THE SECOND AMENDMENT: TAKING IT OUT OF CONTEXT

By: Dan Clements

When reading anything, we must employ a hermeneutic. Usually we do this on the fly as we read. The most simple hermeneutic is who, what, when, where, why, and how. The one I use to study the Bible or an historical text is; lexical-syntactical, historical/cultural, contextual, theological (for my bible study), special literary methods. In order to be faithful to the word of God, I must read, study and understand Gods word the way God wants it understood. In order to do this I must have a logical method to employ so as not to misunderstand God’s word. We must look at the U.S. Constitution in the same way.

Our founding fathers laid out the Constitution while we were still under Articles of Confederation. We had a form of government that the founding fathers thought would not last long or provide for the safeguards that they sought to protect the people and the nation. So the republic was born.

In the preamble of the Constitution the first words are “We the People.” No where on earth and in no other time in history has a group of people come together with the Idea that the “people” were the supreme authority! That the power of government was granted by the people, and the people have the right and duty to control or change the government as they see fit under the constraints of the Constitution.

The ideas set forth in the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and the Federalists Papers, were and still are foreign to most people and governments around the world. And unfortunately they are foreign to a lot of Americans. It saddens me that more Americans do not take the study of our founding documents more seriously. It is hard to say if the lack of understanding is intentional or just laziness on the part of the people.

Social/fascist, don’t like the U.S. Constitution, because it puts the power where it belongs, in the hands of the people. The LSF (liberal, socialist, fascist) in this country and that populate the higher echelons of the Democrat party and higher learning, think that the common citizens of this country are not smart enough to govern themselves, so they try to take away the every powers the U.S. Constitution protects, namely, THE BILL OF RIGHTS. We the People should never ever forget that we grant the U.S. government the privilege to govern us. And as a privilege, it can be taken back or changed.

The second amendment is one of the first amendments that need to go under fascism. The right of the people to defend themselves, their families and their possessions from individuals or governments is fundamental to freedom.

Here are some quotes from our founding fathers I found on guncite.com:

Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretence, raised in the United States. A military force, at the command of Congress, can execute no laws, but such as the people perceive to be just and constitutional; for they will possess the power, and jealousy will instantly inspire the inclination, to resist the execution of a law which appears to them unjust and oppressive.
---Noah Webster, An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution (Philadelphia 1787).

Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom. Congress has no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American...[T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.
---Tenche Coxe, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788.

Did you read the words of two of our founding fathers? Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed. Sound familiar? Does this sound like the 1920’s and 30’s! This is what happened in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. The people were disarmed, and once this takes place, the last check and balance on the government is gone and freedom is soon to follow!

Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American...[T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people. The right to bear arms is an American birthright? You bet it is and much more. Mr. Coxe understood that governments are only as moral as the men and eventually woman, populating government and bureaucracies are. It seems to me that the LSF’s in this country forget that our military is made up of freedom loving volunteers, who understand the cost of freedom and how to hold onto it. For the LSF’s to think for one moment that the American fighting soldier would turn their weapons on freedom loving Americans, who are only exercising their God given right to defend themselves, they are sadly mistaken. Ever hear of unlawful orders? Soldiers take and oath; I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM) THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC; THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME; AND THAT I WILL OBEY THE ORDERS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE ORDERS OF THE OFFICERS APPOINTED OVER ME, ACCORDING TO REGULATIONS AND THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE. SO HELP ME GOD. Do you read anywhere in that oath to protect and defend the government? No, it states the protection is of the U.S. Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic! The U.S. Constitution sets up how the government shall govern. If at some point the government no longer governs according to the U.S. Constitution, we as American citizens can change that government back to it’s Constitutional foundations.

Too many people in this country have let the government do pretty much what it wants without regard to the Constitution. You can not make any laws that tries to take away the fundamental rights of the people, because the people are the supreme power that gives the authority to be governed and therefore the right to bear arms precedes government, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights, that we as American citizens enjoy and will jealously defend.

