The Constraints of the Constitution
by Rick Stanley

I was staying in our time-share in Avon recently, and I read two issues of Speakout. It's a wonderful paper, and I love your political format.

My name is Rick Stanley. I am the Libertarian candidate for the U.S. Senate in the November, 2002 election, against Wayne Allard (R) and Tom Strickland (D).

My comment is about Joseph Prescia and his "From Government to God" article. It was very well written, and I share his Christian beliefs. However, neither his beliefs nor mine have anything to do with the governance of this country. Nor do they have anything to do with prosperity, or with idolatry, or if the U.S. Congress does the will of God.

Mr. Prescia is correct in his assessment that Congress just wants to do something without considering the consequences of their actions. The spiritual consequences are a personal matter for each congressman to deal with. Our government is a Republic. Congressmen are not supposed to be making decisions based upon religious practices, but upon what is best for our country, within the constraints of the Constitution. The "constraints of the Constitution" are the key words for any person thinking about the legislative process at the federal level. The Congressmen and Senators have each sworn an oath to defend the Constitution.

The Constitution does not authorize our government to give money taken from the American people by force -- by taxation -- to Afghanistan, or to any other country. However, their devilish beliefs are not the reason we should refuse to give them taxpayer money. We should refuse because giving them money is an unconstitutional abuse of power.

Our Constitution does not allow any religion to control the United States Congress. Yet each voter may, at his or her own discretion, vote for a candidate who shares their own beliefs, if that voter wishes.

Our legislators are ushering our country into unconstitutional waters. They are following a path of socialism through the Democrats, and fascism through the Republicans. Both parties decry what the other has done, but unconstitutional laws are rarely repealed when the other party comes to power.

The answer to this dilemma is very simple. Return this country to the principles outlined in the Constitution, and make the government abide by the guarantees of freedom laid down in the Bill of Rights.

The Libertarian Party stands for limited government as outlined by our forefathers; for individual liberty; and for personal responsibility. Neither socialism nor fascism fit anywhere in the mix of our American birthright of liberty.

The Bill of Rights was ratified 210 years ago, on December 15, 1791, and became a part of the Constitution on that day. On December 15, 2001, at the Bill of Rights Day rally in Denver, I made a stand for liberty by insisting that my Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms could not be violated by the city and county of Denver's municipal code chapter 38-117.5(b). I put my pistol in a holster on my belt after giving a twenty-minute speech, and was promptly arrested. The Denver police had the SWAT team, twenty officers in a dozen marked and unmarked police cars, mounted police on horseback, and several undercover police in the Bill of Rights day crowd. After spending 28 hours in the Denver jail I paid a bond, pleaded not guilty, and started the long judicial process to have one unconstitutional law overturned.

The recently enacted "Patriot Act" violates seven of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights. It is just the latest of thousands of laws passed by the U.S. government in violation of the Constitution.

The American people can vote the traitors and cowards who have passed these laws -- unconstitutional laws like the "Patriot Act" -- out of office. But that will take a long time, and there is a quicker way.

I suggest that all Americans who have the time to defend our precious Constitution join the Bill of Rights rallies across America -- at the state Capitols in every state at high noon, starting January 19, 2002 -- to demand the repeal of all unconstitutional laws. Details of the Denver rally can be found at my web site, www.stanley2002.org.

From Washington, DC, and in every state capital across America, our citizenry will insist that our rights must be restored. As each monthly rally gains more support, the legislators will be forced to become a constitutional government once again, with the support of the people.

The process whereby the American government at all levels takes our rights away -- with small steps and infringements; tyranny an inch at a time -- must be stopped.

These monthly Bill of Rights rallies across American can and will set a precedent for future generations to peacefully protest: by petitioning our government for the redress of grievances, by demanding the repeal of all unconstitutional laws, and by returning this country to the freedoms and the liberty our forefathers, and many other patriots since, have fought and died to preserve.

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Rick Stanley is a Libertarian Candidate for U.S. Senate from Colorado
( www.stanley2002.org). Stanley is a Denver businessman with 27 years' experience serving the construction, plant maintenance and fleet maintenance industries. He is currently the owner and CEO of Stanley Fasteners and Shop Supply.