In addition to vertical and horizontal separation of powers,
checks and balances, and the people keeping their eyes on the various levels
and branches of government to keep them within the bounds of the Constitution,
at least three additional details are needed to maintain freedom.
Specifically,
the people must closely read the following:
1)
Proposed bills and especially laws that have
passed.
2)
Supreme Court decisions, including the
commentaries (dicta) of the Justices.
3)
Treaties, both proposed and ratified.
The way our Constitution is set up, these things once
adopted become part of the law of the land.
If the people don't know what is
happening in these things, they cannot fulfill their vital role of keeping the
government within the bounds of the Constitution.
If this occurs, our freedoms
will be lost.
Sadly, this has been occurring for many years.
The founding,
pioneering, Civil War and progressive generations from 1776 through the 1890s
widely read and studied these things.
Changes in our education system to a conveyor-belt
model of schooling have created a century of American generations who did not
read these things--and our freedoms have declined proportionally.
Some today would say that the regular people will never read
this way.
If this is so, our freedoms will continue to decline.
Free nations
are the direct work of free citizens who take their role of watching and
overseeing the government seriously.
This is part of the cost of freedom.
If you are not reading these things, now is the time to
start.
And now is the time to help others see the vital importance
of doing the same.
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