24 Hours of a Christmas Story is playing on television, I watched it this morning and I can't help but think about how Congress seems to think of us.

Keep and Bear Arms? You'll shoot your eye out!

Freedom of Speech? You might say the wrong thing!

Freedom of Religion? You might worship the wrong God! Even worse, you might not worship at all!

Trial By Jury? You might be found not guilty!

Right to Remain Silent? You might not confess!

Right to Counsel? You might get adequate defense!

Right to Be Free from Unreasonable Search and Seizure? How would we enforce Drug Laws?

Constitutionally Limited Government? How would we do all the stuff we want to do to you?

Republic? Democracy is what gets us elected buddy, the hell with the individual!

Perhaps it is foolish for me to attempt to protect all these things.
Perhaps America doesn't want them anymore.
Perhaps some of us really will shoot our eyes out...

But friends, for me, getting elected, is only a means to an end. I don't so much want to be a Congressman, so much as I want us all to be free.

I don't think we have the right to keep and bear arms, because the Government says we do, I know we have the right to keep and bear arms in case the government says we don't!

I don't think we have the right to Freedom of Speech because others agree with us, I know we have the right to say what we think because we are FREE MEN AND WOMEN!

I don't think we have freedom of religion because it is politically popular, I know we have freedom of religion, because we determine for ourselves what, if any, powers we answer to.

I don't think we have protections from the criminal justice system because we are perfect, I know we have such protections because our government is not perfect!

I don't think we live in a Democracy, where the will of the majority can enslave the minority, I know we live in a Republic where the rights of the Minority shall be protected!

I don't think we live under an Unlimited Government which can do as it sees fit, I know we live ABOVE a Constitutionally Limited Government, which reserves all powers not enumerated to it, to us!

Your rights do not come from Government! Government may not take them away!

Nor can Government Grant You Rights, for Rights Derive from Property!

If I shoot my eye out, thats my problem, I don't have the right to make you pay for my eye, but by the same logic, you have no right to use the force of government to prevent me from owning the means by which to put my eye out!

Rights Derive from Property, there is no such thing as a Right to Someone Else's Property!