Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Updating the Declaration's list of grievances

The US revolution was inspired by England's abuse of power and the US Declaration of Independence contains a list of such grievances. How do they compare with the abuses of power by the current Federal government and by Pres. Obama's administration in particular?

Original: "He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance."

Update: Considering Obamacare and new punitive "environmental" regulations, the original text holds today.

Original: "For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:"

Update: "For unnecessarily delaying approval Colombia, Panama, and Korea Free Trade Agreements."

Original: "For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury."

Update: "For depriving us in many cases of the benefit of trial or even judicial review of governmental confiscations of land." [Think Sackett v. EPA]

Original: "For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments."

Update: Think Obamacare and the Obama administration's various attacks on religion (such as on religious employment and requiring churches to pay for abortions) and no change to the original text is needed.

Original: "For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever."

Update: "For arbitrarily declaring the US Senate in recess so that he could appoint unpopular administrators to positions of unprecedented power."

Original: "He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions."

Update: "He has provided aid and comfort to domestic insurrectionist ["Occupy Wall Street"] and endeavoured to provide arms to foreign drug cartels who are known for merciless slaughter of Americans and foreigners alike."

No comments:

Clicky Web Analytics