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Posts in category National US Politics

The First Round -What should have been debated on Wednesday Evening!

Oct04
2012
Leave a Comment Written by Dennis Brady

I am amazed at all of the spin & hype after the debate on who won and who lost!

Presidential Debate Images from: Boston.Com

First is the view from the neo-con commentators that Governor Romney won the debate by a large margin and that he was so masterful in his criticism of the President and his record over the last 4 years. The second is what issues were not discussed by either candidate and not even referenced to by the Mr. Lehrer the moderator.

Governor Romney said nothing about eliminating Government departments; He would only cut the government payroll by attrition. He decried over regulation and government intrusion but will do nothing to kill the “beast” that is out of control Federal Government.

He even stated he would increase the Federal Governments funding of education in order to improve education and hire more teachers. He doesn’t understand the Federal Government should have “No-Role” in education since that is the prerogative of the individual states and locales. The Department of Education has been an utter disaster as evidenced by our mediocre educational ranking among the top 28 industrialized nations.

This slide began in the early1970s and has continued since 1980 when the Department of Education was elevated to a cabinet post. Even though billions of dollars has been spent on the federal level education has suffered. Federal Interference in what should be an individual state responsibility. Both candidates say they want Federal funding for more teachers but fail to say what will happen when the initial funding for these teachers runs out and the states already overburdened with non-funded mandates will have to find a way to pay for them.

The Governor said he likes some of the provisions of the Dodd Frank bill which in my opinion was a Federal Government power grab of the financial industry to the benefit ofcrony capitalist bankers . The biggest causes of the financial debacle of the last decade was the gutting of the Glass-Steagall act implemented in 1933 which  put up a wall between investment and commercial operations which  protected  deposits from capital market risk. This regulation was amended by the Gramm-Leach-Bilely Act of 1999 which allowed commercial banks to engage in risky investment products.  All the reform that was needed was to reinstate the provisions of  Glass-Steagall.

Neither candidate mentioned the destruction of our currency by the Federal Reserve and its now never ending quantitative easing nor did they even outline how we as a people will ever pay our 16 Trillion dollar national Debt.

The Constitution was only mentioned once by the governor in the part of the debate on the role of the Federal Government. The Governor went into quoting the declaration of independence and not the constitution. My answer to Mr. Lehrer’s question on what is the role of the Federal Government would have been short and simple:

“The role is limited to the 18 or so enumerated powers in Article I, Section 8 of the constitution no more and no less!”

These topics would have been covered if the Libertarian Candidate Governor Gary Johnson was invited to participate in the debates and it explains the reason why both major parties fought to exclude him.

To my conservative friends to whom will read this posting who will undoubtedly say I am being unduly hard on Governor Romney all I can say is that I expected better from him.

Just my opinion D.B.

Posted in Articles by Dennis Brady

“Panem et Circenses”, Bread and Circuses, The 2012 Presidential Election

Sep25
2012
1 Comment Written by Dennis Brady

Imperial Roman Decadence (Image from: Anvnews.net)

The people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else, now concerns itself no more, and longs eagerly for just two things – bread and circuses!

- Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis (Juvenal) 55 – 127 AD

Last month when I was looking at the Republican & Democratic conventions I remembered a quote from the ancient Roman satirist Juvenal which is shown above. Juvenal lived in the late first early second century AD. He lamented on the passing of the Roman Republic which had ended a century earlier and was now was becoming a distant memory to Roman Citizens.  The Roman constitution was now a footnote in history and the once great Roman Senate which had great representatives such as Cato and Cicero had now become nothing but a figurehead at the mercy of the ever growing power of the emperors.

Juvenal wrote scathing satire on the state of citizenry of the Roman Empire. He realized that they no longer took the duties of citizenship seriously as they did a century ago under the republic. They had become spectators of their country pacified by the Imperial Government.  The Emperors largess was doled out to them in the form of free food distribution, chariot races, violent gladiatorial and other contests.  He wrote that Roman citizens under the Republic which had: “once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else, now meddle no more and longs eagerly for just two things — bread and circuses.”

