Chains of the Constitution Chains of the Constitution, a bi-weekly newspaper column of political and cultural commentary, is written by Dave Neuendorf from a conservative/libertarian perspective. Dave has been writing this column every other week since 1994, publishing it in the Aurora, Indiana Journal-Press under the name Conserving the Balance. Chains of the Constitution is our effort to get this column into more papers, both to increase exposure to the ideas expressed, and as a source of income.

Publication Rights Chains of the Constitution columns are copyright by David W. Neuendorf. They may be republished only with our permission. Anyone may link to this page, or to any of our columns, without explicit permission. Newspapers may purchase the right to republish any column in our archive by sending us a check for $50 (US), noting which column is to be printed.

Column Archive

• 2007 Columns
• 2006 Columns
• 2005 Columns
• 2004 Columns
• 2003 Columns
• 2002 Columns
• 2001 Columns
• 2000 Columns
• 1999 Columns
• 1998 Columns
• 1997 Columns
• 1996 Columns
• 1995 Columns
• 1994 Columns

2007 Columns

• Muslim Officials Should Swear Oath on Koran

2006 Columns

• Bless those who curse Christmas
• Republican losses improve their party
• North American integration should be campaign issue
• Tax policy exerts unhealthy pressures
• Bush signing statements overstep presidential authority
• Bush administration proposes farming out port security to dangerous Chinese firm
• Kentucky Secularists Open Date Skirmish in Culture War
• Action soon on immigration reform
• H.R. 4776 protects free speech in state legislatures
• Militarize the Mexican border
• Quantity of legislation hurts quality
• Microsoft collaborates with Communist Chinese censorship

2005 Columns

• NSA wiretaps: how can we balance liberty and security?
• US meddling leads to bad foreign relations
• IRS interfering with religious freedom
• US control of the internet is good for everyone
• Federal shield law should not define journalists
• Political party discipline a danger to good government
• US rejects the most legitimate immigrants
• Assassination is an act of war
• Dearborn County sign ordinance is unconstitutional
• Constitution provides “nuclear option” to reign in Supreme Court
• Say ‘no’ to CAFTA
• It’s time to leave Iraq
• Ridley Scott epic Kingdom of Heaven harmful to Christian-Muslim relations
• Investigate Border Patrol “stand-down” orders
• Federal education aid to be paid for with student privacy?
• Schiavo case: what now?
• Food and water are not “life support”
• Imagine an April 15 without the IRS

2004 Columns

• First Amendment in Crisis
• Canadian Socialized Medicine: an Example of How Not to Solve Health Care Problems
• FTAA Should be the Hottest Election Issue
• HHS Appropriation Contains Seeds of Universal Mental Health Screening
• States Should Reject Foreign Election Observers
• Same-sex Marriage Controversy Exposes Problems with Federal Judiciary
• Random Student Drug Testing: Here we Go Again
• Teach Classics to Diverse Students
• Denial of Communion Not a Political Act
• Who's Pumping Up Gas Prices?
• Repeal the Seventeenth Amendment
• Is Iraq Another Vietnam?
• Strip Search Epidemic Continues
• Forced Abortions In the US?
• Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ Exceeds Expectations
• First Amendment Freedoms an American Phenomenon
• No Good Choices in Presidential Election
• Blanket Amnesty With Any Other Name...

2003 Columns

• "The Passion" is Most Anticipated Movie
• General Boykin Exercising First Amendment Rights
• Court-Sanctioned Torture/Murder in Progress in Florida
• "Do Not Call" Roller Coaster
• European Union Uses WTO as Weapon Against US
• Supreme Court Now Using Foreign Precedents
• Continuity Amendment: Cure is Far Worse than Disease
• US Must Not Rejoin UNESCO
• Social Security and Medicare Will Bankrupt our Children
• To Pedophile-Tolerating Psychiatrists: Make Our Day
• Israelis and Palestinians Have Common Enemy in Terrorists
• Weak Support for First Amendment in Soft Money Court Decision
• Legislative Prayers Should be in Caucuses
• Military Academies Must Train "Officers and Gentlemen"
• Missed Opportunity in Senate Abortion Debate
• The True State of the Union
• Lying About Products is not a Free Speech Issue

