How many rights do you have? You should check, because it might not be as many today as it was a few years ago, or even a few months ago. Some people Italk to are not concerned that police will execute a searchwarrant without knocking or that they set up roadblocks andstop and interrogate innocent citizens. They do not regardthese as great infringements on their rights. But when you putcurrent events together, there is information that may besurprising to people who have not yet been concerned: Theamount of the Bill of Rights that is under attack is alarming.Let's take a look at the Bill of Rights and see which aspectsare being pushed on or threatened. The point here is not thedegree of each attack or its rightness or wrongness, but thesheer number of rights that are under attack. Amendment ICongress shall make no law respecting an establishment ofreligion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridgingthe freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of thepeople peaceably to assemble, and to petition theGovernment for a redress of grievances. ESTABLISHINGRELIGION: While campaigning for his first term, GeorgeBush said "I don't know that atheists should be consideredas citizens, nor should they be considered patriots." Bush hasnot retracted, commented on, or clarified this statement, inspite of requests to do so. According to Bush, this is onenation under God. And apparently if you are not withinBush's religious beliefs, you are not a citizen. Federal, state,and local governments also promote a particular religion (or,occasionally, religions) by spending public money onreligious displays. FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION:Robert Newmeyer and Glenn Braunstein were jailed in 1988for refusing to stand in respect for a judge. Braunstein saysthe tradition of rising in court started decades ago whenjudges entered carrying Bibles. Since judges no longer carryBibles, Braunstein says there is no reason to stand -- and hisBible tells him to ...