The spectacle of the conventions I saw seemed nothing more than long political commercials for both parties.  No debate on various issues were even allowed as evidenced by the embarrassing voice vote on supporting Jerusalem as the capital of Israeland including the word God in the DNC party platform. The GOP also did not tolerate deviation from the “Script” of party unity with not allowing Representative Ron Paul’s name into nomination by quickly changing its convention rules at the last minute. Neither convention tackled the great issues of the day.

The Democratic convention did not mention the growing debt bomb which has the real possibility of destroying our children s future. They pandered to the well-publicized

President Obama

“gender-gap” and assertion of the GOP’s plan for a “war on woman” with a little help with their friends in the main stream media. To the DNC all women want is for the public at large to pay for their birth control and to payroll their killing of their unborn children if they so choose.

The GOP’s message was simple and utterly moronic elect us and we will manage the intrusive Federal Government better than the other party. The Neo-Cons still want to give our borrowed largess to foreign nations who in many cases despise us,  and only trim the budget around the edges as not to offend any constituency.  The progressive disease that has long affected the Democratic Party has taken route in the GOP under the guise Neo-Conservatism.

Progressives in both parties are cynically counting on citizens being distracted by our modern day “Bread & Circuses”. If we don’t change things soon the “prophecy” contained

Govenor Romney

in the famous quote attributed to  Alexander Fraser Tytler will come true that a republic cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse out of the public treasury. He then went on to say the majority of the citizens will always vote to themselves more largess out of their treasury. This he wrote leads to an economic crisis then a dictatorship.

Have we as a people become as Juvenal observed of his in the first Century countrymen and lost the ability to govern themselves so distracted by today’s means of mindless self-gratification?

I will not attempt to tell my readership who to vote for in this election. I will only convey my opinion what I intend to do in the voting booth. I pray that Barack Obama will not be re-elected. I believe he is misguided in his socialistic philosophy and I do believe whetherhe admits it or not believes in the constitution he took an oath to protect. He does not believe in its precepts of limited government, states’ rights and sovereignty of the individual. I think his re-election will be disastrous for our republic; I also pray I am incorrect with that accretion.

I also cannot vote for the Republican Candidate Mitt Romney. In his heart I believe he isa progressive neo-conservative. He believes like many in his party he can tame the beast of a “Post Constitutional” Federal Government. I do believe he will do less harm then if our current president is reelected which might buy us some time to wake up as a nation and return to a constitutional government.

I plan to vote for Former New Mexican Governor Gary Johnson the Libertarian Party candidate. He believes in limiting the power of the Federal Government and returning powers usurped back to the states and the people.

Govenor Johnson

Part of my decision my dear readers to vote for Gary Johnson I admit is a cop-out. I realize in my home state of New Jersey current polls show the President ahead by ten points or more over Romney. If the polls were close in my state I would have to reevaluate this decision. A strong Johnson showing in uncontested states might send a message to Mitt Romney if he is victorious and persuade him to follow a more constitutional course in his governance, as for Mr. Obama I have no such hope.

 Let us say a prayer that that God will show us the way.

Just my opinion D.B.

                                           Member 2011-2014

Posted in Articles by Dennis Brady

The Rise of Local Historic Districts, and Governmental Abuse of Individual Property Rights

Aug28
2012
Leave a Comment Written by Dennis Brady

I am always amazed how far we Americans have drifted away from our founding   principles and passively give away our God given rights to our state and federal governments without even a whimper of protest. In my small Northeastern New Jersey borough of Closter an ordinance was passed in 2001 and updated a few times since then designating parts of the borough as an  historic district. The owners of homes in this district have to adhere to strict rules on the outside of their homes and are not allowed to change or alter their appearance. This was not a voluntary agreement between the owners and the Town Council or with the Boroughs historic commission nor was these restrictions just put on new owners who accepted such a restriction.  This ordinance applied to current owners who may have wanted to update/change their homes when they brought their home prior to the passing of the ordinance.

