Posts Tagged ‘The Constitution’

presents…

Three important and compelling videos for our monthly Movie Night.  Although each video is brief, they are meaningful, educational and inspiring.

• John McManus of the John Birch Society, presents a very educational 30 minute video,“Americans for America,”

This video explains the various forms of government across the political spectrum.  In an easy to understand way, John also lays out the differences between the various forms of monetary systems in the world, from the controlled economies of communism to free market capitalism.

• Daniel Hannan, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), speaks before the most recent CPAC gathering last February in Washington D.C. In this 27 minute video, he provides an outsider’s look at the United States of America and what she has to offer the world. In this intense and compelling address, he reminds Americans of our blessings and the dangers we face.

• Allen West, the heroic first-term congressman from Florida’s 22nd district, answers a reporter’s question about what he meant when he referred to 76 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus as “Communists”. Congressman West is a patriot who is unafraid to call it as he sees it. This 4 minute video clip will make you want to stand up and cheer!

This FREE event to be held on 
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 7 p.m.
Washington Twp. Offices, Ruby Room
57900 Van Dyke, Washington Twp, MI 48094

Discover the forgotten and astounding story of our nation’s founding in Historian David Barton’s “The American Heritage Series.”

Realize the amazing calling upon Christian citizens to be light and salt in their communities and nation. In addition to the DVD presentation with related discussions, there will be essential study of our Declaration, our Constitution and related subjects.

Many Americans are uninformed or misinformed about the truth of our nation’s
history.

• Are we being told an altered view of history or has it altogether been rewritten?
• Are we a society that has forgotten the truth of its own past?
• What are the consequences if we have?

6:45—8:45pm for Six Tuesday Evenings
April 17 through May 22, 2012
Rooms 10/11/12

Monday, April 9, 2012 @ 7 p.m

presents…

Logan Darrow Clements shows what happens when “the government becomes your doctor” using licensed news footage from Canadian TV, interviews with doctors, patients, journalists, a health minister, a Member of Parliament, a doctor who went on a hunger strike as well the producer’s own Canadian relatives. Clements even rents a hospital to show the mismatch between supply and demand in a medical system run by politicians!

SICK and SICKER puts ObamaCare on ice with cold hard facts from Canada.

Check out the movie trailer below:

The Romeo Area Tea Party will be showing this eye-opening documentary
Monday, April 9, 2012 @ 7 p.m. at the Washington Township Offices
(senior activity center) 57900 Van Dyke, Washington, Michigan 48094

Admission: Free

From the Heritage Foundation’s blog, The Foundry.

Rare is the occasion when the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court gather to hear three days of arguments, and rarer still is when it is for a case like Obamacare — one that cuts to the core of the Constitution and whose outcome could fundamentally alter the role of the federal government and its power over the people. But today the Court will do just that when it open its doors and begins weighing the arguments on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama’s seminal health care law.

Were the American people to vote on the issue, they would fall decidedly against Obamacare, as recent polls have shown. But for the Court, the decision is not as cut and dried as an up or down vote, but one that involves the interplay of a series of issues raised by those who are challenging Obamacare — more than half the States of the Union and a collection of interested organizations and private parties — and those brought by the Obama Administration, which is defending the law. And they come to the Supreme Court after conflicting appellate court rulings which have left undecided the question of whether Obamacare is permissible under the Constitution.

The central issue before the Court is whether Congress has the power under the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause to impose the individual mandate on the American people, forcing them to buy health insurance or pay a penalty.

If the Court holds that Congress was outside the bounds of its authority, it can strike down the individual mandate, leaving the justices to then decide whether all or part of Obamacare should fall along with it.

If the Court upholds the mandate, America will be in the same position it finds itself today — facing a law that vests untold power and resources in the hands of the federal government, that transfers health care decision making from individuals to unelected bureaucrats, and that increases costs while decreasing access. In short, America’s health care crisis will get worse, not better, and future generations will be left paying the tab. What’s more, if the Court allows the individual mandate to stand, it will unhook Congress from its Constitutional leash, empowering it to regulate commerce and individual behavior in new ways never before imaginable.

There are other issues, too, besides the individual mandate. Even before the Court reaches that subject, it must broach the issue of the Anti-Injunction Act, a 145-year-old federal tax law which could bar the Court from evenhearing a challenge to the individual mandate. Under that law, one cannot sue over a tax until they have paid it. If the penalty for violating Obamacare’s individual mandate is considered a tax under that law, then the challenge could not be brought at this time since the penalty has not yet taken effect. Obamacare’s challengers and even the Obama Administration agree that the Anti-Injunction Act shouldn’t prevent the Court from hearing the case, but the issue will still be heard, and some think that the Court could rely on the Act as a way of avoiding having to answer the question of whether the mandate is constitutional.

