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.

The 1^st amendment was created to protect freedom by removing control of the press from the government. This amendment guarantees us freedom in all modes of communication. We boast to the world about this amendment above all the others. Yet how free are we really? Only as free as we perceive ourselves to be. If we don't know any differently, than we are free.

It's been recently discovered that there are secretly embedded ID information in all Microsoft documents. This widely kept secret was uncovered when FBI's high tech agents tracked down the author of the Melissa virus that was corrupting computers around the country.

Our freedom of speech should be guaranteed in all areas of our lives. Basic constitutional rights should hold true throughout time, and not change with the technological advances of the day.

The United States has always been the symbol of free expression to the world. We have always encouraged independence of thought and speech and even dissent. Yet, nowadays it seems the tide is turning, and those who dare to speak out about what they perceive as injustices are ostracized and judged to be militants or trouble-makers.

2^nd Amendment —

A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

The 2^nd amendment was created to protect freedom by removing overwhelming fire power from the government. During the Revolutionary War it was an armed colonial population that drove the out-of-control British government out of the country and established a basis for freedom, thus becoming the United States of America.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated; and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.

This was the primary impetus for the start of the Revolution.

In regards to the issue of search and seizure, can the government browse Web sites without a warrant?

5^th Amendment —

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous, crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service, in time of war, or public danger; nor shall any person be subject, for the same offence, to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself; nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

The procedure of taking private property in addition to any penalties determined by the criminal courts is in violation of this amendment's ban on double jeopardy.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.

3^rd Article —

Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech.

The government constantly and blatantly ignores and violates the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These violations regularly occur. They have discovered that nothing happens when the Constitution is ignored; thus the continuing abuse of our rights.

How many of us are even familiar with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I admit to ignorance of its contents until recently reading and researching freedom issues on the Internet. (To read the full document of The Constitution and The Declaration of Independence go to this web site's listing of: Constitution, and Declaration.)

There is a plan to use our social security number on everything. Our social security number will be entered into a national database, and all our actions will be monitored. We will be numbered for total control. An employee database with our social security numbers as our identifying factor will be maintained. The Welfare Reform Bill HR 3734 became public law 104-193 on 8/22/96.

A national identification card began in the Immigration Control and Financial Responsibility Act of 1996; and eventually was molded into the Omnibus Appropriations Act, HR 3610 and became public law 104-208 on 9/30/96. All driver's licenses will be required to carry social security numbers and security features such as magnetically coded fingerprints and personal records. Every part of our lives will be tracked by this national database. No more privacy.

Law enforcement in emergencies suspend the rights of citizens and ignore the Bill of Rights, thus creating an atmosphere of fear, and the power to get others to do their will on their terms. There is blatant misuse of power or abuse of power in the system. But it is all done in the name of protecting us. More and more laws keep us protected and put us in our proper place.

Citizens are witnessing an increasing use of aggression by our police force for even minor events. It sometimes seems as if we have armies roaming our streets. It is observed that policemen are too willing to break the law to suit their emotional needs. The tendency to place themselves over the public gives us a feeling of being subservient to those that protect us.

There have been numerous cases of harassment of the public by our law enforcement agents (and I'm sure many more unreported cases). How do we work within the system when we are manipulated cattle? We are placed under the laws. And the politicians and law agencies are above the law. Look at the current political climate (Clinton's lies). Who can we trust? Maybe Big Brother will step in and help us in our time of need!

There will be 400 Marines from Camp Lejeune, NC participating in humanitarian and combat operations in Richmond over the dates of June 2^nd through June 15^th.

The Pentagon feels the 21^st Century will be one of worldwide chaos, crisis and conflict and they want to be prepared. The Defense Department says political ideology, ethnic and religious animosity, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and competition for scarce resources will be the source of these conflicts.

The Marines have been training in US cities since 1985. They previously conducted training sessions in Jacksonville, Atlanta, the San Francisco Bay area, and Monterey, California. They have six units based in the US, three on each coast.

What concerns residents in the areas where this training is being held is the secrecy and the potential for citizens getting hurt. Other individuals have greater concerns in relation to a more sinister reason for this training. There is the potential of the use of this urban warfare in our own cities. Why the secrecy and the accelerated training? Citizens want to know what is really going on.

The only time in American history where military officers controlled civilian populations in the US was during the Reconstruction period in the South after the Civil War.

There is also an increase in the sale of pepper spray that is most often used for crowd control.

The military is purchasing record numbers of firearms. This increase is due to the purchase of urban-assault training rifles that are being shipped to Fort Benning, Georgia, where they are used to train military special forces, such as Delta, Ranger, SEAL, and other special operations forces.

We must ask ourselves why the increase in urban weapons. Is there a perceived threat with the civilian population? Will there be urban warfare in our own cities? The military may be gearing up for the potential of rioting due to Y2K disruption, as well as the humanitarian responsibilities of delivering emergency food, water, and supplies.

It is being reported that gun purchases are on backlog and ammunition is hard to find. More civilians will be armed in the year 1999 than ever before.

The reasons for the increase in gun sales is to defend the family against intruders, and a minority are preparing to defend themselves and their families against governmental tyranny. It is perceived by some individuals that the potential for government tyranny may be a real-life scenario (not a practice session).

The US government may use Y2K as an opportunity to suspend the Constitution, declare martial law, and turn the USA into a dictatorship. The 2^nd Amendment was created to protect our freedom by removing overwhelming firepower from the government. But is this amendment still in tact?

Cities are seen as greater risks from criminal acts during disruption because of the general lack of firearms, yet the proliferation of money and favorable goods. Should criminals have free reign during the possibility of disruption, or will the citizens be able to protect themselves and their families from intruders? Guns in the hands of responsible citizens will be used in self-defense, not in acts of terrorism or aggression.

Gun control is a loss of our freedom. The message is being manipulated so that we willingly agree to give over our freedom to protect ourselves. Propaganda campaigns work towards enslaving the consciousness of men. Once we give up our guns, we give up our basic freedom. We will be on the road of no return. Our precious freedom will be lost forever.

What do all these individual issues have in common? What do they point toward? Freedom issues are at stake. Y2K is coming, and this anticipated disruption may be the fuel that lights the fire for widespread panic, fear, and disruption of basic services. Will we be prepared? Or will we rely on the government to take care of us and our families? We must be practical and prepared for any eventuality. Time is short.