HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY 2019 EVERYONE!
It starts at the estate. Everyone was getting ready for the 4th of July. The house was decorated in decorations of red, white and blue and we had food for our barbecue ready. And we also had fireworks ready for tonight.
Meanwhile me, Nick F., Lincoln, Earth, Joey and Laney were over in our nations capital Washington D.C. We were over at the National Archives looking at the document that cemented our country's freedom: The Declaration of Independence. This was one of the most important documents in our countries history.
In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness of his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts: Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware: George Read, Caesar Rodney, Thomas McKean
Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward Jr., Thomas Lynch Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Nick F.: Wow. So this is the Declaration of Independence.
Me: Yep this is the very document that cemented our country's freedom, 243 years ago today. (To the viewers) Oh hey there. You're probably wondering why we're in the National Archives here in Washington D.C. Well today is a very important part of our country's history. Today is July 4th, 2019 A.K.A. Independence Day. This is the day we celebrate the anniversary of declaring our freedom. It was back on July 4th, 1776 that we established our independence from England and made ourselves a free country. 243 years ago today we made this very document that cemented our freedom.
Lincoln: Yep.
Laney: This is so awesome. I can't believe I'm seeing the Declaration of Independence for the first time.
Nick F.: Me too Laney.
Joey: (British Accent) I'm actually from England and I love my native land but I can't believe my people were like that all those years ago.
Me: I know Joey. But it was thanks to the help of the French that we were able to win the American Revolutionary war. The French hated England for their humiliating defeat during an event called the Seven Years war back in the 1750's.
Nick F.: I didn't know that.
Me: Yeah. With the help of the French, we made sure that England could never take us back and we won the Revolution. This was a decisive factor during the Revolutionary War. During the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, The French Navy formed a powerful blockade of ships that prevented the British from getting in or out and because of that, the British commanded by General Charles Cornwallis surrendered and it was that battle that ended the war.
Laney: That's right.
Joey: And do you know why the war was started in the first place?
Me: King George III was going to make sure we didn't get independence and he wanted to continue ruling us. Also he did a horrible thing called Taxation Without Representation and it's not fair. It was the Boston Tea Party back in 1773 that sparked the Revolutionary War, which lasted from April 19, 1775 to May 12th, 1784.
Joey: So not even ten years it lasted.
Me: 9 years and 23 days. Let me show you all another important document of our countries history.
We went into another room and we saw the United States Constitution.
Me: This is another important document. This is the United State Constitution. It's the document that instates the laws of our country. It was created back on September 17th, 1787.
Preamble
"We the People" in an original edition
The preamble to the Constitution serves as an introductory statement of the document's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It neither assigns powers to the federal government, nor does it place specific limitations on government action. Rather, it sets out the origin, scope and purpose of the Constitution. Its origin and authority is in "We, the people of the United States". This echoes the Declaration of Independence. "One people" dissolved their connection with another, and assumed among the powers of the earth, a sovereign nation-state. The scope of the Constitution is twofold. First, "to form a more perfect Union" than had previously existed in the "perpetual Union" of the Articles of Confederation. Second, to "secure the blessings of liberty", which were to be enjoyed by not only the first generation, but for all who came after, "our posterity".
Article One
Article One describes the Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. Section 1, reads, "All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives." The article establishes the manner of election and the qualifications of members of each body. Representatives must be at least 25 years old, be a citizen of the United States for seven years, and live in the state they represent. Senators must be at least 30 years old, be a citizen for nine years, and live in the state they represent.
Article I, Section 8 enumerates the powers delegated to the legislature. Financially, Congress has the power to tax, borrow, pay debt and provide for the common defense and the general welfare; to regulate commerce, bankruptcies, and coin money. To regulate internal affairs, it has the power to regulate and govern military forces and militias, suppress insurrections and repel invasions. It is to provide for naturalization, standards of weights and measures, post offices and roads, and patents; to directly govern the federal district and cessions of land by the states for forts and arsenals. Internationally, Congress has the power to define and punish piracies and offenses against the Law of Nations, to declare war and make rules of war. The final Necessary and Proper Clause, also known as the Elastic Clause, expressly confers incidental powers upon Congress without the Articles' requirement for express delegation for each and every power. Article I, Section 9 lists eight specific limits on congressional power.
The Supreme Court has sometimes broadly interpreted the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause in Article One to allow Congress to enact legislation that is neither expressly allowed by the enumerated powers nor expressly denied in the limitations on Congress. In McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), the Supreme Court read the Necessary and Proper Clause to permit the federal government to take action that would "enable [it] to perform the high duties assigned to it [by the Constitution] in the manner most beneficial to the people", even if that action is not itself within the enumerated powers. Chief Justice Marshall clarified: "Let the end be legitimate, let it be within the scope of the Constitution, and all means which are appropriate, which are plainly adapted to that end, which are not prohibited, but consist with the letter and spirit of the Constitution, are Constitutional."
Article Two
Article Two describes the office, qualifications, and duties of the President of the United States and the Vice President. The President is head of the executive branch of the federal government, as well as the nation's head of state and head of government.
