A Suggested Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

The following is a suggested, new Bill of Rights and Responsibilities that would be mandated "If I were King."  It is worded to ensure there is no misunderstanding or misuse. The references to The Federation and Cantons was in the original source and can be understood to mean the national, state, and local governments.


The Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

In order to insure a free citizenry, to limit the powers of the government over the citizenry, to prevent tyranny, and a to provide for a secure and prosperous Federation, we hold the following to be some of the Creator established, Unalienable Rights of the citizens, both individually and corporately, and because having Rights implies responsibilities, there are also Inherent Responsibilities, of both the government, and citizens, both individually and corporately.

The listing in this document, of these certain unalienable rights, and inherent responsibilities shall not be construed to deny or disparage other unalienable rights or inherent responsibilities not mentioned herein. No rights or responsibilities may be disparaged, limited, nor removed from this document for any reason.

The government may not tax, license, restrict, register, nor impose any burdens on any unalienable right or responsibility of the citizens, either those rights enumerated here or any other unalienable rights.

 

The Articles of Unalienable Rights

Article 1 – Right to Arms. All citizens of the age of 21 years or older have the right to acquire, keep and bear arms of their own accord. Citizens between the ages of 18 to 21 years may acquire, keep and bear arms with the written permission of a parent or legal guardian or while under their supervision, or if they have served, or are serving in national service, or are are honorably discharged. Non-citizens may not acquire, nor keep and bear arms, without explicit permission of the Federation. The government may not in any way infringed upon, limit, restrict, license, register, nor tax, in any way, citizen's sale, acquisition, keeping, bearing, training with, quantity possessed, or transportation of arms, ammunition, nor their accouterments, nor components of such, because an armed citizenry is necessary to the security of free individuals, a free state, and a free nation.

Article 2 – Right to Freedom of Speech and Assembly. All citizens have the right to freedom of speech, of communication, and of the press in all forms, current and future. The government may not limit the freedom of speech, communication, nor the press, in any form; nor the right of the citizenry to peaceably assemble for their purposes, nor to petition the government for a just redress of grievances of its citizens.

Article 3 – Right to Freedom of Religion. All citizens have the right to practice the religion of their choice. The government may not make any law respecting the establishment of an official state religion, nor may it prohibit nor restrict the free exercise of a religion by its citizens, either individually or corporately, in public or in private, on private or on public land secured by the practitioners, but no religion may force or coerce converts.

Article 4 – Right of Movement. All citizens have the right to travel freely within the Federation and Cantons. The government may not restrict, limit, or deny travel within the Federation or Cantons unless under temporary declared emergency conditions necessary for the health and safety of the entire citizenry. Nothing in this article prohibits the government from declaring certain specific areas necessary to the national defense as a restricted area, and off limits for non-designated citizens.

Article 5 – Right of Privacy. All citizens have the right to privacy and to be secure in their persons, houses, properties, papers, rights, effects, correspondence, communications, businesses, and lives, against surveillance, interception, searches, and seizures.

Article 6 – Right of Property. All citizens have the right to full ownership and possession of all property, including land and its inherent resources, they have lawfully acquired. No lawful property may be seized, confiscated, nor forfeited from any citizen, for any reason, unless specifically acquired in the commission of a Malum in Se crime, and then only upon a warrant issued by the supreme judge of the Canton in which the crime occurred. No warrants shall be issued for seizures or forfeiture, except upon oath or affirmation of at least 3 sworn civilian witnesses of a Malum in Se crime, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the specific persons or things to be seized, and the reasons for such actions, and strictly limiting things seized to those items actually enumerated in the warrant. No general, unspecific warrants may be issued. If charges are dismissed or a not guilty verdict is returned all property and rights must be restored within 48 hours and compensation made for any damages to property seized. Any person who falsely swears to obtain a warrant shall be punished by a minimum of 7 years incarceration at hard labor.

Article 7 – Right to Free Trade and Production. All citizens have a right to free trade and production. The government may not restrict the freedom of trade of, nor of production of, nor distribution of goods and services.

Article 8 – Right to Freedom from Intimidation. All citizens have the right to freedom from harassment or intimidation. Neither citizens, nor the government, nor its agents may harass, pressure, threaten, nor intimidate any citizen to impose their will.

Article 9 – Right to Freedom from Unjust Detention. All citizens have the right to be free from illegal persecution. All citizens have the right to not be unjustly or unfairly held against their will. The government may not hold or incarcerate any citizen to answer for any crime, unless on a presentment of an indictment of a grand jury in the case of a malum-in-se crime, or a panel of review in the case of malum-prohabitum crimes, except in cases arising in the military forces, or in the militia when in actual service in time of war or national emergency.

Article 10 – Right to Freedom from Spurious Prosecution The government may not subject a citizen to prosecution or punishment twice for the same offense. No citizen shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself. No citizen may be subjected to any future nor additional punishment, nor suspension of rights, nor forfeiture of property after the completion of the actual sentence served. No laws may be made retroactive No citizen shall be incarcerated for any malum prohabitum crimes convicted of, but shall be made to provide just restitution by way of servitude or reasonable financial compensation in accordance with the severity of the crime. No rights may be permanently denied, except upon conviction of an Order I Malum-in-se offense.

Article 11 – Right to Freedom from Excessive Bail or Punishment. The government may not require excessive bail, nor impose excessive fines, nor impose cruel and unusual punishments, nor incarcerate, without specific charges. Bail or fines will be in direct relation to the cost of damages of the offense or risk of flight.