My town is not the only one in my state to pass such rules; the neighboring town of Oradell has just passed  a similar ordinance.  This also is not a New Jersey phenomenon it is happening all over the country. I am not opposed to reasonable zoning regulations. I in fact have served in the past on my local zoning board but to single out certain property owners who happen to own buildings that in opinion of some citizen or elected government committee is historic and thus enables them to strip owners of their fundamental property rights is against what our country stands for.

On the Federal Level extreme environmentalists also do the same. There are many cases in which a bureaucrat from the Department of the interior or EPA comes on private property determines that some endangered species inhabits the land or the property has a small stream, puddle or other “body “ of water  to abuse the “Clean Water Act” therefore seizing by stealth private property. The property owner still owns the property, has to pay taxes on it but is severely restricted on its use. The constitution is clear that the Federal Government has no right to essentially seize property without properly compensating the owner (5th Amendment).  Not only is this an infringement of personal property rights

by the federal government but a violation of state sovereignty.  By the strict application of the constitution’s original intent the federal government should only have control over federal lands or if a particular use of a property affects another state. The founders never intended the federal government to interfere with internal state affairs or individual property rights.

Of course progressives say this is for the public good; it is for the good of society.

Well if the federal, state or local government feel such a compelling need there is a“constitutional” way for them to obtain the rights to the property, it’s called” Imminent Domain” . The government states it case in acquiring the property for public use and purchases it from the owner at fair market value.

 

The destruction of property rights which began 100 years again by the federal Government has now trickled down to the state and local level.  We have become  not property owners in classical sense of the word but become renters paying our “rent” in the form of “Property Taxes” to the state and local level. On the Federal Government level they can confiscate state lands without consent from the states. It’s time we return to the constitution and stop the abuse of individual property rights at all levels. Regulations on property should only be enacted when the use of a property affects adversely in a physical way third parties, neighbors or the community at large.

Personal Property rights should not be whittled away because of some ideal of preservation. If you feel a structure or space must be preserved then you as an individual or group have the right to buy that property. If your Local or State Government feels there is a public interest in preserving the property for public use then they can purchase it. The government or you  have no right to seize or impose your will by taking others property rights away.

Remember one day it could be your rights or property that the government may one day covet.

Just my opinion D.B.

Posted in Articles by Dennis Brady, NJ Politics

Confessions of a former Neo-Con, A Constitutional Libertarian Manifesto!

Aug10
2012
Leave a Comment Written by Dennis Brady

Yes I admit it, I was a Neo-Conservative for many years. I usually supported most of the GOP platform which included government intervention in the economy through corporate welfare and a blind adherence to an ever growing military presence in the world expanding NATO and increasing the military budget without ever questioning why we designated ourselves as policeman of the world. I also believed wholeheartedly in the federal government’s war on drugs and individual state sovereignty must yield to the federal government in many areas.

I also got caught up in the European view of the political spectrum with the Fascism, National Socialism on the extreme right, Marxism, Communism, and Socialism on the extreme left with Liberal Western Democracy somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.  I respected the founders but in many cases I believed the constitution they carefully crafted fell short. I bought into the lie of a “living Constitution” which could be interpreted outside of original intent of the founders to try to remedy perceived modern day ills.

I have come over the past few years reject wholeheartedly the Neo-Conservative philosophy. I have come to believe this philosophy which has come to infect many conservatives and a huge part of the Republican Party is as alien to American political thought as Progressive movement is. The adoption of this philosophy by the GOP has been so destructive and has made most recent presidential elections the choice between the lessors of two evils.  The frustration of not having a clear choice in political ideals and the Hypocrisy of both major parties has been astounding. The political atmosphere has caused the American people to be apathetic and thus helped Progressives to achieve most of their goals to undermine our republic.

The question everyone must ask is: CAN MEN GOVERN THEMSELVES?  The classical American view of the political spectrum reflects this with on one side the complete absence of government on one extreme side (Anarchy) and on the other extreme all of the “isms” that mankind has endured in the last century (All the Totalitarian forms of government:  Fascism, National Socialism, Marxism, & Communism). Somewhere much closer to the absence of government than to Totalitarianism is the constitutional republic that our founding fathers set up.

