Articles of Freedom, part 16

This is a series of posts concerning the works of the 2009 Continental Congress. Last week, I wrote about Article 14 of the Articles of Freedom, which was about the illegal immigration problem. I will continue with Article 15, the text of which follows my comments.

I agree with everything in this article, but I am afraid that even if every congressman and the President agreed to make this their goal, it would be a challenge to accomplish it. I am thinking particularly about paying everyone back for all the entitlement program payments that they were forced to make. What about all the people who have died? When a thief doesn’t have the funds to pay back what he stole, it’s difficult to figure out what to do, especially when the thief is a faceless government bureaucracy. There’s no point in stealing from other taxpayers to pay for what they stole!

ARTICLE 15.

ANCILLARY REPORT BY THE FOREIGN POLICY AND

GENERAL WELFARE COMMITTEE REGARDING THE WELFARE STATE

WHEREAS, the mention of “General Welfare” in the Preamble to the Constitution for the United States as a principal goal of the Constitution, conveys no specific powers to government, and the General Welfare Clause of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution for the United States is only intended to be restricted to the enumerated powers which follow it; and

WHEREAS, James Madison states in Federalist 41 that “Nothing is more natural or common, than to use a general phrase, and then to explain or qualify it by a recital of particulars,” and that it would be an “absurdity” if the list of particulars was interpreted as anything but restrictive on the general statement; and,

WHEREAS, the early nineteenth century serves as an example of rapid economic growth despite very limited government investment in the “general welfare”, and during that period the institution of the family provided adequately for most Americans without any federal welfare, and voluntary religious and charitable associations flourished without government involvement; and,

WHEREAS, the family and the State are competing forms of government, with the result that when one is strengthened the other is weakened, and the family is the most effective provider of social services, so that the “general welfare” is best served by strengthening families than by strengthening government; and,

WHEREAS, the responsibility of government is to secure to its citizens the fruit of their labor, which is their property, and the opportunity to utilize that property as capital to create wealth;

THEREFORE, the Delegates of the several States in Continental Congress assembled:

1. Protest the misinterpretation of the General Welfare Clause by Congress that results in the tyranny of unjust taxes upon the People;

2. Find the “general welfare” is neither “promoted” nor “provided for” when Congress exceeds the enumerated powers of the Constitution, and that the General Welfare Clause does not provide constitutional justification for:

· Mandated or government run health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or any form of welfare payments to individuals; but those who were forced to contribute into any of these programs shall be reimbursed less any payments from those programs they may have received, and inflation to be accounted for in the calculations of amounts due;

· Mandatory vaccinations, mental health screenings, or collection of medical data of individuals;

· The violation of the right of individuals to decide which foods, substances, or medications they put into their bodies;

· Bailouts, grants, loans, investments or any other form of corporate welfare;

· The disguised regulation of private activity through subsidies;

· Grants to churches or other religious or charitable organizations for any purpose;

· Federal funding of education at any level;

· The coercion of States and municipalities to adopt national standards by threatening to withhold funds;

· The building of infrastructure, except as enumerated in the Constitution;

· Economic stimulus grants, loans or any other appropriations for State and local governments, except as enumerated in the Constitution;

· Any other federal law, statute or regulation that is not specifically enumerated in the Constitution.

(from Articles of Freedom, the Works of the Continental Congress 2009)

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Articles of Freedom, part 10

This is a series of posts concerning the works of the 2009 Continental Congress. Two weeks ago I wrote about Article 8 of the Articles of Freedom, which was about juries and the seventh amendment. Now I will continue with Article 9, the text of which follows.

I completely agree with this article. Too bad most conservatives still don’t understand either the proper role of government or that Biblical mandate concerning “bless[ing] those who bless you [Abraham]” is talking about Christians, not any race of people. (Read Galatians 3:16, 28-29, get a KJV, and get a clue that Arabs are also literal descendents of Abraham!) Of course, this doesn’t just apply to Israel, but also to any other nation which we have enslaved ourselves (i.e. China, South Korea, Germany, etc.).

ARTICLE 9.

FOREIGN POLICY AND THE GENERAL WELFARE CLAUSE OF THE

PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION

A. BACKGROUND AND STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

The "general Welfare" is mentioned twice in the Constitution for the United States.

First in the Preamble where embedded with other reasons to establish a Constitution, it is stated: “. . . to promote the general Welfare . . .”

Article I § 8 then states: “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common defence and general Welfare of the United States; . . .” This declarative sentence is followed by a list of powers that restrict what Congress may do in this regard.

As James Madison states in Federalist 41 referencing the General Welfare clause: “Nothing is more natural or common, than to use a general phrase, and then to explain or qualify it by a recital of particulars.” Madison further writes that it would be an “absurdity” if the list of particulars was interpreted as anything but restrictive on the general statement.

Therefore, notwithstanding the interpretations of the past century, the Congress of the United States has misinterpreted the General Welfare clause in order to expand its powers and to impose the tyranny of unjust taxes upon The People.

The Preamble of the Constitution reveals that one of the reasons for its creation is to promote the general welfare of the people. A foreign policy which seeks to meddle in the internal affairs of foreign countries, including the act of choosing sides, is clearly detrimental to this cause. The “9-11” Report documents that this policy of meddling has caused foreign nationals to turn their hostilities toward Americans. These hostilities have given rise to domestic policies such as the so-called “war on terror”, which have resulted in the enactment of statutes such as the USA PATRIOT ACT that are inconsistent with the so-called Privacy Clause of the 4th Amendment.

There can be no doubt that this policy has endangered the security of the American people and has restricted their Natural Rights. This approach to relations with those beyond our borders clearly does not serve the General Welfare and does not serve the national interest.

The federal government has been served with a Petition for Redress of this grievance. However the government has failed to respond. Such refusal to respond, along with infringement of natural and enumerated Rights, Freedoms and Liberties reflects the behavioral characteristics of a police state.

The general welfare of the People is a principal goal of the United States Constitution, which implies a foreign policy consistent with the admonition of George Washington in his Farewell Address regarding foreign nations – i.e., “to have with them as little political connection as possible.”

We might look to Switzerland, a land-locked country in Central Europe, which has one of the highest GDP per capita in the world, which has avoided war since 1815 despite shared-borders with Germany, Italy and France.

Switzerland has remained aggressively neutral and her citizens are well-armed and well-prepared in the defense of their country.

B. REMEDIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO CONGRESS

Follow the Constitution for the United States:

1. Discontinue funding for any foreign aid or other funding that is not necessary for the defense against invasion of the United States;

2. Treaties that are inconsistent with or that violate the Constitution that have been ratified shall be nullified; and any further treaties that would infringe upon individual rights, liberties and freedoms, or that are otherwise repugnant to the Constitution shall not be ratified;

3. Repeal the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, REAL ID, and any other statute repugnant to the 4th Amendment of the Constitution.

C. REMEDIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO EACH OF THE SEVERAL STATES

The State Legislature of each of the several States shall pass a resolution in support of the above instructions to the Congress and thus exercise our just- powers as guaranteed by the 10th Amendment of the Bill of Rights.

D. RECOMMENDED CIVIC ACTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE

We call upon the People to:

1. Raise their voices with ours and those of each of the several States in support of the above instructions to the U.S. Congress;

2. Educate themselves and encourage their fellow citizens to increase their knowledge and awareness of this topic in order to bring our elected officials back under the control of the Constitution, and therefore, of the People;

3. Become personal ambassadors of good-will to citizens of all nations.

(from Articles of Freedom, the Works of the Continental Congress 2009)

Continue here.