Protecting the Constitution

Protecting the Constitution

Protecting the Constitution

I would hate to think that anyone was secretly wishing for the horrific tragedy last week in Sandy Hook, but the immediate response by a faithful cadre on the left leaves me wondering. The reaction from liberals from the moments we first heard the story, has been to gleefully shriek that we must turn to the position they have been hoping for for decades - seize all firearms from private citizens. Immediately! For the children, of course. The 2nd amendment be damned. 

Their arguments go like this: our founding fathers could not possibly have intended for Americans to have handguns or assault rifles, they lived in the age of muskets and surely would want us limited to that option; madmen and criminals are able to get their hands on guns, so private citizens should not have them to "get them off the streets". Some even claim we need to take them from the police as well. Not only should we move quickly for a ban on the mysterious "assault weapons", we should seize them from every registered gun owner. It's really been a disgusting display!

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. - 2nd Amendment to the Constitution

The framers of the Bill of Rights saw the 2nd amendment as a basic right of a free citizenry and even as an obligation in order to defend against a oppressive government or external invasion. The intent was not to just provide for people defending their homes against burglars Remember. the Constitution was written for a newly free United States after a revolution against British rule. An armed citizenry was responsible for the American Revolution. That's what a militia is. Would we be able to fight against a military insurrection or oppressive government using single-shot hunting rifles or shotguns? Yes, but not very effectively given the state of today's military arsenals. 

Citizens need to be able to have at least close-to-comparable firepower to that of the government. That is the entire point of the 2nd amendment. On the political talk shows we've heard the response, from conservatives even, that even with AR-15s we couldn't defend against the US military. Really? That's exactly what the British government thought about some farmers and merchants in the territories taking up arms against the renowned British army. Every uprising against oppressive, tyrannical governments across the globe have been residents taking up arms against a much more powerful army.

But what about the "public safety"? Doesn't it trump our 2nd amendment rights? Absolutely not! The fact is that these incidents have been become less frequent, though with immediate, round-the-clock access to anything happening anywhere on earth it does not appear so. While that does not in the least lessen the gravity of the act, we need to instead consider what contributed to the situation. Why did the gunman's mother allow access to her legally obtained firearms by her mentally unstable son? Why hadn't she received the support she needed to ensure he was properly treated?

Haven't we already given away too many of our rights in the name of "public safety"? The government can tap our phones, indefinitely detain us, monitor our email, and assassinate us on foreign soil with no due process. Presidents Obama has signed more "secret" Presidential Orders into effect than all other previous presidents combined, taking away more of our liberties with every stroke of the pen. Haven't we given away enough without actually re-writing the Constitution? As Benjamin Franklin so famously said,

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

I think we deserve both.

The Constitutional Resurgence

The Constitutional Resurgence

The Constitutional Resurgence

We lost the election in November because the GOP failed to see the tyranny going on in this country and they gave up on the Judeo-Christian values that this nation was founded on. Conservatism is the answer to the question the Republican establishment keeps asking about what is needed to align the party with the will of the people. Yet it's the one answer they are unwilling to accept. They overlook the obvious when seeking why the party lost in 2012. Establishment Republicans, also known as r.i.n.o.s, want to re-brand the Republican Party by surrendering our principles. These moderate Republicans want us to abandon our religious freedoms through Obamacare which forces businesses and organizations to pay for abortions and birth control and similarly abandon our second amendment rights with insane new gun laws. These same Republicans want to make the party become pro-choice, pro-amnesty, pro-gay marriage and pro tax the so-called-rich: in other words they want us to become Democrats. How do Republicans win again? What message will reach the modern American people? What the moderates continuously fail to see is the solution needs a philosophical base.

Preeminent constitutional scholar, best selling author and talk show host, Mark Levin says "Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny." Mark Levin's books about judicial activism, liberty and conservatism are eloquent, artistic, literary masterpieces that started an intellectual movement all across our nation. His writings played a significant role in winning the House of Representatives back in 2010. There is a reason why he is called The Great One. Levin is a contemporary Shakespeare whose books should be left out on your desk like your Bible, dictionary, thesaurus or Constitution. They should be a reference that should be looked at time and time again if not daily.

Mark Levin's radio show is equally brilliant as he fearlessly faces the enemies of liberty head on. The airwaves broadcast poetic creative genius combined with solid logic and reason about what Levin calls the post constitutional America. Mark Levin uses his show to dissect history and philosophy. He takes the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and Madison's notes from the Constitutional Convention and ties it in to current events in a way that has never been done before. Then he packages all of this in a fun way with his own unique wit and charm. When Levin reads to us about Jefferson, Madison, Washington, Hamilton, Franklin, Adams, and the others, he does it in a way that paints a vivid picture so that in the audience's imagination one is transported to Independence Hall in the late 1700′s. You can almost smell and feel the air in the room and hear the voices back at the Constitutional Convention when he speaks about these matters and brings them to life.

Mark has a unique relationship with what he calls his "beloved audience." It reminds me of the relationship President Reagan had with the American people. His audience absolutely treasures him. I have seen many other moderate Republican authors try to unsuccessfully duplicate this relationship with their readers and become angry and jealous when they don't achieve it. [Cough, David Frum, Cough] What they don't understand is that they don't have Mark Levin's heart. One only needs to read Rescuing Sprite or listen to one episode of his radio show to see how much love and loyalty Mr. Levin shows to his family, his friends, his fans, his pets and his country. I greatly admire and respect this man. I truly believe that history looking back on these years will reflect that Mark Levin played a crucial role in saving this great nation through educating and rallying the citizens the way Thomas Paine inspired Americans during the beginning of the revolution. Personally, I was crushed and in tears on election night when Obama won. I couldn't have made it through the last few months without the comfort of this show and I know I'm not alone. For so many he is a daily source for wisdom, guidance and counsel, a source for hope and inspiration in these dark days that haunt us.

