I have seen written in many blogs and other places that our country is not free anymore, that we’re now some kind of theocracy, dictatorship, despotism, plutocracy, or some oligarchy. This belief is ridiculous and outlandish to say the least, since we have been and still are a representative democracy.

A Theocracy is- a form of government in which a religion or faith plays the dominant role. Properly speaking, it refers to a form of government in which the organs of the religious sphere replace or dominate the organs of the political sphere. The word theocracy originates from the Greek words θεος (theos), “god” and κρατειν (kratein), “to rule”. The term means “rule by god”.

A Dictatorship is- in contemporary usage, refers to absolute rule by a leadership (usually one dictator) unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors within the state.

A Oligarchy is- is a form of government where most or all political power effectively rests with a small segment of society (typically the most powerful, whether by wealth, family, military strength, ruthlessness, or political influence). The word oligarchy is from the Greek words for "few" (oligo) and "rule" (arkhos).

A Despotism is- is a form of government by a single authority, either an individual (ie. autocracy) or tightly knit group (ie. oligarchy), which rules with absolute political power. On its classical form, a despotism is a state where one single man wields all the power and authority, and everyone else is considered as his slave. This form of despotism was the first known form of statehood and civilization; the Pharaoh of Egypt is a hallmark of a classical despot. Many Third World countries can even today be considered as classical despoties.

A Plutocracy is- is a form of government where all the state's decisions are centralized in an affluent wealthy class of citizenry, and the degree of economic inequality is high while the level of social mobility is low. This can apply to a multitude of government systems, as the key elements of plutocracy transcend and often occur concomitantly with the features of those systems. The word "plutocracy" itself is derived from the ancient Greek root ploutos, meaning wealth.

A Representative Democracy is- is so named because the people do not vote on most government decisions directly, but select representatives to a governing body or assembly. Representives may be chosen by the electorate as a whole (as in many proportional systems) or represent a particular subset (usually a geographic district or constituency), with some systems using a combination of the two. Many representative democracies incorporate some elements direct democracy, such as referenda.

Our Government is still controlled and run by our Constitution, our Freedoms/liberties, and our State laws, that keep us free and prosperous.

We still have a Legislative branch, Executive branch, and Judicial branch. One branch keep the other in check, like a three legged stool, we need all three to keep us going.

Legislative power

Main article: Article One of the United States Constitution

Article One establishes the legislative branch of government, U.S. Congress, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Article establishes the manner of election and qualifications of members of each House. In addition, it provides for free debate in congress and limits self-serving behavior of congressmen, outlines legislative procedure and indicates the powers of the legislative branch. Finally, it establishes limits on federal and state legislative power.

Executive power

Main article: Article Two of the United States Constitution

Article Two describes the presidency (the executive branch): procedures for the selection of the president, qualifications for office, the oath to be affirmed and the powers and duties of the office. It also provides for the office of Vice President of the United States, and specifies that the Vice President succeeds to the presidency if the President is incapacitated, dies, or resigns, although whether this succession was on an acting or permanent basis was unclear until the passage of the 25th Amendment. (Amendment XXV of the United States Constitution clarifies an ambiguous provision of the Constitution regarding succession to the Presidency, and establishes procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President as well as responding to Presidential disabilities.)

Article Two also provides for the impeachment and removal from office of civil officers (the President, Vice President, judges, and others).

Judicial power

Main article: Article Three of the United States Constitution

Article Three describes the court system (the judicial branch), including the Supreme Court. The article requires that there be one court called the Supreme Court; Congress, at its discretion, can create lower courts, whose judgments and orders are reviewable by the Supreme Court. Article Three also requires trial by jury in all criminal cases, defines the crime of treason, and charges Congress with providing for a punishment for it, while imposing limits on that punishment.

The States still have their place with our nation...

States' powers and limits

Main article: Article Four of the United States Constitution

Article Four describes the relationship between the states and the Federal government, and amongst the states. For instance, it requires states to give "full faith and credit" to the public acts, records and court proceedings of the other states. Congress is permitted to regulate the manner in which proof of such acts, records or proceedings may be admitted. The "privileges and immunities" clause prohibits state governments from discriminating against citizens of other states in favor of resident citizens (e.g., having tougher penalties for residents of Ohio convicted of crimes within Arizona). It also establishes extradition between the states, as well as laying down a legal basis for freedom of movement and travel amongst the states. Today, this provision is sometimes taken for granted, especially by citizens who live near state borders; but in the days of the Articles of Confederation, crossing state lines was often a much more arduous (and costly) process. Article Four also provides for the creation and admission of new states. The Territorial Clause gives Congress the power to make rules for disposing of Federal property and governing non-state territories of the United States. Finally, the fourth section of Article Four requires the United States to guarantee to each state a republican form of government, and to protect the states from invasion and violence.

Then we have our Bill of Rights, the 1st ten Amendments, which I will get too, but 1st lets tackle the other Amendments that we have had since our country’s birth.

