Constitution Project

Last week Foxwood commented on a letter I'd posted, and invited me to repost his own blog entry. I think this column has a lot of merit. I agree with his blog's sentiments, if not always his style -- some of his other entries have colorful language, although not this one. Our country is rapidly veering away from its founding principles, and if we don't get involved in even small ways we may permanently lose what so many have sacrificed for.

Here is the link: http://animal-farm.us/change/constitution-project-575

And here is the column:

Constitution Project

Do you believe the Constitution is the rule of law? Do you believe in the original intent of our founding fathers? Do you want to reform Congress? I’m not talking about reforming a Democratic Congress, but Congress.

If your answer is yes, we have to work together to make this happen. Please email this to all you know and post on your blogs. The goal in its entirety is to make all three branches of government respect and abide by the rule of law, know as the Constitution of the United States of America.

The most egregious of offenses against the Constitution is from Congress, so the focus will begin with the Legislative branch. It requires you to do some homework, because you have to know what you are talking about.

1. “We the people” need to read the Constitution. It is about four thousand, four hundred and forty (4440) words and will take less than an evening to do. Some may have to digest and research to understand what these wise men meant. Please try to understand it. The links below are an online Constitution and a pocket Constitution you can get free from The Heritage Foundation.

http://animal-farm.us/definitions/constitution
http://www.askheritage.org/Premium.aspx

Our main concern will be Article 1, Section 8 and the 10th Amendment.

2. Next, “We the people” must write to each of our Senators and our Representative to tell them that we have read the Constitution and we know what the “Powers of Congress” are and that we want them to abide by the “Powers of Congress” granted by the Constitution, and that anything not listed are reserved for the States and the people as addressed in the 10th Amendment. If they do not abide by the Constitution, they will be voted out of office.

If they do not know the “Powers of Congress”, a copy is attached, and they might spend some time reading and learning their duties. Most of these politicians know the Constitution, so this is really a poke at them.

This is to be sent to ALL of your Senators and Representative, Democratic and Republican. That would be a total of three letters, three emails, three faxes, and three phone calls. I would not suggest to send to politicians out of state, as they will look at addresses and usually only address letters from there district. That is not to say that if you have an address in another state, not to use it.

3. Below is a letter to send to your Reps and Senators. It is an example.

A. Please use the Representatives and Senators name.

B. This is an example letter. It will be more effective if you rewrite it in your own words.

C. This letter will be more effective if you send it United States Postal Service, and hand written. At least send it USPS if you don’t hand write it. I know some of you will not send a snail mail. Please do, it’s the most effective method. Please write the letter in your own words, PLEASE.

D. Send them an email. Please send a snail mail and an email, if possible. Also send a fax. Call them, but to read the letter will be too much for an intern to take time for.

D. Example letter:

[-start Letter-]
————————————————-

Dear [Senator or Representative] [your Senators or Representatives name],

“We the People” are tired of what is going on in Washington D.C. “We the People” would like to see you do your real job in Congress, and not make up jobs to keep yourselves busy and waste our tax money, not to mention making unconstitutional law.

Your job in Congress is established in the Constitution under Article 1, Section 8. There are only 18 items listed. Just in case you didn’t know, or have forgotten they will be listed at the end of this letter.

Where is it in the Constitution that Health Care, and Cap and Trade are mentioned? For that matter, where is Social Security, global-warming research, welfare, mass transit, food stamps, minimum wage, Medicaid, Medicare, and unemployment insurance?

You can point to “general welfare” in Article 1, Section 8, to account for your unlimited power you think you possess, but if you knew your history of the United States and the Constitution, you would know that “general welfare” did not mean the welfare of the people. Here is the 1828 edition of Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language, and how the word “welfare” was defined 40 years after it was written in the Constitution:

WEL´FARE, n. [well and fare, a good going; G. wohlfahrt; D. welvaard; Sw. valfart; Dan. velfærd.]
1. Exemption from misfortune, sickness, calamity or evil; the enjoyment of health and the common blessings of life; prosperity; happiness; applied to persons.
2. Exemption from any unusual evil or calamity; the enjoyment of peace and prosperity, or the ordinary blessings of society and civil government; applies to states.

Welfare did not have the meaning then as it does today. In the Constitution the word “welfare” is used in the context of states. The “welfare of the United States” does not mean the welfare of individuals, people, or citizens.

Here are a few words from our founding fathers on “general welfare” to set you straight:

“If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one….” — James Madison

“Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated.” –Thomas Jefferson

“Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government.” — James Madison

“I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution, and I do not believe that the power and duty of the General Government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit.” — President Grover Cleveland

“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.” — James Madison

It is important that you know your history as well as the Constitution.

Please abide by these rules set forth by our Constitution of these Unites States of America or face removal from office next election.

Your Constituent,
[Your name]

P. S.
Here is your list of powers authorized to you by the Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, and some more words from our founding fathers.

1. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

3. To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

4. To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

5. To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

6. To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

7. To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

8. To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

9. To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

10. To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

11. To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

12. To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

13. To provide and maintain a Navy;

14. To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

15. To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

16. To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

17. To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And

18. To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Under the Tenth Amendment: 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.

More words from our founding fathers:

“We still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping at the spoil of the multitude. Invention is continually exercised to furnish new pretenses for revenue and taxation. It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without a tribute.” — Thomas Paine

“Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” — Ben Franklin

“The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.” — James Madison

“I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground that ‘all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.’ To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power not longer susceptible of any definition. — Thomas Jefferson

“The greatest [calamity] which could befall [us would be] submission to a government of unlimited powers.” — Thomas Jefferson

“The powers of the federal government are enumerated; it can only operate in certain cases; it has legislative powers on defined and limited objects, beyond which it cannot extend its jurisdiction.” — James Madison

————————————————–
[-end Letter-]

E. Your Representative and Senators can be found at:
http://www.house.gov/
http://www.senate.gov/
Remember:
Snail mail,
Email,
Fax,
Call your Reps and Senators,
And go to town hall meetings and tea parties and bring this up.

4. Make it Viral

A. Send this message in it’s entirety in an email to all of your friends, relatives and your lists.

B. If you have a blog, post it on your blog and allow other bloggers to copy.

C. Post a link to your blog on all blog posts, forums and bulletin boards concerning the Constitution, inviting these bloggers to copy your post.

D. When you go to tea parties and town hall meeting, bring copies of the Constitution Project to pass out with your blog URL so they may copy it easily.

You can download a clean copy of the Constitution Project at:
http://animal-farm.us/holder/constitutionproject.txt

Please take the liberty to make changes if you can make this idea work better because this idea is not about me, but about the United States and our Constitution.

I was asked how can we get our Representative and Senators to abide by the Constitution. This is one way. Have your Tea Parties, and Town Hall meetings. We have to keep after these politicians and let them know we know what the law is. The Constitution is the law and we will make them abide by it. If not, we will vote them out, whether they are Democratic or Republican. It is up to us to save our Constitution and these United States.