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On Sunny Lane: The Bill of Rights

Last week I presented the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution, to those of you who never saw it before and as a review for those of you who have.

It appears that the framers of the Constitution didn’t trust the new government to uphold the rights of everyday citizens, so they instituted amendments that would. Maybe, they thought the ensuing government would need to be restricted, too. Just so you know what your rights are--and aren’t--I’ll copy them verbatim, as I see them.

Amendment II goes like this:

“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.”

Amendment III states:

“No soldier shall, in times of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.”

I guess the British, before and during the Revolutionary War, used to just move their soldiers into the homes of American citizens, whether they liked it or not. We don’t need to worry about that any more. I have quartered military in my home, though, but they were members of my own family.

Amendment IV guarantees:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.”

That’s funny, I have heard of several prominent citizens in this generation who have been deprived of that right. The amendment doesn’t say anything about extenuating circumstances.

Amendment V goes like this:

“No person shall be held to answer for a capital crime, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopady of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

I hope the police and attorneys and judges know about amendments IV and V, so innocent people are not thrown into jail illegally. Maybe, some already have. I see television cop shows and investigative programs that skirt the laws on these issues. Surely, that doesn’t happen in real life. Does it?

I’m just letting you know what our rights are and giving you some food for thought. I hope you’re hungry for more, because I’ll fill you in with Amendments VI-X next week.

 

Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com


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