Article two is modified by the 12th Amendment which tacitly acknowledges political parties, and the 25th Amendment relating to office succession. The president is to receive only one compensation from the federal government. The inaugural oath is specified to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
The president is the Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces and state militias when they are mobilized. He or she makes treaties with the advice and consent of a two-thirds quorum of the Senate. To administer the federal government, the president commissions all the offices of the federal government as Congress directs; he or she may require the opinions of its principal officers and make "recess appointments" for vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate. The president is to see that the laws are faithfully executed, though he or she may grant reprieves and pardons except regarding Congressional impeachment of himself or other federal officers. The president reports to Congress on the State of the Union, and by the Recommendation Clause, recommends "necessary and expedient" national measures. The president may convene and adjourn Congress under special circumstances.
Section 4 provides for removal of the president and other federal officers. The president is removed on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
Article Three
Article Three describes the court system (the judicial branch), including the Supreme Court. There shall be one court called the Supreme Court. The article describes the kinds of cases the court takes as original jurisdiction. Congress can create lower courts and an appeals process. Congress enacts law defining crimes and providing for punishment. Article Three also protects the right to trial by jury in all criminal cases, and defines the crime of treason.
Section 1 vests the judicial power of the United States in federal courts, and with it, the authority to interpret and apply the law to a particular case. Also included is the power to punish, sentence, and direct future action to resolve conflicts. The Constitution outlines the U.S. judicial system. In the Judiciary Act of 1789, Congress began to fill in details. Currently, Title 28 of the U.S. Code describes judicial powers and administration.
As of the First Congress, the Supreme Court justices rode circuit to sit as panels to hear appeals from the district courts.[b] In 1891, Congress enacted a new system. District courts would have original jurisdiction. Intermediate appellate courts (circuit courts) with exclusive jurisdiction heard regional appeals before consideration by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court holds discretionary jurisdiction, meaning that it does not have to hear every case that is brought to it.
To enforce judicial decisions, the Constitution grants federal courts both criminal contempt and civil contempt powers. The court's summary punishment for contempt immediately overrides all other punishments applicable to the subject party. Other implied powers include injunctive relief and the habeas corpus remedy. The Court may imprison for contumacy, bad-faith litigation, and failure to obey a writ of mandamus. Judicial power includes that granted by Acts of Congress for rules of law and punishment. Judicial power also extends to areas not covered by statute. Generally, federal courts cannot interrupt state court proceedings.
Clause 1 of Section 2 authorizes the federal courts to hear actual cases and controversies only. Their judicial power does not extend to cases which are hypothetical, or which are proscribed due to standing, mootness, or ripeness issues. Generally, a case or controversy requires the presence of adverse parties who have some interest genuinely at stake in the case.
Clause 2 of Section 2 provides that the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases involving ambassadors, ministers and consuls, for all cases respecting foreign nation-states, and also in those controversies which are subject to federal judicial power because at least one state is a party. Cases arising under the laws of the United States and its treaties come under the jurisdiction of federal courts. Cases under international maritime law and conflicting land grants of different states come under federal courts. Cases between U.S. citizens in different states, and cases between U.S. citizens and foreign states and their citizens, come under federal jurisdiction. The trials will be in the state where the crime was committed.
No part of the Constitution expressly authorizes judicial review, but the Framers did contemplate the idea. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Precedent has since established that the courts could exercise judicial review over the actions of Congress or the executive branch. Two conflicting federal laws are under "pendent" jurisdiction if one presents a strict constitutional issue. Federal court jurisdiction is rare when a state legislature enacts something as under federal jurisdiction.[d] To establish a federal system of national law, considerable effort goes into developing a spirit of comity between federal government and states. By the doctrine of 'Res judicata', federal courts give "full faith and credit" to State Courts.[e] The Supreme Court will decide Constitutional issues of state law only on a case by case basis, and only by strict Constitutional necessity, independent of state legislators motives, their policy outcomes or its national wisdom.[f]
Section 3 bars Congress from changing or modifying Federal law on treason by simple majority statute. This section also defines treason, as an overt act of making war or materially helping those at war with the United States. Accusations must be corroborated by at least two witnesses. Congress is a political body and political disagreements routinely encountered should never be considered as treason. This allows for nonviolent resistance to the government because opposition is not a life or death proposition. However, Congress does provide for other lesser subversive crimes such as conspiracy.[g]
Article Four
Article Four outlines the relations among the states and between each state and the federal government. In addition, it provides for such matters as admitting new states and border changes between the states. For instance, it requires states to give "full faith and credit" to the public acts, records, and court proceedings of the other states. Congress is permitted to regulate the manner in which proof of such acts may be admitted. The "privileges and immunities" clause prohibits state governments from discriminating against citizens of other states in favor of resident citizens. For instance, in criminal sentencing, a state may not increase a penalty on the grounds that the convicted person is a non-resident.
It also establishes extradition between the states, as well as laying down a legal basis for freedom of movement and travel amongst the states. Today, this provision is sometimes taken for granted, but in the days of the Articles of Confederation, crossing state lines was often arduous and costly. The Territorial Clause gives Congress the power to make rules for disposing of federal property and governing non-state territories of the United States. Finally, the fourth section of Article Four requires the United States to guarantee to each state a republican form of government, and to protect them from invasion and violence.
