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The Battle Begins: ATF vs the Constitution

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by Bryce Shonka

A line was drawn in the sand last week – a response by the Federal Government to the State of Tennessee and their assertion of sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution.

(Editor’s note: A similar response was sent to Montana Firearms licenses on 07-16-09 as well)

Part of a series of moves by states seeking to utilize the Tenth Amendment as a limit on Federal Power,  the Tennessee State Senate approved Senate Bill 1610 (SB1610), the Tennesse Firearms Freedom Act, by a vote of 22-7.  The House companion bill, HB1796 previously passed the House by a vote of 87-1.

Governor Breseden allowed the bill to become law without signing.

The law states that “federal laws and regulations do not apply to personal firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition that is manufactured in Tennessee and remains in Tennessee. The limitation on federal law and regulation stated in this bill applies to a firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition that is manufactured using basic materials and that can be manufactured without the inclusion of any significant parts imported into this state.”

At the time of passage through the TN House and Senate, Judiciary Chairman Mae Beavers had this to say-

“Be it the federal government mandating changes in order for states to receive federal funds or the federal government telling us how to regulate commerce contained completely within this state – enough is enough.  Our founders fought too hard to ensure states’ sovereignty and I am sick and tired of activist federal officials and judges sticking their noses where they don’t belong.”

The Federal Government, by way of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms expressed its own view of the Tenth Amendment this week when it issued an open letter to ‘all Tennessee Federal Firearms Licensees’ in which it denounced the opinion of Beavers and the Tennessee legislature.  ATF assistant director Carson W. Carroll wrote that ‘Federal law supersedes the Act’, and thus the ATF considers it meaningless.

Constitutional historian Kevin R.C. Gutzman sees this as something far removed from the founders’ vision of constitutional government:

“The letter says, in part, ‘because the Act conflicts with Federal firearms laws and regulations, Federal law supersedes the Act, and all provisions of the Gun Control Act and the National Firearms Act, and their corresponding regulations, continue to apply.’ That is precisely what I predicted the Federal Government’s response to the Tennessee act would be.  As I told Judge Andrew Napolitano on Fox News’s Glenn Beck Program on June 5, 2009, federal officials don’t care about a good historical argument concerning the meaning of the Constitution.”

“Their view is that the states exist for the administrative convenience of the Federal Government, and so of course any conflict between state and federal policy must be resolved in favor of the latter.”

“This is another way of saying that the Tenth Amendment is not binding on the Federal Government. Of course, that amounts to saying that federal officials have decided to ignore the Constitution when it doesn’t suit them.”

The Federal Government has regularly claimed that the commerce clause of the constitution, which gives DC authority to regulate commerce between the states, gives them authority to regulate or add prohibitions on items that never cross state lines.

One notable use of the commerce clause in this manner can be found in the 2005 decision by the Supreme Court in ‘Gonzales vs. Raich’, where  the court contended that consuming one’s locally grown marijuana for medical purposes affects the interstate market of marijuana, and hence that the federal government may regulate—and prohibit—such consumption.  They used this claim, even though at the same time they made it clear that no legal market for marijuana exists.

One key aspect of the ATF’s letter is that it was only sent out to existing Federal Firearms Licensees, those generally already in compliance with federal regulations – and who likely would not have participated in the TN Firearms Freedom act anyway, according to sources close to Tenth Amendment Center.

Ultimately what the letter represents is another move in the chess match being played out between the states and the Federal Government, the resolution of which may not be seen for quite some time.

Below is the full text of the letter sent last week by the ATF:

“U.S. Department of Justice
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives
Assistant Director
OPEN LETTER TO ALL TENNESSEE
FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEES

The purpose of this letter is to provide guidance on your obligations as a Federal firearms licensee (”FFL”). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (”ATF”) is dedicated to your success in meeting your requirements as a Federal firearms licensee. The following guidance is intended to assist you in accomplishing this goal.

The passage of the Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act, H.B. 1796, 106th Leg. (Tenn. 2009) 1796 (”Act”), effective June 19, 2009, has generated questions from industry members as to how this State law may affect them while engaged in a firearms business activity. The Act purports to exempt personal firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition manufactured in the State, and which remain in the State, from most Federal firearms laws and regulations. However, because the Act conflicts with Federal firearms laws and regulations, Federal law supersedes the Act, and all provisions of the Gun Control Act and the National Firearms Act, and their corresponding regulations, continue to apply.

