Liberals use the courts to change the rules

Commentary by James H. Shott


A story in The Washington Post informed readers that “The Supreme Court ruled the Second Amendment provides Americans a fundamental right to bear arms that cannot be violated by state and local governments.” This issue should never have had to be decided by the Supreme Court.

The Second Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, which is a specific articulation of what many of the Founders regarded as fundamental principles of human liberty – “unalienable Rights,” according to the Declaration of Independence – that must be guaranteed, and not left in doubt, so those rights were specifically guaranteed in the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution in 1791.

They include the right of free speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble and to petition the government, freedom of religion, the right to due process and trial by jury, protection from unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to keep and bear arms, among others, which the Founders recognized as essential for a free people in a free society, and which Justice Samuel Alito confirmed in his majority opinion: "It is clear that the Framers . . . counted the right to keep and bear arms among those fundamental rights necessary to our system of ordered liberty."

The 5-4 ruling came in response to a challenge to a Chicago law banning handgun possession. Such blanket bans are in response to the illegal use of handguns, but are poorly thought out and fraught with flaws and unintended consequences, the most obvious of which is that law abiding Chicagoans who have sold their handguns to comply with the law, or have not purchased a handgun because of the law, have had their most effective means of self-defense outlawed by the City of Chicago, leaving them vulnerable to criminals who still have their guns.

It is ludicrous to suggest that the Framers ever intended for such a preposterous situation to be created.

Gun control is another of the many areas where good intentions fall victim to reality: In the real world gun control laws do not control guns. What they do most effectively is to disarm potential victims.

The populace has nothing to fear from law abiding citizens with guns. In fact, studies show that law abiding citizens who are armed provide an effective deterrent to crime. In an article titled “Can Gun Control Reduce Crime? Part 1,” historian and writer Benedict D. LaRosa noted that “Vermont has the least restrictive gun-control law. It recognizes the right of any Vermonter who has not otherwise been prohibited from owning a firearm to carry concealed weapons without a permit or license. Yet Vermont has one of the lowest crime rates in America, ranking 49 out of 50 in all crimes and 47th in murders.”

He also said that states which have passed concealed-carry laws have seen their violent crime rates fall by from three to seven percent, which makes perfect sense: If a criminal believes his intended victim may shoot him, he might think twice before robbing attacking him or her.

All of the gun control laws in the universe cannot keep criminals from having guns. That’s sort of what the term “criminal” implies, you know? Does it make any sense to prohibit law abiding citizens from owning guns to protect themselves from criminals who ignore the law and arm themselves? That’s a no-brainer.

Still – and this is truly troubling – four of the nine Justices of the United States Supreme Court voted in this case to maintain Chicago’s prohibition against handgun ownership, which is a de facto vote against the concept of law abiding citizens owning handguns for self-defense. That defies both common sense and the intent of the Second Amendment. But more importantly, it is a serious threat to our freedom that those four Justices – Steven Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Paul Stevens, and Sonia Sotomayor – either do not understand the intent or the plain language of the US Constitution, which they are duty bound to uphold, or they have substituted their own ideology for the intent of the Constitution. Neither is acceptable

This behavior is referred to as “judicial activism,” a theory that judges can and should creatively reinterpret the Constitution and laws in order to serve the judges' own ideas of the needs of contemporary society.

But what is the point of having a constitution if it can be reinterpreted by judges? What is the point of enacting laws if judges can interpret them according to their own personal views? And why should any of us obey existing laws, if their meaning changes from judge to judge?

For centuries people have used anchors to keep their boats from being moved around by winds and tides. Our Founders realized that the Republic also needed an anchor to keep it from being swept around by changing social and political ideas, and they created the United States Constitution for that purpose, and to establish a nation with maximum personal freedom. It has served us well for more than 200 years, making America the most exceptional nation in history.

We must be smart enough to follow it and not screw things up.

Cross-posted from Observations

Public Funding Of Elections Is Unconstitutional

Public Funding Of Elections Is Unconstitutional
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

*****************

The first thing one must ponder when “considering public funding of elections” is the fact that if democrats REALLY want it as badly as they appear to – then, there must be something in it for them!

Of course there is. They are searching for some way, ANY WAY, to negate corporate donations to the GOP. That’s not all, of course, but the Dems are still P.O.ed over the Supreme Court’s decision concerning those corporate donations.
I suppose, for me, one of the irritants about so-called “voter-owned elections” is the simple fact that I, as a taxpayer, would be paying for the political campaigns of those with whom I am in almost total disagreement on the way this country and my state are run. That alone, is reason enough for me to stand solidly AGAINST public funding of elections.

It is another way for those in power to force Americans support those candidates they oppose. Those who support public funding of elections will swear the blame for the corruption in our government today can be laid at the feet of lobbyists and special interests.

