The Confederacy was a failed attempt at a co-op among the 13 colonies whose revolution made them sovereign nations. When the Confederacy failed, the need for unification became clear. Each of these nations/states had their own constitution. Those 13 constitutions protected the rights of the people from the oppression they had just escaped. Today, Constitution Day 2019, we celebrate 13…Continue reading Celebrating 13 Constitutions
Category: Law
Having to do with legislation proposed, pending and passed.
The Fallacy that Became a Wall of Separation
The logical fallacy behind the wall of separation between church and state has been hidden in plain sight for over two centuries. A little logic reveals the misconception and explains its power to legalize prejudice. Because the wall is founded on an inadvertent delusion, we should expect to find symptoms of that error on both sides of the wall. And…Continue reading The Fallacy that Became a Wall of Separation
Religious Rights in Early America
Anciently, the State Was Ruled by Religion In the Greek, Roman, Hebrew, Egyptian, and many other cultures, religious authority and civil authority were completely unified in a single council or person. In other cases the government often supported a religion, usually by taxation. Separation of religion and government were hardly even considered. But there were many exceptions. For example, when…Continue reading Religious Rights in Early America
Bladensburg and the Wall That Couldn’t
There is a reason that the wall of separation between church and state cannot take down the Bladensburg Peace Cross memorial. (The proper name for the case is: The American Legion v. American Humanist Association.) Even SCOTUS seems unaware of the profound conflict hidden in that wall. But here it is. Let’s Keep This Simple Some believe that God created man,…Continue reading Bladensburg and the Wall That Couldn’t
The Failed Promise of Secularism
Because we believe in secularism, “believers” and “non-believers” are unable to meet on equal terms. The result is that “believers” acquiesce to the political arguments of “non-believers” whose positions seem clearly secular. However, we shall see that secularism is founded on flawed semantics and has not only become unsustainable but the source of religious bigotry. Like Newton’s laws, secularism has…Continue reading The Failed Promise of Secularism
The Resurgent States of America
The “United States of America” has become a misnomer. In 1776, “state” and “nation” were synonyms. The USA could have been named “The United Nations of America”, the UNA. After pushing the British off our shores, the colonies became independent nations but they usually called themselves states. The founders’ goal was to create a federation of these nations, a political…Continue reading The Resurgent States of America
The Right to Life and to Bear Arms
The right to life is the most fundamental natural right. When a life ends, all other questions of rights go moot. As long as there are people around who have little or no respect for the lives of others, who think to break and plunder and steal, or to seek revenge for real or imagined wrongs, just so long will…Continue reading The Right to Life and to Bear Arms
Socialism: The Law of the Jungle
When you step onto the soil of backcountry Alaska, you lose your place at the top of the food chain. And you’d better be aware of that because the grizzly bear really likes his position at the top. But then, that’s his natural right, isn’t it? There is also a natural right that gives a cunning person the power to…Continue reading Socialism: The Law of the Jungle
Touring the Rights Cave, Hierarchy Cavern
There were a lot of rocks in the first cavern of the cave of rights, and we have discussed the rights of those rocks. Today we’re moving into the lesser life forms cavern to see the hierarchy of rights found throughout nature. Then we’ll tour the next cavern and discuss rights in conflict. I have a funny story to tell…Continue reading Touring the Rights Cave, Hierarchy Cavern
Even Rocks Have Rights
This seems like a strange, maybe even oxymoronic topic. Yet because of the simple nature of a rock, you may soon experience the most profound understanding of human rights you have ever had. So bear with me a moment while I set the stage. This special rock is from my flower bed. For me, it represents the extraordinary yet ordinary…Continue reading Even Rocks Have Rights