Dear Members and Friends: Today is "Bill of Rights Day" in honor of the signing of the first 10 amendments to our United States Constitution. Newly independent, the thirteen States were concerned their new government may become too powerful, as King George's was. They insisted handcuffs be place on the power of the Federal Government. We call these the First Ten Amendments or Bill of Rights, ratified DECEMBER 15, 1791. The UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION and the BILL OF RIGHTS are perhaps the greatest government documents ever written.  Every American should read it. This day was signed into practice by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on December 15, 1941, one hundred and fifty years after the actual signing of the Bill of Rights by our forefathers.  Ironically, he proclaimed the holiday just one week after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor initiating the United States' involvement in World War II where freedom issues were at the core of wartime dogma. The Bill of Rights was important in the founding of the United States because of the depravity experienced by many of the immigrants.  While the U.S. Constitution was written in 1787, it wasn't until two years later that the ten Bill of Rights were incorporated into the governing document. The Bill of Rights is itself a separate document, incorporated into the United States Constitution via the amendment process. The First states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Regarding this, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Samuel Miller, January 23, 1808: "I consider the government of the U.S. as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises. This results not only from the provision that no law shall be made respecting the establishment or free exercise of religion, but from that also which reserves to the states the powers not delegated to the U.S." Jefferson continued: "Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the times for these exercises, and the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets." The ten Bill of Rights are summarized as: Freedom of Religion The right to bear arms. Consent to house soldiers No unreasonable searches or seizures No self incrimination, due process Jury trial for all, public defense In common law, right of jury trial No excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment Constitution cannot deny rights of others Governmental power default to the states In honor of our "Bill of Rights", we at the Constitution Party of Texas take this time to call our fellow Texans to order and to run for office. Please be aware of the following deadlines fast approaching: Notice to all members: DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR FILING FOR OFFICE If you want to run for any office in 2010, you must file for that office with the State or County officials.  The deadline is January 4.  If you want to run on the Constitution Party platform, please contact the Texas State Chairman, Bryan Malatesta, immediately.  All candidates need to know that their hopes of being on the ballot, as a CP candidate, depend entirely on the party's ability to gain ballot access statewide. If you want to help with the petition campaign for ballot access, we are looking for County Coordinators and volunteers now.  That process takes place immediately following the Primary Election on March 2, 2010. Our office has received numerous requests for information on filing requirements. If you choose to file as an Independent candidate, you will be required to petition for access to the ballot, but it will be far easier than a statewide petition effort.  The advantage to this is that, once qualified, you will be guaranteed to be on the ballot in November, regardless of the party's ballot access status.  Most offices, particularly county offices, require approximately 500 names on a petition, which is a piece of cake.  You can learn more about filing requirements here. For God, Family and the Republic, Bryan Malatesta chairman@cptexas.us www.cptexas.us ps: Thanks to http://www.holidayorigins.com/ and http://americanminute.com/ for contributing information on this historical day! We are the OFFICIAL Constitution Party of Texas Accept no substitutes, and do not be fooled by imposters! Yes, believe it or not, there are at least two other groups out there who like our concept so much that they have stolen our logos, our platform, and even our name! It's nice to be popular, but this is the real deal.  Just ask our National CP Chairman, Jim Clymer. Click here to Renew your membership today!

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