The individual states formed the federal Government not the other way around. The constitution was intended to be taken as a formula for the federal government. The states have the primary sovereignty and only granted the federal government only those enumerated powers listed in the constitution. The progressives have indoctrinated the public over the last hundred years in the idea of a “Living Constitution” to be interpreted by the will of congress, Current federal courts (Yes including the Supreme Court) , or even popular sentiment at a particular point in time, if this was the original intent the founders they would have never crafted a constitution. The central government under the constitution is to be “Federal” NOT a “National” government.

I realize that questions of original intent will arise now and again in the courts. The courtsshould rely on the transcripts of the individual states ratifying conventions and the Federalist papers to interpret original intent. The founders provided two methods of changing the constitution the progressives have gone around the constitution by promoting it as a “Living Document” to increase the Federal Governments power that they would never have achieved by the amendment process.

Senator Robert Taft (1889-1953)

The conservative moment should go back to its traditional roots as presented by the late Senator Howard Taft. His believed in individual liberty, Federalism and a non-interventionist foreign policy. He believed in a strong defense but he abhorred American designating itself the world’s policeman. His views on American foreign policy were that of John Quincy Adams who stated:

 “ [America] goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She will commend the general cause by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example. She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom.”

 Our ever increasing military intervention over the last few decades are draining our

John Quincy Adams

treasury and over extending our military forces. The most blatant examples were in Bosnia, Libya, Haiti, in which we have had no national interest at all. Even in Afghanistan and Iraq I have come to the conclusion I was wrong by following the neo-con program of nation building which has proven itself to be a utter failure.

The neo-cons in the GOP have supported in some cases big government programs as bad as the progressives have. Cases in point are “No Child Left Behind” and the unsustainable Medicare (Part D) Prescription program.. The Federal government has no Constitutional role in education and its interference is evident as seen in the declining test scores and standards since the Department of Education was established in the 1970’s.

Every GOP president since Herbert Hoover has increased the size and scope of the Federal Government with the possible exception of Ronald Reagan, remember the overreaching EPA was even started by Richard Nixon.

Our founding fathers answered the question: CAN MEN GOVERN THEMSELVES? 

Their answer was a resounding YES! Our founders were children of the enlightenment in which they believed that since all men are endowed with natural rights that are not granted from a monarch or state; neither could rights be granted by them. These rights come directly from the creator and cannot be taken away and the only purpose in government was to insure the protection of these rights. The “Classical” liberal/ constitutional Libertarian philosophy of limited government which recognizes these rights and is what our republic was founded on.

Just my Opinion D.B.

                              BradyReports.Com is a proud member 2011-2014 of the:

Posted in Articles by Dennis Brady, History And Personal Reflections

An Open Letter to Will McAvoy , Why the HBO show “The Newsroom” is a case study on why mainstream news is dying.

Jul25
2012
Leave a Comment Written by Dennis Brady

Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy in HBO's "The Newsroom"

One of the new cable shows that I have started to watch and I admit to watching is HBO’s “The Newsroom” . One of the reasons I started to watch it was that it stars Jeff Daniels who I like very much as an actor (I thought he was excellent playing General George Washington in the 2000 TV movie “The Crossing”).  I like it for different reasons than its creator and writer Aaaron Sorkin (Who wrote the first four season of  the TV show “ West Wing” ) intended. It is in my opinion a case study in why the Broadcast Networks news bureaus and CNN & CNBC are dying.

The backdrop of the opening credits of each episode shows Black & White images of Broadcast TV news in its heyday from the late 1950’s through the mid 1960’s. The images include the venerable Walter Cronkite and Chet Huntley and the old no frills TV news studios of the past. Then it shows the fictional ACN studio where the main character and top news anchor will McAvoy played by Daniels works.

