in mass murder? Well, he could have purchased a knife, although that is probably a weak substitute for guns and bullets in achieving his ends. He has to be right next to his victim, and he might be defeated in personal combat by another person. Likewise, he could not kill a lot of people in the same time frame, and it would not be as spectacular.

The disheartening aspect of politics lately is not watching the Democrats act like fools, this is to be expected; but rather Republicans behaving like Democrats. Why is it so hard to keep to our cultural norms, and rights that are affirmed in the U.S. Constitution? Why is that Republicans continued to thwart those very ideals we elected them for? This will be the down fall of the Republican Party as Conservatives and Republicans alike will not stand for it. I know I am growing tired of it and will surely move to the Libertarian Party. Yet, in the end fault lies with President Bush. I stand behind the office in the prosecution of the war, but I can only take so much.

A friend of mine told me shortly after 9/11 the only thing we should fear is loss of our civil liberties; and he was 100 percent correct. While I know much of the threat from Islamist is real, nevertheless, much of this is looking like “fear being manufactured.” I have asked myself, how is that 30 or 40 al-Qaeda camel jockeys can hurt America; and my conclusion is they can’t. So why do we need to restrict our Constitutional rights because of 40 thugs? We shouldn’t! This is manufactured fear and manipulation of our rights by the beltway insiders.

Additional Information:

Why Economists Tend to Oppose Gun Control Laws

S.1237 Title: A bill to increase public safety by permitting the Attorney General to deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of firearms and explosives licenses to known or suspected dangerous terrorists.

Sponsor: Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ]
Co-Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [MA]