You Have Rights!

Under our constitution, we have several God-given and civil rights. Let me enumerate several:

1. The right to free speech and expression which includes the freedom of the press.
2. The right to assemble peaceably in groups.

3. The right to freedom of religion and the free exercise thereof.

4. The right to redress the government when we feel we have a grievance.

5. The right to keep and bear arms.

6. The right to avoid having troops quartered in our houses under most circumstances.

7. The right to be secure in our persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures except as permitted by court order.

8. The right to a speedy trial by a jury of our peers and appropriate representation whether or not we can afford such.

9. The right to avoid double jeopardy.

10. The right to just compensation should the public good require the seizing of our real property.

11. The right to avoid excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment for a crime.

12. The right to avoid slavery or involuntary servitude except in the case of criminal penalties.

We, however, DO NOT have the rights below:

The right to buy a house whether or not we can pay for it.

The right to be fed by the government even if we are able to feed ourselves.

The right to have a cell phone paid for by the government.

There are two polarized factions in this country.  Those who believe someone or possibly everyone owes them something and possibly everything they want, and then there are those who believe that, in a free society, everyone must do for themselves and are entitled to whatever they can earn, purchase, or produce and are not entitled to the spoils of the public treasury.  The federal government has only eight jobs as outlined by the Constitution.

1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States

2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

3. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;

4. To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;  To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures; To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;

5. To establish post offices and post roads;

6. To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;

7. To constitute tribunals inferior to the supreme court;

8. A. To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offences against the law of nations; B. To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;  C.  To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years; D.  To provide and maintain a navy;  To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;  E.  To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.  F.  To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

Additionally (Washington DC)

To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles