What does OUR Constitution mean to YOU?

I am envisioning this blog as a way for Americans of all types to explain in their own words what the United States Constitution means to them. Is there a particular amendment that has special meaning to you? Have you experienced a time when you feel your rights under our Constitution have been infringed upon? Or have you been fortunate enough to have a triumph under one of our many Constitutional rights?

This forum is meant for the average American...I want us to share our thoughts, not those of the courts.

Dissent to comments posted is welcome, please, keep it civil, intelligent, and if at all possible, pithy.

David

Comments

Please, think before you post.

Just yesterday, a family member of mine posted on Facebook how the GOP needed someone better than Trump or Palin. Of course she was referring to their appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. In my comment to her post, I asked what specific issue she had with Palin. One of her other FB friends and I started a back-and-forth about politics in general. One of her friends agreed with my post that too many people dislike Sarah Palin, but when pushed, cannot give a reason why. My family member finally deleted her initial comment, and thus all of the posts saying that she was just trying to be funny. How funny is it to throw something derogatory out there, without even a generalization as to why you don't like a potential candidate, and then delete it when challenged? Have we become such a non-thinking society that we cannot have a civil discourse about issues? "Being funny" has become, it appears to me, the news source of choice for a lot of A...

Seattle's jaywalking: Cop strikes jaywalker

First, if you're not familiar with what happened recently in Seattle,watch the video: http://www.bittenandbound.com/2010/06/16/cop-punches-woman-video/ . Let's break it down. Is jaywalking something that should be enforced? Quite simply, yes. If it is a law on the books, then it is enforceable, and should be enforced. If the citizens of Seattle do not want it enforced, then get involved and have it repealed. Did the officer over react? No. First, although I am not, nor have never been a police officer, I do know that it is standard procedure in most jurisdictions...and common sense to boot that when citing, or simply questioning someone and others insert themselves into the situation, the officer, most especially when alone, must contain the situation. This will often result in at least one individual being handcuffed. The fact that the jaywalker's friend assaulted the officer (pushing is assaulting), thus inserting herself and escalating the situation, the officer was full...

Shared sacrifice

In light of current news, I realized today that many in my family, including myself, are employed in controversial jobs. I have two family members that are teachers, two that are air traffic controllers, one that is a city employee and a son that is a Soldier. I am a military retiree. Excepting myself, since I always wanted to be a career military man, most of my family didn't start out to be a public employee. My brother, an Air Force veteran, became an air traffic controller when President Reagan fired so many, creating an opportunity. My son followed in my footsteps and my niece followed in my brother's. Regardless, as it stands, several of us make a living off of the public dole. My nephew, a teacher and I have been having a back-and-forth about the protests in Wisconsin. I just wrote a paper for college on the dated nature of tenure in our public schools. His input has been invaluable, and while I understand his passion for the subject, I feel both of us have missed...

What does our Constitution mean to you?

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