Without amendments we would never even have had the Bill of Rights.
quote by Adrian Cronauer

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Related quotes
The Framers of the Bill of Rights did not purport to ""create"" rights. Rather, they designed the Bill of Rights to prohibit our Government from infringing rights and liberties presumed to be preexisting.
quote by William J. Brennan, Jr.

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This has not been a legislative process worthy of the Senate. Members of the Judiciary Committee, as I just said, were implored to save their amendments for the floor. Then, when we got here, we were told no amendments could be accepted.
quote by Russ Feingold

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Today's Constitution is a realistic document of freedom only because of several corrective amendments. Those amendments speak to a sense of decency and fairness that I and other Blacks cherish.
quote by Thurgood Marshall

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I'm tired of being considered some kind of criminal or dangerous throwback for no other reason than that I value, exercise, and defend my rights under the first ten Amendments to the United States Constitution.
quote by L. Neil Smith

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Our Constitution’s Birthday
Our Constitution’s Birthday
(September 17,2008)
In the year, Seventeen eighty-seven
Those thirty-nine, changed our History
They signed that piece of parchment
The Laws of, the Land of the Free.
In more than two hundred twenty years
It has gone through a few changes
That’s not, an easy thing to get done
For, all of our lives, it rearranges.
The First through Tenth Amendments
Are known as our Bill of Rights
And many times, they were in danger
But, the People, usually won those fights.
Sometimes, those people in power
Try to change them, for their gain
Sometimes they will just ignore them
Like we’ve seen, time and again.
They are our only, real protection
With a high and terrible price to pay
If we don’t keep fighting for them
There’s some, would take them all away.
Other Amendments, Thirteen and Fifteen
Abolished Racial Suffrage and Slavery
Supposed to give promised Rights
To all of those promised, Liberty.
The Sixteenth, allowed for Income Tax
And as we know, it has many a flaw
Some say, that it was never Ratified
That, it was never made, a Legal Law.
The Eighteenth, Prohibition of Alcohol
Which was, another legal blunder
With organized crime borne of it
And, the Rule of Law torn, asunder.
The Nineteenth, said Women could Vote
After a very long, contentious fight
Just look at what those Ladies have done
Since, they got their, American Right.
Then, a Repeal of Prohibition
Came with the Twenty-first
In most places, booze flowed freely
To quench America’s, hearty thirst.
The Twenty-second said, Two Terms
Was, all a President could serve
But, as we know, for some, one
Was one more, than they deserved.
The Twenty-sixth said we could Vote
When reaching Eighteen years of age
Since they could fight and die for us
Every time, we had a War to wage.
Those great words of our Constitution
Have served our Country long, and well
Will they withstand the test of time
Or will History show, our Nation, fell?
If we don’t protect them with our life
If we bow to those powers that, be
If we let them twist those words around
One sad day, we’ll be no longer, Free.
We can’t let our precious Bill of Rights
Fail, to protect us all, as they must do
We can’t let one man, or group of men
Twist them into something, they construe.
Though, our Constitution is not perfect
Our Founding Fathers knew, this so
And, “In God We Trust”, is not enough
Our Freedom depends, on where, we go.
We must each, defend those Freedoms
From outside foes, and those, within
It’s, We, the People, wield the power
To lose this battle, which, we must, win.
So, On this Constitution Day
Let’s each, pay the price we owe
To uphold those words of Wisdom
Penned upon that parchment, long ago.
Del “Abe” Jones
09.16.2008
Dont You Think It's Time?
children have rights,
women have rights.
lovers have rights.
people of all religions,
and even atheists have rights.
people of all colors,
speaking every language have rights.
trees and rivers have rights.
cats and dogs have rights.
cattle have rights,
homeless people have rights.
prisoners have rights.
democrats and republicans have rights,
even socialists have rights.
the jobless have rights,
old people have rights...
and the hungry have
the right to be fed!
damnit! dont you think it's time?
poem by Eric Cockrell

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No Amendments Please
The Americans can make amendments to their Bill of Rights,
It seems to solve the problems of many political fights,
But Canadians have a problem in trying to change our Charter,
Written back around the time of President Jimmy Carter.
Too many provinces, people, groups and complications involved,
Too much finger pointing, accusations and matters unresolved,
Under the command of appointees politically correct,
Appointed senators or appointed judges have the same affect.
The Swiss have binding referendums, which we are denied,
Even Oregon has death with dignity, which we can’t abide,
Because our aristocrat appointees all want to stay and stay,
You can’t change anything, so you… just better go away.
poem by James Bredin

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We have the Bill of Rights. What we need is a Bill of Responsibilities.
quote by Bill Maher

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The whole of the Bill of Rights is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of.
quote by Albert Gallatin

