Constitution Thursday

Does money donated to a political candidate or cause equal free speech? The McCutcheon ruling from the Supreme Court opens a lot of questions and great argument between Pat and Jeff about whether or not money is speech and what - if anything - can be done to limit its corruptive influence. Dave, Jeff & Pat look at the ruling and free speech in political cash

Is there such as thing as "reasonable restriction" on gun ownership? Dave, Pat & Jeff look at the restrictions on the 2nd Amendment

On May 4, 1970, the nation was shocked by the Kent State Shooting. Dave asks the question, how do we as a free society - or any free society - move from a belief in the freedoms protected by the 1st Amendment to the reality of placing (in some cases) severe limits on those freedoms. Dave, Pat and Jeff discuss the issue and look at the lessons of freedoms from around the globe contrasted to the United States of America.

Led by the State Legislature of Georgia, the calls for an Article V Convention are becoming more and more common, but is such a State called Constitutional Convention even possible today? And even if it happened, would it accomplish anything? And if the problems are obvious, why did the Framers even put the clause allowing the States to call a convention in the Constitution in the first place? Dave, Pat and Jeff look at an Article V Convention

IRS official Lois Lerner goes to Congress again in the investigation of the IRS scandal, and she takes the 5th Amendment. But can a Government Official, presumably acting in the name of the Government, claim that the Government is not going to cooperate with the Government when the Government is investigating the Government? Dave, Jeff & Pat look at the 5th Amendment and ask, does self incrimination apply when the government is investigating itself?

In Los Angeles, a man is suspected of several crimes. When the Police reach his apartment and knock, a woman answers the door and gives the LAPD permission to enter, even as he shouts that they cannot. Previous rulings hold that the Police can enter under that circumstance, but that's when things get weirder and turn even more L.A... Dave, Jeff and Pat look at the 4th Amendment and the Fernandez ruling

The Peruta ruling on the California Law requiring a person to “show good cause” has a great deal of local impact as one local Sheriff requires “good moral character” in addition to showing good cause. Dave, Jeff and Pat on the 2nd Amendment and the ruling

Free Speech -Members of The Insane Clown Posse and their fans file a lawsuit alleging violations of their 1st Amendment rights to be jerks. Or something like that, anyway. The backdrop is the "firing” and rapid "un-firing” of Phil Robertson after he expressed his own opinions. Dave, Pat and Jeff look at 1st Amendment and speech.

1st Amendment Establishment of Religion - When a long standing monument is accused of being an establishment of religion, the court cases start flying and the counter accusations begin to mount up. Dave, Pat and Jeff look at The 1st Amendment and Religion

1st Amendment Introduction - The NSA might be the only Department in the Government that actually listens to the people, but they have absolutely no sense of humor about it at all. Does the 1st Amendment give us the right to make fun of them? Dave, John , Pat the Lawyer and Chatroom Jeff kick off the Saturday Podcast of Constitution Thursday

Constitution Thursday (and Afternoons Live) come to an end as Dave recaps four years of Constitutoin Thursday and looks to the future

Despite the proposed Constitution's positives, there were those who argued that it would be a mistake to adopt such a government. They were the "Anti-Federalists," and they included many well known Patriots. Dave & John look at the Anti-Federalist Arguments against the Constitution

Despite what some believe, the actual purpose of the Constitution was to preserve the Union. Without it, none of the social ills or problems would have been solved. Without Union, the nation would not survive. Article VII bears the signatures of some of the greatest men who ever lived who attest to the idea that together we are stronger.

Article VI of the US Constittuon says that the Constitution is the supremem law. What does that mean? Dave & John look at Article VI

During the Civil War, Texas decides to sell the bonds they got from the US Government when they became a State. The problem is that the Governor refused to sign off on the idea, and the bonds didn't really belong to the Confederate Government in Texas. Dave & John trace the bonds and the relationships between the States and the Federal Government in Article V of the US Constitution

The admission of a new State into the Union is an exciting moment. Unless, you happen to be in the middle of a Civil War, and the State in question is being carved out of another State which may.. or may not... have given its permission. Dave & John look at the adding of new States tot he Union and Article IV Section3 &4

Long before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus, Irene Morgan took her bus ride across State lines and into civil rights history and helped change the nation. Dave and John learn about her bus trip as they look at Article IV Section 2

An inventor runs into some issues between the jurisictions of at least two States. Dave & John delve into Article IV Section 1 to see how this is all supposed to work out.

Dave & John continue their look at Article III and the Judicial Branch of the Federal Government. When a stripper turned nightclub owner gets her money taken away, what will the Courts do?

Dave & John start their look into Article III of the US Constitution and the Judicial Branch of the Federal Government