Frankly, I am not so sure of that. You see – I AM A SPECIAL INTEREST! YOU ARE A SPECIAL INTEREST! As such, we sometimes fund lobbyists to go where we cannot, as individuals, to press our politicians for, or against, certain legislation we happen to agree with -- or disagree with. Such is the case with business, education, and even religious organizations. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Understand this: Forcing an American citizen to support something he/she opposes, some say, will corrupt the American political system far more than any lobbyists or special interest group. I tend to agree.

Look, the bottom line is this: Public funding of elections is a violation of the free speech rights of all Americans. It is a restriction on that right and cannot be tolerated.

Not all Americans can take the time away from their jobs to go door to door, hand out pamphlets, put up roadside signs, make telephone calls, etc. But, many CAN spare a few dollars to send to the candidate who most nearly represents their view and philosophy on governing this nation and their state. Why should those hardworking Americans, indeed, ANY American, be forced to also give money to the very candidate they oppose? It is my contention they should not!

Corruption in our government will never be stopped by “voter-owned elections.” Corrupt government will be stopped only when we Americans stop electing corrupted and corruptible men and women to public office.

Ultimately the old saw “We get the government we deserve” is right. The plain fact is – ending corruption in American government will be achievable only when we end corruption in America – period! That begins at the knee of the mommies and daddies all across this land.

The scriptures tell us: “Bring up a child in the way he should go, and when he is grown, he will not depart from it.” Therein lies the answer to ending corruption in our government.

J. D. Longstreet

Third US Carrier Arrives Off Iran. Iran Surrounded By US Troops

Third US Carrier Arrives Off Iran.

Iran Surrounded By US Troops
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

*****************

The build up of US troops and naval asserts off the shores of Iran continues with the arrival of a third carrier off the coast of Iran. It is supported by amphibious assault ships and up to 4,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel, bringing the total US strength in those waters to three carriers and 10,000 combat personnel. This report is from Debkafile HERE.

The report from Debkafile goes on to say: “The third US carrier group to reach waters around Iran consists of three vessels: 1. The USS Nassau Amphibious Assault ship is not just an enormous landing craft for the 3,000 Marines aboard; its decks carry 6 vertical take-off AV-HB Harrier attack planes; four AH-1W Super Cobra, twelve CH-46 Sea Knight and CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters, as well as choppers convertible to fast V-22 Osprey airplanes capable of landing in any conditions. This vast warship has 1,400 cabinets for sleeping the entire Marine-24th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard.”

2 - The amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde, which carries 800 Marines equipped for instantaneous landing.
3 - The amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland, which carries 400 Marines and 102 commandos, trained for special operations behind enemy lines.”

Debkafile continues: “These new arrivals are a massive injection of naval, air and marine muscle to the strength Washington has deployed in the Persian Gulf-Red Sea-Indian Ocean arena in recent months. The USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group consisting of twelve warships is cruising in the Arabian Sea opposite Chah Bahar, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards biggest naval base not far from the Iranian-Pakistan border. It is there that most of Iran's special commando units are housed.

Also posted in the Arabian Sea, further to the west, is the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Strike Group.”

This is an excellent report, from Debkafile, on the buildup of US Military assets around Iran. Makes one wonder why domestic news organizations seem to have difficulty in covering events such as this for its American readers, does it not?

This scribe has been, for a very long time now, relying upon foreign news organizations to keep abreast of news concerning America and American interests around the globe.

The information in the report above is important for Americans to know. However, the American mainstream media so filters what they print and broadcast that it is nigh impossible to get a “big picture” of world happenings and how they affect America. If the report happens to concern Israel, the American mainstream media seems to go out of its way to reflect the Obama Regime’s anti-Israel/pro-Islamic state’s bias.

Look, there is a third war brewing in the Middle East -- one the US may find itself drawn into -- whether the Obama Regime wants it -- or not.

We have been warning, for many months now, that Israel and Iran are preparing for a military engagement. It is as sure to come as tomorrow’s sunrise. When it happens, it COULD trigger another regional war, with Israel the target, or—it could not. Some things are just NOT predictable.

International reports tell us a number of the Arab states, while publicly decrying an Israeli strike on Iran, are quietly supporting Israel. But the Iranian-sponsored terrorists surrounding Israel will, most certainly, strike Israel upon learning of the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

But the strike IS coming – and soon. Israeli planning has been meticulous and is, far the most part (we gather from foreign news reports) complete.

There have been hints and signs for many months of the Israeli preparations. As late as June 18th “the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman and task group including the German frigate Hessen, in the company of an unidentified Israeli naval vessel, made a fast transit of the Suez Canal. The Egyptians not only closed the canal to all traffic, all fishing boats where docked, while the Egyptian military lined the banks of the canal. All facets of this passage rank as extraordinary. It is readily apparent that the US Department of State and the Pentagon collaborated closely with an Arab country to create a lane of fast transit not only for US Navy assets and an attached NATO ally, but for an Israeli ship.” This report can be found in the Asia Times HERE.

