Knowing Your Bill of Rights is Ridiculously Important

 By Jacob D 

After the Revolutionary War ended, the Founding Fathers were busy at work trying to figure out how to get the government all set up. There was the one approach that gave the states all the power and a central government absolutely none. This style failed. So, they went back to the drawing board. What they drafted was the United States Constitution. In this constitution, there were ten amendments that were created to protect the people's rights.

Here are the rights:

o    First Amendment: Freedom of religion, speech, press, to petition and to assemble. In other words, you are allowed to express yourself however you feel; however, it cannot harm other people. This is why the KKK can have their marches. If they lynch someone, though, they get in trouble.

o    Second Amendment: The right to keep and bear arms. This amendment was created because of the need of a militia. It has been brought up time and time again that this is not of importance anymore; however, Americans are entitled to their guns.

o    Third Amendment: There will be no quartering of soldiers in private houses during times of peace or war. The Townshend Act was enacted by the British before the Revolutionary War and this allowed them to keep soldiers in colonist's houses.

o    Fourth Amendment: There will be no unreasonable searches and seizures. Basically, the police need a warrant to search your house and they can't just search because they feel like it. This has been abused quite a bit.

o    Fifth Amendment: This is one of the most well known with the saying, "I plead the fifth." This means that you are entitled to due process and you don't have to worry about self-incrimination. Double jeopardy prevents the government form trying you over the same issue over and over again.

o    Sixth Amendment: Right to a fair and speedy trial basically says that they won't prolong the case for years on end. You will have a fair trial and it will be done in good time. It is here, as well, that the courts are demanded to give you counsel if you can't afford it.

o    Seventh Amendment: Right to a trial by a jury of your peers. This means that in any civil cases, you will have your peers there to determine your fate rather than a single judge. This is to prevent too much power going to one party.

o    Eight Amendment: This is the one people preach when talking about capital punishment. There will be no cruel & unusual punishments which is why certain ways of execution have been done away with. There will also be no excessive bails or fines.

o    Ninth Amendment: These are the unenumerated rights. Basically, these rights are the ones that are inferred from other legal rights. Basically, these are your fundamental rights that might not otherwise be mentioned. Privacy, for example, is an unenumerated right.

o    Tenth Amendment: The Federal Government will only do what the constitution says and nothing more. This one has been abused a lot. Basically, the states make up the remaining decisions; however, because of their power, the Federal Government has been able to manipulate this. We won't give you this money if you don't do what we say.

The Bill of Rights is one of the most important documents and really provides a hope for freedom and liberties. The only issue that can come from this is when people are willing to throw their liberties away because they believe that it will give them security. Know your rights and always live by them. It is your constitutional right as a United States citizen.

Jacob is the co-founder and owner of a political commentary [http://www.wethepeoplepolitics.com] web publication. He finds that an important issue to write about is the fact that Americans don't know their civil liberties [http://www.wethepeoplepolitics.com/all-those-little-liberties-yeah-theyre-stillmine-president-bush/] and how the government slowly takes them away from us.

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The 4 Categories of "Carrying of a Concealed Weapon" Laws

By Matthew Donnelly

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted in 1791 with the intention of giving every American the right to legally own firearms. Despite the endless attempts by politicians to destroy this right, most States in our great Union still respect the right of the individual to legally own and carry concealed weapons.

Our Founders were strong advocates in States' rights and, thankfully, the Federal Government has yet to legislatively intrude on our 2nd Amendment right. To date, 48 States have passed individual laws allowing, in some respect, citizens to carry certain firearms in public. Each State has its own laws that are enforceable by huge fines and even jail time if they're not abided by so it is extremely important that every individual be aware of these laws.

Carrying a Concealed Weapon Regulations will differ between each state, but each state generally falls into one of four categories. The four categories are listed as follows:
Unrestricted - Also known as "Constitutional Carry," Unrestricted states do not require a permit to carry a concealed handgun.

Shall Issue - Shall Issue states require a person to have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The permit is approved or declined if specific criteria are met, i.e. criminal background check, age, paying a fee, etc. If a person meets the specific criteria, they will be approved a permit - the issuing authority does not have the authority to deny a permit based on their own discretion.

May Issue - May Issue states require a person to have a permit and, similar to Shall Issue states, require certain criteria be met before being approved for the permit to CCW. However, May Issue states are more stringent. The local government (usually a County or City) that will be issuing the permit has discretion to approve or deny any applicant even if the specific criteria are met.

