The U.S. Constitution for Dummies: Less Taxes; More Dead Terrorists.

If you went to school when I did, you had to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution. For those of you who are in school now, here it is:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

So who exactly established the Constitution? The answer is: We the People. It was not the federal government. In fact, it was delegates from 13 colonies that CREATED the federal government. They created it to perform a few limited functions, including protecting us against foreign and domestic threats. The new federal government was also designed to not oppress the citizens of our new country, as the monarchy in England had done prior.

Don’t Oppress Us: Less Taxes.

The federal government has no money of its own, so it was clear that it had to collect revenue in order to perform its functions. At first, it did this mainly by collecting tariffs, which were assessed on goods and services imported. The more imported goods and services Americans consumed, the more revenue the federal government would collect. Discounting a brief flirtation with a federal income tax to pay for the Civil War, it was not until 1913 when the Sixteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution. It allowed the federal government to collect income taxes, in direct opposition of the original Constitutional requirement that taxes be apportioned among the states according to Census data.

Basically, taxes no longer needed to be assessed fairly.

In 1913, there were 7 tax brackets, starting at 1% for those earning under $20,000, and ending at 7% for those earning over $500,000. Just 32 years later, in 1945, those making under $20,000 paid between 23% and 56% in taxes; those making over $100,000 paid 90% – 94% in taxes. See what happens when you set precedent, and give the government powers they were never intended to have?

If you take the $20k salary in 1913 and adjust it for inflation, it would be worth $90k in 1945. That same person paid 1% income tax in 1913, and almost 90% in 1945. Does that sound fair? Taxes today, whether regressive or progressive, are OPPRESSIVE.

Just as a comparison, in 2007, the top 50% of wage-earners in America earned over $32,879 in 2007, and paid 97.11% of the taxes collected by the federal government. The bottom 50% of wage-earners in America earned under $32,879, and paid only 2.89% of the taxes collected by the federal government. We hear today’s leaders talk about how the rich make too much, the poor are taken advantage of, etc. But if you take a hard look at each income bracket, you’ll see how disproportionately Americans are treated, according to how much income they earn:

• Extremely Advantaged: 50% of Americans earned under $32.879 (3% of taxes paid)
• Advantaged: 25% of Americans earned between $32,879 and $66,532 (11% of taxes paid)
• Equality: 15% of Americans earned between $66,532 and $113,018 (15% of taxes paid)
• Disadvantaged: 5% earned between 113,018 and $160,041 (11% of taxes paid)
• Heavily Disadvantaged: 4% earned between 160,041 and 410,096 (20% of taxes paid)
• Extremely Disadvantaged: 1% earned over 410,096 (40% of taxes paid)

So if you’re part of the “Extremely Advantaged” category, why wouldn’t you support legislation that increases taxes on the rich? If you’re part of the “Extremely Disadvantaged,” you know you’re already paying far more than your fair share, and you resent the fact that the government still paints you as the bad guy. Many Americans fail to realize that the people who create most of the jobs in this country fall into the “Disadvantaged” and “Extremely Disadvantaged” category. When their taxes go up, they cut jobs, stop investing, stop purchasing and start hiding their assets – which results in less taxes being paid into the system. Less taxes paid on goods and services; less taxes resulting from fewer jobs and less taxes because of an increase in sheltered income.

When we reach the point where a majority of Americans are given benefits, on the backs of the minority of hard-working Americans paying for them – our nation is in danger. Voters will continue to elect leaders who promise them the world, screwing over those who do the work to provide them. Incentives to work hard will be gone, and our entire social, political and economical infrastructure will collapse.

Protect Us: More Dead Terrorists.

Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution states:

“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.”

Take careful note of the phrases, “and shall protect each of them against invasion,” and “against domestic Violence.”

It’s very clear that the federal government is responsible to protect us from foreign enemies, and to secure our borders – which are a constant source of “invasion” from Mexico and Canada. It’s also clear that it is responsible to protect us from domestic terror groups and other internal threats. This is guaranteed to EVERY STATE – which as far as I know, still includes Arizona and other border states.

Today our government refuses to use the term “War on Terror” to describe our nation’s policy against global extremism. The Obama Administration has struck the words “Islamic Extremism” from all official memos and documents. Those in charge of our foreign policy are pandering to Europe and Asia, as well as many parts of the Middle East, instead of doing its job to protect us. I could be convinced of the libertarian ideal of non-intervention, but when a radical, global terror network seeks to destroy “infidels” in Western Europe and the U.S., I feel intervention is an appropriate strategy. When this global terror network flies planes into buildings, killing 3,000 Americans, I feel the “War on Terror” is an appropriate response. When Muslims are trying to establish Sharia Law – inside America, France, the UK and other countries – we cannot simply stand down.

As far as our borders are concerned, our government seems unable to do anything. The Center for Immigration Studies and the Pew Hispanic Center both estimate the number of illegals in the U.S. at over 11 million (Oct. 2008). It is believed that 41% of illegals enter the country legally, and then overstay their visas. A full 25% of the some 11 million illegals reside in California, which is a major factor in their impending economic failure.

One of the reasons our government has failed to act in stemming the flow of illegal immigration is the fear of losing the Hispanic vote. These days, if you even call an “undocumented worker” an “illegal,” you are labeled a racist. With 90% of our illegal population entering through the southern border, and with 57% of illegals coming from Mexico (2006, Pew Hispanic Center), this is clearly a Mexican problem. This has nothing to do with racism, and everything to do with reality.

Some believe we need to remove the incentives for illegals to come here, in order to stop the flow of illegal immigration. Benefits such as free healthcare, free education, welfare and food stamps, driver’s licenses, and most of all jobs – keep illegals coming into America. The assumption is that there will be less illegal immigration if these benefits do not exist. But many Americans believe denying illegals these services is somehow cruel and inhumane.

President Obama stopped raiding businesses that employ illegals, because the raids may result in deportations. He condemned Arizona for attempting to protect their own citizens against those who are here illegally – after a string of murders and other crimes have gripped the state. His administration, in the form of Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder, has also condemned the Grand Canyon State, for doing the job the feds refuse to do – without even reading Arizona’s immigration law. Napolitano believed illegal immigration was a severe problem in Arizona when she served as Governor, but apparently now doesn’t see the need for immediate action.

It’s amazing that the Obama Administration, and this Congress, would rather focus on a national takeover of healthcare, a national takeover of student loans, a national takeover of energy and environmental policies, a national takeover of banks, the auto industry and other financial institutions – issues that do NOT fall under the federal government’s purview. Instead, the federal government should be doing what it is supposed to – dealing with the responsibilities outlined in the Constitution. Until it can handle those, it should stop putting its hands into everything else.

Do not oppress us: Less Taxes.

Protect us: More Dead Terrorists.

That’s simple enough for even Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to understand.