Page Nine

Bill of Rights Day Yields Results

Among the best tools for regaining control of our government are laws that imprison bad legislators, empower the public to act, and pit the states against federal power. These ideas came out of our Bill of Rights Day celebration town hall meeting. There's some real red meat here, some of it already underway, other parts ready to go.

(The entertainment and speeches were superb, the Wrigley Mansion's cheese platter was outstanding, everyone had a grand old time.). Thank you keynoter Gary Johnson, keynoter Bob Levy, Lance "Patrick Henry" Hurley, emcee Andre Campos, Equinox quartet, The Cartridge Family band, all the Amendment readers, so many others, you made it great.

Full report with pictures and video coming soon.

Enact the Repeal Amendment to the Constitution

Suggested by scholar Randy Barnett and others this would allow 2/3 of the states to act together to repeal federal laws. Not only seemingly unconstitutional ones, but any ones the states decide they simply don't like. It has a lot of momentum, and is a real restoration of state power and the 10th Amendment.

Term Limits For Bureaucrats

The permanent government -- worker bees in federal and state offices -- do enormous harm and are unaccountable to the people. These people, for example, are training our newly elected officials, and the freshman-class program does not even include a review of the Constitution! If they were periodically cleaned out the ingrained, endemic, insipid, statist influence of this shadow government would end.

Pass the Enumerated Powers Act

This simple measure proposed by congressman John Shadegg simply requires every bill to identify where in the Constitution it draws its legitimate powers. He has introduced it for 16 years, every year he has served, and Congress has never bothered to pass it. It's time. They must stop deliberately thumbing their collective noses at our Constitution, which they swear to uphold.

Require Single-Issue Legislation

Congress tacks every imaginable unrelated piece of hogwash it can to every bill in sight, especially to “must pass” bills for the military or the budget. This practice has to end, to stop passage of hogwash. Some states have “single-issue requirements” to end this sort of abuse, and it works swell. A bill can only contain material relevant to the purpose of the bill. Other issues have to be introduced separately, get proper scrutiny, and pass on their own merits.

Utah Selects "State Gun," Other States Deciding

In what may turn out to be a frenzied foot race, Utah plans to name the Browning .45 caliber 1911 sidearm its "state gun." This would honor Ogden, Utah native John Moses Browning, perhaps the finest firearms designer who ever lived, on the 100th anniversary of the pistol's adoption by the U.S. Army. Its design was so good it is virtually unchanged to this day, with versions made by countless firms. Learn more -- http://www.ksl.com/?sid=13561290&nid=148

Here in my home state of Arizona, a debate is raging over what the best choice would be for the Grand Canyon State, where a very pro-rights legislature and governor seem likely to adopt such a measure. Several gun manufacturers make their home here, and a number of guns that "won the West" are in contention for the honor. The Colt Single Action Army? at the other end of the spectrum, would the Dillon Aero minigun make the grade? How about a choice for your state? According to anonymous reports, anti-rights bigots are having conniptions over the concept.