Article 12 – Right to Public Trial. All citizens have the right to a speedy and fair trial for charges accused of and a citizen will be presumed fully innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused must be granted a speedy and public trial within 90 days, by an impartial jury in and of the Canton and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, that Canton or district having been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with all witnesses and all evidence against him prior to the trial; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses and evidence in his favor, and to have the assistance of an experienced and able attorney for his defense if unable to afford one. No secret courts may be held.

Article 13 – Right to Equal Standards. All citizens have the right to be treated equally and be held to the same standards, regardless of position, race, creed, religion, or gender. The government, its employees, its agents, and its agencies will be held to the same standards, laws, and responsibilities as the citizenry. No privileges nor exceptions shall be granted to the government, its employees, or its agents, nor agencies, nor to any race, creed, religion, or gender.

Article 14 – Right to Compensation for use of Property. All citizens have the right to be secure from government takeover or use of their property without true and just compensation. . No citizens property may be forfeit or seized for the convenience of the government. The government may not quarter any soldier nor agent of the government, in time of peace or war in any citizen’s house or other buildings, nor use private property, without the consent of the owner, and reasonable compensation shall be given to the owner for such use at the time of use, and any damages incurred within 60 days of use

Article 15 – Right to Freedom from Discrimination. All citizens have the right to be free from social persecution or discrimination nor to be forced to engage in actions against their religious or personal beliefs. No one, including the government may discriminate against any citizen on the basis of position, race, religion, creed, gender, nor marital status in the acquisition of property or wealth, nor in the conduct of business, nor employment, nor in the practice of their daily lives. Neither shall any a fore mentioned group be given an special preferences. Nothing in this article restricts the citizens, nor the government, in the creation of associations or groups based upon, and exclusive to, mutual interests or backgrounds, nor to limiting employment in fields that require specific skills or strength.

Article 16 – Right to Freedom from Harassment. All citizens have the right to secure against frivolous or harassing suits, or slanderous or false publicity. No suit may be brought against a citizen, entity, nor the government, where the actual value in controversy is less than 200 dollars. In suits where the actual value of loss in question is greater than ten thousand dollars a jury of review shall be called and their verdict may not otherwise be reexamined in any court of the Federation or any Canton or district. In all suits, if the plaintiff loses such litigation the plaintiff shall bear all costs of litigation of both the plaintiff and defendant in the litigation. Suits for "pain and suffering" may not be brought.

Article 17 – Penalty Clause. Any attempts by either the government, its agents, or any individual to violate or interfere with the unalienable rights of a citizen shall be punished by 7 years incarceration at hard labor for an individual, or for an employee of the government or government agency, immediate removal from office, forfeiture of all benefits, plus 7 years at hard labor.

 

The Articles Of Responsibilities

Article 1 – Conduct. The citizenry and the government have the responsibility to conduct their affairs in a manner not to cause harm to others, nor to property, and to act in an honorable, moral, courteous, safe, and fair way in the conduct of business, their personal lives, and interactions with others.

Article 2 – Frugality. The citizenry and the government have a responsibility to be frugal and to prevent unnecessary waste of Federation and Canton funds, and natural or created resources, and to avoid needlessly polluting the environment.

Article 3 – Education. All citizens have the responsibility to acquire education, to know the history of the Federation, to seek gainful employment, and to provide for themselves and their families and the upkeep of their properties.

Article 4 – Self Reliance. All citizens have the responsibility to be prepared for disasters and to maintain sufficient stocks of necessities to support themselves and their families for a minimum of 30 days without any outside help.

Article 5 – Literacy. All citizens have the responsibility be able to read, write, and comprehend American Standard English which is the official language of the Federation. No official documents will be published in any language other than American Standard English.

Article 6 – Civic Responsibility. All citizens have the responsibility to participate in the life of the Federation. At the age of majority (18 years), all citizens physically capable shall undergo 2 years of national service in either the military, or in the National Service Corps serving as teaching assistants, medical assistants, or in the national construction/maintenance program. In the case of those actively enrolled in post secondary education such service is to be done either before beginning higher education or within 4½ years after first enrolling and being active in higher education. All citizens have the responsibility to participate in the voting process as allowed by law

Article 7 – Government Openness. The government has the responsibility to be open and honest with all citizens. All government documents, bills, regulations, and forms must be written in plain American Standard English, that can be easily understood by an adult citizen and be freely available to the public prior to and after voting. All government expenditures are to be openly publicized so that the citizenry are informed.

Article 8 – Government Charity. Charity being a direct function of the citizenry and the Cantons, and not the Federation government, the Federation, may not appropriate or disburse funds to an individual nor class of individuals for those individuals specific and exclusive benefit,

Article 9 – Duty of the Government. The government has the responsibility to provide for the common defense and the security of the Federation and its citizens, to ensure good relationships with other countries, and to ensure an orderly and consistent relationship between the Cantons.

Article 10 – Executive Orders. Executive orders may only be issued by the Chancellor to address specific emergency circumstances and such orders shall only be in affect for 2 years, and may not incur any penalties or imprisonment.

Article 11 – Penalty Clause. Any attempts by either the government, its agents, or any individual to violate or interfere with the unalienable responsibilities of a citizen shall be punished by 7 years incarceration at hard labor for an individual, or for an employee of the government or government agency immediate removal from office, forfeiture of all benefits, plus 7 years at hard labor.


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Disclaimer

As far as I know all the information presented above is correct and I have attempted to ensure that it is. However, I am not responsible for any errors, omissions, or damages resulting from the use or misuse of this information, nor for you doing something stupid with it. (Don't you hate these disclaimers? So do I, but there are people out there who refuse to be responsible for their own actions and who will sue anybody to make a buck.)

Updated 2024-05-06 @1600