KEN STREMSKY DISCUSSES LIBERTY AND THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT Many of my Vox Populis have been on The Green Papers. The Green Papers which has the website http://www.thegreenpapers.com is one of the most informational websites I have ever visited. I have received great negative feedback from The Green Papers. You may read an abridged version of my Political Philosophy, some comments on the role of the Federal Government, and separation of Government Powers after my letter on Liberty. I wrote most of the following letter on July 25, 2002. I have modified the letter. I may add information to the letter in the future. My fellow citizens of the Republic of the United States of America: The following is my gift to you. I created most of this gift at the Manchester Public Library on July 25, 2002. I give this gift to you because I value our "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" more than most people who have ever lived. I hope this gift will increase your freedoms, your Liberty, and help you pursue Happiness with less government interference than exists now. I may add to this gift in the future. LIBERTY, THE IMPORTANCE OF LIMITED GOVERNMENT, AND GIVING CITIZENS MORE POWER IN OUR COUNTRY. The unanimous Declaration of Independence says "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." The preamble of the United States Constitution says "THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficient ends of its institution." I believe in limited government power which means I believe the power of government should be limited. I also believe our country should have a strong government capable of protecting us from our domestic and foreign enemies, maintaining law and order, "insure domestic Tranquility", is able to "promote the general Welfare, and "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." The preamble of the United States Constitution says "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, 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." I believe government should pass laws and regulations dealing with things people do to each other. As I say elsewhere on my website, abortions should be legal because a woman should have the Liberty to decide what is done and not done to her own body. Her rights supersede the rights of the child she is carrying within her body. Once a child is not in a woman's body, the child's rights should be equal to those of the child's mother and the government should protect these rights. Government should not tell people who are at least 18 years of age what they may do with their own bodies. Governments should not tell people who are at least 18 years of age that they may not smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. Governments should not tell people who are at least 18 years of age that they may not use marijuana, heroin, and cocaine for medical purposes. Government should not tell people who are at least 18 years of age that they may not use marijuana, heroin, and cocaine for non medical purposes. Governments should not tell people who are at least 18 years old that they may not take prescription drugs they want to take. Governments should not keep people who are at least 18 years old from gambling in casinos, race tracks, and the stock market. Government should not punish a person who is at least 18 years old who attempted suicide in a way that did not endanger the health of others. Government should not keep a person who is at least 18 years old from committing suicide with the help of Doctor(s). Government should not place a sales tax greater than five percent of the purchase price on cigarettes, alcohol, food, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, or anything else. Government should not keep women who are at least 18 years old from having abortions. Government should not keep girls who are under 18 years of age from having abortions. Government should not require that girls under 18 years of age obtain parental consent to have abortion. Government should not require that women who are at least 18 years old obtain parenetal consent to have an abortion. Government should not require that a woman obtain the consent of the person who got her pregnant when she wants to have an abortion. Government should not keep homosexuals who are at least 18 years old from getting married to people who are at least 18 years old. Government should not keep people who are at least 18 years old from being prostitutes with people who are at least 18 years old. Government should not keep people who are atleast 18 years old from having sex with prostitutes who are at least 18 years old. Government should not force women to have abortions. Government should not require that men be sterilized. Government should not require that women be sterilized. Government should not keep a human of any age from obtaining birth control of any type the person wants to obtain. A government should not keep women from being sterilized. A government should not keep men from being sterilized. Government should not require that women have children. Government should not require that men have children. People should have the power to remove elected officials from office. People of a state should not need to obtain more than 1000 signatures to obtain a recall election of a Governor, a Representative of the United States House of Representatives, or a United States Senator. People should not need to obtain more than 5000 signatures per state and not need more than twenty states for a recall election of a President of the United States of America to take place. People should have the power to reduce their taxation in a state. People should have the power to decide their state tax rates. People living in a state should not need to obtain more than 1000 signatures in that state to call for a special election to reduce their taxation. People living in a state should not need more than 1000 signatures to call for an election to set their tax rates. People should have the power to lower federal tax rates. People should have the power to set federal tax rates. People living in the United States of America should not need to obtain more than 5000 signatures per state and not need more than twenty states to get a special election to lower federal taxes. People living in the United States of America should not need to obtain more than 5000 signatures per state and not need more than twenty states to get a special election to set federal taxes. People should not need more than 1000 signatures in a state to get a referendum on a state's ballot in a special election. People should not need more than 5000 signatures per state and not need more than twenty