Tag Archives: amendments

Constitutional Amendment 16

The longer I live and the more I study, the more convinced I become that the sixteenth amendment is the greatest assault on liberty in our Constitution. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from … Continue reading

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Constitutional Amendment 15

The 15th Amendment appears to be the first attempt to curb the efforts of those who were trying to deny blacks the right to vote as explicitly established in the 14th amendment. The right of citizens of the United States … Continue reading

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Constitutional Amendment 14

I have written previously about the Fourteenth Amendment as an example of a law that declares a legal principle of equality but does not extend to defining a quantitative measure of the level of equality that is expected. This amendment … Continue reading

Posted in National | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Constitutional Amendment 13

The Thirteenth Amendment is about as straightforward as any of the first ten amendments (I find it interesting to notice that the most obvious and natural amendments tend to be the shortest). Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a … Continue reading

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address

Context is everything so I thought it very appropriate that today was the time for me to review Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address right after reading State Sovereignty and the Senate with its review of the damage to federalism that was … Continue reading

Posted in General | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Constitutional Amendment 11

The amendments in the Bill of Rights seem to be viewed by many people as part of the original constitution. It looks to me that later amendments can be categorized as either clarifications of the constitution or alterations to it. … Continue reading

Posted in General | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Constitutional Amendment IX

I really appreciated being challenged in my positions related to the eighth amendment. I would love to have people continue to let me know when they think I’m off base. As I read the Ninth Amendment I see it as … Continue reading

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Constitutional Amendment VIII

Like the second amendment, the eighth Amendment leaves no room for exceptions. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. There are those who would argue that not all the rights in … Continue reading

Posted in National | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Constitutional Amendment VII

The seventh Amendment really intrigues me: In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined … Continue reading

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Constitutional Amendment IV

Aside from any room for interpretation of the word “unreasonable” Amendment IV is pretty simple: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and … Continue reading

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments