Author: Paul Engel
Like many of you, I am a product of the public schools. Like many of you I thought the Constitution was for lawyers and judges. One day I read the Constitution, and was surprised to find I didn't need a law degree to understand it. Then I read the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and even the Anti-Federalist Papers. As I learned more and more about our founding fathers and documents I saw how little we know about how our country was designed to work and how many people just didn't care. I started The Constitution Study to help those who also want read and study our Constitution.
493 – Police Use of Force
Like any other profession, there are good law enforcement officers and bad law enforcement officers. I believe that most LEOs are good men and women, doing a difficult and dangerous job, often with little respect because of the actions of bad LEOs. For years, courts have been protecting these bad officers through their rules and…
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492 – Federal Police Powers
Donald Trump’s recent executive order declaring a crime emergency in Washington, D.C. has created quite an uproar, both for and against it. While there have been many claims on both sides, what I haven’t seen, except for my radio program, is a real constitutional analysis of his actions. With his recent announcement post about sending National Guard troops to Chicago, I think it’s time we do that type of analysis.
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491 – Trading our Rights for Internet Access
Benjamin Franklin wrote “They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.” What does it say about the American people who seem willing to give up their right to control their government in exchange for Internet access?
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490 – Access to Porn
As a society, we’ve decided that certain things like alcohol, tobacco, and pornography are not safe for minors. When I buy wine at the grocery store, I have to show my ID to verify my age. Take a look at my picture on the website and you’ll see I’m well over the age where I can purchase alcohol, but I’m still asked to verify my age. That’s because my rights end when it infringes on the rights of another. However, the Free Speech Coalition thinks an adult’s “right” to access pornography without age verification trumps the safety of minors. That is the basis of the case Free Speech Coalition, Inc., et el. v. Paxton, Attorney General Of Texas, which the Supreme Court decided this past term.
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489 – Medicaid v. Planned Parenthood
Congress created Medicaid in 1965 to subsidize state healthcare system for people unable to afford healthcare. South Carolina has a law that prohibits public funds being used for abortion. For this reason, South Carolina disqualified Planned Parenthood from participating in the state’s Medicaid system. It should be no surprise that Planned Parenthood South Atlantic sued….
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488 – Wisconsin Religious Definition
Back in March, the Supreme Court argued the case Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc., et al. v. Wisconsin Labor And Industry Review Commission et al. I reviewed those arguments in my article 472 – Are You Religious Enough? In June, the court released its decision, and thankfully, the court came to what I believe is the correct decision. That’s not to say they came to the conclusion for the right reasons.
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487 – State Sovereignty
Which came first, the states or the federal government? A better question should be who created whom? Did the federal government create the states? No, the states created the federal government when they ratified the Constitution. So if the states are the “parents” of the federal government, why are they not sovereign over it? One state legislature tried to pass legislation to reassert their position as sovereign over the federal government. Sadly, that measure did not pass… yet.
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486 – A Twisted Case Leads to a Twisted Decision
There is a quote that pretty much sums up a recent Supreme Court decision regarding your health insurance. Oh what a tangled web we weave When first we practice to deceive Sir Walter Scott In the case Kennedy v Braidwood Management, inc., we see the tangled web the United States has woven when it practiced…
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