I’m a lawyer and my expertise is Elder, Business and tax law, not Constitutional law.

However, I cannot watch events like Ferguson, Occupy Wall Street, G8, and the political parties conventions and not apply my legal thoughts to basic Constitutional issues.  I find myself repeatedly asking if the Government is violating the Constitution.  It’s not just me, but other significant legal scholars are asking the same question.

The First Amendment says “Congress shall make no law respecting…. 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.”

People can argue about the meaning of “freedom of speech”, “freedom of the press”, or “right of the people peaceably to assemble”, but I can tell you that what the government is doing is at least violating these provisions either in spirit or by their plain meaning.

Maybe it is time to think long and hard about our security and the trade-offs we are allowing at the expense of our freedoms.