Article Five
Article Five outlines the process for amending the Constitution. Eight state constitutions in effect in 1787 included an amendment mechanism. Amendment making power rested with the legislature in three of the states and in the other five it was given to specially elected conventions. The Articles of Confederation provided that amendments were to be proposed by Congress and ratified by the unanimous vote of all thirteen state legislatures. This proved to be a major flaw in the Articles, as it created an insurmountable obstacle to constitutional reform. The amendment process crafted during the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention was, according to The Federalist No. 43, designed to establish a balance between pliancy and rigidity:
It guards equally against that extreme facility which would render the Constitution too mutable; and that extreme difficulty which might perpetuate its discovered faults. It moreover equally enables the General and the State Governments to originate the amendment of errors, as they may be pointed out by the experience on one side, or on the other.
There are two steps in the amendment process. Proposals to amend the Constitution must be properly adopted and ratified before they change the Constitution. First, there are two procedures for adopting the language of a proposed amendment, either by (a) Congress, by two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, or (b) national convention (which shall take place whenever two-thirds of the state legislatures collectively call for one). Second, there are two procedures for ratifying the proposed amendment, which requires three-fourths of the states' (presently 38 of 50) approval: (a) consent of the state legislatures, or (b) consent of state ratifying conventions. The ratification method is chosen by Congress for each amendment. State ratifying conventions were used only once, for the Twenty-first Amendment.
Presently, the Archivist of the United States is charged with responsibility for administering the ratification process under the provisions of 1 U.S. Code § 106b. The Archivist submits the proposed amendment to the states for their consideration by sending a letter of notification to each Governor. Each Governor then formally submits the amendment to their state's legislature. When a state ratifies a proposed amendment, it sends the Archivist an original or certified copy of the state's action. Ratification documents are examined by the Office of the Federal Register for facial legal sufficiency and an authenticating signature.
Article Five ends by shielding certain clauses in the new frame of government from being amended. Article One, Section 9, Clauses 1 prevents Congress from passing any law that would restrict the importation of slaves into the United States prior to 1808, plus the fourth clause from that same section, which reiterates the Constitutional rule that direct taxes must be apportioned according to state populations. These clauses were explicitly shielded from Constitutional amendment prior to 1808. On January 1, 1808, the first day it was permitted to do so, Congress approved legislation prohibiting the importation of slaves into the country. On February 3, 1913, with ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment, Congress gained the authority to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on the United States Census. The third textually entrenched provision is Article One, Section 3, Clauses 1, which provides for equal representation of the states in the Senate. The shield protecting this clause from the amendment process is less absolute – "no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate" – but permanent.
Article Six
Article Six establishes the Constitution, and all federal laws and treaties of the United States made according to it, to be the supreme law of the land, and that "the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, any thing in the laws or constitutions of any state notwithstanding." It validates national debt created under the Articles of Confederation and requires that all federal and state legislators, officers, and judges take oaths or affirmations to support the Constitution. This means that the states' constitutions and laws should not conflict with the laws of the federal constitution and that in case of a conflict, state judges are legally bound to honor the federal laws and constitution over those of any state. Article Six also states "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
Article Seven
Article Seven describes the process for establishing the proposed new frame of government. Anticipating that the influence of many state politicians would be Antifederalist, delegates to the Philadelphia Convention provided for ratification of the Constitution by popularly elected ratifying conventions in each state. The convention method also made it possible that judges, ministers and others ineligible to serve in state legislatures, could be elected to a convention. Suspecting that Rhode Island, at least, might not ratify, delegates decided that the Constitution would go into effect as soon as nine states (two-thirds rounded up) ratified. Once ratified by this minimum number of states, it was anticipated that the proposed Constitution would become this Constitution between the nine or more that signed. It would not cover the four or fewer states that might not have signed.
Closing endorsement
The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, when 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention endorsed the constitution created during the convention. In addition to signatures, this closing endorsement, the Constitution's eschatocol, included a brief declaration that the delegates' work has been successfully completed and that those whose signatures appear on it subscribe to the final document. Included are, a statement pronouncing the document's adoption by the states present, a formulaic dating of its adoption, and the signatures of those endorsing it. Additionally, the convention's secretary, William Jackson, signed the document to authenticate the validity of the delegate signatures. He also made a few secretarial notes.
The language of the concluding endorsement, conceived by Gouverneur Morris and presented to the convention by Benjamin Franklin, was made intentionally ambiguous in hopes of winning over the votes of dissenting delegates. Advocates for the new frame of government, realizing the impending difficulty of obtaining the consent of the states needed to make it operational, were anxious to obtain the unanimous support of the delegations from each state. It was feared that many of the delegates would refuse to give their individual assent to the Constitution. Therefore, in order that the action of the Convention would appear to be unanimous, the formula, Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the states present ... was devised.
