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Founders Keepers: Dr. Benjamin Rush

6/25/2013

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By Tim Fullerton

His father died when Ben 6 years old.  Young Benjamin was sent to a boarding school in Maryland.  Then to Princeton.  Graduated after ONE YEAR! (at the age of 15!)

Studied medicine in Philadelphia for 6 years.  Then to Edinburgh , Scotland.  Received his MD after 2 years.

He returned to Philadelphia to practice medicine, elected professor of chemistry in the college of Philadelphia.

A strong advocate of, “bleeding,” for nearly any malady even though most doctors of the day had dismissed the practice.  In 1793, a yellow fever epidemic nearly wiped out Philadelphia.  In addition to bleeding, he prescribed calomel and jalap, after reading about them in a book given to him by Benjamin Franklin.  He had great success.  More, he did not keep this knowledge to himself but shared with doctors, even pharmacists.  Proving that no good deed goes unpunished, the medical establishment attacked him and his methods.

He didn't see independence from England as did most of the Declaration's signers.  Instead of commerce, or military might, he considered first and foremost the freedom to experiment.  To learn.  To share knowledge.

He tended to the wounded during the war.  But in a dispute with another physician, he resigned after one year.  He also spent the war trying to get George Washington fired as commander in chief!  Rush later, expressed regret for his actions against Washington. In a letter to John Adams in 1812, Rush wrote, "He [Washington] was the highly favored instrument whose patriotism and name contributed greatly to the establishment of the independence of the United States.

He attended the constitutional convention.  He called the federal government a, “masterpiece of human wisdom.”

Appointed by President John Adams to the post of treasurer for the U.S. mint.

He was the principal agent in founding Dickinson College, in Carlisle, PA. For some years, he was president of the society for the abolition of slavery, and, also, of the Philadelphia Medical Society. He was a founder of the Philadelphia Bible Society, and one of its vice presidents.  Ben was also a vice president of the American Philosophical Society.

Dr. Rush purchased a slave in 1776. He still owned this slave when he joined the Pennsylvania Abolition Society in 1784. (Go figure)

Rush may be more famous today as the man who helped reconcile the friendship of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams by encouraging the two former Presidents to resume writing to each other.  He wrote to Adams: “Some talked, some wrote, and some fought to promote and establish it, but you and Mr. Jefferson thought for us all. I never take a retrospect of the years 1775 and 1776 without associating your opinions and speeches and conversations with all the great political, moral, and intellectual achievements of the Congress of those memorable years.“

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What Congress cannot do.

6/24/2013

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By Tim Fullerton

How will you know if the present congress is overstepping its bounds if you don't know what restraints were placed on congress by the Constitution?  In an earlier blog, I listed the 17 things congress can do, so I felt I should also list what it cannot.  

From Article 1, Section 9

1. Congress may not interfere with migration between the states, nor the importation of slaves – at least not until 1808.  But even before then, a tax (or duty) of up to $10 per slave may be imposed.
2. The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus may not be suspended except in time of revolution or invasion.
3. No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed.
4. No direct tax shall be laid.  (nullified by the 16th amendment)
5. No tax or duty shall be laid on any articles exported from any state.
6. No preference shall be shown the ports of one state over another.  No vessel traveling from one state to another shall be obliged to pay a duty.
7. No funds may be drawn from the Treasury without an appropriation in Congress.  An accounting of all public money shall be published from time to time.
8. No titles of nobility may be granted by the U.S.  And no public office-holder who is getting paid may receive gifts, money, office or title from a foreign country without the approval of congress.

There you have it, only half as long as the previous list.  And this one sounds like it was written by lawyers.  I'll wade through these as best I can (Ryan, you may correct anywhere I'm off base)

A Writ of Habeas Corpus is like a court order, demanding the government prove it has good reason to detain (imprison) someone.  Habeas Corpus is Latin for, “you have the body.”  President Lincoln, famously, suspended Habeas Corpus during the Civil War.  His actions are, strangely, compared to the actives of George W. Bush after 9/11 in this piece at CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/08/civil.war.today/index.html

A Bill of Attainder was used in English law to yank titles, land and castles etc. away from noblemen accused of serious crimes.  The king didn't even need the bother of a trial.  

An Ex Post Facto (“after the fact,” in Latin of course) law would retroactively impose legal consequences.  For example, you can't write a law today that would result in the arrest of someone for what he/she did yesterday (when it was legal).