The Second Amendment:

A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed. I hope the UN is reading this article. They do not have any right to mandate or legislate from on high, any law that would diminish the capacity of the American citizen; to “keep and bear arms” it is our birthright and the last check and balance against a tyrannical government. So please when you read the U.S. Constitution, keep it in the context in which it was originally written, WE THE PEOPLE.

Dan Clements is a member of the Constitution Party and the host of BACK TO BASIC a Christian/political internet talk show. You can listen to Dan from 9am-Noont EST. M-F at www.constitutionalwarrior.com

Conservatism is Relative!

By: Dan Clements 02/09/2008

As most of my listeners know I have been a member of the Constitution Party for almost six months. I did not come by this decision easy or lightly. I had been a Republican since I was 18 years old and supported the party until last September. Ever since Ronald Reagan left office, I believe the party has been redefined and pushed to the left. In this election season more than any other I have been through, the Republican Party does not have a clear conservative choice to vote for. Of all the Republican candidates, only Ron Paul can be called conservative, yet he was vilified by both mainstream political parties and the pompous mainstream press.

The question that needs to be asked is; how has our country gotten so far off course that someone who lives and votes according to the Constitution (Ron Paul) can be considered a kook or out of the mainstream. Has the country finally forgotten its Constitutional roots? Are we letting the LSF (liberal, social, fascist) have free rein in our country to the point that the Constitution doesn’t mean anything anymore? Are our politicians so power hungry that they will say and do anything just to obtain power? Have We the People become to lazy to govern ourselves? Do we even care what happens to our country anymore? Are we so self-absorbed that we don’t make sure that the people we put in office adhere to their oath of office?

As I thought about this article, it is clear that the term conservative has taken on a whole new meaning, even by conservatives. As a conservative, how do you define the term and apply it to your life? What standard do you use to measure your conservatism? Is it Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity? Is it a party platform? What should be our standard? What ruler should we use? As a Christian my standard is God’s word the Bible. By it I know how God wants me to live, and what I need to know to be pleasing to God. Using the Bible as a standard we can sit down, study and learn and come to the same conclusions. As an American citizen what is our standard? I submit to you it is the U.S. Constitution, period, end of sentence, new paragraph.

Conservatism is relative to what you compare it to. As an American, my only standard can be the Constitution. It is the only document that you and I can use to see if we are conservative or not.

Conservatism defined; 2 a: disposition in politics to preserve what is established b: a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change; specifically : such a philosophy calling for lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, a strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs (as retirement income or health-care coverage)

This is a basic definition from Webster dictionary and I submit to you the basis for my definition of conservatism.

We need to return this country back to its Constitutional roots before it’s too late and more drastic measures are needed to correct the present situation.

It is a shame that men like Newt Gingrich don’t seem to define conservatism by the Constitution. In his CPAC speech, Newt was telling the audience that with John McCain, we would only have to fight with him 20% of the time. Oh really? It seems to me that John McCain has been wrong about 75% of the time when it comes to conservative public policy.

And I take umbrage with Mr. Gingrich when he called third party politics dumb. What would you call spending a lot of time and money trying to find out what the American platform is, when all you had to do is look at the Constitution Party platform and see we already knew and stated the American platform. Compare the two platforms, http://www.constitutionparty.org/party_platform.php

http://www.americansolutions.com/actioncenter/petitions/?Guid=bf4a5257-45e3-4a94-97fc-57e2d7ecb6f9

With the exception that the American Solutions platform wants to give away money to the private sector, the Constitution Party has had it right for a long time now. As an American I must use the U.S. Constitution for my standard in defining conservatism. I can not and will not sit idle while so called conservatives redefine what a conservative is, so they can stay in power or defeat other political parties.

The home of true conservatism is the Constitution Party. We hold the founding documents of this country in high regard, and have stated that on numerous occasions. The founding fathers got it right the first time, with help from God. Yes the Constitution has been amended in the past, and may be in the future, but the process is slow and deliberate so as not to make a mistake, and if one is made it also can be corrected.

In this time in history, I would have to say the Democrat Party at the leadership level has become LSF, the Republican Party is now the party of moderates and compromisers, and the Constitution Party has now become the home of the true conservative.