No Issue - No Issue states do not allow any person to carry a concealed firearm.
The complexity of Concealed Carry Laws are constantly changing, but I have broken down each state into one of the above 4 categories below.
Unrestricted (Constitutional Carry): Alaska, Arizona, Montana (Outside of City limits), Vermont, Wyoming (as of July 1, 2011)

Shall Issue: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
*States that are both Shall Issue and Unrestricted states may allow citizens to carry without a permit, but will often grant permits to individuals who wish to have it for reciprocity reasons.

May Issue: Alabama, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island

No Issue: District of Columbia, Hawaii*, Illinois, New Jersey*, Wisconsin

*Technically May Issue states, but in reality they will not issue permits.

The laws regarding the concealed carry of handguns get more complicated by the day and will continue to change according to individual state laws. Because of this, I strongly suggest that each individual regularly visit our site and contact their local government authority to find out the exact details and laws regarding gun permits. I hope this information has helped educate you on your rights under the 2nd amendment. For more information regarding CCW and your state's laws, please visit our free, informational site.

Matt D.
http://www.ccwbystate.com
Your #1 resource for CCW information!

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Are You Mentally Prepared to Defend Yourself?

By Chris Bruno

Society has undergone a total transformation in recent years. No longer can you allow your children to play outside without worrying about some stranger attacking them. Gone are the days when a pick up game of stick ball was just that, a game. Unfortunately times have changed for the worse. Violent crime is on the rise and the declining economy is not going to help matters. More and more citizens are choosing to arm themselves with handguns or a variety of other less than lethal defense weapons.

When I was a kid, the worst thing I had to worry about was a school yard bully picking on me. If it came to it, we scrapped a bit on the way home from school and maybe my ego was bruised or I ended up with a cut or two. Today, even kids in schools are fighting with weapons. I am certainly not advocating that we arm our school children, however I do think we do need to prepare them mentally for the possibility of a fight or even worse an all out assault on them or their school.

For the most part those who choose to attack others will try and put the odds of success in their favor. How is it they are so successful? They base their assaults on 2 main principles, the first is surprise. If you walk down almost any street these days you will find a large number of people talking on a cell phone, listening to music on an iPod or even texting messages to someone as they walk around completely oblivious to anyone or anything going on around them. These activities although enjoyable, are a quick tip off to someone wanting to make you their victim. They send a clear message to an attacker that you are easy prey for them.

The second element criminals look for is weakness. They are looking for potential victims that are or appear to be weak, ill prepared to defend themselves, distracted, or just plain easy to beat up on.

In order to NOT allow yourself to become a victim, you need to first prepare yourself mentally. Mental preparedness begins when you move your mindset to that of a confident person who maintains good posture, makes good eye contact, speaks in a loud clear voice and is aware of what is happening around them. When I was instructing new police recruits in the academy, I gave them this very same advice. They need to control every encounter they find themselves in and so do you.

People aren't born assertive, it is a skill that is developed and learned over time. The best part is anyone can be assertive if they choose to be. No matter where you are in life, you can practice this right now. Use these simple techniques in your everyday activities and they will soon become second nature to you. Being confident and assertive is not easy for many people but it is something that you will learn over time.

You have an obligation to yourself and your family to defend yourself. No one is going to be there with you all the time. When all is said and done you will need to make a few choices as to how you decide to do this. Educating yourself is vitally important. There is a wealth of information available to you both online and in offline locations. Many police departments can provide you with information on where to find qualified personal defense trainers in your area.

If you choose to license yourself to carry a firearm, you must also prepare yourself to use it. Training in its safe use, function and accuracy can be gained at local shooting ranges. Don't forget the additional mental conditioning you will need to prepare yourself for the possibility you may in fact take a human life.

If you are unable or unwilling to go as far as a firearm, there are countless numbers of less than lethal personal defense weapons available for you to choose from. Pepper Spray, Stun Guns or Tasers are gaining in popularity every day. Many of these devices come in disguised versions that appear just like everyday items like lipstick cases, cell phones, pagers and even key chains. Just like with firearms though, you need to make yourself completely familiar with how these weapons operate and you may even want to practice using them in a safe location someplace.