In the same article it is reported that another application of high technology was the launch on June 11, 2007, of Ofek-7, which is a reconnaissance satellite, giving Israeli intelligence specialists site and system mapping capability of unprecedented accuracy. Military experts believe Ofek-7 undoubtedly contributed to strike planning for the IAF's successful mission to bomb Syrian nuclear facilities.

At the same time there has been reports of American troop movements along the borders of Iran.
An Article at IsraeliNationalNews.com reports the following:
“ Iran is bordered on the east by Pakistan and Afghanistan, where U.S. troops have been waging a costly war, in terms of money and lives, against Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other terrorists. The Persian Gulf is on Iran’s southern border, and last week’s report, confirmed by the Pentagon, that 11 warships had sailed through the Suez Canal, raised alarm bells that the U.S. is ready to fight to keep the Persian Gulf open.” We urge you to read the entire article HERE.

Iran has threatened to close the waterway through which 40% of the world’s oil is transported by tanker ship. The US has vowed to keep the Gulf open; especially the Straits of Hormuz -- to keep the world’s oil supply flowing.

Kuwait is located on the southwestern border of Iran. There are a number of American bases located there.

To the west of Iran are Turkey and Iraq -- and BOTH have American bases and troops.

Turkmenistan, the Caspian Sea, and Azerbaijan are Iran’s neighbors to the north. There have been news reports from that area of unusually high American troop activity along the Turkmenistan/Iran border. (Just last year the US made a deal with Turkmenistan for military cooperation between the two countries.)

Shortly after a British newspaper reported that Saudi Arabia had given Israel “fly-over” authority for a raid on Iran, the Iranian news agency reported that Saudi Arabia had also given permission for Israel to store military supplies at a Saudi airbase in the northwestern sector of the country. The report claimed that Israeli helicopters had already delivered and stored those supplies. Saudi Arabia denies both reports.

There are also reports, on the Internet, that Israel has as many as three submarines in the Persian Gulf. Again, we urge you to read the article, which was originally written by Christian A. DeHaemer, editor of the “Energy and Capital” publication. You will fine it HERE.

It seems to us that one would do well to prepare for the war to widen in the Middle East for, in the not too distant future, we Americans will awaken one morning to news reports that an air raid on Iran’s nuclear facilities has already taken place. After that – all bets are off.

J. D. Longstreet

Largest Tax Hikes in History to Swamp Americans in January 2011!

Largest Tax Hikes in History to Swamp Americans in January 2011!
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

***************

Some weeks ago we warned there was an avalanche of taxes headed our way. Now come a breakdown of what American families will be facing on January 1st, of 2011 courtesy of Americans for Tax Reform at http://www.atr.org//.

The article is tiled: “Six Months to Go Until The Largest Tax Hikes in History.” You will find it (HERE.).

The article by Ryan Ellis explains that the massive tax increase will strike more as a tsunami – in waves. Mr. Ellis says: “In just six months, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2011.”The first great wave will be: Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief. The second great wave will be: Obamacare, and the third great wave will be: The Alternative Minimum Tax and Employer Tax Hikes.

Mr. Ellis goes on to say, in his excellent article, the following: “In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families. These will all expire on January 1, 2011.

So what will happen? Mr. Ellis explains: “Personal income tax rates will rise. The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed). The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent. All the rates in between will also rise. Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates. The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:- The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%- The 25% bracket rises to 28%- The 28% bracket rises to 31%- The 33% bracket rises to 36%- The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%

According to Mr. Ellis article married Americans and American families will not escape, either. He explains there will be higher taxes on marriage and American families. He states: “The “marriage penalty” (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income. The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child. The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level. The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.”

And guess what – the DEATH TAX will return! Mr. Ellis explains; “This year, there is no death tax. For those dying on or after January 1, 2011, there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes and a retirement account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.

If you have made an effort to be frugal and save, you are in trouble from the tax man, as well: Ellis says there will be: “Higher tax rates on savers and investors. The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011. The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011. These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.

Then comes the second wave. It will come as no surprise to those of us who tried to warn our fellow Americans that socialized medicine in America would cost the living daylights out of Americans. So here it comes. We now know, thanks to Mr. Ellis’ article there are over twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare.

Several of these taxes will first go into effect on January 1, 2011. They include: “The “Medicine Cabinet Tax,” “The “Special Needs Kids Tax,” and “The HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike.”
(You REALLY need to read Mr. Ellis’ article (HERE.) for the startling details of these taxes.