Will McAvoy is portrayed as a hard working no-nonsense TV Journalist who is a self-proclaimed registered Republican who bristles at the thought of being biased and who never would skew the news. But as in the mainstream media the “Progressive Bias”  is not a sin of commission of biased news coverage but rather than a sin of omission of  news stories that do not fit the progressive narrative.

So let me treat the fictional news anchor Will McAvoy as a real person and ACN as a real news organization in which I have written a letter to him below:

William McAvoy,  Editor  News Night                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ACN Studios    New York, NY

Dear Mr. McAvoy,

I am writing this letter to offer some constructive criticism of your News Night show. I know you pride yourself in being nonpartisan and I am not accusing you of distorting the news. I am accusing you of not presenting the full picture of news stories.

Here are a few examples:

 You have railed against the Tea Party as destroying the Republican Party but you never explain in detail which of the Tea Party goals that causes your concern. You have mentioned their opposition to the increase of the debt ceiling. You stated that a failure to increase the debt limit would cause a financial Armageddon but fail to even present the fact that the Federal Government could run for several months meeting its current obligations on its current tax income without an increase to the limit. You also never explore the impact of borrowing forty cents out of every dollar the federal government spends on future generations and how the servicing of this debt will impact the ability of the government to fund Social Security and Medicare in the years to come.

 On your investigation of the Koch brothers support for the conservative lobbying group Americans for Prosperity and their support for Wisconsin Governor Walker’s stand against the public sector unions and the fact that the average state workers salary matchedthe private sector. On that story you were correct on both points, but again you didn’t give the full story. You failed to mention that the Governor was not going to curtailthe unions right to negotiate salaries only benefits and you failed to mention their lucrative pension benefits as well as their low healthcare insurance contribution requirements which are almost unheard of in the private sector.

 You reported the spontaneous gathering of teachers and other public employees and their occupation of Wisconsin capital building but failed again mention the busing in of these supporters as well as some of them being compensated by the unions also left out in your reports the vandalism they caused that cost the taxpayers of that state hundreds of thousands of dollars. Another oversight was to mention the financial support of these protestors by liberal financier and self-admitted currency manipulator George Soros through many of his front groups.

 Another example of not presenting the full story was on the Gulf oil spill. You were quick to report that drilling at that depth was rare and that BP did not have much experience drilling at that depth and you were correct in doing so but again you only reported part of the story your investigation failed to report why BP drilled at that depth.

Your report did not include the fact that BP (And other oil companies) have in the past few years have been denied permits for drilling closer to shore in which they have experience and were their safety record was excellent. If your reporters looked into this fact they would have discovered this incident would not have occurred if this drilling was permitted closer to shore.  

 These examples are just a few of the reasons why your network as well as traditional cable outlets such as CNN, CNBC as well as the broadcast networks news programs have been losing viewership over the last 15 years. This also explains the rise of the new media such as Fox News, Talk Radio and the internet have been gaining market share.

I do admit in all fairness must of the above mentioned news outlets lean right but I will venture to say this is a reaction to the bias of the mainstream media. It is not always how a story that gets reported that shows bias it’s what stories do get reported and which are ignored.

Respectfully Yours,

Dennis Brady Owner and editor  of BradyReports.com

Just my opinion D.B.

Posted in Articles by Dennis Brady, Media, Television

The Media’s Love Affair with President Obama and Crony Capitalism!

May30
2012
2 Comments Written by Dennis Brady

 Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice we deserve what we get!

I am not surprised that the main stream media especially the New York Times and the three broadcast networks have carried the water for this administration. What really surprises me is how blatantly they do so. These media outlets never vetted then Senator Obama in 2008 or even discussed the information that was in his autobiography. A case in point was two weeks ago when the Washington Post printed the story of an alleged bullying incident that Governor Romney did on a high school classmate nearly 50 years ago.  This alleged incident was widely reported even after the victim’s family disputed the story.  In contrast the mainstream media never brought up a bullying incident that the president himself admitted to in his autobiography “Dreams from My Father “where he shoved a girl classmate. I personally think school yard hi jinks that took place decades ago should have no bearing in deciding who to vote for there are plenty of important issues between the President and his challenger that deserve media attention; but what about drug use? In his same autobiography the President says he “Enthusiastically” used Marijuana and Cocaine but that was hardly ever brought up by the media during the 2008 campaign.