If the Court finds the Anti-Injunction Act doesn’t apply, it will move on to the individual mandate. Its decision on that issue brings with it a whole other set of problems — namely, if the Court finds that the mandate is unconstitutional, it must next decide the issue of severability — whether Obamacare will operate as Congress intended if it is stripped of the mandate, or whether all or parts of the law must be struck down with the mandate. If the Court finds that the mandate is severable, the Court can strike it down and leave it up to Congress to clean up what’s left, or, as the Obama administration has recommended, it can strike down the mandate and related provisions of the law that depend on it. Finally, if the justices find that the mandate is not severable, then it will throw out all of Obamacare, and it will again be up to Congress to enact real market-based health care reforms that bring down costs while increasing access to care.

There is another issue, too, tied to Obamacare, and that has to do with Congress’s decision to impose new requirements on states forcing them to expand the Medicaid program and abide by the federal government’s conditions, leaving them to shoulder much of the costs while operating Medicaid according to Washington’s whims. If the states don’t comply, they could lose all Medicaid funding, putting them in an untenable position in which both their autonomy and their sovereignty collapse under Obamacare’s weight. It is up to the Court to decide whether Congress overstepped its bounds.

America waits for the Supreme Court to weigh the facts and the law, to consider the precedents and the policy, and to issue a decision that will have implications far into the future. Will Congress be limited by the Constitution, or will its authority expand beyond the limits that the Founders intended? Will Americans’ liberties stand? Will Obamacare fall? No matter the outcome of the Court’s ruling in June, Congress can and should act now to repeal Obamacare and rid the land of this intolerable act.

Read the original article on the Heritage Foundation’s blog here.

Due to popular demand, we will be re-showing the movie AGENDA Monday, March 26th, at the Washington Township Hall – see below for details.

The award-winning documentary by Black Hat Films

“It’s not just another conspiracy theory”

Written and directed by Curtis Bowers

“AGENDA is the most powerful expose of the communist, socialist, progressive attempt to take over America produced so far.”
-Ted Baehr, Movieguide

This event will be held Monday, March 26th, 2012, @ 7:00 p.m. at the Washington Township Offices (senior activity center)
57900 Van Dyke, Washington, Michigan 48094

Admission: Free

Check out the trailer for AGENDA below:

Though no one in the room wants to talk about it, everyone can smell a stench at one end of the House. It has now been 1115 days 13 hours 34 minutes 9 seconds since the Senate passed a budget!

The last day the Senate passed a budget was April 9, 2009. A baby conceived that day would have turned 2 years old last week, and probably would be able to say things the Senate’s Democratic majority has not brought itself to say concerning responsible budgeting, namely,“yes.”

As President Obama continues to shift the blame for his party’s gross irresponsibility by asserting falsely that House Republicans are putting party before country, the American people should be reminded that the Senate’s refusal to pass a budget is both deliberate and entirely political.

Congress is statutorily obligated to pass a budget by October 1 of each year. Lawmakers have abdicated their duty by funding the government through multiple, consecutive short-term continuing resolutions. During this protracted period of indolence, the Senate Budget Committee has spent more than $12 million in taxpayer funds on staff salaries and other extraneous expenses, while Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) office has spent in excess of $5 million.

The key to any small business success in America is to follow a budget. But when it comes to passing a budget, our elected leaders in the Senate are incompetent. It is unconscionable that the Senate refuses to do the people’s work and pass a budget that will not bankrupt the country.

Where is the outrage?

 It’s time to get the Stink Out of Washington.

When should we do it?

Take a Stab @ Now!

Every once in awhile the “Drive by Media” goes so far out of its way to push their agenda that the definition of “Absurd” is realigned.  Recently, it appeared that the “power” inferred by the value of a national TV audience was intoxicating enough to drunken the judgment of the likes of George Stephanopoulos, and Ivy League (Columbia University) graduate.  The rational of his recent query in the New Hampshire presidential debate, did not exist.

With Presidential candidate Mitt Romney clearly leading polls in New Hampshire, it was time for the biased media to take aim at the front runner.  Surely, history proves sure that whenever a leading candidate in the republican primaries emerges, established media sources target them in coordinated unison.  Established media types all use the same playbook, so their choices are limited.  Its like blind faith, without the faith.

On Saturday (January 7th),  so clever was the attempt of ABC NEWS anchor George Stephanopoulos, in his efforts to “trip up”  Mitt Romney, that the ABSURDITY of his question was apparent.  Not since the “Lost Weekend” of John Lennon has time stood so still, when Candidate Romney enlightened the audience as to the ridiculousness of the question regarding; States Rights to (potentially) Ban Contraception, as defined by the Supreme Court in a 1965 ruling (Griswold v. Connecticut).  Certainly, Stephanopoulos dug deep into the archives of current events, as he was only four at the time of that ruling.

So, what was the point?

Exactly!

The only purpose of George’s question could only have been to create a new talking point for the ABC Sunday morning “talking head” show, “This Week with… (I miss David Brinkley)“.

