So Much For: "We The People..."

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

Dear Mr. Wim Dankbaar, and Fellow JFK Forum Members:Throughout my Posts and Headlines since the JFK Forum began, before being crashed or hacked, or whatever, several times, I have often alluded to: "We The People...", you know that articulated or unarticulated premise in old dusty documents like The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, The Gettysburg Address, etc., etc.I found this article to have a current summation of the reality of matters by our leaders for us, "We The People..."Comments ?Respectfully,Bruce Patrick Brychek.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Thomas Sowell: So Much for ‘We the People’THOMAS SOWELLAUGUST 18, 2010 12:00 A.M.So Much for ‘We the People’ This administration has used many different ploys to circumvent the people’s right to debate their nation’s laws.‘We the people” are the central concern of the Constitution, as well as its opening words, since it is a Constitution for a self-governing nation. But “we the people” are treated as an obstacle to circumvent by the current administration in Washington.One way of circumventing the people is to rush legislation through Congress so fast that no one knows what is buried in it. Did you know that the so-called health-care-reform bill contained a provision creating a tax on people who buy and sell gold coins?You might debate whether that tax is a good or a bad idea. But the whole point of burying it in legislation about medical insurance is to make sure “we the people” don’t even know about it, much less have a chance to debate it, before it becomes law.Did you know that the huge financial-reform bill that has been similarly rushed through Congress, too fast for anyone to read it, has a provision about “inclusion” of women and minorities? Pretty words like “inclusion” mean ugly realities like quotas. But that too is not something that “we the people” are to be allowed to debate, because it too was sneaked through.Not since the Norman conquerors of England published their laws in French, for an English-speaking nation, centuries ago, has there been such contempt for the people’s right to know what laws are being imposed on them.Yet another ploy is to pass laws worded in vague generalities, leaving it up to the federal bureaucracies to issue specific regulations based on those laws. “We the people” don’t vote for bureaucrats. And, since it takes time for all the bureaucratic rules to be formulated and then put into practice, we won’t know what either the rules or their effects are prior to this fall’s elections when we will vote for (or against) those who passed these clever laws.The biggest circumvention of “we the people” was of course the so-called “health-care reform” bill. This bill was passed with the proviso that it would not really take effect until after the 2012 presidential election. Between now and then, the Obama administration can tell us in glowing words how wonderful this bill is, what good things it will do for us, and how it has rescued us from the evil insurance companies, among its many other glories.But we won’t really know what the actual effects of this bill are until after the next presidential election — which is to say, after it is too late. Quite simply, we are being played for fools.Much has been made of the fact that families making less than $250,000 a year will not see their taxes raised. Of course they won’t see it, because what they see could affect how they vote.But when huge tax increases are put on electric utility companies, the public will see their electricity bills go up. When huge taxes are put on other businesses as well, they will see the prices of the things those businesses sell go up.If you are not in that “rich” category, you will not see your own taxes go up. But you will be paying someone else’s higher taxes, unless of course you can do without electricity and other products of heavily taxed businesses. If you don’t see this, so much the better for the Obama administration politically.This country has been changed in a more profound way by corrupting its fundamental values. The Obama administration has begun bribing people with the promise of getting their medical care and other benefits paid for by other people, so long as those other people can be called “the rich.” Incidentally, most of those who are called “the rich” are nowhere close to being rich.A couple making $125,000 a year each is not rich, even though together they reach that magic $250,000 income level. In most cases, they haven’t been making $125,000 a year all their working lives. Far more often, they have reached this level after decades of working their way up from lower incomes — and now the government steps in to grab the reward they have earned over the years.There was a time when most Americans would have resented the suggestion that they wanted someone else to pay their bills. But now, envy and resentment have been cultivated to the point where even people who contribute nothing to society feel that they have a right to a “fair share” of what others have produced.The most dangerous corruption is a corruption of a nation’s soul. That is what this administration is doing.— Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. © 2010 Creators Syndicate, Inc.© National Review Online 2010. All Rights Reserved.

