Monday, May 31, 2010

The Purpose of the U.S. Constitution Resonates in the First Amendment


By Douglas V. Gibbs

The Founding Fathers understood the danger of government, and that though a governmental system is necessary to secure order, government must be limited to the duties of protecting the rights and properties of the people.

The U.S. Constitution was written to give the federal government limited powers.

The U.S. Constitution was written in the manner it was also to protect the people from the government, not to protect the government from the people.

The concept of protection from government resonates clearly in the First Amendment.

The First Amendment reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The First Amendment, based on the rest of the Constitution, and the writings of the Founders, could very easily say: This amendment was written to protect religion from government, not to protect government from religion; to protect the freedom of speech from government, not to protect the government from free speech; to protect the freedom of the press from the government, not to protect the government from a free press; to protect the people's right to peaceably assemble from the government, not to protect the government from people peaceably assembling; and to protect the people from the government by allowing them to petition the government for a redress of grievances, not to protect the government from the people who wish to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The Second Amendment is the enforcement clause, written to ensure the government continues to fear the people, and abides by the rest of the Constitution.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

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