Year: 2022

America Did You Know 2022

313 – We Need to Focus on State and Local Governments

Misdirection is the stock and trade of both magicians and politicians. Over the years, the American people have been conditioned to focus on Washington, D.C. as both the source of our problems and their solution. In doing so, we are allowing those in our state and local government to steal our rights and our liberties right out from under our noses.

312 – Freedom of Religion Under Attack in Washington State

Imagine your rights are under attack. You seek assistance from those who have sworn to protect you, only to be attacked again. You reach out to what you think is your last hope, only to be rebuffed. Now consider how that must feel, to be abandoned by those who have sworn to protect you.

311 – Limitations on Foreclosure

We all recognize that property can be foreclosed on for failure to pay a tax debt. What happens when the value of the foreclosure is greater than the debt owed? A case out of Michigan, recently appealed to the Sixth Circuit, seeks redress for just such situations. Eight citizens of Oakland County Michigan are suing the county for, among other things, taking property worth far more than the tax debt owed, then not reimbursing them the difference. Is this an illegal taking, or a deprivation of property without due process? Or could it simply be a scheme to defraud both the homeowners and taxpayers of Oakland County?

310 – Do We Still Have Freedom of Religion?

How can you tell if you have freedom of religion? Is it because of the First Amendment? Does freedom of religion exist because people say so? Does freedom of religion exist if government can decide whether you are properly following the tenants of your religion? A recent case before the Supreme Court asked that very question. Sadly, the court decided not to consider answering it.

309 – Are We Witnessing a Southern Invasion?

A reader sent me an email about the influx of illegal aliens on our souther border. The question of whether or not this constituted an invasion and thereby requiring a response by the federal government under Article IV, Section 4 is one worth taking a closers look at. Not only the question of does this constitute an invasion, but what are the consequences of such a point of view?

308 – Can States Rein in the Federal Government?

With all of the unconstitutional laws, executive orders, and regulations coming out of Washington, D.C. lately, people often wonder, what can be done. An out of control federal government was nothing new in America. At the end of the 18th century, two of our Founding Fathers wrote about keeping the federal government in check. Let’s look at how these two men expected the states to rein in the federal government.

307 – State of the First Amendment Survey

I got the idea for the Constitution Study while listening to a podcast reporting on the 2013 State of the First Amendment Survey. While the First Amendment Center has issued a survey since 2019, based on what I’ve been seeing lately, it is still worth investigating. Let’s roll back the clock a few years, look at the state of the First Amendment, then see if it is healthier in 2022 than it was in 2019?