2002 Columns

• Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?
• Republican Victory No Excuse to Relax Vigilance
• All Undocumented Immigrants Should be Detained
• Teen Girl's Strip Search Made Possible by General Neglect of Privacy Rights
• Time for a Universal Ballistics Database?
• Controversial Pedophilia Book on Amazon.com
• Latest Terrorist Training Video: More Personal Attacks Coming
• Attack on Iraq? Congress Must Make the Decision
• One Nation, Under God
• Support Pilots Who Volunteer to be Armed
• Supreme Court Threat to Bill of Rights
• Department of National Homeland Security Would Usurp Local Responsibilities
• We Were Soldiers Presents Worthwhile Violence
• Civics Education Doesn't Need Federal Involvement
• Patriotism: Tough Love of Country
• Reasonable Search Disapproved by Colorado Court
• Shame on the Indiana Supreme Court
• Senator Daschle's War Questions Don't Go Far Enough
• Airline Security Measures Lead the Way to a Police State
• Taliban Terrorists Not Entitled to POW Status
• Illinois Hospital's Name is Blasphemous
• Hypocritical Americans Blaming Saudis for Funding Terror
• Pray for Osama bin Laden

2001 Columns

• 'Fast Track' Bill Resurrected Under New Name
• Congress Forfeiting Power to the President
• Terrorist Attacks Haven't Made Our Traditional Enemies Less Dangerous
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 28: The Fifth Amendment Prohibition Against Forced Self-Incrimination
• Militia Needed for Homeland Defense
• Congress Should Declare War on Terrorist Base Countries
• Genetic Testing Impacts Future of Insurance
• Should the US Rejoin UNESCO?
• Uncontrolled Immigration Can Kill the Goose
• Schools' Zero-Tolerance Policies Teach Disrespect for Law
• Independence Day: a Celebration of American Sovereignty
• Do Republicans Need Jim Jeffords?
• Sell Taiwan the Means of Self-Defense
• Don't Make a Federal Case out of Seat Belt Arrest
• Chinese Imprisonment of US Crew is Act of War
• Medical Privacy Quackery
• Campaign Finance Reform Bill Abuses Free Speech
• Can Clinton Still be Impeached?
• Compassionate Conservatism is a Trap for Churches
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 27: The Fifth Amendment Protection Against Double Jeopardy

2000 Columns

• Beware Lame Duck ICC Treaty Signing
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 26: The Fifth Amendment and the Grand Jury Indictment
• Let Indiana Lead the Way on Electoral Reform
• Renewed Pressure on the Electoral System
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 25: Supreme Court to Rule on Random Auto Searches versus the Fourth Amendment
• Important Privacy Bill Needs a Boost
• Congress: Defend your Powers from Executive Usurpation
• What About Criminal Aliens that Nobody Wants?
• Indiana Appeals Court Does Hoosiers Proud
• New Push for UN Convention?
• Boy Scouts Morally Obligated to Exclude Homosexual Leaders
• Barbarism Reigns Supreme
• An 18th Century Vacation
• Terrorism in America will Endanger Civil Liberties
• Make "Normal Trade Relations" Normal
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 24: The Fourth Amendment
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 23: The Personal Right to Keep and Bear Arms
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 22: Do We Need the Militia Today?
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 21: The Second Amendment and a Well Regulated Militia
• Congress Should Investigate Baby Parts Market
• Trusting the Government is Not Patriotism

1999 Columns

• A Controversial Christmas Story
• Last Chance to Save Our Canal
• Unintended Fetal Profiling May be Reducing Crime
• Line-item Budgeting would Save Us Money
• European Union Dangerous Model for NAFTA and the World Trade Organization
• The First Amendment Does Not Protect Public Arts Funding
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 20: The First Amendment and Freedom of Assembly
• Indiana Sex Offender Registry Needs Work
• Gun Owner Registration is as Dangerous to Liberty as Gun Registration
• Random Drug Testing in Schools is a Tragedy
• New Air Travel Security Measures are a Foot in the Door for Rights Violations
• How America can Cope with Non-traditional Marriages
• It's Time to Reclaim the US Canal in Panama
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 19: The First Amendment and Freedom of Speech
• NATO Action in Kosovo is Illegal
• Hero Kazan has Nothing to Regret
• This Year's Choice of "Best Picture" Accurately Reflects Hollywood Values
• Make Bad Lawsuits Expensive
• International Criminal Court: a Giant Step toward Global Totalitarianism
• The Human Condition in a Nutshell
• Nuremberg Files Web Site on Trial
• Popular Radio Station Q102 Promotes Anti-Arab Hatred