[Phil Dragoo]

BruceWe The People began this great experiment. We're soon to celebrate Constitution Day. Some have conflated the Constitution with auras and penumbras. Some have tasked NASA to reach out to Muslims. The arguments over the Constitution might be constrained now by Cass Sunstein. He might send some thugs for my copy of the Federalist Papers. When was the last vigorous debate over principle to compare with a Jefferson soliloquy.The beetles in their granite nests treat us with contempt. Ike warned us; no doubt he felt the carpet sliding under him, the Brothers Dulles busying themselves like undertakers, putting makeup on the Constitution before interring it for the ages.Lying Beetle Juice buried Kennedy and the next day signed NSAM 273; the next year contrived the Tonkin Gulf Non-Incident, and the year after that forbade the Chiefs from ending it promptly by closing the spigot in Hanoi-Haiphong.Is it not significant that Khruschev was relieved by his team for being too soft the year after Kennedy was removed by his own team for being too soft. Was Bob Dylan just a caricature, a mumbler, or was Masters of War descriptive.Now we have the Masque of Bella Pelosi with Mengele-Care. Large Bodacious Joker brought us MediCare. The enforcement requires 16,000 aditional revenuers with shotguns. And a vast NSA data center in Utah.Mustapha Mond meets in the five-star Spanish resort to determine quotas for test tube Betas to run the machines, to tend the robots, to descend to do the work Morlocks won't do.The One will not release the Joannides files. He rides in the five-inch-armored golf cart on the exhausting trek from shooting hoops to chasing the ball round the links.His czars shall come to judge the quick and the dead.We The People shall make him a one-term president.I propose Dealey Joe as our candidate. On a platform of respect for our elders, fishing, and not being so outlandish.And listening to folks—not the FBI, Secret Service, CIA, NSA, Mafia, Big Oil, The Fed, and the producers of Dancing With The Stars.

[Bighunter43]

Phil and Bruce, I couldn't agree more! As a middle aged History Teacher here in Central Texas, I am truly scared of the future of the USA! What our Founding Fathers framed at the Philadelphia Const. Convention was the MOST important document of all time. It was, without a doubt, all about, "We the People......."! The addition of the Bill of Rights 2 years later is the backbone of the whole document...........ensuring that "the People" should have their "unalienable rights" that Jefferson so eloquently spoke of in the Decl. of Ind..................However, the American "citizens" are losing more and more of those rights so fast on a daily basis that it make one's head spin! I see two very big problems: 1.) The ever growing power of the Fed. Govt! Big Govt is literally taking over so many aspects of our private lives! What gives them the right to determine how I provide health care for me and my family? Is that not what I was taught to do as a responsiblilty by my own parents! Socialism in America can be seen on the horizon! Dont get me started on all the Fed. Mandated programs we have to adhere to in the Texas Public Schools......when the 10th Amendment (States' Rights) says that it is up to the States to decide those things (and in Texas that means mostly local control)! Eventually we won't be able to take a crap without using Govt provided toilet paper! Dont' get me wrong, I love the USA with a passion, and we've got it better than most, but the slight of hand card tricks by the Feds will continue until it will become, "You the subjects" instead of "We the People!"2.) The American identity is fading fast!Please don't get me wrong on this one either! I am one of the most culturally tolerant people that I know. While I am Anglo, my wife is Hispanic (4th generation Texan......I mean American!). But the illegal immigration issue will be the downfall of America as we know it! When I was a child, we had many immigrants move into our towns in America, and yes some illegally! However, during that age, America was truly the "melting pot"...........these families came to the USA from wherever, and strived to accept our ways, our heritage, our history and become "Americans"! In time, would get their citizenship and be proud of our country with the rest of us. Sure, they kept their culture, and they needed to, but they identified themselves as Americans! This is no longer the case.........the majority of immigrants today just want the "handout", just the dollar, and no assimiliation of our American identity! They fly their former countries flag and their loyalty (not to mention their citizenship) lies elsewhere! The sad part for me is that I look into many of those illegal faces each day in my classroom,(and I truly care about them all) and when we stand to say the pledge of allegiance (which is mandated by my state thank God!), many of them refuse to stand and give their allegiance to that flag of the U.S. that represents and protects the freedoms which they enjoy and provides for them even when they are not a citizen! (And yes, the Fed Govt says I cant force them to say it).......I can only think of what the Greatest Generation that fought to protect those very freedoms would say! America is no longer about being American.......and the loss of our identity will be the end of our reign! Most of the world's greatest historical powers succombed from within....and in this sense, Im afraid history will repeat itself!So, Bruce, I will teach the Constitution on that Fed mandated Constitution day in my school in Sept. , and I will address, "WE THE PEOPLE"!

