Bill of Rights
The First 10 Amendments tothe
Constitution as Ratified by the StatesDecember 15, 1791
Preamble
Congress OF THE United States
begun and held at the City of New York, on Wednesday
theFourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eightynine.THE Conventions of a number of theStates having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed adesire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, thatfurther declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And asextending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will bestinsure the beneficent ends of its institution
RESOLVED by the Senate and Houseof Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled,two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles beproposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as Amendments to theConstitution of the United States, all or any of which Articles, whenratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to allintents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.:
ARTICLES in addition to, andAmendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed byCongress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuantto the fifth Article of the original Constitution.
Amendment I
Congress shall makeno law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the freeexercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; orthe right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition theGovernment for a redress of grievances.
Amendment II
A well regulatedMilitia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of thepeople to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.
Amendment III
No Soldier shall,in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of theOwner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
Amendment IV
The right of thepeople to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, againstunreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrantsshall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation,and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons orthings to be seized.
Amendment V
No person shall beheld to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on apresentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in theland or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time ofWar or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offenceto be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in anycriminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life,liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall privateproperty be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Amendment VI
In all criminalprosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and publictrial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crimeshall have been committed, which district shall have been previouslyascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of theaccusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to havecompulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have theAssistance of Counsel for his defence.
Amendment VII
In suits atcommon law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars,the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by ajury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States,than according to the rules of the common law.
Amendment VIII
Excessive bailshall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusualpunishments inflicted.
Amendment IX
The enumeration inthe Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny ordisparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X
The powers notdelegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by itto the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to thepeople.
The Bill of Rights were the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution that were designed to ensure the rights of the people. They were straight-forward, direct, and to the point. When you read these Amendments, it is clear to see the intention of the framers of the Constitution. Why, then, is it so hotly contested?
I think it comes down to everyone’s view of the word “freedom.” Ask two different people what that word means, and you’ll probably get two different answers. Look up the word “freedom” on dictionary.com and you’ll find 17 different definitions from just one of the referenced dictionaries! Add to that the selfish desire of every person to want things “their way.” (Yes, everyone has selfish desires. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or simply fooling themselves.)
When I read the Amendments, though, they seem very clear and consice. They don’t leave any room for interpretation. They are, and were meant to be, solid and immutable rights. Yet, today, we have lawyers, judges and the Supreme Court changing these laws, adding to them, and undermining the very freedoms that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were created to protect.
Herein lies a problem. Lawyers and the Supreme Court weren’t established to write laws. That was a power reserved for Congress. That is clearly written in the US Constitution. (Read Article 1 for Congress, and article 3 for the Supreme Court). By giving the justices and lawyers free reign to redefine the law, we are removing one of the essential checks and balances built into our government by the founding fathers.
Today, we have lawyers for the ACLU working with liberal judges to rewrite our very rights. They redefine and blur the lines of truth and decide to enact their own laws. Other judges and lawyers follow suit, citing previous court rulings, instead of looking back to the original document written 215 years ago.
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