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Thursday, 10 December 2009 |
I really enjoyed participating in Cleveland’s big Christmas parade last weekend. One of my favorite parts of this job is being able to get out in the community and meet people one-on-one. The parade was a great kick-off to the holiday season and afforded a terrific opportunity to come together, celebrate Christmas and acknowledge public service agencies, merchants and local folks. We are blessed to live in one of the most beautiful counties in Tennessee with so many friendly and helpful neighbors. I wish you all well this season and remind you to stay safe while you enjoy the company of family and friends.
This coming week, on December 15, the country will be celebrating “Bill of Rights Day.” This day may not be as well known as some other special days in December, but it marks a landmark event in the history of our great nation. The Bill of Rights is that document that specifically ensures many of the basic rights we often take for granted. The official day of recognition was designated by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1941, and is a good opportunity for people to reacquaint themselves with this very important and unique document.
Originally, the U.S. Constitution was more focused on establishing an operable and effective federal government than on individual rights. It was only after much contentious debate that a Bill of Rights was ratified. Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to James Madison, “A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth.” In other words, it is a safeguard against any repressive regime or political faction that might gain control of the three branches of government and wish to move our representative republic in directions the founders never intended.
It’s interesting to note that some members of the First Congress felt the Bill of Rights to be unnecessary because those rights were already guaranteed and there was nothing in the Constitution empowering Congress to take citizens’ rights away. In the end, the Bill of Rights was adopted, clearly and legally defining some of our most cherished rights, such as the right to free speech, gun ownership, unreasonable search and seizure, peaceful assembly, due process of law, state rights and so on, including the Ninth Amendment, which protects other individual rights not specifically covered in the Bill of Rights. Since its ratification, judiciaries as high up as the Supreme Court have relied on the Bill of Rights for their decisions.
As sheriff, it is my sworn duty to protect and defend the rights of all citizens. As both a U.S. Secret Service agent and sheriff, I took an oath of office to protect and uphold the Constitution and the Bill of Rights attached to it.
I wish all Americans would take time to reflect upon the freedoms we all enjoy. There are so many nations around the world that don’t care about the rights of their citizens. In fact, it is the freedoms afforded every U.S. citizen that has motivated other people from all over the world to come here and build a better life for themselves, their loved ones and future generations.
Lastly, I want to congratulate the Voices of Lee on being selected to appear on the NBC television show, “The Sing Off.” Lee University has been a positive and productive part of the Bradley County community for decades, beginning as a small religious college and growing into a world-class university. So many Lee students who came to us from other parts of the country have remained here after graduation to work and raise families. The Voices of Lee, led by Danny Murray, have been representing their school and community with professionalism and pride for 15 years. I wish them much success on the upcoming TV show.
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