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

Dear Messrs. Phil Dragoo, Big Hunter, and Fellow JFK Members:Phil - My Friend, your response here and in several previous Posts have all been eloquent, philosophical, surreal, and transcendental for this aging hippee. Your historical analyses, thinking levels, and writing skills are beyond any that I have ever encountered. And you know my rule, I only compliment you every 20 - 30 great Posts and Headlines so that I don't read/sound like a broken record, only re-stating the obvious. I really appreciated your last 10 or more presentations including the picture. You are just brilliant on every level. My Opinion.I think that the next two (2) years, in addition to continued increasing hardship for many more Americans, will be truly surreal to watch culturally, economically, internationally, nationally, politically, psychologically, racially, and socially, at the least. Frankly I have little positive beliefs and hopes for "We The People..." with our current leaders taking us down the current paths, which I don't see changing for the better any time soon. I would be glad to be proven totally wrong in every step of my analyses.Big Hunter - You have made several powerful contributions to the JFK Forum since your recent appearance. Your historical and political analyses are certainly correct. What of Jeffersonian Democracy ? Certainly it is not even being taught anymore, is it ?I often step back and look at this 200 + year experiment called The United States of America when I communicate with my friend from Germany Christoph Hans Messner. He provides me with greater perspective. But I have to admit that as an American I am selfish enough to want to see matters and things change in my lifetime for My America, My Fellow Americans, and for me and my family.For example, the other day Jimmy and I were discussing recidivism. And Jimmy mentioned the $ 50 + billion dollars per month that we pour into The Military Industrial Complex, and The War Profiteers to Nation Build and spread Democracy. Yet we spend pittances on education and training improvements for American students and prisoners alike. Our schools and prisons are failing, while we are Nation Building. He talked of the decline of all great civilizations just like the Roman Empire. Jimmy and Chris both share this perspective. One from a 6' X 8' prison cell, and one from Germany. Such a shame that our leaders and politicians with so much freedom, money, and power can not, apparently. Or is the agenda Population Control, and Control of the Population as I often submit ? Much like our NASA missions and budget, sending rockets to the Moon and Mars for the last 50 years with powerful telescopes to study the earth more closely !?!Comments ?Respectfully,Bruce Patrick Brychek.

[Dealey Joe]

I am debating with myself whether or not to post this.You gentlemen are far superior in your thought processes and writing abilities that I.There are a number of things I know that I cannot discuss because it takes far too many words and pages to explain. I sometimes have to write a whole page to say what you can with a word.In my 70 years I have watched as my country has been systematically destroyed by the very people we have chosen to protect it.I have watched as we have come to a full police state no longer a nation of free men mainly because we have taught ourselves that to be free is far too much trouble. We really don't have the time nor the inclination. We want someone else to do it for us. we can no longer even see the forest for all the trees/When I was a youngster we looked at the small local police departments as servants of we the people. Today they regard us all as suspect and criminal in need of total control.Sorry but it is now "we the sheep"Our Constitution provides for an elected Sheriff to do for us collectively what we can and should be able to do for ourselves, and from that small beginning we have developed into a total police state.We no longer can or are allowed to protect ourselves, we must depend on one of the Many Many police networks to do that for us. Far too many to even name.Our military is now used against us in total disregard of the Constitutional protection we built our nation on. The very issue that caused our forefathers to revolt against a tyrannical government.It is beyond my ability to think one American would accept an order to murder his brothers.We now allow, and in cases even require our Chief Executive officer of the country to serve in the capacity of the Legislative. My friends that is not a President, that is a Emperor or worse.we were told by our founders that Government is like fire, if left uncontrolled it will consume everything in it's path and that on occasion Government would have to be destroyed and rebuilt.Now to even speak those words is considered treason.Our Supreme Ruler is now in the process of taking final measures to shut us up.The day will come when we will have to die for the privilege to speak.It is not far off. The prisons are full. The hand writing is on the wall.Enough for now...