I have heard it said that when President Obama accepted his Nobel Peace Prize, he was in violation of paragraph #8, since he did not petition congress for approval before accepting the money associated with the prize.  But since it comes from a committee instead of directly from the Norwegian government (NOTE: only the Peace Prize comes from Norway, all others come from Sweden), I don't see a problem.


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What Congress CAN do:

8/19/2010

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What Congress CAN do:

Have you ever wondered just what the Constitution says Congress can do?  We all know they do a lot more than the founders ever dreamed of.  So here's a list of the powers bestowed to Congress (Article 1, Section 8).

1.Collect taxes for defense and general welfare.
2.Borrow money (Yeah, they got that one down pat).
3.Regulate Commerce, both international and interstate.
4.Establish uniform rules for naturalization, and uniform laws for bankruptcy.
5.Coin money.  Establish standards for weights and measures.
6.Provide punishment for counterfeiting.
7.Establish Post Offices and post roads.
8.Establish patents and copyrights.
9.Create the federal court system (except the Supreme Court).
10.Define crimes and punishments for crimes committed on the high seas, and against the “Law of Nations.”
11.Declare war.
12.Raise and support an army.
13.Provide and maintain a navy.
14.Make the rules for regulating the army and the navy.
15.Provide for calling out the militia when necessary.
16.Make rules for regulating the militia.
17.Govern the nation's capital city, federal forts, docks and other “needful” buildings.

There you have it.  The powers delegated to Congress.  Section 9 has a slew of things Congress cannot do.  And Section 10 what the states are prohibited from doing.

Smarter, more scholarly, people than I have spent untold hours interpreting just how far some of these powers go.  The “commerce clause,” for example.  In the last 80 years or so, congress has used that one to regulate everything bought or sold – and then some.  Even forbidding a man from the midwest to grow wheat for his own personal use – since some might, one day, be sold across a state line.

By Tim Fullerton
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Defend the Republic-Dr. Richard Kerr at the 2010 Tax Day Tea Party

7/4/2010

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Dr. Richard Kerr is a retired physician and the former chair of the state Libertarian Party. At the 2010 Tax Day Tea Party, he inspired us all to defend our republic. He knows the value of the Constitution and knows value of freedom.

Progressives believe the principals of the Founding Fathers are irrelevant today. However, Dr. Kerr pointed out, “The same defects in human nature that inspired the Founding Fathers to protect us from government excesses. The lust for power still motivates some. Power still tends to corrupt and absolute power still tends to corrupt absolutely. Men still covet each other’s processions. Leisure is still more fun than work, and majority will still, when able, plunder the assets from minorities.” Dr. Kerr said that now, as our population grows, we need Local and State governments to deal with local and state issues.

He, also, pointed out that when you spend a dollar on one person you have to take that dollar from someone else. Where is the moral value in that and how do we expect our nation to survive when we take from the producers and give to the “loafers”? As Dr. Kerr said, “When you punish people through taxation for producing, and you pay people through entitlement programs for loafing, you will get more loafing and less production.”

Now is the time for us to save our republic. Dr. Kerr issued this challenge to us, “Speak boldly. Call thievery thievery. Call fascism fascism. Hound your congressman and senators until they are sick of hearing from you or until they do the right thing.” He said, “It is un-American for the government to exceed its Constitutional bounds.”He listed acts of our government that were un-American, including the bailouts. Most importantly he said, “It was despicable, it was unconscionable, and it’s absolutely un-American have accumulated such a mind boggling national debt and unfunded liabilities. This debt will doom our children and grandchildren to a crippling level of taxation and make them indenture servants to the government.” We need to vote out every “thieving incumbent” that got us into this mess!


By: Laura Kennedy

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Heath Frazier from Tax Day 2010

6/29/2010

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For the next few days, I will be posting summaries of the speeches for our Tax Day Tea Party.

The first speech is by Heath Frazier. If you don’t who Heath is, that is because he is an ordinary American, trying to provide for his family. I met Heath as I was starting to plan our first Tea Party. He also wanted to plan a Tea Party in Clarksburg, WV, so we joined forces. He has spoken at each of Tea Parties and will be speaking at the Independence Day Tea Party on July 5, 2010.

Heath offers encouragement listing some of the Tea Party victories. He points out, “It has taken the progressives in this country to organize in local communities for decades. Its only taken the Tea Party patriots about 12 months.”

Heath goes on to say that despite these victories we to continue to fight against expansions of government and the reckless spending of tax payer money. How do we do this? By electing people who abide by the Constitution instead of people who make their decisions according to back room deals and buyout. Heath says, “We need heroes not cowards. We need patriots not socialists.” We need to find candidates who stand for what we believe is good for our nation. They should be people who will stand for things such as, state’s rights, small businesses, and decreased government involvement in our lives. When find these candidates we need to do everything we can to get them elected.

