You don’t know me.
We take things for granted. Founders did not: a standing army was debated. Oceans “situated [us] at a great distance from” warring nations. [FN1] Wars did not gouge thousand-mile scars across our soil, as trenches did to France in WW1. 1/13

The Framers of the Constitution [FN2] were suspicious of people who held, or sought, political power and so created checks and balances to stop such people from seizing power and to check the exercise of such power. [FN3] Some opposed a Bill of Rights. [FN4] 2/13

Hamilton warned “bills of rights [] are not only unnecessary [] but would even be dangerous. They would contain various exceptions to powers which are not granted; and on this very account, would afford a colorable pretext to claim more than were granted.” [FN5] 3/13

The Constitution went into effect 3/4/1789. [FN6] Amendments comprising the Bill of Rights were proposed to the States’ legislatures 9/25/1789 & took effect 12/15/1791. Hamilton’s concerns seemed to be addressed by the 9th Amendment, [FN7] but not right away. 4/13

Our freedom of association under the 1st and 14th Amendments, to advance beliefs and ideas, is an inseparable aspect of "liberty." [FN8] That’s why Bondi’s leaked memo that DOJ potentially will treat opponents of trump’s policies as “domestic terrorists” is scary. [FN9] 5/13

I’m a pacifist w/o kids & can say/write things w/o worry about loved ones. When a Bondi makes threats to protect a regime that kills a lot of people in war crimes, I have to call it out for what it is. To those who’ve been friends for years & you think you have too much to lose... 6/13

Act like you don’t know me. I’m not pissed, but I might not have known you; here I thought we’d all have fun at the camps. otoh, you right wing sons of bitches I’ve gotten into it with, we are close as goddamn hell. I approve of the contents of this blog. Hell, I wrote it. 7/13

Footnotes:
FN1. James Iredell, North Carolina Ratification Convention, Hillsborough, July 26, 1788. 4 Elliott’s Debates, p. 96. 8/13

FN2. The National Archives defines the Framers of the Constitution as the 55 delegates who attended, at one time or another, the Convention held in Philadelphia PA, that produced The Constitution.
FN3. “‘where annual elections end, tyranny begins.” The Federalist, No. 53 (James Madison). 9/13

FN4. Declaration of Independence, Constitution, & Bill of Rights secure natural rights that do not come from presidents, kings, or charters. These and other rights are secured by this nation's founding documents.” Nat’l Archives, “Charters of Freedom,” accessed 4/9/26. 10/13

FN5. The Federalist No. 84 (Alexander Hamilton).
FN6. 5 Wheat 420, 5 L.Ed. 124.
FN7. “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” 12/13

FN8. NAACP v Alabama, 357 U.S. 449, 460-61 (1958).
FN9. Jacob Knutsen and Matthew Kupfer, “Leaked Memo: DOJ To List, Target Anti-Trump Activists as ‘Domestic Terrorists,’” Democracy Docket, 12/8/25, accessed 4/9/26. 13/13