This morning the news broke that the Affordable Healthcare Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, was upheld almost in its entirety by the United States Supreme Court. The individual mandate, which requires all citizens to purchase health insurance, was the most contested provision of the legislation. It was upheld as a legitimate tax. The Justices’ only major revision was to the portion of the law that referred to Medicaid expansion, affirming that the federal government cannot take existing Medicaid funding away from states that choose not to participate in Medicaid expansion.

Justice Kennedy sided with Justices Alito, Thomas, and Scalia in the landmark 5-4 decision. In a surprising turn of events, it was Chief Justice Roberts who broke ranks and voted with the more liberal side of the Court. In his opinion, he stated that Congress was not allowed to force people into commerce via the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. However, he also stated that Congress could levy taxes against those who failed to comply with the mandate if they went through the IRS in order to do so. The opinion so wildly departed from the salient and reasonable opinions I have come to expect from Roberts that my first thought was (honestly), “The only *possible* explanation for this is the Brett Kimberlin knows where his family lives.”

The reactions on both sides have been fairly predictable.

President Obama, giddy over his victory, keeps trying to peddle the notion that “it isn’t a tax.” Even though the only reason the Supreme Court upheld the monstrosity was the fact that they considered it a tax. Even if Obama’s own Justice Department presented it as a tax in order to win in the Supreme Court. Even though the IRS is the administration set to take control as this law is implemented.

Whatever the politics, today’s decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold it. – President Barack Obama

The fact is, President Obama was right about one thing: the lives of Americans will be more secure. But if you think back to your childhood, when you weren’t allowed to cross the street alone and your bedtime was at seven o’clock, your life was more secure. Back when you didn’t have to worry about who would pay when you went to buy milk and bread or went to the dentist’s office, your life was more secure. Back when you weren’t allowed to stay out with your friends until midnight or sleep over with a friend whose parents weren’t at home, your life was more secure. But it was also less free. Your entire life, so it sometimes seemed, was dictated by someone else. This law is nothing if it isn’t a blatant attempt to “secure” us into having less individual freedom.

Likely GOP nominee Mitt Romney reaffirmed his intent to rid us of the law if elected in November:

What they (the Court) did not do was say that Obamacare is good law or that it’s good policy. Obamacare was bad policy yesterday; it’s bad policy today. Obamacare was bad law yesterday; it’s bad law today. – Governor Mitt Romney

Conservatives generally reacted to the ruling in one of two ways (after the initial shock wore off): Some threw up their hands, shook their heads, and proclaimed liberty “dead.” Others put their #WAR faces on and prepared to hit the streets.

American Conservative Union Chairman Al Cardenas, though I’m sure he was disappointed in the Court’s failure to strike down the law in its entirety, was one of those who came out swinging.

Indeed, this will be our most significant rallying cry for a November victory. At the end of the day the Supreme Court clarified the mission and made its success that much more important. – ACU Chairman Al Cardenas

Now, like never before, we rally. Now, like never before, we push for a return to common sense in Washington. We have set our sights on the Presidency, but with this ruling the Senate becomes infinitely more important. We cannot hope to overturn the law if we cannot get it to a vote in the Senate. And we cannot hope to bring it to a vote in the Senate if we do not reclaim a majority there.

This is not the end. This is not the beginning of the end. This is the beginning of the fight that could , if lost, bring about the end.

Despite what you may have seen on Twitter:

Today is not the day that America died. Today is simply the day America was shot. – Jen Ennenbach, Patriot