There are numerous news stories that the mainstream media are selectively choosing not to report that might hurt the administration. One example is the lawsuit filed by more than 40 Roman Catholic organizations against Obamacare’s insurance coverage requirement for birth control and abortive drugs. The same media outlets (ABC, NBC) who broadcast the progressive charge of the “Conservatives War Against women” did not have one story in their network news programs mentioning the biggest lawsuit in US history of a religious domination suing the federal government.

Another recent example is the ATF’s “Fast & Furious”  scandal out of the three major broadcast networks only CBS did a feature on their nightly news broadcast. One would think that a story where the House of Representatives is contemplating issuing a sitting Attorney General a contempt citation that would be considered a newsworthy item.

This selective editing by the networks news desk of what stories should air is not a recent phenomenon remember the ACORN undercover video tape investigation as well as the rising death toll in Afghanistan which were both under-reported. Much was made in the past few weeks about Governor Romney’s tenure at the private equity firm: Bain Capital in terms of the number of layoff and businesses closed after Bain took them over and in some cases liquidated them. The president even called it “Vampire Capitalism”. The mainstream media so eager to report this seems to downplay the President’s record on public equity since he took office.

 

As reported in Peter Schweizer’s recent bestselling book, “Throw Them All Out”an overwhelming majority (71 percent)  of the Energy Department’s grants and loans under the Obama administration were for people who were  bundlers, members of Obama’s National Finance Committee, or large donors to the Democratic Party. These Obama campaign bundlers raised $457,834 for the Obama campaign, and were given grants or loans totaling nearly $11.35 billion. Whatever happened to “Hope and Change”? At least Governor Romney used private investor money and the majority of Bain Capital investments made a profit.

The following are a partial list of recent failures of this administration’s Public Equity investments:

Raser Technologies,

Given 33 million Dollar Grant, in 2009. -The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2012 and owes $1.5 million in back taxes.

ECOtality.  

Given  $126.2 million in 2009.  -According to ECOtality’s own SEC filings, They have incurred $45 million in losses and notified the federal government, “We may not achieve or sustain profitability on a quarterly or annual basis in the future.”

First Solar.

The Obama administration gave $3 billion in loan guarantees. -A few weeks ago First Solar reported  $401 million in restructuring costs tied to firing 30 percent of its workforce.

Abound Solar, Inc.

Granted a  $400 million loan guarantee by the Obama Administration. -Forbes reported in February the company halted production and laid off 180 employees.

 Beacon Power.

The Obama administration gave them a  $43 million loan guarantee.  -Late last year they filed for Bankruptcy.

The President finds it easy to hand out money that’s not his own and when he gives it to his political allies when taxpayer’s are putting up the bill. The media by in large has not reported on these debacles.  The administration has also laid off employees with the implementation of the GM & Chrysler reorganization in the closing of hundreds of car dealerships which were cited as necessary to save those companies I guess this only is appropriate when the government does it.

This is why the founders were against the federal Government from opening thepublic purse for private investment. The founders knew by their experience with a corrupt monarchy that governmental subsidies lead to crony capitalism.  The only cure for this is for a return to constitutional principles with a Federal Government staying within its enumerated powers and a media that does its job by reporting fairly and without bias.

-Just My Opinion D.B.

BradyReports is a Proud Member 2011-2014


 

                        

 

Posted in Articles by Dennis Brady, Media

The Real War 2012, Who does the Federal Government Really Fear?

Apr25
2012
1 Comment Written by Dennis Brady

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” –First Amendment to the US Constitution.

