My intention was to illustrate Martha's point -- our Constitution and the laws that flow from it represent a mutual agreement among the people as to the operative principles by which our society will function. But it's just that - an agreement, not an ineluctable law of physics. We have the concept of private property solely because we, as a people, agreed to have that concept. That agreement is subject to change, as has occurred at many times and places around the world. Thus, if everyone else in my town suddenly decides that my house is not my private property and they show up on my front doorstep with rifles to take it, then it's not my private property. Waving a copy of the Constitution at them won't change that reality.
Not even sure where to start, this thread has indeed taken quite a detour from "my taxes exceed the average US Income" but these recent posts shrugging off our private property rights are quite unsettling.
Our Constitution and Bill of Rights form the very basis of our System of Government; the envy of the free world. It may be "just an agreement" to some, but the majority of Americans hold these documents and principles dear, and many have died defending our country so our citizenry can enjoy the inalienable rights outlined therein. Shrug off the significance of these documents if you will, but I can assure you, if everyone else in my town suddenly decides that my house is not my private property (without due process and compensation) and they show up on my front doorstep with rifles to take it, under the Fifth Amendment it
is still my private property. Waving a copy of the Constitution at them as you suggest won't change that reality, myself and a plurality of like-minded citizens exercising our second amendment rights will. At the point we will be facing a complete failure of government, and that isn't going to happen-We're not going to accept a Cuba, Venezuela, or Zimbabwe situation here in America (or Canada), despite the best efforts of some to create a entitlement state with government-sanctioned (re)distribution of private wealth and resources. Our election process, in the hands of an informed citizenry will prevent the pendulum swinging too far in either direction, as we experienced recently. Are we in for some rocky times ahead?- sure, but we've been there before, and always came back better and stronger because our people and government are guided by these mere "agreements" and the freedoms, opportunities, and quality of life they foster and protect.
Agree with Ha, the very notion that there are those who hold our guiding principles of government in such flippant regard has prompted me to get more involved in 2011 with causes I admire to keep the ones I loathe in check.