As you may know, Federal law requires a license to engage in the business of manufacturing firearms or ammunition, or to deal in firearms, even if the firearms or ammunition remain within the same state. All firearms manufactured by a licensee must be properly marked. Additionally, each licensee must record the type, model, caliber or gauge, and serial number of each firearm manufactured or otherwise acquired, and the date such manufacture or other acquisition was made. The information required must be recorded in the licensee’s records not later than the seventh day following the date such manufacture or other acquisition was made. Firearms transaction records and NICS background checks must be conducted prior to disposition of firearms to unlicensed persons. These, as well as other Federal requirements and prohibitions, apply whether or not the firearms or ammunition have crossed state lines.

If you have any questions regarding the Federal firearms laws and regulations, please contact your local ATF office. ATF works closely with the firearms industry and appreciates the important role the industry plays in combating violent crime. A listing of ATF office phone numbers can be found at http://www.atf.gov/contact/field.htm. Carson W. Carroll, Assistant Director (Enforcement Programs and Services)”

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117 Responses to “The Battle Begins: ATF vs the Constitution”

  1. ATF IS OBVIOUSLY STILL THE SAME ONE THAT KILLED THE WEAVERS AT RUBY RIDGE AND THE WACO MASSACRE. DOES ANYBODY IF ANY OF THESE PEOPLE WENT TO JAIL? I DONT. FOR THE CENTRAL GOVT TO CLAIM INTERSTATE COMMERCE IS ABSURD. FIRST OF ALL REGULATE INTERSTATE COMMERCE MEANT TO ENCOURAGE COMMERCE BETWEEN THE STATES NOT TO BEAT THEM UP WITH BINDING AND OBSTRUCTIVE LAWS.

  2. Not sure I buy that one David,
    The United states is a different sort of bird, The success of Our form of Government is still in question. We are only a couple of hundred years into this experiment, unlike the dynasties of the Chinese thate date back thousands of years, we don’t have an established track record yet.

    We still enjoy an enormous amount of liberties, in spite of the constant assault on them compared to other long and historically established governments. The giant still fears us wee ones, and as long as us wee one have direction.. we can still steer him in the direction we want to go.

  3. Remember the ATF at WACO? Bunch of Idiots got their asses blown away on the first day. They could have arrested Koresh anytime on his many trips to town.

  4. still think tim mcveigh was a terroist?

  5. Thank you, Obama and Emmanuel, for your ham-handed overreaching that has rejuvenated 2nd and 10th Amendment movements. This has been slowly coming on anyway, but they have helped to put it on steroids. I feel that if they continue upsetting the delicate balance, that they could jeopardize our union, especially now that the USA has become so frail from the terrible financial and economic crisis that has descended upon us.

  6. The agency is called BATFE not ATF.

  7. What an excellent article.
    We’re definitely moving in the direction of a confrontation with the ATF,but the ATF employees in a particular state won’t have their hearts in the battle though.
    I assume that the least risky tactic that the feds will pursue is one of threatening the governor to get in line of face arrest.
    However,if there’s a governor who’s got a “set”,he’ll surround himself with loyal “state rights” police,sheriff’s and other LE types in order to stymie any arrest attempt by Washington.
    Make some popcorn because this show is going to get interesting.

  8. FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!

    LIVE FREE TIL YOU DIE!

    Join the movement to release:

    Irwin Schiff
    Leonard Peltier
    Yori Kahl
    Jim Traficant
    Dick Simkanin
    Sherry Jackson

    and all the rest of the political prisoners everywhere!

    The mobocracy looter minions must be allowed to consume everything around them, then each other, and then finally themselves.

    Sincerely,
    John and Dagny Galt
    Atlas Shrugged, Owner’s Manual For The Universe!(tm)

    .

  9. I’m always surprised when people give credence to the idea that the federal government has any standing in a debate about what the Constitution means.

    As the party that was created only as a result of the Constitution, the one party that cannot sensibly have any such standing, is the federal government.

    The Constitution is an agreement between the sovereign states, that they will delegate certain powers to a single entitty that THEY created for that purpose. It beggars the imagination that anyone can pretend to (a) be rational, while (b) claiming that this created entity has a more valid interpretation of the Constitution than do the sovereign states.

    Anyone who holds these mutually contradictory positions is really only trumpeting their abject abasement before raw power, and nothing else.

  10. This should awaken some Tennessee Volunteers.

  11. Yes, increasing Federal power continues after each successive administration. A huge leap occurred during the Bush admin with Cheney interpreting the Constitution as he saw fit. Now this escalation of power is in the hands of juvenile state actors. Supporting either of these two dominant political parties is ridiculous.

  12. FANTOMAS

    Remember who the governor of FLORIDA was at the time of the Elian raid?\

    BUSH!!! The BUSH gang is part of the FED gang, and will always fall in

    line with an overbearing, allpowerful FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. No different

    than OBAMA.

  13. Montana did this earlier this year. The message is clear; state legislatures have been signing “non-binding resolutions” and bills that send clear, strong messages to the federal government that the states and their populace are not willing to go along with the programs; from REAL ID to supposed “environmental protection” laws, the soverignty and liberty of people themselves to make meaningful decisions in their lives is under direct assualt. Most officials of said programs would respond “they just aren’t ready yet”; it’s a predatory mentality that originated during reconstruction in the 1870’s.

    These 2nd amendment rights bills will end up in the courts but meantime inbetween time businesses and individuals will start selling firearms the federal government would rather the public not have. America already has a 16:1 gun ratio for every man, women, and child plus large amounts of ammunition. The government AND population is VERY aware of rioting and are both making substantial movements to keep the potential for civil unrest or the breaking up of the union from occuring. The federal government has been making piecemeal, typically meaningless concessions and demanding major concessions from the states while putting foreign military on call in treaties; the communication from the federal government is if we have any major outbreaks of civil unrest they won’t have an issue calling in Mexican or Canadian military on a permanent basis which would essentially result in a land-grab from those governments over the long term.

    It’s apparent to everyone right now our congress is acting like one would expect some podunk 3rd world country too so they are arming up and getting prepared for war. They are also beginning to fight with the government through business; these two trends will eventually land us out of this mess but before it does we’re going to end up with some serious excretions hitting the wall.

  14. Its time for the solution to these BATF criminals described in John Ross’ great book ‘Unintended Consequences’ to begin in earnest. Good luck.

  15. Would someone post a the name of a gun shop in Tennessee who will sell a made in Tennessee gun. I want to buy one and test the law. You may email the gun shop’s name.

    We MUST remain independent from the Federal government before we all end up prisoners of the Federal government.

    23 year Veteran, US Army, combat type.

  16. This is all very encouraging. I never thought I would see it come down to states refusing to play nice. However I do have some reservations. The Montana firearms freedom law in particular states that it does not apply to machineguns or suppressors. Essentially what that means is that Montanans can’t own anything now that they couldn’t before the law was put in place. Yay…

  17. The matter (10th amendment, State’s rights, and the Natural Right of Self Preservation) is not so simple as expressed in this article. If one researches the fundamental “changes in state government Constitutions” manifested by Revision or full blown Constitution Conventions (mid 1960’s to early 1970’s), one will find that ALL STATE CONSTITUTION TERRITORIAL JURISDICTIONAL CLAIMS were removed (also references to State Sovereignty, Common Law etc.) from all modern American State Constitutions (no longer operating under Amendment 10 referred to as The New Order of Things by Authors on the subject matter of State Constitutional Conventions and Revisions). This redaction of Territorial Jurisdiction mitigated the Elephant in the Room problem (hinted at in this article) of State’s & Federal Government’s CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE SEPARATION OF POWERS DOCTRINE (see http://sedm.org/Forms/MemLaw/SeparationOfPowers.pdf) for complete analysis on this subject matter).

    The fact of this condition precedent is that America has “two states that appear to occupy the same territorial space” at the same time (this phenomena is described by Constitutional Scholars as “the appearance of reality for reality itself”). One State (being Federal in nature operating outside the confines of the Constitution for United States of America (1887) ) and the other organic, Incorporated into the Union, recognized under Amendment 10, Republican in Nature, merely “hanging on a thread” as per The Guarantee of a Republican form of Government clause as per Article 4, Section 4 to wit:
    “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened), against domestic Violence.”

    To complicate the matter further, we also have two classes of citizens in this country. One class functioning under Amendment Fourteen (subject to the jurisdiction thereof or a subject of the Federal Government) and the other being the original/organic Citizen of a State as per Article 4, Section. 2. to wit:
    “The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.”

    This referenced “Citizen of a State” Natural Right’s may only be denied by way of Due Process of Law (he/she commits an Actual Crime as per Common Law (injures another Human Being), whereas as the Fourteenth Amendment subject is accountable to All 50 Titles of the U.S. Code (under the Incorporated Rights theory, his/hers only real right is to reside within a state.. all other rights come to being via Court Rulings and Civil Rights acts).

    A remedy to this above matter for Citizens of a State may be found in the Sovereigns Immunity Act of 1976 (so as not be persecuted by State or Federal Government’s operating under the theory of the New Federalism or Legislative Democracy verses a Constitutional Republic).

    I hope this sheds some light on this subject for you and others on this wonderful Freedom Loving Web site.

    Warm Regards,
    Patrick

    Note: Additional study on the subject of State Citizen v Federal citizen (under amendment 14) and proper state jurisdiction v Federal jurisdiction may found in following two cases:
    The Slaughter-House cases (State Citizen v Federal citizen) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaughter-House_Cases and http://www.lectlaw.com/files/case30.htm

    Downs v Bidwell @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downes_v._Bidwell and http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=182&invol=244

  18. The 14th Amendment negates the 9th and 10th Amendments. Read a book called The Red Amendment and find out why. The so-called State Sovereignty Movement is going down a dead-end road. It’s up to us to correct it by correcting our status. What am I talking about? Check out www dot deprogram dot us

  19. It will probably take awhile for this to draw out. The Feds are usually very patient about these kinds of things, waiting for the furor to die down and going about their merry business of ignoring the constitution that was meant to tie THEIR hands rather than ours. However, if the people of Tennessee act, both through their state government and by opening and patronizing businesses that will ignore the ATF edict, then we might have a chance to force a confrontation.

    People don’t like to hear that word, confrontation, but it really has come down to that. Either we confront the Feds and put them back in their place, or we consent to slavery. It’s that simple.

    For once I’m proud of my my state government. I just hope they don’t lose their nerve and back down.

  20. If Tennessee and the Federal Government clash over this issue, it represents a question of whether the 10th Amendment or the Commerce Clause is superior. The 10th says that any powers not granted to the Fed or prohibited to the states pursuant to the constitution, remain with the state. The applicable questions then are as follows:

    Does this involve a power the state is prohibited from exercising? No. States have the inherent police power to regulate firearms.

    Does this involve a power granted to the Fed? The Fed has no inherent police power so seemingly no…but wait, the fed does have the power to regulate interstate commerce and the things that may have a cumulative effect on it through the commerce clause.

    Guns are involved in interstate commerce and the federal government has the power under the constitution to regulate such commerce. Does it matter that these state’s legislatures specifically refer only to those guns, ammo and parts produced solely inside the state (intrastate and not interstate)?

    Maybe…but probably not. Consider the following cases:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn

    Production quotas under the Agricultural Adjustment Act were constitutionally applied to agricultural production that was consumed purely intrastate, because its effect upon interstate commerce placed it within the power of Congress to regulate under the Commerce Clause.

    but see…

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Lopez

    Possession of a gun near school is not an economic activity that has a substantial effect on interstate commerce. A law prohibiting guns near schools is a criminal statute that does not relate to commerce or any sort of economic activity.

    Do these types of laws have a cumulative and substantial effect on interstate commerce? Probably, they do! If the US Supreme Court agrees, then the Fed’s laws will indeed trump the state laws and the ATF would be correct in its assertions.

  21. tn atty gen should have all federal batf agents arrested and deported out of state.

  22. I applaud Tennessee and Montana for attemting to reign in Federal Agencies overstepping their bounds.

    I would bring this up: US Second Amendment has been shown to “guarantee” a right of the “people”, not the states. Therefore, to my way of thinking, 2A nullifies both Fed and State limitations on “arms”. They are all unconstitutional by any literal reading of the Amendment. Just as 4th and 5th have been held to prevent States (and the Fed) from limiting rights of due process, search and seizure, etc.

