1) What Revolutionary War did YOU study? The first shots were fired a few miles from where I'm sitting right now (I work at Hanscom AFB which abuts Minuteman National Park in Lexington MA). War came from the British regulars marching from Boston to confiscate arms suspected to be stored in Lexington and Concord. Washington had NOTHING to do with this.

I guess we could argue who started the war. You are correct that on April 18,1775 General Gage, (British Army) marched to Lexington to seize the munitions stored by the Colonial militia at Concord. This may have been considered an "act of war" but who fired the first shot was the start of the war. However, and this is where there may be a discussion. On the morning of April 19, 1775 77 minutemen gathered on the village (not one in florida) green. Shot were then fired and the question is "who fired the first shots"? That would determine who technically started the war? It is an open question? Logic would say it was the minutemen protecting their munitions.
Regarding Washington's role. He did arrive in Boston on July 1775 to take over the colonial forces. I guess you could technically say he did not start the war but rather it began his participation after the village green conflict?

I totally disagree with any attempt to disregard the constitution and unfortunately I believe the current President has done this much more than the previous one. I believe the difference is noticable that the previous one did it to protect the citizens while the current one does it for political purposes. Does that make one better than the other? No if it violates our constitution. BUT any one of the terrorist's found on our soil are not/should not be protected by the Constitution since they are not part of an army and not part of a soverign nation and not a citizen of the US.