Why is Heath involved in the Tea Party? So he can tell his 2 year old son that he did something to protect his son’s liberty. Why are you involved in the Tea Party? What are you doing to secure liberty for future generations?


By Laura Kennedy

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Where do our rights come from?

4/6/2010

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True or false?
Your rights come directly from the Bill of Rights.

Obvious, isn't it?  Well, it isn't because the Bill of Rights doesn't create
any rights.  Read through the first 10 amendments and you'll see the phrase, "the right of the people," repeated over and over.

Remember, this was the very beginning.  Congress couldn't start making any laws until AFTER the Constitution had been approved by the states.  The rights of the people already existed.

The Bill of rights was designed to protect those rights already endowed upon the citizens of this nation.  "...they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights..." the Declaration of Independence stated.

Perhaps the 9th amendment says it best.  "The enumeration in the
Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage
others retained by the people."  Meaning, there are just too many rights to count.

By: Tim Fullerton
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Solutions for Health Care

9/4/2009

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Our government is a federal democratic republic. We have levels of government and each level has certain responsibilities. We, the people, have certain responsibilities as well. This is how we have remained a free nation. There are solutions to the “health care crisis,” but the federal government taking over the health care industry is not the solution.

The federal government was never suppose to be in the business solving problems such as a “health care” crisis, but there are some ways to free up the health care industry and create competition.

1.       Allow interstate purchase of insurance.

2.       Allow groups of people (not just employers) get group plans.

3.       Same tax breaks for all purchases of insurance (not just plans purchased through employers).

4.       Allow individuals and groups to purchase catastrophic insurance and set up health savings accounts, not just employers.

Through the Tenth Amendment, 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 people,” the Constitution allows for the states to bring solutions to problems such as health care.  West Virginia does offer some solutions.  The following is an excerpt from the AccessWV site:

AccessWV is a health plan created by West Virginia law to provide health insurance to West Virginians who have been unable to find health insurance in the private market because of a medical condition.
It also serves those who have guaranteed access to coverage ("portability rights") through the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as well as those who are eligible for the federal Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) program.


Visit http://www.wvdhhr.org/ to find out about more services offered in the state of West Virginia.

Notice the Tenth amendment says, “…or to the people.”  The most effective solution is to be the change you want to see.  Many say, “I have insurance, but what about those who don’t?”  What have you done for “those who don’t”?  We can help out our neighbors when, we find out they need surgery.  We can give to free clinics that provide health care to those who cannot afford health care and do not qualify for state assistance.  See wvfreeclinics.org to find a list of free clinics in West Virginia.  We can give to charitable specialty hospitals like St. Jude’s.  We can give to churches and other charitable organizations that help people with medical expenses.  How will our money be used more effectively?  Sending it through the government bureaucrats in the form of tax dollars or through directly helping those in need and charities?

The federal government can have limited success in helping those in need, the states can offer solutions, but we, the American people, can do a lot more than the government.  If we want to remain a free nation, we must stop pushing our responsibilities onto the government.  We must take care of ourselves and personally help others.  Providing health care for all is simply not the government’s job.

Please use the comment section to list charitable organizations that provide health care and/or help with medical expenses.
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Health Care Reform

9/4/2009

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President Obama will deliver a message concerning health care reform next Wednesday, a day after Congress resumes session. We must keep the conversation flowing. People need to know what this kind of reform will do to the finances of future generations.  The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says the current House plan would increase the deficit by $239 billion over 10 years. The deficit is the amount added to the debt each year. When we already owe over $11,000,000,000,000 (not including unfunded mandates), why would we institute a program that would increase our spending by so much? Why would ask our children to pay for our responsibility?

This is not the federal government’s job. James Madison would not be able to point out a power in the Constitution that gives Congress this power, as evident by his statement, “I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.”  We can do a more effective job of helping the poor individually and through private charities than the federal government, as long as the federal government preserves an environment that fosters economic freedom.

We should be able to purchase insurance across state lines, buy group insurance for groups other than employers, and get the same tax treatment regardless of how we purchase our insurance.