    The first gun control laws, in the late 1860’s, were made by southern states who wished to limit the 2A rights of freed slaves, and were struct down by SCOTUS as interfering with those persons’ 2A rights.

    Punishment for misuse of a “Right” is the only logical deterrent: “Reasonable” gun laws only limit law-abiding citizens of the several states. This can be seen in the results of DC and Chicago gun restrictions vs. those states (such as Florida) with few limits on firearms ownership, and in Great Britain’s, Canada’s, and Australia’s denial of the citizens’ rights to self-defense experiment over the last century.

    The anti-’s engage in classical propaganda, citing unsupportable statistics to support their position, and restating the lies until they become “Truth”. Kleck, Lott, and more recently Nemerov have done excellent work bebunking the falsehoods.

  23. Unfortunately, the problem is that we, as Americans, have decided to always take the ‘easy way out’. This means that it is ‘easier’ if the federal pack of assclowns take care of it all, while the states packs of assclowns wring their hands and say that federal law trump state law. I should have never left TN…

  24. I applaud Tenn. and Montana (and any other state that takes this route.) But mark my works…. the Federal government will do to them what they did to Gov. Symington of Arizona in the 90’s. Let me tell you the short version because forewarned is forearmed. (Or put another way, “they play dirty.”)

    At that time, Congress could not pass the budget. As a result many of the parks and facilities were being closed. This was just the Fed. gov. power play to put the pressure on the people. They would go to the parks and would be turned away. Interestingly by an employee who would tell them they parks were closed due to the budget not being passed. The idea was that this would make the sheeple run to their representatives to tell them to “pass that budget so we can enjoy our parks again!”

    The Gov. of Arizona had an idea. He deployed the state national guard to the parks to man them so that the people of Arizona and those visiting Arizona could see the Grand Canyon and other facilities in Arizona.

    His actions so infuriated Washington DC that they started a witch hunt to “make him pay.” They succeeded in getting him convicted on “bank fraud” and effectively silenced a good man.

    The “bank fraud” conviction was because of the way he filled out the forms to get a commercial loan. That conviction was later overturned because the judge in the case removed a juror who would not convict. (IOW, it was a kangaroo court.) To my knowledge they never retried him. They didn’t need to. Once he was convicted he had to resign as governor and effectively lost his power to do anything about the out of control fed. government.

    What many people do not know is that the same governor, his first year in office, started a “constitutional committee” who’s task it was to find 10th amendment type cases to take before the courts to try and rein in the federal abuse of it’s power. He (and many of us) could see then the Fed. government was out of control. I still have the letters signed by the then governor to prove this.

    So, to those who are doing this, good for you! Now watch your backs, because the other side plays dirty pool.

  25. Once again, the War on Drugs serves as practice for the war on guns..

  26. The real issue is: under what article of the Constitution does the ATF (FBI, DEA, etc.. for that matter)derive it’s powers/authority?

    Answer: None. Police powers are not enumerated in the constitution, which under the 10th Amendment means the Federal government is denied that power.

    The Commerce clause has been used to usurp this as well as other powers Our founders would have rightfully led an armed rebellion against such usurpation (see Federalist #28).

    Well??????? Where are the new Sons of Liberty? Where is its leadership?
    We are fast sinking in to tyranny—when will it be too late to act. soon I fear. Not in onsees and twosees, but in nothing less than the millions will be required

    SamAdams1776 III

  27. The Free State Project has some good leadership, and the Ron Paul people have a start as well. There are people stepping up, but it’s a slow process. In a way, this is like how the body fights infection. It’s a race between the invader and the immune system… right now, the invaders (socialists) have a huge head start and the immune system (the patriots) have been caught napping. We have no time to waste.

