How many Americans have actually read the U.S. Constitution in its entirety? And I mean really read it from “We the People…” all the way through the Twenty Seventh Amendment (not only that, but how many people actually know how many amendments there are to the Constitution)? I would bet there are very few who have, outside of lawyers and law students, and even with them, I would bet that there is a relatively small percentage who actually read it all the way through. My point is, if we never read the Constitution, then how are we to know if the laws our elected officials pass are constitutional or not?Even some amendments to the Constitution are in direct violation of other amendments. Look at the Fourth Amendment. It strictly prohibits unreasonable seizures of property without (a) probable cause, and (b) a warrant. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments in brief say that just because a particular right isn’t specifically stated in the Constitution, doesn’t mean that the people, or the states don’t have those rights, and that the powers not granted to the federal government in the Constitution, or denied to the states by the Constitution are reserved to the states or the people. So far so good, no conflicting amendments. Then, Congress thought it would be a good idea to pass the Sixteenth Amendment. It says that Congress has the power to lay and collect taxes on our income from whatever source it may have come from without apportionment among the several States.
Now do you see the conflict? No? Well let me explain. The money you earn everyday, “from whatever source derived”, is that not your property? Then why does a certain percentage of every paycheck you receive go directly to the government? Is there any probable cause for the government to seize your property, and if so, have you ever received a warrant indicating their intention to do so? I know I haven’t. And that’s not it. Nowhere in the Constitution (other than the Sixteenth Amendment) does it say that Congress can collect taxes without apportionment among the states. There are only 3 places in the actual body of the Constitution, (Article 1 §2 Clause 3, §8 and §9 for those of you who haven’t read the Constitution yet), where the federal government’s authority to tax is mentioned, and in those 3 places, nothing is said about taxing without apportionment. So much for the Ninth and Tenth Amendments!
The Sixteenth Amendment was ratified almost 91 years ago, and we still are just sitting back and allowing the federal government to unjustly seize our property. If an amendment like this can be passed without much opposition to it, who’s to say that the government can’t pass an amendment saying that you must testify against yourself (violating the Fifth Amendment), or you can no longer bear arms (violating the Second Amendment).
The Sixteenth Amendment is only one of the unconstitutional laws that are passed all the time, most of which pass right under the radar of most Americans, and therefore are left unchallenged.
Just because Congress says a law is a law, doesn’t mean that it is a Constitutional law. Read the Constitution and the Federalist Papers to learn what the founding fathers really meant when they wrote the Constitution. Then challenge laws at the federal, state and local levels for their Constitutionality, and tell your friends, neighbors, relatives and co-workers to do the same, before their First Amendment rights are taken away as well.
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