Investigate Your State (Knowledge Really IS Power)

I am sure that most of you are familiar with the United States Bill of Rights (for those of you who are in the United States) and, sadly, to a lesser extent the United States Constitution. But how many of you are aware of what is contained in the Constitution of your own State or Commonwealth? For that matter, how many of you are even aware of the fact that your State or Commonwealth even has a Constitution?

I see a lot of people running around screaming how they are United States citizens and that they have rights, but I wonder if they even know what those rights are. I see a lot of people running around saying how we should support the troops, but I wonder if these people even know what it is that our troops fight for and why we should support them. These documents were written for YOU so that your freedom would carry a guarantee. In the span of time that most of you have spent surfing the internet for whatever the latest catastrophe that Britney Spears has been involved in, you could have read the Bill of Rights for whatever State you’re in. Spend about 20 minutes each day investigating who is running for what office in your locality or State and what they stand for. It isn’t that hard. I hear people say: “I don’t like politics”. Well, do you like being free? Knowing and exercising your rights isn’t political. It’s a part of being a free human. Rights are like muscles. If you do not use them, they atrophy and lose their strength. One must exercise them if one wants to keep them. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees your right to keep and bear arms, meaning weapons. There is no greater weapon than the human mind with a will to be free. Don’t let your pursuit of convenience or your pursuit of material wealth or your pursuit of pop culture knowledge get in the way of your pursuit of true freedom. If you do, your access to convenience, material wealth and pop culture knowledge will go away. I promise you that.

So, I live in Georgia. Here is the Bill of Rights as spelled out in the Constitution for the State of Georgia. You can find a link to the Constitution for your State by following this link. Go forth and fill thy brain with knowledge of freedom, my young padawan. In this case, knowledge really is power. If you know your rights and the Government knows that you know them, then they cannot lie to you and take advantage of your ignorance.

CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA

PREAMBLE

To perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace,

Promote the interest and happiness of the citizen and of the family, and transmit to posterity

The enjoyment of liberty, we the people of Georgia, relying upon the protection and guidance

Of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

ARTICLE I.

BILL OF RIGHTS

SECTION I.

RIGHTS OF PERSONS

Paragraph I. Life, liberty, and property. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or

property except by due process of law.

Paragraph II. Protection to person and property; equal protection. Protection to person

and property is the paramount duty of government and shall be impartial and complete.

No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws.

Paragraph III. Freedom of conscience. Each person has the natural and inalienable

Right to worship God, each according to the dictates of that person’s own conscience; and

No human authority should, in any case, control or interfere with such right of conscience.

Paragraph IV. Religious opinions; freedom of religion. No inhabitant of this state shall

Be molested in person or property or be prohibited from holding any public office or trust

On account of religious opinions; but the right of freedom of religion shall not be so construed

As to excuse acts of licentiousness or justify practices inconsistent with the peace and

Safety of the state.

Paragraph V. Freedom of speech and of the press guaranteed. No law shall be passed

to curtail or restrain the freedom of speech or of the press. Every person may speak, write,

and publish sentiments on all subjects but shall be responsible for the abuse of that liberty.

Paragraph VI. Libel. In all civil or criminal actions for libel, the truth may be given in

evidence; and, if it shall appear to the trier of fact that the matter charged as libelous is true,

the party shall be discharged.

Paragraph VII. Citizens, protection of. All citizens of the United States, resident in this

state, are hereby declared citizens of this state; and it shall be the duty of the General

Assembly to enact such laws as will protect them in the full enjoyment of the rights, privileges,

and immunities due to such citizenship.

Paragraph VIII. Arms, right to keep and bear. The right of the people to keep and bear

arms shall not be infringed, but the General Assembly shall have power to prescribe the

manner in which arms may be borne.

Paragraph IX. Right to assemble and petition. The people have the right to assemble

peaceably for their common good and to apply by petition or remonstrance to those vested

with the powers of government for redress of grievances.

Paragraph X. Bill of attainder; ex post facto laws; and retroactive laws. No bill of

attainder, ex post facto law, retroactive law, or laws impairing the obligation of contract or

making irrevocable grant of special privileges or immunities shall be passed.

