What ever happened to ...

What ever happened to the freedoms guaranteed to U.S. citizens in the Constitution? Lets take a look.

Free Speech-- We are finding ourselves controlled more and more by Political Correctness and Homeland Security. Our media is telling us what the Powers That Be want us to know and nothing else. And if you do not subscribe to those beliefs, you are subject to investigation and possible arrest. If you do not believe me, look up the WikiLeaks scandal. An Australian citizen is being harassed by the U.S. government because he gathered information (in a legal way, even) that is embarrassing to the government and told everyone about it on the internet. Now the government is putting pressure on foreign agencies and governments to shut him up. Today he was arrested for some absurd sex charge (rape due to a broken condom?) because it was the only thing they could find to charge him with. His assets have been globally seized, and U.S. contractors have been told that if any of their employees access his web page, either at work or at home, they will be fired. Kinda makes you wonder just how far the government will go to protect their dirty little secrets?

Right to Bear Arms-- No, I am not talking about the forelimbs of a woodland creature here. In the U.S., every citizen has a Constitutional right to own firearms. Gun control has been a hot button topic for 30 years. It seems like every time there is an election, the media starts spouting non-sense about crime being on the rise because of the number of guns available. They want to scare people into believing that guns are the cause of crime. Trust me, there are a lot of easier ways to kill someone than to shoot them. The government wants people to be afraid of guns so we cannot protect ourselves, either from criminals or from an oppressive government. They actually remember that the American Revolution happened because a bunch of American colonists with squirrel rifles got fed up with an oppressive government and demanded to be free. Not just once, but twice, we defended ourselves against the British for the right to rule ourselves. The Powers That Be do not want that to happen again, so they are limiting our right to even possess weapons. They demonize anyone who will fight to protect themselves by calling them "radicals" or "gun-toting lunatics".

Unreasonable Search and Seizure-- This one is essentially gone from memory. The Department of Homeland Security has conveniently forgotten that this right exists. For those who are interested, it is #4 in the Bill of Rights. It says, and I quote, "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." In the name of Security, the government has managed to violate this right in so many ways it might as well not exist. All it takes for DHS to decide you are a risk is one single tip. They can tap your cell phone, search your garbage, use infrared detectors on your home, X-ray your vehicle while you are driving, monitor your habits, prevent you from getting on an airplane, look at your credit report to see what you are buying, all without a search warrant. Although, these days, getting a probable cause warrant is absurdly easy because judges are willing to grant them in hopes of being promoted up the food chain into the Federal Court system. If they think you have a gun, and you are known to disagree with governmental policies, they can claim probable cause for weapons charges and arrest you. Just the threat of governmental harassment is enough to make most people cower and comply. Does this feel like Freedom to anyone?

Amendment 9-- "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." This statement, in and of itself, states that the people have rights that are not enumerated in the Constitution. But the Government doesn't want us to think we have any rights unless they give them to us. We are much easier to control if we can only do what the government wants us to do. Let's all be good little slaves, mindlessly handing over our wages to the Tax Authority, for the good of all Americans. We are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, the right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Regardless to what the government thinks.

Amendment 10-- "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." This is just an extension of #9. We the People have RIGHTS! If we do not exercise them, and exercise them regularly, they will be taken away from us. One, by one, until we are nothing less than a police state run by those who do not have our best interests at heart.

100 Years ago in Arkansas...

Most of the roads were gravel. You would generally travel by mule. The main social event on any given week was church on Sunday. Although there would be an occasional quilting bee or barn raisin'. The County Fair was the highlight of every September. Everyone entered their canning and handwork and feuds could be started over who's pickles were better.

Work was hard but life was simple. There was never any question on whether or not a child should be taken from his/her parents. There was never the issue of domestic abuse. If a man hit a woman and any of the family ever found out about it, that man would quietly disappear, no questions asked.

You knew what was in your food because you raised it. There wasn't any tainted wheat gluten added to the preformed meat patties, because no one would eat something like that. Meat was only made out of an animal, not a preformed, chub packed, vitamin enriched, breaded, heat and eat meal that is so popular these days. Every woman knew how to cook. Every one. It may not always be gourmet, and it usually wasn't, but it was filling.

Granted, 100 years ago in Arkansas, we were about to be struck down by the flu pandemic followed closely by WWI. But no one protested outside the White House. No one dodged the draft. And the press most certainly didn't spend every waking moment trying to find dirt on the President, the Cabinet, and high ranking military officers.

My husband's family at this time still spoke German in the home. Louis was bilingual, his parents only spoke German, and we have a very nice picture of him in his American WWI uniform displayed proudly on our den wall. He was the last family member, at least on that side of the family, who was the proper age when a war broke out. Although my late father-in-law did enlist in the Coast Guard at the end of WWII. The war was over by the time he got out of basic but 2 of his future wife's brothers were involved in the fighting in Italy. No protesters for that war either.

IMHO, it would seem that our generation has gotten into the habit of whining about what it takes to be free. We all want our liberties, but Heaven help us all if we actually have to do something to protect it.