The same principles apply in all the above scenarios. You MUST prepare yourself mentally for what might happen. I'm sorry to say but the care free days of yesterday are with us no longer. Don't wait till you fall victim to an attacker whose only purpose in life is to take what you have worked so hard for. I can't tell you how many people I saw during my law enforcement career that installed burglar alarms in their homes, after they were burglarized! Don't prepare yourself after you have already become a victim.

Chris Bruno is a retired police officer and instructor. He is a contributing author and co-owner of Safety Products Depot a website and blog dedicated to helping everyone develop the mental attitude and physical skills necessary to protect themselves and their families. Chris invites you to visit Safety Products Depot now and claim your instant 10% off coupon which can be applied to all purchases of the defensive sprays or any of the hundreds of other items on the site.

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Concealed Carry - Getting Started

By Teg Tilman

Do you know what lurks around that next corner? I don't either. Have you ever thought of getting a permit to carry a concealed handgun?

On April 16, 2007 a horrific tragedy took place on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Thirty two students and professors were murdered and many more injured in a senseless act of violence. This forever changed the way that I view the world. My wife and I are both Hokie alumni. We still have close ties with Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg community. It is with this in mind that I write this article.

On that day, my sheltered world became an unrealistic dream of the past. I vowed that day that I would do everything I could to prepare myself for such an event. Of course, I hope never to find myself in a situation where deadly force is a consideration, but, it never hurts to try to prepare yourself.

So, where do you start? For me the first step was to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon. I've been a hunter my entire life so I was no stranger to firearms. However, a concealed carry permit was a new ball game. I went to the local gun shop and talked to the staff. They quickly filled me in on the following details:

1. Satisfactory completion of a concealed carry class or a hunter's safety class.

2. Take your Certificate of Completion to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the locality in which you reside.

3. Fill out the Application for a Concealed Carry Permit

4. Go to the Police Department to get finger printed

5. Wait 30 days for the circuit court judge to approve/deny the permit.

That's it. I was thinking I was going to be interrogated as to my "need" or "desire" for the permit. Nothing could be farther from what happened. Keep in mind that this process ONLY pertains to Virginia. However, I have found that many other states have very similar processes.


I consider myself an "average Joe". I'm fairly laid back and usually light hearted. For me a permit to carry a concealed weapon was a logical first step. For many it's not. If you are unsure I would encourage you to go to your local shooting range and talk to the staff there. They will give you valuable advice and rent you a firearm that will fit your needs. You can shoot as many as you need until you find what works best for you. As a side note, when my wife decided she wanted to go through the process I took her to the range. At the time she had an overwhelming anxiety towards firearms. After the first shot I could see tears welling up in her eyes so I started to pack up and get ready to leave. Much to my surprise, she wanted to stay and keep shooting. Now she shoots better than I do. My hope is that if you do decide to pursue that option you gather as much information as possible. Weigh all the pros and cons and then decide. The decision should not be taken lightly nor should the training and education that goes along with it.

I will be posting additional articles pertaining to carry options, self defense, and non-lethal force. Be well.

I am a sportsman, an outdoorsman, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and a staunch believer in the 2nd amendment. I had an awakening on April 16, 2007.
Please visit http://www.carryconcealedhq.com for additional information.

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Best Biometric Gun Safes

Best Biometric Gun Safes 6 Point Power Checklist: How to Choose the Right Safe for Your Home

By Doug Kramer

Imagine this. You're awakened in the middle of the night to the sound of glass windows breaking. You think you hear faint footsteps and a commotion downstairs. You hear the footsteps start to get louder and near your door. What do you do? You reach for your gun but its inside a vault. You fumble in the dark and you panic to get your gun vault open. But in the panic of the moment you can't remember the combination to your lock! This is quite possible everyone's worst nightmare. In a home invasion scenario you have few precious minutes to defend yourself and your family. In these types of scenarios, quick and easy access to your firearm saves the day. By having a biometric firearm vault near your bed, it takes one touch on the fingerprint scanner and less than 1 second to open the fault and arm yourself. This is when investing in the best biometric gun safes matters most.

What are biometric safes?
Biometric safes use biometric technology, a technology developed to use a person's unique physical characteristics to identify and confirm identity. In the case with biometric safes, they use a person's unique fingerprints. Since no two persons have the same fingerprint pattern the system is 100% effective at identifying and confirming identity. In the past, the technology was developed for high-level security systems but with recent innovations, companies made it affordable to bring this technology to the home.