Paragraph XI. Right to trial by jury; number of jurors; selection and compensation of

jurors. (a) The right to trial by jury shall remain inviolate, except that the court shall render

judgment without the verdict of a jury in all civil cases where no issuable defense is filed

and where a jury is not demanded in writing by either party. In criminal cases, the defendant

shall have a public and speedy trial by an impartial jury; and the jury shall be the

judges of the law and the facts.

(b) A trial jury shall consist of 12 persons; but the General Assembly may prescribe any

number, not less than six, to constitute a trial jury in courts of limited jurisdiction and in

superior courts in misdemeanor cases.

(c) The General Assembly shall provide by law for the selection and compensation of

persons to serve as grand jurors and trial jurors.

Paragraph XII. Right to the courts. No person shall be deprived of the right to prosecute

or defend, either in person or by an attorney, that person’s own cause in any of the

courts of this state.

Paragraph XIII. Searches, seizures, and warrants. The right of the people to be secure

in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures

shall not be violated; and no warrant shall issue except upon probable cause supported by

oath or affirmation particularly describing the place or places to be searched and the persons

or things to be seized.

Paragraph XIV. Benefit of counsel; accusation; list of witnesses; compulsory process.

Every person charged with an offense against the laws of this state shall have the privilege

and benefit of counsel; shall be furnished with a copy of the accusation or indictment and,

on demand, with a list of the witnesses on whose testimony such charge is founded; shall

have compulsory process to obtain the testimony of that person’s own witnesses; and shall

be confronted with the witnesses testifying against such person.

Paragraph XV. Habeas corpus. The writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended

unless, in case of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.

Paragraph XVI. Self-incrimination. No person shall be compelled to give testimony

tending in any manner to be self-incriminating.

Paragraph XVII. Bail; fines; punishment; arrest, abuse of prisoners. Excessive bail

shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments

inflicted; nor shall any person be abused in being arrested, while under arrest, or in prison.

Paragraph XVIII. Jeopardy of life or liberty more than once forbidden. No person shall

be put in jeopardy of life or liberty more than once for the same offense except when a new

trial has been granted after conviction or in case of mistrial.

Paragraph XIX. Treason. Treason against the State of Georgia shall consist of insurrection

against the state, adhering to the state´s enemies, or giving them aid and comfort. No

person shall be convicted of treason except on the testimony of two witnesses to the same

overt act or confession in open court.

Paragraph XX. Conviction, effect of. No conviction shall work corruption of blood or

forfeiture of estate.

Paragraph XXI. Banishment and whipping as punishment for crime. Neither banishment

beyond the limits of the state nor whipping shall be allowed as a punishment for

crime.

Paragraph XXII. Involuntary servitude. There shall be no involuntary servitude within

the State of Georgia except as a punishment for crime after legal conviction thereof or for

contempt of court.

Paragraph XXIII. Imprisonment for debt. There shall be no imprisonment for debt.

Paragraph XXIV. Costs. No person shall be compelled to pay costs in any criminal case

except after conviction on final trial.

Paragraph XXV. Status of the citizen. The social status of a citizen shall never be the

subject of legislation.

Paragraph XXVI. Exemptions from levy and sale. The General Assembly shall protect

by law from levy and sale by virtue of any process under the laws of this state a portion of

the property of each person in an amount of not less than $1,600.00 and shall have authority

to define to whom any such additional exemptions shall be allowed; to specify the

amount of such exemptions; to provide for the manner of exempting such property and for

the sale, alienation, and encumbrance thereof; and to provide for the waiver of said exemptions

by the debtor.

Paragraph XXVII. Spouse´s separate property. The separate property of each spouse

shall remain the separate property of that spouse except as otherwise provided by law.

Paragraph XXVIII. Fishing and hunting. The tradition of fishing and hunting and the

taking of fish and wildlife shall be preserved for the people and shall be managed by law

and regulation for the public good.

Paragraph XXIX. Enumeration of rights not denial of others. The enumeration of

rights herein contained as a part of this Constitution shall not be construed to deny to the

people any inherent rights which they may have hitherto enjoyed.