The document is dated: "the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord" 1787, and "of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth." This two-fold epoch dating serves to place the Constitution in the context of the religious traditions of Western civilization and, at the same time, links it to the regime principles proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence. This dual reference can also be found in the Articles of Confederation and the Northwest Ordinance.
The closing endorsement serves an authentication function only. It neither assigns powers to the federal government nor does it provide specific limitations on government action. It does however, provide essential documentation of the Constitution's validity, a statement of "This is what was agreed to." It records who signed the Constitution, and when and where.
Me: This document helps us enforce our laws.
Lincoln: How many laws are there in the United States of America?
Me: There's 20,000 laws in the United States alone.
Everyone: WOW!
Joey: That is a lot of laws to follow.
Me: I was shocked too. But most of those laws are for the uses of guns. But let me show you another document.
We went to another room and we saw another of our most important documents: The United States Bill of Rights.
Me: This is the United States Bill of Rights. It was made by Thomas Jefferson, America's 3rd President on September 25th, 1789.
The Bill of Rights had little judicial impact for the first 150 years of its existence; in the words of Gordon S. Wood, "After ratification, most Americans promptly forgot about the first ten amendments to the Constitution." The Court made no important decisions protecting free speech rights, for example, until 1931. Historian Richard Labunski attributes the Bill's long legal dormancy to three factors: first, it took time for a "culture of tolerance" to develop that would support the Bill's provisions with judicial and popular will; second, the Supreme Court spent much of the 19th century focused on issues relating to intergovernmental balances of power; and third, the Bill initially only applied to the federal government, a restriction affirmed by Barron v. Baltimore (1833). In the twentieth century, however, most of the Bill's provisions were applied to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment—a process known as incorporation—beginning with the freedom of speech clause, in Gitlow v. New York (1925). In Talton v. Mayes (1896), the Court ruled that Constitutional protections, including the provisions of the Bill of Rights, do not apply to the actions of American Indian tribal governments. Through the incorporation process the United States Supreme Court succeeded in extending to the States almost all of the protections in the Bill of Rights, as well as other, unenumerated rights. The Bill of Rights thus imposes legal limits on the powers of governments and acts as an anti-majoritarian/minoritarian safeguard by providing deeply entrenched legal protection for various civil liberties and fundamental rights. The Supreme Court for example concluded in the West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943) case that the founders intended the Bill of Rights to put some rights out of reach from majorities, ensuring that some liberties would endure beyond political majorities. As the Court noted, the idea of the Bill of Rights "was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts." This is why "fundamental rights may not be submitted to a vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections."
First Amendment
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.
The First Amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. Initially, the First Amendment applied only to laws enacted by Congress, and many of its provisions were interpreted more narrowly than they are today.
In Everson v. Board of Education (1947), the Court drew on Thomas Jefferson's correspondence to call for "a wall of separation between church and State", though the precise boundary of this separation remains in dispute. Speech rights were expanded significantly in a series of 20th- and 21st-century court decisions that protected various forms of political speech, anonymous speech, campaign financing, pornography, and school speech; these rulings also defined a series of exceptions to First Amendment protections. The Supreme Court overturned English common law precedent to increase the burden of proof for libel suits, most notably in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964). Commercial speech is less protected by the First Amendment than political speech, and is therefore subject to greater regulation.
The Free Press Clause protects publication of information and opinions, and applies to a wide variety of media. In Near v. Minnesota (1931) and New York Times v. United States (1971), the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protected against prior restraint—pre-publication censorship—in almost all cases. The Petition Clause protects the right to petition all branches and agencies of government for action. In addition to the right of assembly guaranteed by this clause, the Court has also ruled that the amendment implicitly protects freedom of association.
Second Amendment
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
The Second Amendment protects the individual right to keep and bear arms. The concept of such a right existed within English common law long before the enactment of the Bill of Rights.[98] First codified in the English Bill of Rights of 1689 (but there only applying to Protestants), this right was enshrined in fundamental laws of several American states during the Revolutionary era, including the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776. Long a controversial issue in American political, legal, and social discourse, the Second Amendment has been at the heart of several Supreme Court decisions.
In United States v. Cruikshank (1876), the Court ruled that "[t]he right to bear arms is not granted by the Constitution; neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence. The Second Amendment means no more than that it shall not be infringed by Congress, and has no other effect than to restrict the powers of the National Government."
In United States v. Miller (1939), the Court ruled that the amendment "[protects arms that had a] reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia".
In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Court ruled that the Second Amendment "codified a pre-existing right" and that it "protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home" but also stated that "the right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose".
In McDonald v. Chicago (2010), the Court ruled that the Second Amendment limits state and local governments to the same extent that it limits the federal government.
Third Amendment
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
The Third Amendment restricts the quartering of soldiers in private homes, in response to Quartering Acts passed by the British parliament during the Revolutionary War. The amendment is one of the least controversial of the Constitution, and, as of 2018, has never been the primary basis of a Supreme Court decision.
