In the last few years, the Americans have awoken to a
corrupt government that no longer works for the people, to a police state where
the loss of individual liberties and privacy is the norm, and to a deteriorating
and overstretching empire that shows all signs of impending
collapse. Millions of Americans have finally realized the tremendous power
given to them by the framers of the U.S. Constitution to start a revolution for
a sweeping change across the nation.
There are actually two approaches to revolution for
saving America: non-violence and violence. At this stage, it seems that most
Americans believe in the nonviolent method - seeking peaceful resolutions
through movements to restore, amend or nullify the Constitution. But, there are
some Americans who believe in the revolutionary spirit of our founders' approach
to liberation - violence as the only way to force our tyrannical government to
respect our liberties and human rights. They believe that instead of convincing
some bought-and-paid-for politicians to change their minds, or spending time
trying to beat them at rigged elections by getting good people elected, they
choose to fight to death in order to win back the country that "belongs to the
people."
A free nation that "belongs to the people" was
exactly what the framers of the Constitution had in mind in creating a system
that ultimately reserves final authority for the people themselves. James
Madison, known as the "Father of the Constitution," designed a system of
horizontal as well as vertical checks and balances between the federal and state
governments. As an absolute defender of the people, he described the concept of
separation of powers: "Hence, a
double security arises to the rights of the people. The different
governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be
controlled by itself." To ensure the fundamental rights of the people
above the rule of the government, Madison unequivocally included the 10
amendments in the Bill of Rights.
Two groups supporting constitutional restoration in
the limelight - Ron Paul Revolution and the Tea Party - came from the same rigid framework and status quo of the Republican Party. The movement headed by Ron Paul who is a staunch
advocate of the Constitution and limited government has been growing and getting
stronger, attracting largely independent grassroots supporters. The Tea Party
led by Glen Beck, Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity and Dick Armey is nothing more
than a mimic of Ron Paul Revolution movement but with a gross difference - the
majority of the members basically supported Bush & Company that put America
on the verge of collapse in the first place. In fact, the Tea Party movement is
backed by Fox News under the unscrupulous CEO Rupert Murdoch who fed the
American public with disinformation as sugar-coated news during the Bush years.
It's not surprising that the Tea Party movement without strong principles or
clear policies seems to be imploding with infighting, criticism, racism, and pseudo egotistical leaders.
Besides these two movements calling for restoring the
Constitution, other emerging groups have been working to raise awareness of
specific tenets of the Constitution to rein in the federal government's abuse of
power and usurpation of state and local powers. Two particular insertions -
Article V and the Tenth Amendment grant the states not only an
independent voice but also separate and equal power to rival the federal
government.
Article V offers two ways to alter the Constitution.
Amendments may be proposed by either two-thirds of both houses of the Congress
or by a national convention called by the legislatures of at least two-thirds of
the several states. Most Americans are quite familiar with the first option of
constitutional amendment by Congress, but not many are aware of the second
option that if a sufficient number of applying states exists for proposing
constitutional amendments, Congress is required to call a national
convention. Worse still, most Americans don't even know how our Congress "in
contempt" has violated the Constitution by totally ignoring "over five hundred state applications requesting a convention."
Article V issue exemplifies our dysfunctional
government when it's obvious that Congress's refusal
to obey the clause in Article V is unconstitutional, but adding insult
to injury, the Supreme Court rejected hearing Walker v. Members of Congress (06-244) that claimed it was
illegal for Congress to avoid calling a convention.
The Tenth Amendment, part of Bill of Rights, restates the Constitution's principle of federalism: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by
it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the
people."
The Tenth Amendment allows a state the right to
nullify a federal law by refusing to comply with the law or permit its
enforcement within state boundaries. After all, the states created the national
government when they joined together to form a union and not the other way
around. Thus, the states retained their supreme power to judge for themselves
the constitutionality of federal laws and their absolute right of sovereignty
over their soil. But the ultimate power, not lost in that clause, was reserved
to the people who created the states.
In American history, many states nullified federal
laws they found to be unconstitutional, such as the Fugitive Slave Acts and the Tariff
Acts. Once again, state nullification to resist federal overreaching is on
the rise. Many states have either passed or proposed legislation or amendments
to their state constitutions that nullify federal laws. Here are a few examples
that have been highlighted in the news: invasion of privacy (REAL ID),
firearms (Firearms
Freedom Act) , medical marijuana (Medical Marijuana Act), and healthcare (United States National Health Care Act). One particular state
nullification seems to pick up steam that reflects the strong domestic
opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the "Bring the Guard Home"
legislation to end the unlawful overseas deployment of the National Guard
is currently introduced in seven states and active in 20
states.
The framers of the Constitution understood all too
well that a free nation must ensure and protect all basic rights of free
people. The Bill of Rights, with 10 original amendments introduced by
Madison, was essentially the heart and soul of the Constitution. Nothing can
alter, diminish or eliminate the sacred entitlements of a free man. Even if the
Constitution has to enlarge or change over the years, ALL FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS of
individuals (specifically listed or not) are inherent and guaranteed in the
Constitution as stated in the Ninth Amendment: "The enumeration in the
Constitution of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage
other rights retained by the people."
Madison once said: "That
the people have an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform or
change their Government, whenever it be found adverse or inadequate to the
purposes of its institution. " To reinforce the ultimate power of the people
to decide the fate of their government, the Second Amendment was put forth to protect one's right to keep
and bear arms: "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." It basically reserves the right to the people for armed
rebellion against a tyrannical government.
Whichever form of revolution we seek in the U.S.,
whether through effective boycotts to fight the military industrial complex, mass demonstrations, or
calling for constitutional reformation, the rebellious movement to change our
government is inevitable. It's time for Americans to realize that the
Constitution has granted the people enormous power to decide the fate of our
nation. Our founders did not leave us hopeless, helpless or defenseless, instead
they carved out a road to rebellion in our Constitution to carry out our ideals
of a FREE NATION.
So, let's get going and let freedom ring!!!
(First published on UniOrb.com, September 16, 2010)
