• That the government shall make no law in respect to the establishment of a religion.
• That the government shall make no law in respect to prohibit the free exercise of religion.
• That the government shall make no law in respect to abridge the freedom of speech.
• That the government shall make no law in respect to abridge the freedom of the press.
• That the government shall make no law in respect to abridge the right of the people peaceably to assemble.
• That the government shall make no law in respect to abridge the right of the people to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
• That no Soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor, in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
• That the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated
• That no warrants shall be issued, except upon probable cause supported by Oath or affirmation, and, in particular, the warrant must describe the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.
• That no person shall be held to answer for a capital crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury (except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger.)
• That no person shall be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.
• That no person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.
• That no person be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

• That all People are created equal.
• That all People are endowed  with certain unalienable Rights, Including  Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
• That Governments are instituted among People, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
• That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of the People, it is the Right of the People, it is the Duty of the People, to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government and to provide new Guards for their future security.
• That Prudence dictates that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes.
• That all experience has shown that People are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

Good question. I am having a hard time getting an answer.

The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America, the Bill of Rights; these were all written by liberals. Yet, 225 years later, ‘liberal’ seems to have taken on a demonic connotation. Well, fuck that, I am an American and that makes me a liberal. The liberal paradigm seems to have shifted quite a bit since the Founding Fathers did their thing. And this is good, we must either evolve or die. Over the years we have seen a liberal society pursue manifest destiny, go after slavery, back down the robber barons, bust trusts, attempt to regulate security markets, provide for the social welfare of its elderly, provide minimal medical care for its citizens, and try to prevent the poisoning of the public. The American people have forgotten their roots and seem to be actively supporting the rollback of these liberal evolutionary steps. It is time to stop this.

Continue reading What is a liberal society today? →

There’s been a fair bit in the news about immigration reform, and its attendant problems. I am the descendent of immigrants, legal as far as I know. My grandparents emigrated in the 1920’s to head for a land of opportunity. (Ireland was no great shakes at the time)

My first thoughts were, why not just open the borders? All someone would need is a passport or official documentation of the country they are coming from and they can enter the US. The US may even have agreements with its free-trade partners that Driver Licenses or national ID cards would be accepted in lieu of passport. Once the immigrant is in the States, they can get jobs and work per US Labor laws, i.e. they get at least minimum wage and they can report improper working conditions without fear of deportation. This may help to get rid of some sweat shops and some black-market employment practices. Additionally, they would have their FICA and income taxes withheld and fed into the governmental maws. They would even be eligible to collect SSA if they ever become citizens.

States could issue Driver licenses to these immigrants, probably with a code that identifies the country of origin, or at least non-US citizenship. The immigrants could get insurance, their families could enjoy public schools and take advantage of most things that citizens can.

Continue reading Immigration →