Reality Check: A Second American Revolution? ( Part One of Three )

It's a little un-nerving sometimes to think about...A Second American Revolution...and it's not a subject anyone should take lightly. For most Americans, the thought of taking up arms against the government gives us a sick queasy feeling in the bottom of our stomachs. Partly because of the shear magnitude, scope and uncertainty of the thought. No SANE person wants to think about the carnage in terms of life, property and potential for loss of liberty. But more importantly the ever increasing prospects that it might actually happen should leave all Americans pale and shaking. So, I think it would be a good time for a reality check. Lets all just take a step back from the heated debates and anger over the situation and take a hard look at a couple of things before we get to a point of no return.
The obvious first question is why do so many of us feel like we are so close to a situation that quickly devolves into open war against the government? The answer to that question requires us to look at how our government was formed and how it has changed since it was formed. The fundamental tenant of the American system of government was, and always will be, the idea that our federal government should be extremely limited in it's power and that all of the power the government has is given to it by The People and could be taken from it by The People. The founding fathers saw the Federal Government as having the potential to invalidate and usurp the power of The People if it's power were not limited and controlled. So the question now becomes, "Is the federal government acting beyond the scope of power that The Constitution provides?"  Just so we are all on the same page, I want to make sure EVERYONE understands that Federal Law DOES NOT trump or change The Constitution...ever. The Constitution specifically states what the organization,  powers and responsibilities of the federal government are, and emphatically states that any remaining power belongs to the states and to the people...period. Anyone who argues otherwise should go back and actually READ it this time. If you don't like what it says then work to change it through an amendment.

Most people who have ever read The Constitution will agree that the current federal government is acting in ways that are FAR beyond it's limited authority in both the Executive and Legislative branches. This is Reality #1.