The 16th Amendment - Bill Benson litigation is a serious threat to our way of life. The litigation started when the government filed its law suit seeking an injunction against Bill Benson. The allegation is that Bill Benson is "falsely telling people that the 16th Amendment was not ratified. In a previous blog I discussed how the government has denied Benson his due process right to present in court the facts he relies upon to support the truth of his statement.
The 16th Amenement - Bill Benson litigation also poses a direct threat to our 1st Amendment right to engage in debate about whether the 16th Amendment was, in fact, actually ratified in accordance with the United States Constitution. The government seeks the names of those whom Benson has communicated as part of its requested injunctive relief. It admits it wants the names not because it knows anyone has broken the law, but to investigate them to see if they have broken the law. The government points to no probable cause for such investigation other than mere association with Benson.
The United States Supreme Court has previously ruled the government may not have this information; todays government doesn't believe it must obey The Supreme Law of the Land.
NAACP v. Alabama ex rel. Patterson, 357 U.S. 449 (1958) and Gibson v. Fla. Leg. Investigation Comm., 372 U.S. 539, 544 (1963) hold that compelled disclosure of affiliation with groups engaged in advocacy constitutes a violation of the 1st Amendment. Thornhill v. State of Alabama, 310 U.S. 88, 101-102 (1940) holds that “The freedom of speech and of the press guaranteed by the Constitution embraces at the least the liberty to discuss publicly and truthfully all matters of public concern without previous restraint or fear of subsequent punishment.
The 16th Amenement - Bill Benson litigation is an overt attempt to eliminate our inalienable right to freedom of speech. The government is well on its way to destroying this critical right. If you have any doubt about this, just watch these videos:
Complete details of the 16th Amendment - Bill Benson Litigation, including the pleadings filed in the case, are on my web site: http://jeffdickstein.com
