Assault On The Constitution
Part One: Freedom of Speech.

The following ad is all over our local newspaper's online edition.

So, what's this all about? Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association explained it clearly in a column which appeared in the August, 2012 issue of American Rifleman magazine.  Plain and simple it is another attempt by Progressives/Liberals to revise, re-write and reject the U.S Constitution.

In 2010, the Federal Election Commission ruled that group speech by corporations is not protected as free speech by the first amendment. A group called Citizen's United sued the FEC and the case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court overruled the FEC. Chief Justice Roberts said "The First Amendment protects more than just the individual on a soapbox or the lonely pamphleteer" Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, "Speech is an essential mechanism of democracy, for it is the means to hold officials accountable to the people"

Congressman Jim McGovern (D-Mass), then introduced House Joint Resolution 88, calling for a People's Rights Amendment to The Constitution. The text of the proposed amendment would say "people, person or persons as used in this Constitution does not include corporations, limited liability companies or other corporate entities."

Under this amendment, anyone who tried to exercise his or her constitutional rights collectively with other people would be "subject to such regulations as Congress deems reasonable."

Now the cause has been taken up in the U.S. Senate.  Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), said "I believe there ought to be limits because the First Amendment is not absolute. No amendment is absolute. You can’t scream ‘fire’ falsely in a crowded theater. We have libel laws. We have anti-pornography laws. All of those are limits on the First Amendment."

Think about that! Did the Founding Fathers draft the 1st Amendment to permit falsely yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater, or print pornography?

Remember the wording of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech"! The prohibition is solely on Congress.
 
It is difficult to believe that this proposed amendment will ever meet the requirements for amendments as spelled out in Article 5 of the Constitution. Unless, of course, people who rarely pay attention to the Constitution allow it to be slipped through in the dark of night.

Watch for any news of attempts to "overturn Citizen's Rights". Then fight to preserve our constitution.