Bill of Rights Day

The Bill of Rights Day was December 16.

Last Tuesday night I was on a mission to find out more about our Constitution, our law. I attended the Bill of Rights Day celebration in West Palm Beach by The Constitution Committee of the United States Florida Chapter. If you're like me, you have some knowledge and history on our Constitution but just take it for granted never giving it a 2nd thought. I don't think about it unless I think of the pit-bull talk board and its CEO's claim to the First Amendment.

Before we entered the meeting the National Rifle Association had a table set up at the front door for those wanting to apply. When I saw this, I immediately copped an an attitude--I knew I was at the right place. I was going to encounter right-wing nuts! (I don't like extremists of any kind!) How can anyone justify packing a gun unless you want to kill someone, I asked myself? I couldn't wait until one of those guys spoke. I was ready.

Some who did attend the meeting were Curt Price, running for U.S. Congress District 19, Francisco Rodriguez, candidate for State House District 83 and Alex Larson, activist who always speaks in front of the Palm Beach County Commission and tries to point out corruption, waste and who is one gutsy dame. I believe that she is a member of the Environmental Coalition. I went with Katie McGiveron, Chair of Save Our Neighborhood and a supporter of Florida Hometown Democracy. Katie will be working very hard in this coming year for the FHD cause in Palm Beach County for the November 2010 election. Extraordinary but normal people taking active roles.

From the Constitution Party's web site it says, "The monopoly of political power held by Republicans and Democrats must and can be broken. That is the mission of the Constitution Party of Florida. By restoring the constitutional rule of law, the Constitution Party can begin the process of breaking the corrupt politicians’ stranglehold over the rights and liberties of Floridians." Sound a little radical? Ok. I was ready to learn more.

As a patriot and a believer in our Constitution and always interested in the other side of the argument, I wanted to listen and learn what Constitutional advocates had to say. I was particularly interested in the 1st and 2nd Amendments. Unfortunately individual amendments were not discussed at this meeting and I did not get to butt heads with the NRA. We did learn, however, that the Obama healthcare plan is unconstitutional.

Also I was interested in some of the people behind Scott Maxwell’s campaign that are affiliated with this group and wanted to learn more about them...just who was going to show up? People in hoods? Racists? Hate mongerers? To my dismay, everyone appeared to be, OMG, "normal."

Kevin J. Brogan a ten year member of the Supreme Court Historical Society sat across from me at dinner and was the main guest speaker. He set me straight. We can only abolish or change something in the Constitution by amendment and it would all have to start at the State level.

Kevin said, "Contrary to the long time popular notion, Article VI of the Constitution DOES NOT PERMIT the provisions of a treaty to either abolish or amend any part of our Constitution including, of course, the Bill of Rights, including the 2nd Amendment." That burst my bubble on the 1st and 2nd amendments, amendments that I have often thought should be brought up to 21st Century standards.
Dan Gonzales, Chairman of The Constitution Party, spoke briefly. He probably was the most "radical" of anyone who spoke. Actually, he is a guy who is just fed up. I can relate to that, Dan. Come down to Lake Worth. Everything is a political nightmare here. I'll introduce you to Annabeth who just got screwed. Basically Dan was very concerned about the direction of our country and stated that nothing short of a revolution could stop its destructive direction. My ears perked up at that one...revolution! Was I at the wrong meeting? Was this really a bunch of anarchists? He also said that all voting was corrupt and that we all need to wake up because we will be doomed. Oh, the doom and gloom stuff I thought, but the word "corrupt" got my adrenalin up.

We know about corruption in Palm Beach County and we certainly have had our share in Lake Worth. I thought of the last election with fliers, racists, Q's and the LW Herald and robo calls with everyone sweeping the unpleasantness under the rug...no apologies. He mentioned the New World Order and at that point I got very excited. You see, it had been a staid meeting of sorts up to this point full of normal citizens having normal conversations and I was waiting for it to get "rightest" crazy. Silently I cheered on, "Go Dan go," hoping to "out" all of them one by one.

Nope, it was not to be. He only had a few minutes to speak and therefore spoke in sound bites. I did get the distinct impression, however, that he felt that the New World Order theory was actually a reality in our world today--that globalists are conspiring to take over and rule the world. he believes in protecting our Constitution, the supreme law of our land.

All in all, it was a normal meeting attended by mostly Republicans and average, normal citizens concerned about the direction of our country that does not seem to be all that "normal" these days...people who came to listen to experts on the most amazing document ever written and one that has withstood the test of time.

What does the Constitution say about immigration? Absolutely nothing.