[kenmurray]

That was a good analysis Joe. I would also say "We the Corporations".Greed and more Greed has taken over this country. And it doesn't matter to those in Washington whom they step over to achieve their power and greed. Like us, the common folk.

[bob franklin]

I agree that many in this country have a somewhat over inflated sense of entitlement. Always looking for that handout. I can't imagine for the life of me where or from whom they get it. Perhaps it comes from the oil depletion allowance & sweetheart tax breaks enjoyed by the oil companies & the mega-corporations that outsource jobs to 3rd world crap hole nations who think it's ok to work children to death. could be that 50 billion stipend we hand out to the MIC. Maybe they take notice of how bill Gates arm twisted & sheistered his way into the global monopoly that Microsoft has become, & how he now screams loudest about "piracy". (God, the sheer HYPOCRASY that man makes me throw up a little in my mouth.) Might be the shining example set for us all by that saintly soul David Rockefeller. Do I even need to go into detail regarding him and his family of misanthropes, or 'nuff said here? While I don't exactly agree with all the tenets of socialism, I've got a pretty good handle on the downside of good 'ol unfettered free enterprise. If you think not, go take a good long soak in the Gulf of Mexico & see if that maybe doesn't soften your point of view a wee skosh. Or even just peak out your front window at your (former) cross the street neighbor's boarded up home. In short, I guess what I'm getting at is that Uncle Sam needs to wash his own pits before complaining about what he's whiffing from other nations. As to the pledge of allegiance, I'm sad to say I would no longer participate either , because the republic for which it was written hasn't existed for 47 years. It went tumbling over the trunk lid of a Lincoln in Dealey Plaza. This new governmental construct has earned nothing but my deepest disdain. Much as I hate to say it, that's just how I feel on the above matters.

[Phil Dragoo]

JFK said on earth God's work must truly be our own. Had a nice ring to it.Marcus Aurelius as the barbarians ran down his dinner table advised concern yourself with that which is within your power.My great to the fifth fought King George out of Ft. Pitt--in Arlen Specter's state.He of course would have donned his royal kneepads.Being as he is one of the homo ovinus.We, as Trevanian's Austrian climber to Clint Eastwood's character in Eiger Sanction, "shall continue in style."Down through the pyramids and the stake, the ovens and the Alamo, men shall survive to be free.

[ChristophMessner]

Was there ever a "We" in the people? Was there ever a real "We" between different classes or income groups or peoples? Was there ever a full "We" with even our neighbours or relatives? On the other hand, there is a word called "we", so it's not always "I". We have we to some extend and we have I to some extend and the same to you, he, she, it, they. Maybe the forces of nature into separation and unity are about the same.

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

Dear Mr. Joe "Dealey Joe" Hall, and Fellow JFK Forum Members:Joe - My friend:In your Concern, there is Conscience.In your Humility, there is Honor.In your Interest, there is Integrity.In your Simplicity, there is Strength.Never Change. Never Retreat. Never Surrender. Never Waiver. For you are Truly Great As You Are. The Powerful Wisdom and History Lived that you possess and bring to the JFK Forum is necessary, needed, and indispensable. My Opinion.Comments ?Respectfully,Bruce Patrick Brychek.