Then comes the Third wave of taxes: “The Alternative Minimum Tax and Employer Tax Hikes.” Mr. Ellis explains: “When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011, they’ll be in for a nasty surprise—the AMT won’t be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired. The major items include:”

The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from 4 million last year.

Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing will disappear.

Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses.

Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced.

Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed.

Again we urge you to read this article by Ryan Ellis (HERE.)

With the US economy literally teetering on the edge of collapse – what do you suppose will happen when this shake down of American citizens begins next year and they find they must face the fact that what many conservative commentators told them was going to happen has happened, and, too, they find themselves facing financial ruin. Desperation time will certainly be upon us. The reaction of a P.O’ed American citizenry will make the reaction of the people of Greece look like a Sunday school picnic!

America, we are in dangerous times. Desperate people are completely unpredictable. There is yet a short time to prepare for the coming anarchy in America.

First, we must get to the polls, in droves; this coming November and try to break the grasp the socialist/democrats have on our national and state governments. Even if we are successful -- we can still only hope to blunt the effects of the on rushing tsunami of governmental demands for your money to fuel an ever growing, entirely too powerful, central government that is sucking the life out of America.

J. D. Longstreet

ENOUGH!

ENOUGH!
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

*******************

We have HAD IT … with the politicians running the US government today! To narrow it down, a bit, we are writing, most specifically, about the Socialist-Democrats in Congress and the Socialist-Marxist in the White House.

We, the American people, have been shut out of our own government. Legislation is now made behind closed doors, as our Congresspersons and Senators cut themselves off from the very folks they swore to represent.

Their arrogance and condescension is nauseating. Anyone questioning them is at risk of being made a fool of, in public, before his friends and neighbors. How DARE we question our “betters?”

They blatantly go against the will of the American people by passing laws that are flat-out against the American will.

They refuse to defend the country from those stealing across its borders to take up residence, illegally, and begin sucking up every dollar possible from the people’s treasury, which is administered by the same socialist-democrats who then swear they are doing everything they can do to secure the border. That, dear reader is a LIE!

Our current government consists of socialists, Marxists, communists, progressives, and a handful of pitiful, completely malleable, liberals, as well as the RINOS from the right side of the aisle. THESE are the people taking the United States down the tube to that vast sewer of failed socialist nations whose citizens bought the scam lock, stock, and barrel – just as the millions of naïve, hopelessly vacuous, elites from the political left are doing now, today, with the propaganda spewed forth by the legions of Obama supporters hell bent on crushing the American Constitutional Republic.

They MUST bring about the total collapse of America in order for them to remold America into a socialist/marxist/communist police state – a nightmare for freedom-loving people EVERYWHERE.

The freedom-loving people in the US had had it. They are shouting to Washington, and to the world, that they have had enough of American-style socialism and are taking a stand against it.

Unemployment in America continues to hover around ten percent. The stock market seems to have taken a plunge that may yet prove fatal to the national economy.

The national debt is soaring while Congress continues to spend wildly, having closed their ears to pleas from their constituents to stop the spending, and the borrowing, that will keep us in debt for generations of unborn Americans in the future.

Americans are angry – angrier than I have ever seen them in my nearly seven decades on the planet. They believe, and rightly so, their government is out of control. The facts certainly seem to bear them out.

A number of national grassroots movements (the best known is the Tea Party) have spread across America, like wildfire, as Americans, afraid of losing their country band together to fight for the preservation of their freedom and liberty and their constitutional republic.

The battle cry is “ENOUGH!”

Enough taxes.

Enough spending.

Enough borrowing.

We have had ENOUGH of their elitist arrogance.

We are sick to death of the left’s limp-wristed political correctness. Again, we say, ENOUGH!

Enough of the Globalists “Open Borders” policy! We want our borders secured. (And Obama can forget about amnesty for Illegal Aliens – unless, of course, he does it as a king would do it, as a dictator would do it: by executive order.)

We have had enough of the Democrat Party’s socialism/Marxism, communism, statism, collectivism, and progressivism in the Congress AND in the Oval Office.

We are fed up! We will not tolerate being pushed around by our very own government -- the one WE elected at the ballot box!

Again, and again, and again, we say: ENOUGH!

Understand, dear reader, WE ARE AMERICANS, DAMNIT! AMERICANS DO NOT TOLERATE THIS KIND OF GOVERNMENT! It is a threat to our liberty! It is a threat to our Freedom! It is a clear and present danger to our republic!

We MUST begin now to fight back -- all the way to the ballot box this coming November. We MUST purge our Congress of as many socialists, communists, Marxists, collectivists, Statists, progressives, and yes, liberals as are offered to us on the ballots.

We have NO CHOICE if America is to be rescued – if America is to be saved!

J. D. Longstreet