What to look for when shopping for a biometric gun safe. We've compiled a checklist of items to take note when buying a biometric gun safe.

#1 - Check the price. You can spend around $50 for a used cheap biometric gun safe to $300 or more for a top-of-the-line safe.
#2 - Check the maker. The best brands out there are Barska, Protex, Smart Touch, Secure Logic, and Gunvault just to name a few.
#3 - Check the battery life. On average a battery life of 6 months is a good indicator. Also, check for vaults that have a recharging port.
#4 - Check that data is recovered when you change the batteries. You don't want to be inputting information again and again every time your battery runs out.
#5 - Check the warranty of the vault.
#6 - Check for reviews, recalls or testimonials from vault owners as well.

 There are plenty of biometric safes available on the market. What you need to do is research before you buy. Overall, buying the best biometric gun safes is an investment because safety should always come first before cost.

Our site is a clearinghouse of best biometric gun safes including both information to help you purchase a fingerprint gun safe and to help you find a cheap biometric gun safe on the internet. Click on one of those two links to visit our gun safe store and blog.

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History of The New Tea Party

By Raymond J Veguilla

It all started when Barack Hussein Obama was elected as the president of the United States. People were sick of morons who got nothing done and put America on the wrong track. Conservatives all over the country were outraged that such an unqualified, and with such un-American beliefs candidate was put in the Oval Office. So as a result of such a problematic situation, conservatives all around America started to organize. It wouldn't matter if you were a crazy conservative, moderate conservative, poor, middle class, rich, what religion you were or even someone part of the government; anyone could be part of this historical movement.
Nothing like this has ever happened in history of the world. There has never been an organization of peaceful people have gathered to spread ideas against the current radical government. This is what makes Tea Party so great. The Tea Party stands for everything that our founding fathers stood for. The American Constitution and the Bill of Rights is a Tea Party member's code of honor. Every day the Tea Party gets bigger and bigger.
In the past few years, all over the country the Tea Party has held events with guest speakers and there has been many people attending those events. Multiple times the Tea Party has stormed Washington DC and of course the liberal media has negated the fact that there was thousands and thousands of people in attendance. One time there was around 30,000+ people that marched on Washington DC and liberal news stations and websites all over the world report that it was only about 5000 people in attendance. They did not show pictures or any proof to back up their statements. (News reporters include CNN, Huffington Post, MSNBC, and there are many others) I went to one of the Tea Party events in DC and they were a ton of people there. They had conservative speakers right near the Capitol building, it was great to see so many people that have the same beliefs as me.
I believe that the liberal media and people like Obama want to downgrade the Tea Party and make it seem irrelevant in the general public's eyes. They don't want people that are clueless about politics to know that there is a movement of that size. If I was Obama I would be trying to downgrade the party as much as I could. Although thank God there is millions of members of the Tea Party and there is only one Obama! It is all up to the American people and that is what makes our country so great!
I believe that due to the help of the Tea Party conservatives will finally topple liberal politicians and put America in the right direction. We need a president like Rick Perry or even Mitt Romney, not some community organizer from Chicago!

Thank you very much for reading my latest post on politics and please visit my blog here http://www.politicalcrush.com/members/rayv/ Thank you for reading my post!

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President Obama's Anti-Gun Agenda Shows No Sign of Stopping

The Need for the Second Amendment

By Gary Wonning

Since the beginning of our country, the second amendment has continuously been under fire. There are always going to be people who think the private citizen shouldn't have guns and be allowed to defend themselves. As much as they are entitled to their own opinion, they are erroneous in their thinking.

They believe a well regulated militia is something akin to our National Guard, and this militia is the one chosen to protect us. Even though the National Guard's objective is to protect the citizenry, in the days of our founding, every male citizen was a part of the militia and as a result it was the private citizen who had the right to bear arms. Any one thinks about it rationally realizes that living in a society where only government employees have guns would not be a good thing. This thinking displays no distrust of our military, but shows a knowledge of how thinking of this kind could lead to disaster.

Our right to bear arms is one of our basic rights, it insures our freedom, the first thing an oppressive government does is take away the arms of its people, thereby rendering them defenseless. The government can then do whatever it wants without fear of reprisal.
Even under the most ideal circumstances, we really can't depend on the government for our personal protection. As well meaning and efficient as the local law enforcement authorities may be, they simply can't be every place at the same time.

