This is why I have hope for America.

Socialists hate communists.  Communists hate fascists.  Fascists hate socialists.

They all hate capitalists (or at least true capitalism).

Watching the bickering going on between the Republicans and Democrats is interesting, to say the least, but what's most notable is that there is so much blame going around and so little understanding of what is supposed to be happening.  Both Democrats and Republicans are blaming the other for everything that is wrong with America today - fiscal cliff, divisiveness, etc.  You name it, every Democrat is blaming Republicans, every Republican is blaming Democrats for it.

No one seems to get that they are both right.  Republicans hate Democrats.  Democrats hate Republicans.  Both have had more than enough to do with the Washington power grab that has taken place over the last hundred years, and no one can put down their hatred of the other long enough to recognize that their own party's sorry excuse for a solution ain't so hot either.  This has been going on long enough for all Americans to see that the real solution lies somewhere else.

That somewhere else is not even difficult to find.  It's right here in our own history.  Folks, our forefathers started a war over much less than what we are dealing with now, going head to head with what was, at the time, the world's most powerful military.  They won, and eventually replaced their former mother country as the big kid on the block.

The Constitution has most, if not all, of the answers.  Instead of shying away from it, which has made things worse; instead of changing it in ways that are detrimental, which has made things worse; instead of simply ignoring it, which is probably worst of all, Americans should be standing firm upon it and insisting upon its reimplementation.

In its present form, the Constitution still allows violations of individual liberty that it could easily protect.  Here are a few changes that could be made:

1. AMENDMENT I: Append the following: Nor shall any government place restrictions of any kind upon expression of any kind, especially in the aforementioned areas.

2. AMENDMENT II: ... the right of the people to keep and bear arms (of their choosing) shall not be infringed in any way.

3. AMENDMENT IV: ... and no warrants shall issue, but (by an impartial judge and) upon (clear presentation of) probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

4. AMENDMENT V: ... nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb (nor suffer additional consequence in another jurisdiction) ...

5. AMENDMENT V: ... nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation (acceptable to the property owner).

6. AMENDMENT XII: Repeal this.  All it has done is give the President unchecked power.

7. AMENDMENT XVI: Repeal this.  It has given Congress unchecked power to regulate people through the tax code.  Revenues have been and can be raised through other means than taxing the people directly.

8. AMENDMENT XVII: Repeal this.  It has had the effect of a repeal of the Tenth Amendment, taking power away from the States and causing federal legislative government to become a competition for federal tax dollars.

9. AMENDMENT XXI: The repeal of prohibition must be extended to all substances.  The so-called "War on Drugs" has had all of the same negative effects as alcohol prohibition, and must come to a swift end.

10. AMENDMENT XXVII: Append as follows: No individual elected to federal office shall receive a salary in excess of nationwide average income as calculated in the most recent census.

11. (NEW AMENDMENT): No expenditure shall be made, nor law passed, except that which shall benefit all citizens, favoring no individual or state over another.

12. (NEW AMENDMENT): All laws that shall exist at any given time shall be subject to regular annual review by Congress to ascertain whether such laws shall have had the effect of supporting or violating individual and/or State's rights and/or other rights guaranteed the same by this Constitution.  Any laws determined to violate such rights, either in design or in practice, shall be subject to immediate repeal by the Supreme Court.

An amendment addressing these issues would go a long way in re-establishing liberty in America, as well as force the government to work within its means.  There are also provisions that could possibly keep Congress and the courts busy enough to keep them from getting into too much new stuff.

You may ask how it is that I get some hope from this.  You may not agree, but I have to believe that the American people can see the foolishness that is the one-party system that we have.  Anyone with understanding of world history circa World War II can see the eerie similarities between our Democrats/Republicans and the Nazis/Communists/Socialists in Middle and Eastern Europe of that time.  They're all cut from the same mold, but find reasons to hate each other nonetheless.  Furthermore, just as was true in 1945, the solution lies elsewhere - in the arms of freedom and liberty, not in the shackles of government.

Ask yourself: Can you see this?

RWR