Eleventh Amendment (1795): Clarifies judicial power over foreign nationals, and limits ability of citizens to sue states in federal courts and under federal law. (all good)

Twelfth Amendment (1804): Changes the method of presidential elections so that members of the electoral college cast separate ballots for president and vice president. (all good)

Thirteenth Amendment (1865): Abolishes slavery and grants Congress power to enforce abolition. (Very Good, should have been done at the beginning, so that our ’spirit’ of the Constitution and the ’law’ of the Constitution matched, The good thing about this Amendment is that we made Slavery for the 1st time in human history to be immoral and evil, it was talked about and Abolitionists were around before this happened, but Lincoln and the Republican party made Slavery WRONG. And that’s a Great thing!)

Fourteenth Amendment (1868): Defines United States citizenship; prohibits states from abridging citizens' privileges or immunities and rights to due process and the equal protection of the law; repeals the three-fifths compromise. (a very good thing)

Fifteenth Amendment (1870): Prohibits the federal government and the states from using a citizen's race, color, or previous status as a slave as a qualification for voting.(another very good thing)

Sixteenth Amendment (1913): Authorizes unapportioned federal taxes on income.(Taxes yuk, this needs to be repealed, and some fairer from of Taxation put in it’s place, flat tax, etc)

Seventeenth Amendment (1913): Establishes direct election of senators. (all good)

Eighteenth Amendment (1919): Prohibited the manufacturing, importing, and exporting of beverage alcohol. (see prohibition) Repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment. (disaster, had to be repealed)

Nineteenth Amendment (1920): Prohibits the federal government and the states from using a citizen's sex as a qualification for voting. (very good, should have been done at the birth of the nation, but better late then never)

Twentieth Amendment (1933): Changes details of Congressional and presidential terms and of presidential succession. (all good)

Twenty-first Amendment (1933): Repeals Eighteenth Amendment. Permits states to prohibit the importation of alcohol. (like I said, 18th shouldn't have been in acted, but hey, good thing we repealed it, baseball wouldn’t have been the same without a beer)

Twenty-second Amendment (1951): Limits president to two terms. (all good)

Twenty-third Amendment (1961): Grants presidential electors to the District of Columbia. (all good)

Twenty-fourth Amendment (1964): Prohibits the federal government and the states from requiring the payment of a tax as a qualification for voting for federal officials. (very good)

Twenty-fifth Amendment (1967): Changes details of presidential succession, provides for temporary removal of president, and provides for replacement of the vice president. (all good)

Twenty-sixth Amendment (1971): Prohibits the federal government and the states from forbidding any citizen of age 18 or greater to vote. (very good)

Twenty-seventh Amendment (1992): Limits congressional pay raises. (very, very good, who else gets to give themselves a pay raise?)

Now to our Bill or Rights-

Freedom of speech (we still have this freedom, if we didn’t how is, Moore, Sheehan, Reiner, Still talking? And Dixie Chicks still shooting their selves in the foot, Churchill is still talking about ‘little Ikemens’) And remember, it’s freedom of Speech, not freedom to be heard.

Freedom of the press (Gee, Fox news isn’t the only news source today. Still have New York Times, Still have the Guardian, Still have NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, still have LA Times, and the Dallas Morning news, just not as many people listening to them anymore) And remember it’s freedom of the press, not freedom to be read or listened too.

freedom of assembly (Still have this, That Kansas Church is still out there, Sheehan is still out there, and all the Anti-War, Anti-Big Business, Anti-Right) and it is a freedom of assembly, not freedom to be a Mob.

freedom of religious worship (this is still true, nobody is forced to go to church, there is no ‘Church of America’, Wiccan’s are not being rounded up and burned) And freedom of religious worship doesn’t mean that politicians can’t be religious, and it doesn’t mean that America has to be a Atheist nation.

right to bear arms (hunters still hunting, people still able to protect themselves from crime) And to touch on ‘bear arms’, I hear those on the left say that this was for ‘militias’ that could have pistols/rifles, not the public at large. This is wrong:

militia:
An army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers. A military force that is not part of a regular army and is subject to call for service in an emergency. The whole body of physically fit civilians eligible by law for military service.

So I ’Joe six pack’ can and do have a pistol, rifle, shotgun, etc, and no I don’t think this means you can have anything you want either, no stringers, or AA guns in the backyard....

preventing unreasonable search and seizure (still all good)!

preventing cruel and unusual punishment (still all good) And using the Death penalty is not ‘cruel and unusual’, sorry left, it is a fitting punishment for taking another human’s life.

protection from self-incrimination (Bush Hasn’t disregarded habeas corpus, you can still claim the 5th)

guaranteeing due process of law (still good)!

speedy public trial with an impartial jury (still good)!

And I also want to point out that Muslim fascist who we capture on the battle field or other places, are being held as prisoners of war, even though they do not wear a ‘uniform’ or fight for anyone country. They do not have ‘Rights’ that American citizen has. They are not a citizen under our constitution.

So, please, you guys on the Left, shut up about ‘oh my rights are gone’ or ‘This isn’t a free country anymore’, you full of shit, everytime you say that, and you only look unintelligent, stupid, and thick when you do.

Got it? Good....