states to get a federal referendum voted on in a special election. The following are some of the amendments to the United States Constitution I would like to see passed. One. An amendment to the United States Constitution should be passed that says that when at least sixty percent of the voters who are at least 18 years of age vote for a referendum, the referendum shall become law. When at least 70 percent of the United States House of Representatives wants this law that was created by referendum to be vetoed, this law shall be vetoed. Two. An amendment to the United States Constitution should be passed that allows people who are at least 18 years old to become Representatives to the United States House of Representatives, United States Senators, Governors, and Presidents of the United States of America. Three. An amendment to the United States Constitution should be passed that gives citizens of the United States of America who live in a Congressional district the ability to remove from office their Representative to the United States House of Representatives. A Representative to the United States House of Representatives should be removed from office when at least sixty percent of the voters in the Congressional district vote for the removal of the Representative. An election for another Representative for the Congressionl district should take place within two months of the removal. The Representative who was removed from office should not be allowed to participate in this election. Four. An amendment to the United States Constitution should be passed that gives citizens of the United States of America living in a state the power to remove their Senator from the United States Senate. A Senator should be removed from the United States Senate when at least sixty percent of the voters living in a state vote for the removal of the United States Senator. An election for another United States Senator should take place within two months. The Senator who was removed from office should not be allowed to participate in this special election. Five. An amendment to the United States Constitution should be passed that gives citizens of the United States of America the power to remove the President of the United States of America from office. The President of the United States of America should be removed from office when at least eighty percent of the voters of the United States of America vote for the removal of the President of the United States of America from office. The Vice President of the United States of America should become President of the United States of America if the President of the United States of America is removed from office. If the President of the United States of America and the Vice President of the United States of America are removed from office, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives should become President of the United States of America. Sincerely, Kenneth Scot Stremsky Born January 13, 1970 in Boston, Massachusetts AN ABRIDGED VERSION OF MY POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY The foundation of my political philosophy is the unanimous Declaration of Independence which is also the foundation of the Bill of Rights and the rest of the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights which are the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution are the most important parts of the United States Constitution and none of the Bill of Rights should ever be suspended for any reason including War. If we do not have civil liberties, we have nothing. The unanimous Declaration of Independence says "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that amongst these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." I believe in limited government. When a government has too much power, the government is more likely to infringe on the civil liberties of its citizens. I believe that a government has no business telling people who are at least 18 years old what they can do with their own bodies because when government does this it is infringing upon their Liberty. I am very glad that Article One, Section Nine of the United States Constitution says "No Bill of Attainder or ex post Facto Law shall be passed." I did not know what a Bill of Attainder was so I contacted the webmaster at www.nara.gov. I was sent an e-mail with a link to the definition of Bill of Attainder on the Tech Law Journal website which is www.techlawjournal.com. Tech Law Journal says a Bill of Attainder is "A Legislative act that singles out an individual or group for punishment without a trial." Duhaime's Law Dictionary's website which is www.duhaime.org/diction.htm says "Ex post facto Latin: after the fact. Legislation is called ex post facto if the law attempts to extend backwards in time and punish acts committed before the date of the law's approval. I strongly support Amendment ten of the United States Constitution which says "The Powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." I realize that the high tax rates that our nation currently has makes it hard for our people to pursue Happiness. Governments should remember that they have to provide just compensation when property is taken by eminent domain because of Amendment Five of the United States Constitution which says "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.' I believe that non profits often do a better job solving societal problems than governments do. I believe that governments should work with non profits to solve societal problems. SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ON THE ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERMENT The role of the Federal Government is discussed in the preamble of the United States Constitution and it says "WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domstic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establsih this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America." The Constitution allows the Federal Government to promote the general Welfare by having a Social Security Administration, Medicare, Education Department, and other departments. Article One, Section Eight of the United States Constitution says that Congress has "To regulate commerce with foreign Nations, and amongst the several states, and with the Indian Tribes." The Constitution does not say that the government has the responsibility to make sure that people at least 18 years old do not ruin their lives because people at least 18 years old have the Liberty to ruin their lives. Governments may use the tax code to encourage people and businesses to do things that will make them less dependent upon the government in the future and bring about beneficial outcomes for