Fourth Amendment
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
The Fourth Amendment guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause. It was adopted as a response to the abuse of the writ of assistance, which is a type of general search warrant, in the American Revolution. Search and seizure (including arrest) must be limited in scope according to specific information supplied to the issuing court, usually by a law enforcement officer who has sworn by it. The amendment is the basis for the exclusionary rule, which mandates that evidence obtained illegally cannot be introduced into a criminal trial. The amendment's interpretation has varied over time; its protections expanded under left-leaning courts such as that headed by Earl Warren and contracted under right-leaning courts such as that of William Rehnquist.
Fifth Amendment
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
The Fifth Amendment protects against double jeopardy and self-incrimination and guarantees the rights to due process, grand jury screening of criminal indictments, and compensation for the seizure of private property under eminent domain. The amendment was the basis for the court's decision in Miranda v. Arizona (1966), which established that defendants must be informed of their rights to an attorney and against self-incrimination prior to interrogation by police.
Sixth Amendment
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
The Sixth Amendment establishes a number of rights of the defendant in a criminal trial:
to a speedy and public trial
to trial by an impartial jury
to be informed of criminal charges
to confront witnesses
to compel witnesses to appear in court
to assistance of counsel
In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the Court ruled that the amendment guaranteed the right to legal representation in all felony prosecutions in both state and federal courts.
Seventh Amendment
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
The Seventh Amendment guarantees jury trials in federal civil cases that deal with claims of more than twenty dollars. It also prohibits judges from overruling findings of fact by juries in federal civil trials. In Colgrove v. Battin (1973), the Court ruled that the amendment's requirements could be fulfilled by a jury with a minimum of six members. The Seventh is one of the few parts of the Bill of Rights not to be incorporated (applied to the states).
Eighth Amendment
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
The Eighth Amendment forbids the imposition of excessive bails or fines, though it leaves the term "excessive" open to interpretation. The most frequently litigated clause of the amendment is the last, which forbids cruel and unusual punishment. This clause was only occasionally applied by the Supreme Court prior to the 1970s, generally in cases dealing with means of execution. In Furman v. Georgia (1972), some members of the Court found capital punishment itself in violation of the amendment, arguing that the clause could reflect "evolving standards of decency" as public opinion changed; others found certain practices in capital trials to be unacceptably arbitrary, resulting in a majority decision that effectively halted executions in the United States for several years. Executions resumed following Gregg v. Georgia (1976), which found capital punishment to be constitutional if the jury was directed by concrete sentencing guidelines. The Court has also found that some poor prison conditions constitute cruel and unusual punishment, as in Estelle v. Gamble (1976) and Brown v. Plata (2011).
Ninth Amendment
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
The Ninth Amendment declares that there are additional fundamental rights that exist outside the Constitution. The rights enumerated in the Constitution are not an explicit and exhaustive list of individual rights. It was rarely mentioned in Supreme Court decisions before the second half of the 20th century, when it was cited by several of the justices in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965). The Court in that case voided a statute prohibiting use of contraceptives as an infringement of the right of marital privacy. This right was, in turn, the foundation upon which the Supreme Court built decisions in several landmark cases, including, Roe v. Wade (1973), which overturned a Texas law making it a crime to assist a woman to get an abortion, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), which invalidated a Pennsylvania law that required spousal awareness prior to obtaining an abortion.
Tenth Amendment
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
The Tenth Amendment reinforces the principles of separation of powers and federalism by providing that powers not granted to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or the people. The amendment provides no new powers or rights to the states, but rather preserves their authority in all matters not specifically granted to the federal government.
Congress has sometimes circumvented the Tenth Amendment by invoking the Commerce Clause in Article One or by threatening to withhold funding for a federal program from noncooperative States, as in South Dakota v. Dole (1987).
Me: This document is the bill that extends our rights across the country.
Lincoln: Wow. This is a huge amount of rights.
Earth: It sure is. I can't believe that we were given so many things we can and cannot do over this country's whole history.
Nick F.: It's just a lot to take in.
Me: I know. But I figured that I would take us to Washington D.C. to show you all.
Earth: This was a very educational treat.
Laney: It sure was.
Later we went back to the estate.
We got back and helped out with the decorating.
Horsea, Poliwag, Manaphy, and Poromon: HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, EVERYBODY!
Nico: Thanks guys.
Me: You excited for the 4th of July, Nico?
Nico: You know I am J.D. I love the fireworks, barbecue and the history.
Me: Awesome! I love this day because of barbecue and to shoot off fireworks.
Laney: Me too.
Stacy: I haven't had a good 4th of July since I got gene slammed.
Me: I don't think any of you had.
John: I know J.D.
Coop: I wish our mom was here with us.
Me: What happened to your mom Coop?
Coop: She died of cancer when we were kids.
Me: Oh no. I'm so sorry.
Dr. Bolton: It's all right J.D. But thank you for your concern.
Stacy: But she will always be with us in our hearts.
Laney: That's great Stacy.
Tommy: I just wish Zordon were here to celebrate the 4th of July with us.
Kimberly: If he hadn't sacrificed himself with Andros' help, the United alliance of Evil would've never been defeated.
Billy: As long as there are Power Rangers, he'll never be forgotten.
Lori: I'm sorry about Zordon guys. But his spirit will always be with you no matter what.
Trini: Thanks Lori.