  28. I think that Skippy should be put back into his jar and tighten the lid.

  29. What’s all this palava about the Firearms Freedom Act?

    I don’t recall the Dick Act ever being repealed, so why waste so much precious time running out re-inventing the wheel (or bullet, in this case)?
    http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/Mullins1.htm

    quote:-
    “Every state in the union has a militia.[8] Laypersons know the militia as the ‘National Guard,’ an inaccurate and oversimplified rubric for an institution that has several different personalities depending on the laws under which it is operating.[9]

    Theoretically, a state’s militia is an independent military force. It is a part of the executive department of the state and may be used for police augmentation, civil disturbance control, natural disaster relief, or any other lawful purpose pertaining to security of the state and its citizens.[10] The governor is the commander-in-chief of the militia and is generally responsible for its operations.[11]”

    Use Federal laws against their creators! Come on people, organise!

  30. I think the whole idea of States reaffirming control is fantastic. It shows that all people don’t have their head in the sand. And that there is hope for our system yet. After speaking with the folks at Waco’s Branch Div. 2 years ago. I have come to the conclusion that don’t need black police forces ie.ATF in our States

  31. I hope the proper parties within the TN State Government sent a follow up letter to all FFL holders in TN in response to the ATF’s mid June 2009 “OPEN LETTER TO ALL TENNESSEE FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEES” informing them to ignore this letter and why.

    P.S.:
    TN FFLs – Make sure Nashville knows that you hold a federal license or they won’t be able to help or find you.

  32. If the federal government, through the commerce clause, claims it can impose regulations on fire arms on the citizens of the several states, can it also impose those same regulations on the citizens of foreign countries, and if so, where does it all end?

  33. Actually when it all comes down the line, “We The People” that are the ultimate Militia. That is what the Second Amendement is for and what people are so upset about. It’s just time to force their hand on this, and make our representatives in Congress back us up. Either they back us now and voluntarily, or we replace them with people who will. just my.02. Have a nice day.

  34. The Sovereignty Movement will not “fly”. The 14th Amendment has negated the 10 Amendment. This government is working OUTSIDE the Constitution. Check the website I’ve given to find out why this is true. Due diligence!

  35. Has it ever occurred to you that certain elements of the international banking cartel, CFR, Trilateral Commission, etc. actually WANT to see seccession and the breakup of the USA, in order to reduce its power and bring its parts to heel, under their domination, even more than they already are?

  36. The United States is not a country, not a nation. Each state is a country/nation.

    Status is simply the status of a man or woman.

    After the Civil War (so-called) the status of people in American was altered. There are several factors that transpired when this took place. One is hidden servitude.

    The details of hidden slavery are noted in the Fourteenth Amendment, in Section 4, wherein it states the public debt shall not be questioned. As PAC relies on both secular and Biblical law to gain understanding of the problem, it has been determined that the Fourteenth Amendment is the most deceptive and evil thing one could ever imagine.

    In regard to applicable factors to consider one that you must understand is that the Bible sets forth that the borrower is servant (slave) to the lender (Proverbs 22.7). Furthermore, Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment turns people into “natural persons” : a legal entity. We know that God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). In furtherance of the scheme, Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment, by operation of law, makes people rebel against their lawful governments. The language in Section 2 actually states it is a crime to vote.

    Simply put: People are in rebellion against God and are being treated as legal entities.

    In secular law a “person” is a slave that cannot question his master.

    Understand? The United States is your master and you cannot question the debt.

    Do you see what has been going on here? People had freedom and they were conned into this illegitimate government imposed after the Civil War. Before the Fourteenth Amendment the people of the United States were the master and had the right to question everything!

    To have a better understanding of how this has been accomplished, read the statement below by Albert Pike, Master Mason:

    SECRET SOCIETIES. Masonry, like all the Religions, all the Mysteries, Hermeticism and Alchemy, conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts and Sages, or the Elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled; to conceal the Truth, which it calls Light, from them, and to draw them away from it. Truth is not for those who are unworthy or unable to receive it, or would pervert it… The truth must be kept secret, and the masses need a teaching proportioned to their imperfect reason.” —Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma (circa 1871)

    You see, through their religion they set out to intentionally deceive you.

    This is an ancient maxim which supports this:

    QUI VULT DECIPI, DECIPIATUR. Let him who wishes to be deceived, be deceived.

    In summary, Secret Societies have deceived you, took you away from the Law of God, turned you into a legal entity, and have turned you into a slave. To correct this, you must remove yourself from the body politic under the 14th Amendment.

    Click my name for more information.