The Ninth Amendment

by on June 14, 2024 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

The Ninth Amendment of the US Constitution is one of the more controversial amendments. It states that noting certain rights in the Constitution “shall not” be defined as denying other rights “retained by the people.” The controversy arises from a difference in opinion on how the Constitution and the Bill of Rights should be understood. Some people say that the Bill of Rights shows certain liberties the government grants to the people. Others say that the Bill of Rights recognizes liberties that the people have refused to give up to the government. People who understand it the second way see the Ninth Amendment as stating very clearly that there are other liberties “retained by the people” that have simply not been written down. That there is a “presumption of liberty” on the part of the people. Those who believe the government grants certain and clearly stated rights tend not to agree with this understanding, and many of the political disagreements we have to this day revolve around those two fundamental differences.

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The Eighth Amendment

by on June 13, 2024 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

The Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution bans excessive bail or fines, and cruel and unusual punishments. It is very short and to the point, and once again in answer to real problems. The definitions of all of these have changed over the years, with evolving social norms, with modern bails, fines, and punishments generally being far less than they used to. Though the recent rash of Political Trials have seen general violations of this aimed at those the party in power wants to punish as severely as possible. It is my great hope that some new rulings on this amendment stating that it means what it means will be forthcoming soon.

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The Seventh Amendment

by on June 12, 2024 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

The Seventh Amendment to the US Constitution dictates that in any common law suit involving more than twenty dollars, there is a right to a trial by jury. In addition, if a jury rules on a fact, that fact cannot be re-examined in a court by any standard outside the common law. The law at the time was heavily weighted in favor of those who could pay the most money for their justice, and the jury trial was seen as a way to limit that. And stating that the jury’s verdict was final was meant to stop dissatisfied litigants from simply going to a more friendly court and suing again. These were real life issues with the common law of the time that the Founding Fathers wanted to see forever banned in America.

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The Sixth Amendment

by on June 11, 2024 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

The Sixth Amendment says that anyone accused of a criminal offense has the right to enjoy a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury, in the district where the crime was committed, to be informed of the charges against him, to be confronted with witnesses, to compel witnesses in his favor, and to the assistance of counsel in his defense. This Amendment was written because the British rather enjoyed taking Colonists to unfriendly districts like England to stand for trial, and every other point of the Amendment is there because of specific offenses. The Founding Fathers banned those offenses against the accused because they never wanted to see them happen in the nation they were building. And we should never accept a trial that commits those offenses.

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Alpha Strike Demo

by on June 10, 2024 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

Gamez and More had a Magic the Gathering release tournament last Friday, so I’m running the monthly Alpha Strike Demo this coming Friday. Come on over to Gamez and More, in the shopping center across the road from Silver Lake Shopping Center, in Rochester Minnesota. I bring everything you need to play, but if you want to bring a Wolfnet 350 army, I’m happy to play against that as well. My Taurians are always willing to lock horns with someone else.

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