Jason: I have a feeling he already is.
Zach: Me too.
Cole: I don't think I've ever celebrated a 4th of July with you guys.
Me: This will be your first ever 4th of July Cole. I know you spent most of your time in the jungle because of Master Org. But now you have plenty of time to catch up.
Cole: I sure do.
James: We've never celebrated the Fourth of July in the Pokemon world before.
Me: This'll be your first ever 4th of July James. I know just the perfect thing to do before we shoot off fireworks and have barbecue. Lets go into the Simulator for an awesome exercise.
Nico: Okay.
We did so.
We were in the Simulator and we were going to do an exercise where we fight against the Harvester Aliens of the 1996 movie Independence Day. The Simulator activated and we were at Area 51 and we were at standing there at the crack of dawn as the President was going to give his speech on it.
Me: This is gonna be awesome guys.
President Tom: (On the Loudspeaker) Good Morning.
We stood before him with a lot of people.
President Tom: In less than an hour, air crafts from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. Mankind, that word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interest. Perhaps it's fate that today is the 4th of July. And you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression or persecution. But from Annihilation. We're fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday. But as the day when the world declared in one voice We will not go quietly into the Night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to Survive! TODAY WE CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY!
We cheered wildly. That was easily one of the most powerful speeches we've ever seen.
Me: Lets get them!
We walked up to President Tom.
Me: Mr. President, you have the assistance of Team Loud Phoenix Storm. And we will triumph.
Vince: We won't let you down sir.
Carol: Count on it.
Me: You're gonna need some heavier firepower sir. Missiles and bombs won't be able to damage the hulls of those ships. We have the firepower you all need.
President Tom: Thank you all.
We shook hands.
Later we were off and we had a lot of fighter jets and we were flying beside them. We were flying by a bunch of F16 Fighter Jets. We saw an enormous ship coming towards us.
Me: Target sighted.
President Tom: We have visual.
General Grey: Do not engage until we've confirmed the package has been delivered.
President Tom: Roger.
We saw the ship and it was a massive 15 mile wide alien ship.
Me: Wow! I forgot how big those ships were.
Lori: That is literally the biggest ship ever.
Me: No kidding.
Laney: Not nearly as big as our ship though.
What General Grey meant by the package being delivered is that 2 people: Captain Steven Hiller and MIT Technological Expert David Levinson are boarding the Mothership of the Harvester Aliens to plant a computer virus to disable their defenses so we can have a fighting chance and take them down more easily.
In an unspecified time in the past, the Harvesters presented themselves as a threat to the universe itself, due to their plague-like nature. Attacking from their own homeworld, their empire encountered a highly-advanced civilization of trans-sentient beings which they pushed to the brink of extinction.
For thousands of years, the Harvester Empire has been at war against a coalition of many alien races, who lost their planets to the Harvesters. This war remains at a stalemate as the Harvesters could not locate their enemies' planet of origin. Because of this, the Harvesters attempt to hunt down a sapient artificial intelligence known as the Sphere for its vital information on their enemies. The remnants from this civilization escaped with technology that they stored at a sanctuary world, where they have since actively prepared species with the necessary tools to combat the Harvesters. Recognizing the beings as a threat, the Harvesters are determined to discover the sanctuary world and prevent the spread of the means that can defeat them.
The first recorded interaction between humanity and the aliens was in 1947, when an Attacker crashed on the Foster Ranch outside of Roswell, New Mexico. In the crash, two aliens were killed, while a third was seriously injured. The crashed ship, the two bodies and the injured alien were brought to the new Air Force installation outside of Rachel, Nevada called Homey Airport, (better known as "Area 51"). The survivor died within a matter of weeks. Over the next 49 years, scientists at Area 51 studied the Attacker, attempted to repair it and studied the physiology of the three alien corpses. However, none of the technology of the Attacker could be accessed, as there was no Mothership nearby.
Vietnam War veteran Russell Casse claimed to have been abducted by the aliens in 1986, with the purpose of conducting horrific experiments upon him. However, the veracity of these claims are debatable and as such, Casse was largely dismissed for suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
On July 2, 1996, a Mothership arrives at the Moon and begins to transmit command signals into Earth's satellite system. During this time, a number of satellites crash into the Mothership, which significantly disrupts terrestrial communications. After establishing a permanent position, the Mothership deploys three dozen city-sized Destroyers to position themselves over major cities. The signal progressively becomes weaker after every new transmission, with the end of the signal indicating when each Destroyer should fire upon cities.
On July 3, 1996, humanity is devastated, as the largest cities are now in ruins and hundreds of millions of people are dead. The Destroyers move on to other major cities, with the intention being to destroy every last one within a matter of days. There are a number of attempts by humans to defend themselves against the Destroyers, but each of these ends in utter failure, while the alien casualties are minimal, with only one reported crashed Attacker.
