Three percent?

"I am determined to defend my rights and maintain my freedom or sell my life in the attempt." - Nathanael Greene

I've been trying to find a good slogan for a viral advertising campaign. So far, this is it. Nathanael Green was born outside Warwick, RI and became General Washington's most dependable Generals.

This is a great quote, perhaps I can sum it up...

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands that feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.” ~Samuel Adams, August 1, 1776

I'm getting pretty pissy with how things are. Where I work now is surrounded by a organized team of mendicants that are pretty aggressive when it comes to getting money from strangers. That, and Amnesty International has a few college kids hired to accost people about "Human Rights." Coming back from lunch last week, One stepped in my path and said "Do you want to talk about human rights?" I replied "Humans have no rights." This befuddled him for a minute, so I managed to escape.

What rights do we have left? Let's have an accounting.

Article I
The right to free speech. We can have free speech in some places, usually chain link fenced areas where those who would do best to hear the peoples wrath are carefully segregated from.

"Chapter 264: Section 11 Promotion of anarchy; prohibition

Whoever by speech or by exhibition, distribution or promulgation of any written or printed document, paper or pictorial representation advocates, advises, counsels or incites assault upon any public official, or the killing of any person, or the unlawful destruction of real or personal property, or the overthrow by force or violence or other unlawful means of the government of the commonwealth or of the United States, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than three years, or in jail for not more than two and one half years, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars; provided, that this section shall not be construed as reducing the penalty now imposed for the violation of any law. [...]

So I can't really talk about tossing these meatballs out of office by any other means than voting them out, which would be impossible because the Democrats and Republicans have a lock on all political activity.

Freedom of the press. We bloggers and micro-news sites are protected, but we cannot get access to the information worth reporting. The big news organizations are pretty much bought and paid for, as evidenced by the soft questions asked of the administration. Now if I had a news story that was true, but shook the waves of bigger fish, then you could bet your ass I would be shut down faster than you could say "cease and desist." Then I would have to fight for years to get it overturned, by then the news would be safely forgotten about. Don't have that one either.

Petition and assembly. Next Tea Party, let's walk up to the capital building and see if the congress critters would hear our petition. Not going to happen. Let's see if we can petition the President... Not going to happen. For the most part, our right to assembly is unimpeded... unless we want to talk shit about our government, then we are forced into chain-link cages, safely out of sight of those in power.

Freedom of association. Sure, so long as you do not associate with militia groups, Muslims, or the flavor du jour of domestic terrorists.

Freedom of Religion. Truth be told, this right is the least impacted. Unless you are a Wiccan in the military. Then you get shit on when you want a pentacle over your grave.

Article II

The right to bear arms. ROFL. "...shall not be infringed." Do any of these asshole even understand english?

Article III

Ok no one is making me put troops up in my house.

Article IV

Unreasonable search and seizure. I can be searched at any time when riding the T. Going through my stuff stops terrorists. It does. Believe that, and I got some waterfront property on the moon you need to buy.

Article V

Self-Incrimination, due process, double jeopardy. I seriously doubt the American Government has any idea what "just compensation" is. I wonder if all those folks in NO had checks written on the spot for the guns taken from them during Katrina.

Article VI

Speedy and public trial. So far, this one hasn't been fucked with, I don't count the terrorists in Gitmo. They can rot for all I care.

Article VII

Trial by jury. Yet another mostly left alone.

Article VIII

Excessive bail, no cruel an unusual punishments. Too bad the victims are usually traumatized more then the criminal is.

Article IX

This is the encroachment on the bill of rights by government... this is the most violated right we have, it's the right not to be fucked with.

Article X

State's rights. If it isn't in the Constitution, then it's the domain of STATE law. Not FEDERAL. STATE LAW.

So the long of the short of it is the Cycle of Governance. Freedom is eclipsed by tyranny until we can't take it anymore, then we overthrow the government, put in a new, freer one until it become tyrannical and it cycles again. This is where we are now. Our forefathers would be appalled at what we put up with. They would be ashamed we called ourselves Americans.