December 8, 2015 AD
Today’s word, Mr. President, is the verb to infringe.
DEFINITION
WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2015
in•fringe /ɪnˈfrɪndʒ/USA pronunciation v., -fringed, -fring•ing.
- Law to break a rule or regulation;
violate[~ + object]By copying my programs and selling them they were infringing my copyright. - Law to interfere with[~ + on/upon + object]to infringe on someone’s privacy.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers
infringe /ɪnˈfrɪndʒ/ vb
- (transitive) to violate or break (a law, an agreement, etc)
- (intr; followed by on or upon) to encroach or trespass
APPLICATION
Amendment II to the U.S. Constitution
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 constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves in all cases to which they think themselves competent, or they may act by representatives, freely and equally chosen; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed; that they are entitled to freedom of person, freedom of religion, freedom of property, and freedom of the press.” – Thomas Jefferson (letter to John Cartwright, 1824)
SUMMARY
Well, Barack, you can sit down, because you don’t know this word.
Enumerated powers in our U.S. Constitution say what federal government is allowed to do. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, The Bill of Rights, say what the federal government can never do.
The Bill of Rights is inviolable. This seldom used adjective means “prohibiting violation;
secure from destruction, violence, infringement, or desecration”.
I write to remind our lawmakers as much as to rebuke our president.
ACTION
Contact your congressional representatives. Remind them the Bill of Rights is inviolable, not to be destroyed, infringed or desecrated.
Representative John Ratcliffe – https://ratcliffe.house.gov/contact/email
Senator Ted Cruz – http://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=email_senator
Senator John Cornyn – http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm
Thank you for participating in self-government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”.
John White
Rockwall, Texas