“In the far distance a helicopter skimmed down between the roofs, hovered for an instant like a bluebottle, and darted away again with a curving flight. It was the police patrol, snooping into people’s windows.” From the book 1984 – by George Orwell

The assault on our personal freedoms has accelerated by both parties. A seemingly innocuous bill was passed and signed into law on March 8th by President Obama. HR. 347 titled the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act. This bill was passed by the Republican controlled house by the overwhelming margin of 399 to 3. (The no votes were from Presidential Candidate Ron Paul R-TX, Paul Brown R-GA and Justin Amash R-MI, God bless them). The news of this passage was barely mentioned by the media except for a brief discussion by Judge Andrew Napolitano on the Fox News Channel and Talk Radio.

Fox News Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano

So why am I so upset about a bill whose stated purpose is to improve Federal Buildings and Grounds?  Its real purpose is to quash peaceful protests. This law is supposed update a previous law: Section 1752 of Title 18 of the United States Code, which restricted areas around the president, vice president, and others under secret service protection.  The change enacted was that federal prosecutors need only to show that protesters “knowingly” entered a protected area that they knew was restricted, even if you didn’t know it was illegal to enter the space.  Under the old law the government had to show that protestors entered the restricted space “willfully and knowingly” enter a restricted space. READ MORE »

Posted in Articles by Dennis Brady

Hillary’s Global Gun Ban: Oh yes, it’s real

Mar28
2012
1 Comment Written by Stephanie Maier

Article Updated: March 30th

An email from Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has been circulating the internet lately claiming that “Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced the Obama Administration will be working hand in glove with the United Nations to pass a new GLOBAL, “Small Arms Treaty.”

According to the letter, this treaty is designed to “register, ban and CONFISCATE firearms owned by private citizens like YOU.” The URGENT battle cry warns gun-loving citizens everywhere that the treaty aims to “confiscate and destroy all ‘unauthorized’ civilian firearms; create an international gun registry, and set the stage for full-scale gun CONFISCATION (sic).” Lots of **** and, !!!!!!!! and, BIG, SCARY CAPITAL LETTERS were used just in case you dummies in the electorate don’t understand how FRIGGIN’ IMPORTANT THIS IS!!!!****

To be honest, the letter looks a little bit nuts. But what if it’s not? So I started digging, and the internet is awash with controversy over whether this issue is real or some urban myth making yet another round on the world-wide-web. Although strangely I failed to find any mention of this important issue on Senator Paul’s website, I did find a veritable treasure-trove of information directly from the United Nations, which seems to be very proud of their achievements toward total control of the world’s weapons cache’.

So without further adieu, here it is, straight from the source: READ MORE »

Posted in Articles by Stephanie Maier

The Constitution and Federalism on the Brink- Why the Supreme Court will decide if our Federal Republic will survive

Mar26
2012
Leave a Comment Written by Dennis Brady

“If the government can just order you to buy something, and fine you if you don’t, they can order you to do anything,”                                                                 -Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli

The Justices of the US Supreme Court

The US Supreme court this week will hear six hours of argument over three days concerning the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act commonly known as Obamacare. The unprecedented suit against this bill was brought by 26 state attorney generals on behalf of their states. This challenge will be the most important case the Supreme Court has heard in the last 50 years. I predict the outcome of this case will be viewed by historians and many future generations as either a major milestone in destroying the American Republic and its core strength of Federalism or a possible turning point in restoring the power of the constitution. READ MORE »

No One Else Was Hurt. Right?

Mar22
2012
Leave a Comment Written by Martha Trowbridge

When law enforcement and the media report on violent crimes, typical statements include “No one else was hurt.”  “The child was not injured.”  “The hostages escaped unharmed.”

Listening to these declarations, you’d never know that these ‘expert’ professionals are describing traumatic incidents.  You’d never know that the ‘un-hurt’ people had just witnessed a murder, or other violent event, or had been held hostage by gun-wielding lunatics.

You’d never know that by their words, they proclaim to all who are listening that the only persons materially impacted by the violence are those who died.

 Pause and think about it:

By declaring ‘No one else was hurt” officials invalidate the reality of all those adversely affected by violence – namely, all of us.  READ MORE »

Posted in Articles by Martha Trowbridge
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A Blog of Constitutional Libertarian opinions and Historical Reflections