Month: August 2017
How Long is a Federal Judge’s Term?
Every time there’s a new Supreme Court vacancy we hear talk about judges having a lifetime appointment. But is that what the Constitution says? In short: No. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, So, if federal judges hold office during good behavior, who defines “good…
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Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 I’ve seen quite a debate, especially amongst the “firearms crowd”, regarding the “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017”, or as it’s commonly called, “National Reciprocity”. As a firearm owner with a concealed carry permit who frequently travels between states, I find this whole situation quite vexing. It’s bad enough…
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Do we have three co-equal branches of government?
As long as I can remember, I’ve been told we have three co-equal branches of government in Washington. Since I was taught it in government-run schools, I’ve heard it espoused from journalists, politicians, and just about everyone else when the topic comes up. But is that true?
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How can you tell when a politician is lying?
I’m sure you’ve all heard the joke, “How can you tell when a politician is lying?” The answer, of course, is: “When their lips are moving!” While this is a sad commentary on the state of politics in the 21st century, it’s an even sadder commentary on the state of our society! What does it…
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Can a state ban travel to another state?
There’s been a fair amount of talk lately about states banning travel to other states because of their laws, which states like New York and California deem discriminatory. I’m not here to discuss whether these travel bans are wise or legal in their own states, but whether they are constitutional. The key fact often overlooked…
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NY Gov. Cuomo threatens to sue over proposed gun rights legislation
My wife ran across an interesting article yesterday and asked if I’d write about it. So here goes. NY Gov. Cuomo threatens to sue over proposed gun rights legislation Now I rarely agree with Gov. Cuomo, and he’s certainly made more than his fair share of mistakes in the quotes in this article, but in…
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Do you know why the U.S. has an Electoral College?
I’m sure you’ve heard people decrying the electoral college because it’s anti-democratic. And you’ve also heard that it’s necessary to keep two or three states from dominating the presidential elections. Guess what? They’re both correct.
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Studying the Constitution is not as hard as you may think
Studying the Constitution is not as hard as you may think. Over the years we have delegated the privilege of reading and understanding the Constitution to a high-priesthood of nine people in black robes, the Supreme Court of the United States and their acolytes, the judges, lawyers and clerks of our legal system. But this…
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