society especially outcomes that "insure domestic Tranquility" and "promote the general Welfare." SOME OF THE THINGS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAY NOT DO The Federal Government may not force a State to do something the United States Constitution does not say that a State must do. The Federal Government may not keep a State from doing something that the United States Constitution does not prohibit. I believe it is illegal for the Federal Government to use extortion to get a State to do something. Threatening to withhold Federal Funds if a law is not passed and/or a regulation not adopted is a form of extortion. SEPARATION OF GOVERNENT POWERS I have been in favor of separation of government powers since I first heard of the Revolutionary War when I was a child. I would hate to live in a country which is led by an all powerful monarch. Our system of govenrment depends on the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government fulfilling their Constitutional responsibilities. Our system of government also depends on the executive and legislative branches of government competing against each other for power. Too often, Congress has given Presidents of the United States of America too much power on military matters. The President of the United States of America is the Commander in Chief of our military because of Article Two of the United States Constitution. Congress has the power to decide how much money is spent fighting a War, how many soldiers the United States military may have, when a War starts, when a War ends, and the "Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces" because of Article One, Section Eight of the United States Constitution. The President of the United States of America does have the power not to wage War when Congress declares War. Congress has the power to remove a President of the United States of America from office which the Congress does not want to have as Commander in Chief. Congress may also grant "Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and War" because of Article One, Section Eight of the United States Constitution. I would not be suprised if future Congresses decide to grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal when Congress wants to help the President of the United States of America wage War as well as when the Congress is not happy with the performance of the President of the United States of America as Commander in Chief. The United States Supreme Court has the power to rule laws passed by Congress and decisions including regulations made by the executive branch of government unconstitutional. I hope the United States Supreme Court will use this power more often in the future than it has in the past. The Congress has the power to remove justices from the United States Supreme Court. Congress and the President of the United States of America have the power to increase the number of justices on the United States Supreme Court. If the Congress and the President of the United States of America decide to increase the size of the United States Supreme Court, the number chosen should be an odd number possibly 15. The President of the United States of America has the power to veto decisions made by Congress and Congress has the power to negate these vetos. I am very glad that the founders of our Republic decided that the President of the United States of America and Congress needed to act together to get treaties passed because the only thing that can change our country more than a treaty is an Amendment to the United States Constitution. I believe the following amendments to the United States Constitution will shift more power to the State Legislatures and decrease the probability that the Federal Government will use extortion. I also believe the amendments will decrease the probability that the Federal Government will pass unfunded mandates that States and Localities have to act on. An amendment to the United States Constitution should be passed that says when at least 70 percent of the State Legislatures of the United States of America vote for the repeal of treaties, laws, and regulations, they should be repealed. When at least 70 percent of the United States Senate votes to overturn a repeal, the repeal shall be overturned. An amendment to the United States Constitution should be passed that says that when at least 80 percent of the State Legislatures of the United States of America vote for the removal of the President of the United States of America, the President of the United States of America shall be removed from office two weeks later. The decision shall be overturned when at least 70 percent of the United States Senate votes to repeal the decision. The United States Senate should have to vote on overturning the decision within two weeks after the State Legislatures of the United States of America have voted for the removal of the President of the United States of America. Giving State Legislatures the power to repeal treaties, laws, and regulations will shift the balance of power between the State Legislatures and the Federal Government more to the State Legislatures. Unfunded federal mandates may be passed less often by Congress and/or executive branch departments. Trade agreements the State Legislatures do not like may often be repealed. People who have a problem with this amendment should remember that United States Senators used to be picked by State Legislators and not by voters. I am glad that Senators are picked by voters. Amendment Seventeen passed by Congress on May 13, 1912 and ratified on April 8, 1913 allows voters to elect United States Senators. Giving State Legislatures the power to remove the President of the United States of America from office may encourage future Presidents of the United States of America to behave better in office than some of our past Presidents of the United States of America have behaved. Allowing State Legislatures to repeal treaties, laws, and regulations may decrease the probability that the Federal Government will infringe on the civil liberties of our citizens guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The Federal Government has infringed on the Bill of Rights while it has waged the War on Drugs and the War on Terrorism. The Federal Government has infringed on Amendment Four, Amendment Five, and Amendment Eight of the United States Constitution while waging the War on Drugs. The Federal Government has infringed on Amendment Six of the United States Constitution during the War on Terrorism. Congress passed the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law which infringes on political speech guaranteed by Amendment One of the United States Constitution.