Question Of The Week, 11/27/05
Good morning, I hope all of you had a nice Thanksgiving. Because of my strange work schedule and the Holiday I was off work from 11:PM this past Monday until 3:PM yesterday. I hated having to go back. This weeks Question Of The Week is. What is the meaning of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, "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."? I'll post my answer in the Comment Section Monday night.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
posted by David Schantz | 1:01 AM
9 Comments:
I think it means that people can be assured that their private matters and affairs won't become easy pickings of government officials. Also, it ensures that public officials cannot just barge into a house and "confiscate" certain things, like money or valuables. The 4th amendment is the amendment that ensures that private property is and stays private property.
The fourth amendment was probably added to the constitution in response to the british stamp act. Before the revolutionary war the British could walk into peoples houses and make sure they had a stamp on everything without a warrant.
The government must have a warrant to search you or your property regardless of what the Patriot Act may say. It doesn't matter if they stop you along the road or want to search your house they must have a warrant.
The colonists endured many searches and seizures at the hands of the Redcoats, so I agree with Jake as to the reason the Fourth Amendment was included.
Some political activists cite the Fourth Amendment as grounds to oppose the Patriot Act, particularly with regard to library records. Personally, I have no problem with that type of government surveillance, but I realize that, in the wrong hands, the Patriot Act could be used as a tool to destroy personal liberty.
The fact that law enforcement has to obtain warrants protects us citizens against harassment.
We should ask prospective Sup CT Justice Samuel Alito. He authorized the police search of a ten year old who was near a crack house. I'm pretty sure that's not what the Founders had in mind when they drafted the Fourth Amendment.
Jake it was more than that, much more than that.
The battle of Concord was fought to stop an army on a search and seizure raid; if I recall the primary objects were a pair of cannons, but any supplies were fair game.
The primary complaint was that colonists were treated as an oppressed people without guaranteed rights.
But - that was a different country, in a different time.
David,
You are unfortunately defending a once free country that has been slowly killed over decades.
No such rights exist anymore, except in hollow name.
Warrants are now issued on a bureaucrat's whim, validated with a rubber stamp, and pursued by a gang of interdepartmental looters (who view takings as another tax resource) with battering rams.
In the spirit of Christmas, - can that which was born of hope and died by abuse be resurrected?
The birth of this country was a miracle.
Its slow death has been a torture.
It will take another miracle to bring America back.
But Christmas reminds us that miracles have happened before.
Allan
First I'd like to thank all of you for stoppingby to answer this weks question. I'm late as usual, I think I cracked some ribs a few days ago so I'm not feeling very good. So pain is this weeks excuse for me being late. The Fourth Amendment was meant to keep us and our property safe from a corrupt government, I think that is pretty clear. No one is to come into your home or on to your property looking for something that might be there. Proof is needed before the warrant is issued.
God Bless america, God Save The Republic
With the passage of the Patriot act...the fourth amendment has been thrown out the window. I am 100% for the war against terror, but there are parts of this bill that scared me as an American. Once you lose a right, it's hard to get it back. Good question.
Dave, your note at the Tsunami Hitchhiker mentioned supporting third parties, I couldn't agree more.
I have a page on voting third party, http://www.silentpc.org/third.php with some good links on it also.
Take a look and let me know what you think.
Best,
Allan
4th Amendments deals with protecting people from the searching of their homes and private property without properly executed search. Please go to http://assistedlivinglittlerockarkansas.com
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