Resisting First Amendment Attack

by Brad Gay

We are in an unprecedented time in the history of America. We have one political party pursuing a power grab overtop the Bill of Rights like we have never seen before. Acting as though they have the power to do anything because they were elected, they completely ignore the oath they take to support and defend the Constitution of the United States as well as the fact that they are servants of the American people. They place little or no value on the liberty and dignity of the individual person. This is no surprise considering this political party cannot even decide when life begins or which lives have value and which do not. The truth, of course, is that every human being has unlimited value and worth regardless of race, gender, religion, or age.

To compound this epic threat to personal freedom, we have a second political party without the moral or intellectual courage to pull out all the stops to halt them. Instead we get hand washing comments such as "elections have consequences". I am sorry. I did not realize that an election can determine when and how we can practice our faith and if and how we can protect ourselves and our families. The founders of this country certainly understood our rights to speak, write, practice our faith, and defend our lives and property. These are natural rights to the logically inclined. To the power hungry and selfish, these natural rights stand in the way of their plans to reshape society in their image. So preposterous is their ideology and lack of tolerance, they think they have a plan that is better than a Constitution which created the most prosperous times for the most people in the history of nation building.

So with a salivating power hungry party on one side and a mainstream media handicapped party on the other side what is an average American citizen to do? Well they could cower in the corner or they could fight back. Hobby Lobby has decided to fight back. In a move that too many ignore because the issues is about a few services that a few religions find against their conscience, Hobby Lobby is doing every freedom loving American citizen a big favor. Last Wednesday (12/26), the Supreme Court denied Hobby Lobby an emergency injunction to temporary block the law requiring them to provide insurance that includes "free" contraception, abortifacients, and sterilizations. While the Supreme Court may still rule against this Obamacare HHS Mandate, Hobby Lobby is now required to provide this coverage or pay fines of up to $1.3 million per day until a decision is made. Hobby Lobby has decided to not comply with the requirement to provide this coverage which is a violation of the ownership’s First Amendment right to not have their right to practice religion taken away. While many say that they are ignoring the employees’ religious beliefs, the reality is that the company should not have to pay for services which violate their conscience when those same employees can easily access and afford paying for these services on their own if they so choose.

In addition, if this is allowed to stand, who is to say that they may next be forced to pay for and supply all employees with a Quran? The freedoms in the Bill of Rights are unequivocal and they apply to every individual person. If Hobby Lobby just lies down and does not fight this attack, then they would set precedent for every other individual to do the same. They would provide no moral courage or testimony as to what one should do when a Government violates it’s very own supreme law of the land. When the government comes next to take away your right to say something or to own a gun or to have a warrant before your arrest, or to have all newspapers proofread by the Federal Government, there will be no prior precedent for resistance.

It is sad that it has come to this in a nation that has experience so much freedom and prosperity. But here is where we stand. If you support the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights for anyone, please support Hobby Lobby and other institutions that are fighting this attack on the First Amendment exactly the way that they should. Then after you are done supporting them, resolve as an American to take one small step everyday by speaking and standing up for the freedom that you have enjoyed for most of your life.. 2013 is a big year for the defense of freedom. Make it count for you and your family.