We the People have a historic opportunity to take back our county through the political process. If we are to adhere to the preamble of the U.S. Constitution; We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this

Constitution for the United States of America. We must secure the blessing of liberty for those who come after us; we must protect the U.S. Constitution from foes both foreign and domestic, which can include those running for political office in this country.

Words mean things, and we can not in all good conscious let people redefine the term conservative, to meet their needs wants and desires. As far as I’m concerned if you are left of the U.S. Constitution, you’re left of conservatism. Remember conservatism is relative.

Dan Clements is a member of the Constitution Party and the host of BACK TO BASIC a Christian/political internet talk show. You can listen to Dan from 9am-Noont EST. M-F at www.constitutionalwarrior.com

WE NEED REAL CHANGE!

By: Dan Clements

It seems the buzz word of the day is change. Both of the big box parties are touting change. Change is good if you are trying to improve something, or make your life better. But not all change is good.

Because a special interest group got its way on HD TV, I will have to buy a box for my old RCA TV, or buy a new TV. This is just one of the many ways that change cost the American consumer money and time.

If we look from a political standpoint, in the mainstream, change means more of a nanny state, no matter who we vote for in the big box parties. The Democrat party leadership are LSF (liberal, socialist, fascist) they are following the dogma of Hitler and Mussolini. H&M took their respective countries through several progressive steps to make Germany and Italy into fascist dictatorships.

What is Fascism? (1often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition)

Come to think of it, the republicans are not far behind the democrats, when it comes to wanting to change our country. The republicans are taking a different path to the same end, a centralized autocratic government. The republicans use to be the party of small government, but no more. The presidential candidates in both parties are trying to out do each other when it comes to giving the country away.

The democrats want the American citizen to give up our freedoms, because we are not smart enough to handle the freedoms outlined in the Constitution, even though they come from God. They want the country to do for the individual, because it is for the greater good and they know best. We need to draw a line in the sand and say “this and no further”.

The republicans want the American citizen to give up our freedoms for national security and the good of the country. Yet they will not even secure our borders. They go to war for corporate interests (oil, trade), even though those same corporate interests would sell this country out in the name of making a buck for their share holders. Now I’m not against anyone making money, but when making money puts this country at risk (china, free trade) then we need to draw a line in the sand and say “this and no further”. And that line is the Constitution of the United States of America.

The only candidate that is espousing real change is Ron Paul. And the change he wants is for us to return back to our Constitutional roots. Our country and government has been operating so far outside of the Constitution, that when a politician comes along and touts the Constitution, he is considered a kook or crazy. How did we get to this point in our nations history?

For far too long, we the American citizens have been silent when we ought to speak out. We have been duped by the pompous main stream media and to lazy to check to see if what we are being told is correct or not. We have been told if we label someone, we are mean spirited or racist. We have been told that we need to get along with each other politically in order to accomplish what ever it is we need to accomplish. We have been told the government can do things better than the individual, or free market. We’ve had agendas forced down our throats and told if we don’t agree with the special interest groups, that we are selfish, racist, uncaring, unpatriotic, stupid, dumb, or just crazy.

Well I’m drawing a Constitutional line in the sand and saying “this and no further”. If a politician doesn’t like a label someone puts on them (especially if it’s accurate) then change whatever you are doing to change the label. If you are acting like a fascist and don’t want to be called a fascist, then change. If you acting like a social liberal and don’t want to be called one, then change. If you are acting like a big government politician and don’t want to be called one then change.

I changed when I joined the Constitution party. I see the path our country is on and I don’t like what I see. I want to change this country for the better, and the only way that can be accomplished is the return to what made this country great, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Federalist Papers.

If you want to see real changes support the Constitution Party and those who support and uphold the Constitution. We the people are the only ones who can make real change in this country. America lets make our voices and votes heard. “This and no futher”.

Dan Clements is a member of the Constitution Party and the host of BACK TO BASIC a Christian/political internet talk show. You can listen to Dan from 9pm-midnight EST. M-F at www.constitutionalwarrior.com