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The bill neither confers nor abridges the rights of anyone but simply declares that in civil rights there shall be equality among all classes of citizens and that all alike shall be subject to the same punishment.
quote by Lyman Trumbull

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The very purpose of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution is to protect minority rights against majority voters. Every court decision that strikes down discriminatory legislation, including past Supreme Court decisions, affirming the fundamental rights to marry the person you love, overrules a majority decision.
quote by David Boies

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Equal Rights,2011
equal rights to live,
equal rights to love.
equal rights to believe,
to speak out, to stand up
and be counted.
equal rights to work,
equal rights to study.
equal rights to build.
equal rights to profess faith,
equal rights to pray.
equal rights to give...
equal rights to live,
equal rights to love!
poem by Eric Cockrell

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Anna Hazare’s Crusade against Corruption in India
Anna wants a Lokpal bill strong
Anna wants a Lokpal bill fast
Anna wants a Lokpal bill full
Anna wants a Lokpal bill now
Anna wants a Lokpal bill by fast
Anna wants a Lokpal bill first
Anna wants a Lokpal bill for all
Anna wants a Lokpal bill – his call
Anna wants a Lokpal bill now
Anna wants a Lokpal bill without delay
Anna wants a Lokpal bill, come what may
Anna wants a Lokpal bill even if it means death.
There is no turning back
There is no giving up the fast
There is no fear of arrest
There is no worry about death
For,
India needs an anti-corruption bill
India is monetarily seriously ill
India needs the honesty drill
India has its wealth outside but inside will
Bring the bill
Heed people’s will
Give them the fill
Heal those hearts ill.
Victory to India; victory to Lokpal Bill; victory to Anna!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 22-08-11
poem by John Celes

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Detainee!
detainee...
uncharged,
no rights to speedy trial....
subversive? radical?
or just daring to defy?
citizen? cant happen?
mowed down by the machine...
they do it in China all the time!
freedom of speech....
as long as you say the right words!
bill of rights?
as long as you can
afford their freedom!
corporate army....
armed thugs!
poem by Eric Cockrell

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Railroad Bill
Railroad bill were gonna railroad bill
He never works and he never will
Im gonna ride on a railroad bill
Im gonna ride on a railroad bill
Railroad bill he was a mighty bad man
Kill anybody that he think he can
Gonna ride old railroad bill
Gonna ride old railroad bill
Im singin railroad bill,
Im talkin railroad bill, uh-huh-huh
He never worked and he never will
Im gonna ride on railroad bill, yeah
(cmon) Im gonna ride on railroad bill
Well old railroad bill he done stole my wife
Im gonna check him down Im gonna take his life
Gonna ride on railroad bill
Gonna ride railroad bill
Im singin railroad bill
On a railroad bill
He never worked and he never will
Im gonna ride on railroad bill
Im gonna ride on railroad bill
Railroad bill he was a mighty bad man
Kill anybody that he think he can
Gonna ride old railroad bill
Gonna ride railroad bill
Im talkin railroad bill
I love him railroad bill
Uh-huh-huh
He never worked and he never will
Gonna ride on railroad bill
Yeah, gonna ride on railroad bill
Well Im goin up the mountain
Yes Im goin out west
I got a mighty big pistol
Stickin out of my vest
Gonna ride old railroad bill
Gonna ride (alright)
Railroad bill, I love that railroad bill
Uh-huh-huh
He never works and he never will
Im gonna ride on a railroad bill
Im gonna ride on railroad bill
song performed by by Van Morrison

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The right to be let alone is the underlying principle of the Constitution's Bill of Rights.
quote by Erwin Griswold

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Can any of you seriously say the Bill of Rights could get through Congress today? It wouldn't even get out of committee.
quote by F. Lee Bailey

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Racism Poem - Where Racism matters
i live in a country
multi racial in nature
where certain communities
enjoy special rights
the politicians keep asking
why there is racial polarisation
well, if i have special rights
i will make sure i really
get the best deal of it all
i will not be a stupid fool
or even modest
no two way about it
that includes telling others
to be aware that they do
not have special rights
drawing the line doubly clear
just in case they
infringe on these rights
rights to everything special
housing, education,
medication, career advances
etc, etc, etc
and of course
i would make
every citizen aware
they are living in a society
where racism matters
because it is a matter
of life and death
for those with special rights
and of course for those
without the rights to
keep decently quiet about it
or else these special rights
could mean the rights
to take away things
dearest to them
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo

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How, then, can the rights of three men exceed the rights of two men? In what possible way can the rights of three men absorb the rights of two men, and make them as if they had never existed.
quote by Auberon Herbert

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There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights.
quote by Smedley Butler

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