1998 Columns

• What Should Congress Do About the Independent Counsel Act?
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 18: The First Amendment and Freedom of Religion
• Impressions of the 1998 Election
• Every Crime is a Hate Crime
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 17: Introducing the Bill of Rights
• Presidents Should Not Get Royal Treatment
• Abortion Supporters Should be Comfortable with Princeton's Newest Professor
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 16: Articles VI and VII and the Authority of Treaties
• Can We Stop the Coming National ID Card?
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 15: Article V Allows for Amendments
• Southern Baptist Mission Statement Has it Right
• A Parable for the Nineties
• What is Behind the School Killings?
• Where does Christian Love Fit in Political Conflict?
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 15: Article IV Defines Relationships Among the States
• Hepatitis B Vaccination Bill is Criminally Negligent Politics
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 14: Article III Creates the Judiciary Branch
• Unprofessional Conduct or Cold Blooded Murder?
• Perjury is the Tip of the Iceberg
• Cut Planned Parenthood Loose from our Tax Dollars
• Are Americans Worthy of Self Government?

1997 Columns

• Global Warming Fears Based on Meteorological Snake Oil
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 13: The Impeachment Power
• Proposed IRS Reforms Will Not Establish Justice
• Political Debate Controversy Shows Government Should Not be in Broadcasting Business
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 12: The Presidential Line-Item Veto
• Federal Hands Must Not Touch our Children's Education
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 11: The Electoral College
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 10: The Executive Branch is Created in Article II
• Penal System Needs Serious Overhaul
• Orwellian Voluntarism Must Go
• Davis Mountain Standoff was No Alamo
• The Source of our Problems
• Tripping Over a Tricky Toast
• School Prayer Amendment is More Constitutional Mischief
• Life is a Gift of God
• Chemical Weapons Convention is Dangerous Poison
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 9: Regulating Interstate Commerce; the Lopez Case
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 8: Regulating Interstate Commerce
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 7: Congress is Created by Article I
• Boycott of Red Chinese Imports Deserves Support

1996 Columns

• Drug Testing Proposal is an Insult to Teens
• School Choice Would be Self-Defeating
• U.S. Army Attacks Land Owners
• There is Still Hope After the 1996 Election
• With Republicans Like These, Who Needs Democrats?
• Can We Tolerate Too Much Tolerance?
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 6: The Preamble
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 5: A Study Outline
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 4: A Weapon to Restore Lost Liberty
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 3: What Is It?
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 2: Some Historical Background
• Exploring the Constitution, Part 1: Why Do It?
• Stop Cheating the Self-Employed
• No Evidence Should be Excluded from Criminal Trials
• Anarchy of Freemen Feeds Big Government
• Cruel and Unusual Punishment of the Innocent
• Abolish the Federal Reserve
• Congress is the Key to Restoring Our Republic
• Evangelical Environmentalists are Wrong
• Where Do We Get Our Rights?
• Term Limits are a Dangerous Idea
• Protection from the IRS
• How to Bring Federal Spending Under Control

1995 Columns

• Clinton's Promises Should Not Bind Congress
• Two Body Blows to the United Nations
• Our Legislators Must Obey the Constitution
• Remember Katanga!
• Army Medic Michael New Needs Our Help
• Feminists Use Packwood to Stereotype Men
• Let's Draw the Line at $5 Trillion
• Can Americans Do Without Big Brother?
• Don't be Afraid of the Extremist Label
• Misplaced Loyalty to Party Leaders
• Recovering our Property Rights
• Picking a Gun Ban Repeal Bill
• Essential Reading for the Gun Control Debate
• It's the Debt, Stupid
• Why Are We Still in NATO?
• Terrorism Bill Should be Stopped
• News Coverage of Globalism is Distorted
• Housewives' Day
• Daliberti and Barloom Alive or Hussein Dead
• I Pledge Allegiance to...One World?
• Abolish the "Regulatory Branch"
• Review of Bastiat's The Law
• Beware the Conference of the States
• Davy Crockett on Social Spending
• Republican Revolution Ignores Constitution
• Get US Out of the United Nations
• We Would be Better Off Without Social Security
• Mass Murder in America

1994 Columns

• The True True Meaning of Christmas
• Lame Duck Season
• Motherhood, Apple Pie and Gridlock
• A Common Sense Political Spectrum