No.  There was no value to the question, nor Romney’s answer, which only clarifies the absurdity of the lost three minutes of time ABC paid for.  But, we promise.  If you watch the actual video evidence presented here, you won’t loose your entire weekend, nor will you be attended to for eighteen months by May Pang.  You will, however, be reminded of the “absurdity of it all”.

Free speech? Really?

The legislation discussed in this article gives the government the authority to tamper with Internet search results by requiring firms like Google to block links to infringing websites. Imposing this limit on information providers is very disturbing and arguably a violation of the First Amendment.

Would you be outraged if the Department of Justice shut down the
Romeo Area Tea Party website without any warning and
blocked access for more than a year?

That’s exactly what happened to a hip-hop blog called Dajaz1.com, which was falsely accused of criminal copyright infringement. The blog posted music from artists promoting their work. But federal authorities viewed it differently. They seized the domain name, then shared virtually no information with its owner for more than year. Only recently did they quietly drop the case.

The government’s handling of this hip-hop blog is fueling fears about legislation moving quickly through Congress that addresses copyright infringement and online piracy.

The Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA as it’s known in the House, and the Senate’s PROTECT IP Act would give the U.S. attorney general the power and authority to block criminal enterprises from trafficking in illegal products online.

Their cause is a noble one. Business incur significant losses when Americans buy counterfeit items. Consumers must also be increasingly vigilant about purchases they make online. Federal authorities shut down more than 150 websites just last month for pirated goods.

But the two bills making their way through Congress
are the wrong solution.

They pose serious threats to freedom of speech and expression and raise security concerns. With the Senate possibly voting on the PROTECT IP Act in January and the House moving forward with hearings on SOPA, Americans should understand what’s at stake.

As the case with Dajaz1.com illustrates, the federal government already has the ability to shut down U.S.-based websites. A growing number of so-called “rogue sites” are located outside the United States, however, limiting the government’s ability to block them.

SOPA would give Attorney General Eric Holder and individual intellectual property holders the ability to sue these rogue sites if they were “dedicated to theft of U.S. property.” The government, through a court order, could take these four steps:

1. Require Internet service providers to prevent subscribers from reaching the website in question;
2. Prohibit search engines such as Google from providing direct links to the foreign website in search results;
3. Prohibit payment network providers, such as PayPal or credit card firms, from completing financial transactions affecting the site; and
4. Bar Internet advertising firms from placing online ads from or to the affected website.

“The legislation addresses a legitimate problem,” wrote Heritage’s regulatory policy expert James Gattuso, “but it may have unintended negative consequences for the operation of the Internet and free speech.”

Free speech:

The legislation gives the government the authority to tamper with Internet search results by requiring firms like Google to block links to infringing websites. Placing this limit on information providers is troubling and arguably a violation of the First Amendment. Besides, Washington’s appetite for power is uncontrollable, and this would almost certainly lead to a slippery slope of unwanted interference in the future.

Internet security:

Criminals would almost certainly discover new ways to circumvent the government’s measures. But the most glaring security problem with SOPA is the damage it would cause to DNSSEC, the new Internet system designed to limit certain crimes. This would jeopardize security across the Internet, potentially creating new challenges.

“The federal government needs to protect intellectual property rights,” Gattuso concluded in his analysis. “But it should do so in a way that does not disrupt the growth of technology, does not weaken Internet security, respects free speech rights, and solves the problem of rogue sites.”

The debate over SOPA is already among the most intense and polarizing taking place in Washington — and rightfully so. With concerns about free speech and Internet security taking center stage, lawmakers would be wise to look at alternatives when they return in January.

This information was originally posted on The Heritage Foundation’s conservative policy news blog, The Foundry, on December 28th, 2011.

by Tierra Warren

originally published- September 14, 2011 at myheritage.org

On Saturday, we celebrate the birth of the most imitated national document in the world—our Constitution.  At the core of this 224 year old document, are the first principles our Founding Fathers envisioned: individual freedom, personal responsibility, and limited role for government. And that’s why every September 17, we celebrate this monumental document.

In Washington this week, several organizations are marking the occasion:

(See Full Article Here)

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Please check out Judge Warren’s daily blog posting regarding the topics of Patriot Week for 9-12, including the First Principle of the Rule of Law; Chief Justice John Marshall; Marbury v Madison; and the Betsy Ross Flag.

9/12 - DIVERSITY & EQUALITY IN A POST 9/11 WORLD,

A PANEL DISCUSSION

On Monday, September 12, The Oakland County Bar Association’s Diversity in the Legal Profession Committee and Thomas M. Cooley Law school are pleased to present a Patriot Week Panel Discussion: “Diversity and Equality in a Post 9/11 World: Have We Crossed the Precipice of Intolerance?” Moderated by Judge Michael Warren. Diversity Committee reception at 5:00 and panel discussion beginning at 5:30 at Cooley’s campus in Auburn Hills. Click here for the flyer.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, ALL ARE WELCOME