by Jeff Rau
[email protected]

If you support unconstitutional actions by the government at any time, you are degrading your own rights. When the government violates your rights or your children's rights, look in the mirror and blame the person looking back. Notice I did not say "if"; I said "when" because it will happen.

A conservative friend of mine was quite defensive about the interstate highway system even though the federal government is not authorized by the constitution to build a highway system. He stated that the U.S. grew quickly once a quality highway system was put in place. Now the U.S. Department of Transportation seems to be the main extortion tool of the federal government.

In 1999 I was monitoring a floor session in the NC house waiting for gun legislation to be heard. While discussing a bill to increase the penalty for 18, 19, and 20 year olds caught in possession of alcohol it was mentioned that the reason North Carolina raised its drinking age to 21 in the first place was to prevent loss of $110 million in federal highway funds. The U.S. Department of Transportation used the same tactics to get seat-belt laws passed in most if not all states.

I heard recently the USDOT is now pressuring states to have DUI/DWI laws for people with 0.08% alcohol in their system. The USDOT is being used to pressure states to give up their state's rights. 

If you want the federal government to spend money on public schools you are asking for federal control of local schools. The federal government will decide what propaganda is appropriate for your children to learn.

If you want legislation that violates the right of free speech of organizations like the NRA, GOA, CCOPS, or for that matter HCI, ACLU, MMM, AARP, don't be surprised when your right to free speech is outlawed.

Unconstitutional legislation and spending is not just done at the national level. State constitutions show the authorized limits of each state government and local governments within that state. 

Liberals have a tendency to harshly criticize people like me when I say I want the government to stay within its constitutional limits. Then they go to court to say their constitutional rights have been violated. More proof of what hypocrites they are. 

We need to be true supporters of the U.S. Constitution and the constitutions of the states we live in. If the constitution really needs to be improved there is a legal procedure to amend the Constitution -- and it is not to get a judge who will say the Constitution means this today and will mean something else tomorrow. 

If you support unconstitutional actions by the government at any time, you are degrading your own rights. More importantly, you are degrading my rights.