Comments on: Constitutional Superficiality

By: Clumpy

Clumpy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:20:03 +0000

I don’t mind analysis or even strict constructionism, Jeff – I just have trouble trusting anybody who’s very certain they understand this stuff. Can you point me to the selection you mention in a quick e-mail?

By: Jeff T.

Jeff T. — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:45:37 +0000

Clumpy,

The author makes some good points, but also has some extremely fuzzy logic. Extremely fuzzy.

For example, “the Constitution doesn’t mention sex with minors, incest, or gay marriage, and so, by the omission-is-permission logic an adult man could consummate his marriage to his 14-year-old nephew. I mean, the Founders didn’t say anything about not doing that, so it must be OK constitutionally, right?”

The Constitution DOES specifically mention that the STATES will have the right to govern on all other matters. So his examples are quite irrelevant.

By: Clumpy

Clumpy — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:24:27 +0000

Food for thought regarding personal interpretations of the Constitution:

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/11/constitutional-chicanery.html

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:03:27 +0000

@Jim Davis: Ironically, such a suggestion would probably be determined to be unconstitutional.

By: Kelly W.

Kelly W. — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:35:27 +0000

I am reminded of my niece who married a fellow from England. He was applying for citizenship in the USA, and he had to learn about the Constitution. I tried to inform him of all the Constitutionally corrupt things in our government today, and he told me he didn’t want to hear it. His reasoning to me was that he wanted to become an American, and he wanted to believe the USA was good, not bad. But, as he studied into the Constitution in order to pass his citizenship test, he came to me and said I was correct – - what is happening now is NOT constitutional. Even he could see it, but normal Americans cannot.

By: Jim Davis

Jim Davis — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:03:48 +0000

I wonder if it would be wise to require all officials wishing to run for office to pass a comprehensive Constitution test. If they don’t pass, they can’t run.

By: Reach Upward

Reach Upward — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:11:48 +0000

The Constitution was written so as to be read by average Americans. But most average Americans do not read the Constitution. If they have ever read it, they currently have little memory of what it contained.

This is a triumph of the big government establishment. They have succeeded through years of strange executive, legislative, and judicial wranglings in turning a fairly clear document into such a bizarre convoluted mess that the average American despairs of making any sense of it at all. People don’t bother to read it because they know that it bears little semblance to the real rules by which the country is run today.

By: JHP

JHP — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:38:26 +0000

Amen.

As Secretary Benson had on his desk:

“Oh Lord, give us men with a mandate higher than the ballot box.”