Celebrate your rights

December 15, 2011
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Dec. 15 is Bill of Rights Day. Which of the first 10 amendments is the most important?

We Americans take for granted a lot of the freedoms we have in this country, freedoms outlined in our Constitution. There’s a group out there – appropriately named The Bill of Rights Institute  – that wants to help remind us about the rights that are protected in the first 10 amendments. That’s why the institute is asking Americans to take 10 minutes to read the Bill of Rights on Dec. 15, the 220th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights.

Dec. 15 also happens to be a day of federal observance since 1941.

There’s no doubt the first 10 amendments give us certain key protections and rights in this country, and it may be difficult to pick which one you think is the most important or significant. Is it the First Amendment, allowing us the ability to worship or not worship whomever or whatever we’d like, say or write whatever we want (within reason), or peaceably assembly? What about the Second Amendment allowing us the right to bear arms? The Fourth Amendment – protecting us against illegal search and seizure – often is the topic of lawsuits and court cases.

Thanks to the Bill of Rights, we can “plead the Fifth” and be protected from “cruel and unusual punishment.”

Since you’re in the legal profession, there’s a good chance you’re more familiar with the Bill of Rights than the general public, whom this day is probably geared toward. Do you think the general public is as educated as they should be on their Constitutional rights? Is there a particular amendment you think is the most important?


 

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  • Celebrate?
    Rick LaneDecember 15, 2011 6:46 PM
    Neither Amendments nor Bill of Rights apply to proceedings involving DCS. They are not only ignored, but treated with distain in the State of Indiana.
    They unlawfully 'seize' your children absent the requirements of probable cause in violation of their 4th. They force you to take 'services' by holding your children hostage which meets the federal definition of kindnapping. They force you to take a Psycological Evaluations in violation of you 5th to not incriminate yourself as well as drug and alcohol assessment. Your 9th is clearly violated as well as you 14th (Denial of Civil Rights Under Color of Law). There are maybe 2 or 3 Amendments that they do not violate on a daily basis.
    See what happens when you try and exert your rights. These people with 6 weeks training have the power to take your first born and even the IRS can't do that. They are accountable to no one and judges meet ex-parte to make sure the system is full of children for the sake of money. They skip the first 2 requiremenst of 671 and go straight to removal. There are many satellitte industries that depend on this income. They are paid $4000-$6000 bonuses per child for removal and other bonuses each time they change foster homes. They also enjoy Adoption bonuses as well.
    When it comes to monies received by the DCS and the court system, Amendments or Rights are not in existence. Just ask anyone who has been in the system which is part of a greater plan of the 'nanny state'
    Do your research and see who has actually beat DCS in Federal Court. I can find only 2 nationwide. To claim that we actually have Rights in this arena is nothing but a cruel joke.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • ultramontanist
    John SmithDecember 20, 2011 2:38 PM
    Judge Learned Hand said if the spirit of liberty is not in the people, then no paper will save it. Or words to that effect.

    We all know that "the people" of 2012 as compared to "the people" of Learned Hand's time are a very different "people." They do not share the same predominant ethnicities, not the same religious composition, not the same average occupations nor economic interests nor for any of that, most of all, we lack cultural consensus. It is as many have remarked the twilight of an Empire. Maybe that is a good thing. Let's put a nail in the coffin of the idea of a confessional state. I only confess one religious faith and it is not to Americanism.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment

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  1. vagueness cannot challenged, so let's write all laws vaguely and throw the constitution out the window.Even if the court is operating under a particular law, if they don't it they will change it to their liking. What a joke!!!

  2. Two convictions becomes one conviction with exactly the same sentence, only it is not clear wheter or not that sentence will be 18 months, 120 months or 138 months. Actually if the guns were in a home, whether or not they were his, he is protected under the 2nd amendment. Jurors need to learn the law and the constitution before judging others. The cour5ts need to do this as well.

  3. With all due respect, Rick, I think you probably would be making a mistake by going to law school. The job market for attorneys is so saturated, you may well find yourself unemployed and with a lot of debt. You mention law would be a good supplement to your skills. True. But employers unfortunately don't value that. You will find that a law degree may well pigeonhole you into an attorney slot and limit career options. If you have a good job now I would hold onto that. As an attorney, you may well end up making less with the aforementioned debt.

  4. Jack, I was only responding to bill's comment of tying everybody in government together. I agree with you though, it takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch.. As in any profession. What's truly unfair is when somebody violates someone's trust and takes complete advantage of someone

  5. John’s comment is unfair. The majority of attorneys can be trusted. Unfortunately, all it takes is one greedy, unscrupulous, immoral attorney to jade the public.

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