In a tiny, small piece that appeared in the April 26th issue of USA Today, this author learned that the citizens of Ohio lost their ability to decide on a motto.

Since 1959, Ohio has used the motto: With God, all things are possible. Now, because the ACLU decided that it violates the church-state consideration, contained in the U.S. Constitution, that the folks of Ohio have actually violated the law for all that time. Do you really think that this motto would have remained in force for more than 40 years if it did? Sure.

This author would venture to say that very few U.S. citizens really understand what the church-state issue is all about. Firstly, one of the reasons why the United States was established as a Democratic Republic hinged on what we're seeing right now--the alteration, fluctuation, and modification of rights protected by the Constitution by the creation of laws that suite not the people, but a minority of special interest groups, in this case most of them athiests.

Secondly, as a Democratic Republic, our Founding Fathers put into place a Constitution and ten amendments, commonly referred to as the Bill of Rights, that, regardless of whatever interests that special groups may have, we the people (and the courts) must follow. But, are they?

Just what does the First Amendment say about church and state?

Amendment 1.    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Ah, but the Constitution did not say that our Judicial system couldn't.

Did Ohio make law respecting any particular religion when they used the word God? Of course not. Many religions believe in God. Judge Avern Cohn stated that this phrase was actually the spoken word of Jesus as He explained to his disciples what was needed to enter heaven. So, because it was the words of Jesus, the State of Ohio could not adopt it.

Folks, this is nothing but bull from the bullies. The ACLU and others who launch lawsuits against cities and states for having the word God in their mottos and seals don't care if it's Jesus' words or just words of the citizens who chose it. You can bet the ACLU went after this issue simply because of the word God. Did the judges consider that when they rendered this decision? Let's look at the First Amendment again for a moment:

Amendment 1.    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

As you can see, it does not actually state that there must be a void or separation between church and state at all, only that government cannot legislate laws favoring one religion over another. The bigger question is, did the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals violate the citizens of Ohio's tenth amendment right? What does the tenth amendment says?

Amendment 10.    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.

Restore the Constitution,
Say All Constitutionalists

One of the reasons why Constitutionalists have taken the position they have relates to exactly what we're seeing take place here. What position do Constitutionalists take? They believe that the bottom line in all decisions is not what a court of law believes the Constitution to say, but what the Constitution actually says.

If you read this author's commentary for April 28th, then you realize that our Founding Fathers intended for this to be a Democratic Republic, where our Constitution rules matters of legal import instead of a shifting, changing system where the laws change in accordance with the interests of one or a few individuals or special interest groups.

Again, go back to what the First Amendment really says about church and state: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Since a few individuals, by way of several special interest groups, have not been able to dupe all the people into a Constitutional Reforendom, they have done an end run around the Constitution using the judicial system. It takes longer to do it this way, but the end result will be the same. If you compare what the Constitution actually says with how it's now interpreted in many areas, you have to admit, we've moved very far to the left in interpretation. This is not what our Founding Fathers envisioned when they drafted this document.

Ask yourself a question here. Since when has the judicial branch had the right to make law? Make law? Of course they are making new law. Do you think for one minute that if it violated our Constititution that all those states, cities, and villages that have had the word God in their mottos and seals would have gone unnoticed by government and others all that time, many of them since the beginning of this nation in 1776?

This is a game folks, a very dangerous game. Besides the fact that what they are doing violates God's law and will end in our own distruction, as a nation, it is a very dangerous precedent to set. What's next, your First Amendment rights? What's after that, your Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment, Tenth Amendment? Well, in this one decision alone, they managed to trample all over our First and Tenth amendment-protected rights. I'm sure there are others.

Another example of this nonsense was seen not long ago when President Clinton made a statement that it is his administration's position that the American people has never had the right to own and bear arms, as outlined by the second amendment. Folks, let's get real here.

Think back to the nature of life in the new world and early America. Having just fought a major battle against the British, and working to protect the peoples' rights to the maximum, it is difficult for this author to believe for one moment that our Founding Fathers would not have legislated the right to own and bear weapons. They outlined the potential of federal abuses by a growing government and we are on the very brink of this very situation at this very time.

So, for more than 200 years, Americans have owned and used firearms despite the fact that President Clinton says it was illegal? Right. There are powerful people in the minority who wish to rid us of our only means of self defense. Why? This president, his administration, and the international, global body, called the United Nations, have decided to "reinvent" our Constitution by rendering bogus decisions on what it said. Sure.

Tomorrow we'll visit the Million Mom March, what their message is, the misguided illusions being perpetuated upon the masses, their direct tie to the White House, and how this organization may very well be violating their 501(c)(3) tax exemption. Thanks for listening.

Al Colombo
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