Both of our senators and Congressman Mollohan have voiced support for this government takeover of health care. Please keep contacting them and keep the conversation flowing with your family and friends.
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President Obama's Speech to Schools

9/4/2009

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Many are concerned about a speech that President Obama will be giving to schools on Tuesday September 8 and lesson plans to accompany the speech. To view the speech and download the lesson plans, so that you know what your children are being told, go to http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html#faqsablished. I do not know the content of the speech, but an “I Pledge” video that was shown to schools in Utah can be viewed at http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/02/i-pledge-to-be-of-service-to-barack-obama/. The biggest problem with this video is that it is almost a campaign video for Barack Obama.

Regardless of the content, I do know that it is not the job of the federal government to make lesson plans for schools. Our founding fathers knew the danger of putting too much power in the hands of the government. Dictators and socialist governments start by teaching the youth that the government should provide and control all things. Our founding fathers set up government ruled by a document, the Constitution, because they knew people are easily corrupted. Let’s teach our children what the Constitution says.  Stay educated on socialism and vigilant about what our children are learning.
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Uphold the Constitution

8/18/2009

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A man at Congressman Alan Mollohan’s Town Hall, on August 14, asked about the 10th Amendment, 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 people.” What does this mean? The powers not given to the federal government by the Constitution are powers of the state or the people. Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States of America lists the powers of congress.

The man continued to ask the congressman what in the constitution gives congress the power to create this health care plan. Congressman Mollohan did not have an answer. It is not surprising he did not have an answer. James Madison would not be able to point out a power in the Constitution that gives congress this power, as evident by his statement, “I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.”  It would be good for everyone in the United States to have adequate Health Care; however it is neither the federal government’s responsibility nor it within the powers of the federal government to ensure we all have health care. We as individuals can help each other and states can create programs to help people. In fact, West Virginia has opportunities in place for place for people to get health care, such as Access West Virginia.

The Constitution is the law of the Untied States of America, and we should respect it as such. It is not just the duty of our elected officials to uphold the Constitution, but the duty of every American. We can do this by educating ourselves and others about the constitution and only electing officials who will uphold the Constitution. If an official does not uphold the Constitution, they need to be replaced by someone who will.

That being said, I encourage you to read the constitution. How can we uphold the Constitution if we do not know what it says? In fact, maybe we should send a copy to our elected officials. You can download a copy of the Constitution with the amendments below.

A man at Congressman Alan Mollohan’s Town Hall, on August 14, asked about the 10th Amendment, 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 people.” What does this mean? The powers not given to the federal government by the Constitution are powers of the state or the people. Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States of America lists the powers of congress.

The man continued to ask the congressman what in the constitution gives congress the power to create this health care plan. Congressman Mollohan did not have an answer. It is not surprising he did not have an answer. James Madison would not be able to point out a power in the Constitution that gives congress this power, as evident by his statement, “I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.”  It would be good for everyone in the United States to have adequate Health Care; however it is neither the federal government’s responsibility nor it within the powers of the federal government to ensure we all have health care. We as individuals can help each other and states can create programs to help people. In fact, West Virginia has opportunities in place for place for people to get health care, such as Access West Virginia.

The Constitution is the law of the Untied States of America, and we should respect it as such. It is not just the duty of our elected officials to uphold the Constitution, but the duty of every American. We can do this by educating ourselves and others about the constitution and only electing officials who will uphold the Constitution. If an official does not uphold the Constitution, they need to be replaced by someone who will.

That being said, I encourage you to read the constitution. How can we uphold the Constitution if we do not know what it says? In fact, maybe we should send a copy to our elected officials. You can download a copy of the Constitution with the amendments below.

Congressman Alan Mollohan

E-Mail: CongressmanMollohan@mail.house.gov
Faxing is the most effective way to communicate with a congressman.


WASHINGTONPhone: (202) 225-4172Fax: (202) 225-7564Congressman Alan B. Mollohan2302 Rayburn House BuildingWashington, DC 20515

CLARKSBURGPhone: (304) 623-4422Fax: (304) 623-0571Congressman Alan B. MollohanRoom 209, Post Office BuildingPO Box 1400Clarksburg, WV 26302-1400

MORGANTOWNPhone: (304) 292-3019Fax: (304) 292-3027Congressman Alan B. MollohanMarina Tower, Suite 50448 Donley StreetPO Box 720Morgantown, WV 26507-0720

PARKERSBURGPhone: (304) 428-0493Fax: (304) 428-5980Congressman Alan B. MollohanRoom 2040, Federal Building425 Juliana StreetParkersburg, WV 26101

WHEELINGPhone: (304) 232-5390Fax: (304) 232-5722Congressman Alan B. MollohanFederal BuildingChapline StreetWheeling, WV 26003

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