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The Bill Of Rights

The Bill of Rights

How many rights do you have? You should check, because it might not be as many
today as it was a few years ago, or even a few months ago. Some people I talk to
are not concerned that police will execute a search warrant without knocking or
that they set up roadblocks and stop and interrogate innocent citizens. They do
not regard these as great infringements on their rights. But when you put
current events together, there is information that may be surprising to people
who have not yet been concerned: The amount of the Bill of Rights that is under
attack is alarming.

Let's take a look at the Bill of Rights and see which aspects are being pushed
on or threatened. The point here is not the degree of each attack or its
rightness or wrongness, but the sheer number of rights that are under attack.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of
the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.

ESTABLISHING RELIGION: While campaigning for his first term, George Bush said "I
don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be
considered patriots." Bush has not retracted, commented on, or clarified this
statement, in spite of requests to do so. According to Bush, this is one nation
under God. And apparently if you are not within Bush's religious beliefs, you
are not a citizen. Federal, state, and local governments also promote a
particular religion (or, occasionally, religions) by spending public money on
religious displays.

FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION: Robert Newmeyer and Glenn Braunstein were jailed in
1988 for refusing to stand in respect for a judge. Braunstein says the tradition
of rising in court started decades ago when judges entered carrying Bibles.
Since judges no longer carry Bibles, Braunstein says there is no reason to stand
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