On July 4, 1996, the tide of war takes an abrupt turn. In the early Nevada morning, the captured Attacker from 1947 is deployed from Area 51 by the humans, with Captain Steven Hiller piloting and computer scientist David Levinson as a passenger. The Mothership summons the Attacker and docks it in the center of the ship. Levinson connects to the aliens' internal network and uploads a computer virus that disrupts the Mothership's systems and causes the shields to go down for fifteen minutes. With this slim window of opportunity, the United States Air Force manages to destroy a Destroyer when Casse goes kamikaze into the primary weapon. This strategy is shared with other nations and the Destroyers everywhere are destroyed. A Destroyer that previously landed and drills into the earth's crust in the Congo issues a distress signal, calling for other civilizations to come to their aid. Soon after, Hiller and Levinson shoot a nuclear missile into the transport hub of the Mothership and escape. The ship explodes, thus ending the first invasion.
In the 20 years following the first invasion, humanity has worked industriously to prepare for another global threat; the nations have unified to create a defense grid around the planet and Moon that cannibalizes the alien technology from the debris of the first invasion.
A massive Harvester Mothership in the midst of a mission receives the distress beacon from the first mission. Infuriated, the Queen orders an assault on Earth. Their enemy, the Sphere, arrives shortly before they arrival of the Harvester Mothership, but is mistaken for the aliens, so it is shot down by the humans. The Harvester arrives and promptly disables Earth's defenses and situates itself over the Atlantic Ocean.
Upon detecting the presence of the Queen, the humans launch a defensive strike against the Harvester Mothership, with the intention of killing her. Predicting this move, the Queen allows the humans close to her, then has Attackers swarm the scene. A sparse number of humans infiltrate the Harvester and crash land in the ship's interior ecosystem, due to an electromagnetic pulse issued.
The Sphere is activated, which prompts lures the Queen's ship. Taking advantage of her determination, Levinson reroutes the signal from the Enemy to a space tug carrying cold fusion bombs, piloted by former President Whitmore. Through a sacrificial mission, Whitmore flies into the Queen's ship and detonates the bombs directly in front of her. The Queen, however, survives and continues her pursuit of the Enemy. Upon snagging the Enemy, the Queen is attacked and killed by ships piloted by Dylan Hiller and Jake Morrison. With the death of the Queen, the aliens go catatonic, the Harvester releases its grip on Earth and the second invasion ends.
Me: No it's not. But these aliens are not welcome on our planet.
In the Area 51 command room, they got word that the virus is being uploaded.
Captain Wilder: Sir, they're uploading the virus.
General Grey: Phoenix 1 and Eagle 1, package is being delivered. Stand by to engage.
Me: Yes sir.
I had my computer eyes on and they saw the shield around the ship. It was a massive green bubble around the ship.
General Grey got word that the virus was in.
General Grey: Delivery complete. Engage.
Me: Shield's not down yet sir. Give it 30 more seconds.
I kept an eye on the shield and then I saw the shield disappear.
Me: Shield's down. Fire!
President Tom: Eagle 1, Fox 3.
President Tom fired a missile and it hit the ship and exploded.
KABOOM!
Everyone cheered in the base.
General Grey: Direct hit!
Captain Wilder: Squadron leaders and Team Loud Phoenix Storm, fire at will. Fire at will. Fire at will.
Me: This is it guys! Fire at will!
We fired missiles and energy blasts at the ship and they hit the ship and exploded with incredible power.
KRABBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!
We caused a significant amount of damage to the ship and blew 25% of the ship apart.
Lincoln: Yeah!
President Tom: Wow! That did it!
Then a massive armada of alien fighter ships came.
Me: Here they come!
Luan fired a massive blast of light and blew some of the ships apart.
Eddy (shoots aliens with blaster): HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, MOTHERFUCKERS!
The ships were exploding all over the place as fiery debris.
Maria (shoots water at aliens): You just had to attack the Earth on the 4th of July!
The water made one of the aliens collide with another ship and they exploded.
Lola and Suzi fired massive blasts of fire and energy and many ships exploded.
G1 Soundwave (shoots at aliens): Independence Day aliens: about to die.
Soundwave fired blasts from his Concussion blaster and he destroyed a lot of ships.
Me: Lets cut these aliens down to size! Rolling Cutter!
I activated Cut Man's Rolling Cutter and fired a scissor blade and they sliced and diced the ships.
May (shoots aliens with ice gun): Chill out!
May froze some of the ships and blew them to pieces.
Nico: You Aliens have failed this universe!
Nico fired massive energy blasts at the ship and the fighter ships and blew them apart.
Captain Wilder: We're running out of missiles sir. But it's settling directly over us.
Then the ship's main weapon was being ready to fire.
General Grey: They're preparing to fire their primary weapon!
Me: Lets go!
President Tom: Lets take it out before it takes us out!
We went under the ship and we saw the ships main weapon being charged up.
Me: Target sighted.
President Tom: Target at 12:00!
We fired numerous blasts.
Me: Lets destroy this ship for good! Combo and Final Smash time!
Blaster: You got it J.D.! CYBER KEY POWER!
Blaster had the Earth Cyber Planet Key went into hit electro-scrambler gun and it enhanced it 100-Fold and 3 more blasters popped out,
Stacy: I've never used a Cyber Planet Key. First for everything. EARTH CYBER KEY POWER!
