Two Party Opera by Brian Carroll for February 11, 2023

So, that’s where the 3rd Amendment went. Isn’t it an anachronism?

There’s a third amendment? The way some talk, there is only one and it isn’t the 1st.

Wow! The Third Amendment is one that really stuck. The American outrage against quartering troops in private homes must have been puzzling to the Crown.

At the time, standard practice in Europe, where the unit numbers of different armies could be seen marked on [common] peoples doors, sometimes one language chalked over another, depending on which side was occupying.

How did we get from there to the point where American citizens are required to show instant obedience to well-funded, heavily armed roving squads of bluecoats or face summary execution? John & Abigail would be horrified — even Hamilton might object.

All the more expensive when staying at a Trump property.

Military and quasi-military spending keeps increasing. The Pentagon, though, says the U.S. now can’t fight more than a one front war. Crime seems to keep increasing. Why?

Mrs. Adams, how’s the cookie?!

Love the facial expression of Mrs. Adams. LOL!

The back story is English troops were brought over to protect the colonies from encroachment by France and Spain, but the colonies refused to pay any taxes to cover the cost of the troops, so in a very few cities a small number of troops were billeted in private homes when other housing wasn’t available. But, it gets a better reaction when you make it sound like the Brits were taking over blocks of housing. [Bishop, Birth of the U.S.; Jasanoff, Liberty’s Exiles]

John Mulaney did a great bit (SNL monologue) about the Framers debating which order the Bill of Rights should have:

“OK, freedom of speech, we all agree that’s important and should come first. What should be second?”

“We can have all the guns we want!”

“Really? I’m not disagreeing in general, but should it really come next?”

“HELL YEAH!”

“Well, you clearly feel strongly about it so, fine. Moving on to number three…”

“The army can’t live in your house.”

“What…?”

“The ARMY. Can’t LIVE. In your HOUSE.”

“… Are you having troubles at home you want to talk about?”

A very good book written by Ambassador Schlossberg (AKA Caroline Kennedy) https://smile.amazon.com/Our-Defense-Bill-Rights-Action/dp/0380717204/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JANMZQXOEW8V&keywords=In+Our+Defense&qid=1676141308&sprefix=in+our+defense%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-1

The Bill of Rights was written basically as a repudiation of most of the bad stuff the Brits did to the colonisers living over here at the time.

The redcoats were marine landing forces. They had to have a fleet of ships big enough for troops, horses, artillery, and food supplies. The bluecoats were regular army that lived in forts.