Articles by John Barrett

About John Barrett

About this author - John B. Barrett: I have been an attorney for over 32 years. Initially, my passion for the Constitution was fueled by my passion for firearms and the second amendment. But as I dove deeper, I found that while the right to keep and bear arms is, as US Supreme Court Justice, Joseph Story, wrote, "the palladium of the liberties of a republic," there was much more I needed to understand. Chief among these is the importance of the founding fathers’ recognition of God as the source of our liberty. I have read Algernon Sidney's Discourses concerning Government, John Locke's Two Treatises Of Civil Government (plus a number of his other works), The Federalist Papers, The Anti-Federalist Papers, Letters from Federalist Farmer to the Republican, Common Sense, the Rights of Man, the transcripts of several of the state conventions considering ratification of the U.S. Constitution, as well as numerous other writings of the founding fathers and early US Supreme Court cases impacting our liberty and the power of government.

What Are Unalienable Rights

April 4, 2024 John Barrett 0

Exploring the Source of Our Rights…and Why No Entity Can Take Them From You Thomas Jefferson was very clear as to the source of our rights and why that was important. No matter what you may have heard about Thomas Jefferson – I know when I was in high school, it was we were taught that Jefferson was an atheist – he spent a good portion of his life crediting God for our country and promoting that idea that our rights are the gift of God. In Rights of British America (1774), Jefferson wrote, “The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy, but cannot […]

Why The Electoral College

June 16, 2023 John Barrett 0

The Electoral College and the Vote…Why An Electoral College? Americans have no constitutionally protected right to vote in a federal election. We have the right to not be discriminated against in voting, based on race, color, previous condition of servitude (15th amendment), sex (19th amendment), failure to pay a poll tax (24th amendment) or age, if at least 18 (26th amendment). But there is no right to vote in a federal election. How the electors for President are chosen is determined by each state’s legislature Following the 2000 presidential election, there was a dispute as to how votes were to be counted and recounted in Florida. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, twice. […]

Algernon Sidney, Unsung Founding Father

June 5, 2022 John Barrett 0

Algernon Sidney, An Unsung Founder Every year, as we approach the anniversary of his beheading, I pay tribute to Algernon Sidney. Since so few people have heard of Col. Sidney, much less know of his influence on the founding fathers, I believe it is important to provide some information about him. Algernon Sidney was an associate of John Locke and one of the luminaries of the Whig Movement (not to be confused with the Whig Party in the U.S.). While Locke fled to Holland upon being implicated in the Rye House Plot to assassinate, King Charles II, Col. Sidney stayed and was arrested. At trial, the primary evidence against Col. Sidney was the manuscript for […]

Russel, A World War Two Story

March 2, 2021 John Barrett 0

Russel, a story from World War II… The Founding Project staff noticed a veteran’s story posted on Facebook and asked the author to please share the story with TFP’s readers. This is just one story, but, in many ways, it is a story felt by many. Russel is one man and, in many ways, every man who saw combat in WWII. It is a glimpse of the heart, mind and life of one soldier from once upon a time in America…as told by his son. Special thanks to John Barrett for sharing his father’s story with us… [Editor’s Note: Subheadings were added to comply with SEO requirements for internet publication.] Russel, One Soldier’s Story […]

Gun Safety Series: Part 3, Home and Personal Protection

October 9, 2017 John Barrett 0

TFP’s Gun Safety Series – Part 3: Protection Home Safety and Protection Although I am a pistol instructor, I always recommend a pump-action shotgun for defense and protection inside the home. A shotgun is much easier to aim, particularly under stress, every criminal knows the sound of a pump-action shotgun being cycled, and is unlikely to stick around, it is less likely to be inadvertently left where children can find it, and it is much more likely to stop a threat. Tacky Psyche Effect, the Consequences As I noted in a prior post, the Tacky Psyche Effect degrades your fine motor skills. As a result, when a person is under stress, it becomes very difficult […]

Gun Safety: Part 2

September 18, 2017 John Barrett 0

Gun Safety – Part 2: Safety is, and must always be first. Most of those considering the purchase of a firearm for the first time do so because they wish to protect themselves and/or their families. That is, they want to ensure their own and their families’ safety. It defeats that purpose to use or store the weapon in a way that endangers those they love. So safety must always be the first consideration. ____________ WARNING: THERE ARE INHERENT LIMITATIONS TO ANY ARTICLE ON FIREARMS SAFETY. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED IN THE SAFE HANDLING OF FIREARMS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU TAKE A COURSE TAUGHT BY AN NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR FOR THE TYPE […]

The Gun Safety Series, Part 1

August 28, 2017 John Barrett 0

Gun Safety: An Introduction Part 1: Meet Your Gun Safety Instructor I started shooting a .22 rifle when I was 4 years old. My 11th birthday present was my own .22 rifle. I started shooting high-powered rifles and shotguns that same year. My father gave me a shotgun and a .30-30 when I was 13 or 14 years old. My father, a former FBI Agent, waited until I was 13 or 14 to teach me to shoot a handgun – a wise decision given how my father taught me to shoot them, as I will explain later. I began writing editorials and letters to the editor defending the right to keep and bear arms while […]