You’re Number One! (not Fourteen)
By Kevin L. Kobe
For two-hundred and twenty-two years, our nation has followed a constitutional form of government. However, in recent decades, the workings laid out in the Constitution have become secondary to popular views of progress. The Constitution is a complex document which has been debated in court case after court case since it was written.
Understanding the Constitution is an important duty, but what you do with that understanding is the key. The Constitution was written to protect our nation from centralization of power. Checks and balances between the three branches of government are often referenced when discussing this protection. Instead, I would like to ask you to understand the checks and balances between Federal, State, County, and Local governments and the duty of the individual citizen.
I often hear people say that the federal government should take care of its citizens. They say that issues such as abortion and welfare are rights key to the well being of the individual, and therefore are rights. In my opinion, the Tenth Amendment is clear that these types of aid or protection are not specifically laid out in the Constitution, and therefore rely on the fifty states to decide on their own which policies will be used in their state.
They usually cite the Fourteenth Amendment which states that the federal government has a duty to protect an individual’s rights. However, who is to decide what is a right of an individual? Those who use this line of thinking say that the interpretation is up to the courts to decide.
The idea of rights in the Constitution is something given by the creator (A birthright, or god-given right) and guaranteed by the Constitution and your legal rights to be represented in government. I don’t believe the court can decide which rights you were born with, nor do I feel that a court is fairer than God.
Who should we rely on to tell us what is a right? That is where the First Amendment comes in. Recently, at an event in Kansas City, the First Amendment was described as the ability to communicate your grievances to your representative government. The right to petition government is one clause of the Amendment, however, if you examine the intent of the other clauses of the First Amendment, you soon see that they all are there to give Americans the tools they need to exercise informational power to their government.
So why does the Fourteenth Amendment exist, if not to allow the Federal Government to override the states when it feels rights are being infringed? Well, since it isn’t the Federal Government’s decision to make, it is God’s. I would argue that the Fourteenth Amendment was a response to the human rights violations surrounding slavery.
If you examine race relations in our country, you begin to understand that the Fourteenth Amendment is there because excuses were made by the states to infringe on other stated rights. It was not until recent decades did African-Americans have the true freedom of speech, due process of law, the right to bear arms, and other constitutional rights re-affirmed by the Bill of Rights.
There is a saying on the Internet. “True Change Requires Revolution.” You have the power to re-affirm what you believe your rights are. You are the First Amendment. Utilize your power to govern your government and don’t allow yourself to buy into any negative interpretation of protesting or speaking out.
The concept is simple. First Amendment, Tenth Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment. The people have the right to decide which rights God gave to them, and exercise those rights through using the First Amendment to demand their society’s laws to conform to those rights. The Tenth Amendment affirms the State as the primary author of those laws to protect the individual from the centralization of Federal power. This also protects geographically and demographically different parts of the country from being forced to adhere to laws that may not be reflective of their State. The Fourteenth Amendment is Federal protection of the stated rights of the people from infringement by state and local government.
In other words, the ideal balance of power gives the states the supreme legislative power, the Federal level the supreme judicial power, and the local level the supreme executive power. And then the people are above all, with the intent to have their voice heard in respect to how those bodies govern.
Please utilize your power under the First Amendment by demanding accountability from your elected officials. Join or organize a protest on issues that concern you. Distribute fliers and videos about those issues. Campaign against candidates who ignore their duty to their constituents and for candidates who have a record of being responsive to the people and their Constitutional oath.
One great opportunity to exercise your First Amendment is Saturday, April 25 2009 at Kansas City’s Federal Reserve branch 1 Memorial Drive, KCMO (27th and Main Street) for Liberty Restoration Project’s Monopoly March on the Federal Reserve Central Banking System! I know many are upset at the current policies surrounding the relationship between government and private banks, so this is your chance to participate in a group activity full of comradery and love for your country while exercising your right to peacefully assemble in opposition to the top private bank. Hope to see you there, and elsewhere making your voice heard and keeping your society accountable!