And It doesn't stop there. Mark Levin is also president of Landmark Legal Foundation, a tax exempt organization that fights to preserve constitutional principles. Landmark is a watchdog going after the NEA the EPA and other big government organizations. On January 25, 2013 A federal appeals court ruled that President Obama violated the Constitution when he bypassed the Senate to fill vacancies on the National Labor Relations Board. Landmark argued in its brief that the President's use of the Constitution's "recess appointments" clause violated the restrictions placed by the Constitution on that power. The Court adopted Landmark Legal Foundation's argument in full.

What I believe I am watching and witnessing first hand is what I call the reawakening of Enlightenment. This is a cultural conservative movement and the moderates will need to join us or step aside! Levin has found a way to make the philosophers from the age of reason and enlightenment cool to a whole new generation. Mr. Levin never gets bogged down in the daily nonsense. If you are looking to avoid gossip on Lance Armstrong's lies or Manti Teo's imaginary girlfriend, his show will be one of the only places to find relief from this garbage. In the days of Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber and what Rush Limbaugh calls the low information voter, Levin has found a way to make the Second Treatise cool to teenagers and upcoming twenty -something hipsters. While Katy Perry sings about her breakups and Beyonce is lip syncing, an underground movement is brewing of unexpected intellectuals learning to fall in love with Bastiat, Alexis de Tocqueville and Montesquieu. A patriotic passion for our framers and the Constitution is lighting up all over this great land of ours. Levin awakens the sleeping masses one by one as people begin to see these philosophers in a whole new light and finally see their impact and influence on our founding fathers. Slowly, I see people undergoing this new affinity with our Constitution and its drafters. Now that we feel this cloud of tyranny, the realization occurs that this freedom we have taken for granted is now slipping away, but this army of citizens can now relate to the framers more than ever before. This is the rebirth of the love of liberty and Levin is leading the charge. He is our conservative pugnacious pit bull, our General Patton, our warrior William Wallace guiding and directing our fight to save the USA.

Mark Levin served in the Justice Department under the wonderful Ed Meese during the Reagan administration. The Reagan spirit is still alive in Levin and in all of us as well. Ronald Reagan once said "You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness." Mark Levin reminds us every night that we the people can preserve the civil society and reestablish the Constitution. We will not be the generation to lose liberty. Freedom will not die on our watch! We will fight to pass this torch to our children. This fight will be long and arduous but we shall overcome. Together all of us in his infantry, Levin's beloved audience, will put Obama, the masterminds and the statists on the ash heap of history.

Alexis Deacon is a conservative writer and activist in the Maryland and Washington D.C. area. If you use this article in your blog you must give credit to the author.

The Romantic Constitution

The Romantic Constitution

The Romantic Constitution

In some circles, couples are actually resorting to written agreements regarding the rules of the relationship. This can be helpful for you as well if you're getting back together with an ex. If you are willing to give your relationship a second chance then it makes sense to want to do it right this time. Verbal agreements don't really exist without a record, because anyone can easily say, "I agreed to no such thing!" whenever disagreements arise. It can work like a romantic constitution in a sense, and it gives both of you a firm understanding of the rules without having to resort the guess work. Obligations can be clearly delineated, and disallowed activities can be defined and listed.

What Not to Include

Of course there are certain aspects to a romantic relationship that shouldn't be included in a written contract. Money is perhaps the most obvious example; the discussion of money matters in prenuptial agreements is decidedly unromantic, which is why quite a lot of love-stricken people object to them in the first place. For a romantic relationship in its early stages, discussing money matter (as in who pays for dinners and whatnot) can be... in a word, icky. Talking about it should suffice, and most couples agree that a guy pays for dates, although women should be able to treat her man every now and then without the guy feeling as if his masculinity is being threatened.

Sex is another area where written agreements may not be a good idea. Listing down how often you guys should have sex can have an opposite effect: it can dampen libidos if you have to have sex at a certain time!

What to Discuss

Talking with your romantic partner about a written agreement can actually be fun as well as useful. By using a written agreement as an excuse, both sides can air grievances no matter how silly it may sound. For example, a man may ask his girl never to talk about a particular boyfriend, while promising to refrain from talking about former girlfriends as well. A woman may ask her guy to refrain from cutting his toenails in bed, or perhaps to make certain changes in his diet. Everything under the sun can be discussed, and pet peeves can be said out loud with fear of censure.

Finally, this can be practice for the real thing, especially if you are getting serious and marriage is on the horizon. After all, marriage is a legal contract as well, and many marriages these days come with prenuptial agreements. At the very least, you can practice conforming to the current rules of your present relationship, so that you can prepare yourself when you need to conform to more stringent rules required by marriage.

In all seriousness, though, a written contract simply emphasizes the need for couples to communicate with each other. Confusion, as well as breakups, can be averted when men and women talk to each other, and both have firm ideas as to what is expected from them. Obeying the rules is much easier when everyone knows what the rules are to begin with.

Getting back together with an ex is not that hard. All you need is greater understanding and the right way to handle it. Make sure to visit our blog for more tips.