Suppose someone breaks into your house, in almost every case it is going to take the law enforcement officers at least ten minutes to arrive at your humble abode, what are you going to do in the mean time, sit down and have tea and crumpets with your intruder?
This is something most people never think about and rightfully so, it is something many people don't like to face. No one wants to confront a criminal, it is much easier for some one else to do it for us. The problem is, in most cases, there is no one else. If we don't do it, no one will, and people we know and love, including ourselves can wind up hurt or killed.

This doesn't sound like a very good option to me. Ask the career criminal what they most fear, the number one fear is the homeowner having a firearm, the second fear is a dog, and the third fear is they may call the police. Calling the police is way down the list as the criminal knows that by the time the police arrive, the chances are pretty good, they will be long gone.
Many times the homeowner will have a small sign stating they have one of the major security systems installed when they really don't, all they have is a sign. I think an even better sign would be stating,"This property insured by Smith and Wesson." This would deter even more crime. Most times the weapon never has to be used, most criminal are cowards, the threat is more than enough to drive them away.
My blog contains many articles based on the common sense of my ancestors, much of which has been lost in today's world. I feel to survive as a country and a world, we all need to start living by some of the values that have in time been lost.

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Victory For Gun Rights Advocates

 By Daniel Hawes

On June 28, 2010, the Supreme Court issued its second major ruling on gun rights in three years, ensuring our federally protected right to keep and bear arms in all 50 states. The ruling states that the right to "keep and bear arms" is incorporated by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and applies to the states. No longer will State or local governments be allowed to ban most Americans from owning most types of handguns. The ruling effectively strikes down Chicago's handgun ban, not unlike the Washington D.C. law that was already ruled to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court two years ago in D.C. v. Heller. Gun Rights Advocates hailed the decision across the Country as a major victory before the "conservative" majority inevitably disappears from the Supreme Court Bench. Current Republican U.S. Representative and U.S. Senatorial candidate John Boozman from Arkansas said of the decision, "Today's Supreme Court decision striking down the handgun ban in Chicago reaffirms what our Founders meant by the 'right of the people to keep and bear arms.' The Court stood up for all the law-abiding Americans by ruling that the Constitutional protection of the Second Amendment extends to the city and state laws, not just federal measures. By doing so, the Court said the Second Amendment deserves the same respect from state and local governments as other rights found in the Bill of Rights." Representing the five Justice majority, Justice Samuel Alito wrote, "The right to keep and bear arms must be regarded as a substantive guarantee, not a prohibition that could be ignored so long as the States legislated in an evenhanded manner."

The same attorney that argued and won D.C. v. Heller in 2008, Alan Gura, also represented Otis McDonald in this case, McDonald v. Chicago. He claimed that Chicago's handgun ban fails to allow him to adequately protect himself. Gura litigated that the Second Amendment, in addition to federal jurisdictions, should also be applied against state and local governments. He argued before the Court that, "In 1868, our Nation made a promise to the McDonald family that they and their descendants would henceforth be American citizens, and with American citizenship came the guarantee, enshrined in our Constitution, that no State could make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of American citizenship." James Feldman, lawyer for the City of Chicago, responded by saying, "States and local governments have been the primary focus of firearms regulation in this Country for the last 220 years. Firearms, unlike anything else that is the subject of provision in the Bill of Rights, are designed to injure and kill."
The ruling in McDonald v. Chicago had the same outcome as D.C. v. Heller, a 5-4 decision with all Justices voting the same way. Ironically, Chicago's Mayor, Richard Daley predicted mass chaos and death when the D.C. handgun ban was struck down in 2008. Obviously, his prediction never came to fruition as Washington's murder rate plummeted over 25% in 2009 alone. The drop compares with only a 7% drop nationally. Additionally, robberies involving guns fell over 14% and assaults with guns fell over 20% during that time same time frame.

Even with these encouraging statistics, Daley has promised not to go down without a fight. He stated in the past that if and when the ruling comes down, he will impose similar restrictions that Washington did after their ban was struck down. He will require gun permit applicants to pay numerous fees, go through an extensive application process, and take two different tests. What this is doing is only allowing the people who can afford not only the gun, but a permit as well, the right to protect and defend their family. They are circumventing the spirit of the law and it is wrong. Gun rights advocates are rightfully thankful for the ruling; however, continuing work must be done in order to secure the right to keep and bear arms for future generations.

Daniel Hawes
http://www.TheGenesisReport.com

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