The Earth Cyber Planet Key went into her device and it enhanced her lightning powers 100-fold.
Blaster and Stacy: LIGHTNING STORMBLAST STRIKE!
Blaster and Stacy fired a massive blast of lightning and it hit the flaps of the hatch for the city destroyer weapon.
G1 Soundwave: Target Sighted! CYBER KEY POWER!
The Earth Cyber Planet Key went into his arm and it enhanced his Concussion Blaster 100-fold.
James: Lets get them Carnivine! ANIMATRON CYBER KEY POWER!
The Animatron Cyber Planet Key went into James's right arm device and it enhanced his Carnivine's abilities.
James: Leaf Tornado! Go!
G1 Soundwave and Carnivine: SONIC RAZOR TORNADO STRIKE!
Carnivine fired a massive tornado made of leaves and G1 Soundwave fired a massive blast of concussion energy and the blasts combined and they hit the weapon.
Nico: Lets get them! Time for the Final Smashes of Red, White and Blue!
Lincoln: Lets do it!
Nico: I'll go first! RED FOR GLORY!
Nico fired a massive blast of red energy and it hit part of the ship and exploded.
KRABBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!
Lincoln: WHITE FOR LIBERTY!
Lincoln fired a massive blast of white energy and it hit the ship and exploded.
KRABBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!
May: BLUE FOR FREEDOM!
May fired a massive blue blast of energy and it hit the ship and exploded.
KRABBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!
Me: President Tom, let them have it!
President Tom: You got it J.D. MISSILE FIRESTORM EXPLOSION!
President Tom fired a massive barrage of missiles at the ship. But then they missed and hit the wrong spots!
Me: Negative impact!
Russell: Sorry I'm late Mr. President!
We saw a fighter plane arrive.
Me: Russell Casse, I presume?
Russell: You got that right. I told you I wouldn't let you down.
Me: We'll hold them off for you.
We did so and Russell had his missile ready. But then it got stuck and he knew he had to make a very difficult choice.
Russell: Do me a favor. Tell my children I love them very much.
I knew what Russell was going to do.
Me: We will Russell.
Russell flew up to the weapon and took off his mask.
Russell: ALL RIGHT YOU ALIEN ASSHOLES! IN THE WORDS OF MY GENERATIONS! UP YOURS!
The laser was charging up.
The laser was getting ready to fire and it was targeting the Area 51 base.
Russell: (LAUGHS) HELLO BOYS! I'M BAAAAAAAACCCCKKKK!
He slammed into the laser with a kamikaze attack and the whole ship exploded!
KRABBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!
The whole ship erupted into a massive fireball.
President Tom: He did it! The son of a bitch did it!
Everyone at the base cheered wildly.
We went out from under the base of the ship as it was going down.
Later the Mothership exploded and we had the Harvester Aliens beat. The mothership was destroyed like it was in the movie with a tactical nuke. The Alien Ships all over the world were destroyed and beat.
Me: We did it guys.
Nico: We sure did. These aliens have failed this universe!
Me: You got that right.
Lincoln: Never underestimate the power of Team Loud Phoenix Storm and everyone working together.
Blaster: Best 4th of July ever!
President Tom: We couldn't have done all this without you J.D.
Me: We're happy to help Mr. President.
We shook hands.
President Tom: (To the viewers) These guys are powerful forces to be feared. Never mess with Team Loud Phoenix Storm.
Later we left the Simulator. We salvaged some of the ships and made our own weapons and defense systems with it and more for the benefit of the planet.
Later we had our barbecue and we had burgers, ribs, pork and more. Nico caught his own Carnivine and a Lumineon and Ben had a Ditto.
At 9:00 we saw fireworks go off.
Nico: Blaster was right. This really is the best 4th of July ever.
Me: Lets sing America the Beautiful for this day.
All: (Singing)
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
The flag of the United States of America waved behind us in the background as we saluted. The Fireworks were breathtaking and there were so many designs in them.
It was the best 4th of July we ever had.
We then went to bed.
Me: (To the viewers) This was a memorable 4th of July. Have a great night to all of you and God Bless America!
I winked at the camera and the screen irised in with the form of a firework and the American Flag waved and around the firework was Happy Independence Day.
Elsewhere, an awesome Police car was on patrol and in it was Wes Collins, Leader of the Time Force Power Rangers from the year 3000 and his partner Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger and commander of the Silver Guardians.
A robber had stolen an armored car!
Wes Collins: That armor car was stolen!
Eric Myers: Lets get him!
Wes Collins: TIME FOR TIME FORCE!
Eric Myers: QUANTUM POWER!
In a powerful flash of Red Light they transformed and the camera turned red.
THE END
Another Fanfiction Complete
Happy 4th of July Everyone! I hope you all have an awesome Independence Day and celebrate 243 years of freedom! Independence Day from 1996 was an awesome movie and I figured it would be perfect for this chapter. I added some history for you all on America's greatest documents for you. NicoChan11 gave me the ideas for this one. Thanks man as usual. Let me know what you all think. Again have a Happy Independence Day and eat lots of great barbecue and have fun with a lot of fireworks.
USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
See you all next time!