Obviously the US tax system heeded the lessons of colonialism.

Mike, I love your friend's retort -- mine would have been the Gobi Desert.

Archer, you forget the Supreme Court's

Mike why was he in contempt of court? I told a judge once that he did not go by the law (and I was right) and was nearly arrested for interfering with justice. Most judges are very arrogant and think way too much of themselves. If there's a judge out there you may be the exception.

The greatest tragedy in mankind’s entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion. Arthur C. Clark

Morality doesn't change it is absolute our interpretation of morality changes. The form chair is a chair the form doesn't change (Plato said this in case you thought I did). It's like honesty, honesty as a pure form doesn't change its us that makes it deviate.

Law is always on trial hence the vigilance of the ACLU, HRC, and other non-governmental agencies. Laws (or better still Common Law as Mike would like me have it) are meaningless when they are abused by tyrants; they have no credence or effect in the world of psychosis - just look at Mao Tse Tung, he was responsible for killing more people than Starlin and Hitler combined. Natural law can only exist in a compassionate world this why Compassion and Empathy are the two most important goals in life. All else is meaningless until these two goals are part of our daily lives.

Now totally abuse in every respect. The most heinous of all, the recent denial of habeas corpus. "No Freeman shall be taken or imprisoned, or be disseised of his Freehold, or Liberties, or free Customs, or be outlawed, or exiled, or any other wise destroyed; nor will We not pass upon him, nor condemn him, but by lawful judgment of his Peers, or by the Law of the land." Norine, the natural rights of the individual are there in perpetuity and are not left for the whims of the majority or the legislature - might is not right.

Indeed we do!

Its not the constitution they betray but themselves as ignorance is our enemy

Unfortunately many of the principles by which Liberty was founded are not necessarily honorable. Whose liberty and freedom are we protecting when we kill millions in the name of freedom and liberty.

MIKE, YOUR ARGUMENT IS ONLY RATIONAL IF YOU TAKE EQUALLY THE RIGHTS OF BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT AND THAT I BELIEVE YOU FAIL TO DO. GOOD TRY THOUGH....

Vive la France...... to the Bastille..... N. please stop this vilifying of minorities that's not what this blog is about. The media does a good job of that without our help. And as for special interests - EVERYTHING IS A SPECIAL INTEREST - argue the points not the media sound bytes

Mike, yes. There is no liberty unless all have liberty; there is no equality unless all have equality; there are no rights unless all have rights. Rule by the majority is not what this nation is about though many would have otherwise.

O what a sad reflection on the fickleness of human beings - so hard was the fight and yet the gain so easily lost. The preservation of freedom is lost when we stop questioning authority and allow the government to use the media as its own public relations department. We must all be responsible for what is happening to our nation, instead of complaining on blogs like this - we must get out there and make our voices heard. We can only take back our freedom as a nation if our hearts are free - freedom starts from within - let's sow the seeds of freedom while pulling the weeds.

Nick, the intention of a rolling pin is to make pastry and not to wallop your neighbor over the head just because you have a difference of opinion. Nick, you must read the Constitution again because I believe you have missed out the part that said the majority does not have the right to vote on the rights of minorities. With your thinking all hell would break loose. Prop 8 was totally against the American Constitution.

I am an an atheist but have read most religious books, including the Koran - I would like religious folk to do the same with atheist books - a good start would be Bertrand Russell's "Why I'm not Christian" Perhaps if we did this we would have a little more empathy and be able to discuss our individual views a little more openly.

Mike, I think this works.... Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. —Matthew 26:52, King James Version.

Reston, stand by your principles for they are good. Weapons in the hands of fools is suicide as proven by the number who are killed by their own weapons. This also happens on a big scale too. We gave arms to the Taliban and they then use them against their givers. This quote has nothing to do with guns and yet you all immediately jump on the bandwagon supporting the position of the NRA - give me a break.... We are talking about the protection of equal rights from the agression of others. The reason police do not carry guns in the UK is because the criminals would then arm themselves. Of all the burglar's that Scotland Yard apprehended only 2% had guns in the US it is 60% - In the US we have more people killed by their own weapons. If we imprisoned and/or have enormous fines, for those with weapons, then after a short period, say two years, totally disarm the police force. O what a dream.... Instead, humans will stew in their own slime. This excuse to carry guns because some maniac will shoot you is so dumb it's just another indication how uncivilized we really are. While we have this mentality of the right to carry arms we will never progress spiritually, we will remain in an aggressive (negative) mode which means our intellect remains static as shown by the current political and religious advances in the last 200 years (I'm not sure if i got the 200 years right it may be more or less). He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. By the way, Jesus said that.

As Gandhi said "God has no Religion"

It is becoming very self evident that the more these secret societies reach their goals the less they become secret. Watching your back will be a thing of the past, it will be watching the dagger that is thrust towards your heart. This applies to all three quotes.

One minor addition: keep the Internet going.

Communities will soon learn the power of that statement. Communities will stop supporting corporation, the grid, and regional utilities. They will go independent of the federal government and then the sparks will fly. Our weapon will be simple - stop spending! support as much as you can local farmers, local people that make things, local banks, help each other find a position in this new economy.

Funny! Corporations only pay about 5% tax (some don't pay any tax) while they ship our jobs abroad and make billions off the consumer who the government then tax's at 25% or above. Then on top of that you pay property tax and purchase tax on almost everything. Our tax dollars support the war machine and federal government (they are now the best jobs). Sooner or later most will be employed by the federal government (in one way or another) and then it will be too late to correct.

Archer, you beat me to it! FUNNY!!!