Comments on: The Constitution: Just a Piece of Paper

By: Carborendum

Carborendum — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:14:48 +0000

It has been disregarded since George Washington’s presidency. People in power applied what they understood, but twisted it to mean whatever they wanted it to mean to serve their aims. Even Washington was no exception. And he was among those to draft the thing.

The difference today is that we have no power to correct anything from previous administrations. We used to have representation in Congress. The House of Representatives was beholden to the people. Today they are not. The way things have become structured has made it impossible for the average citizen to have a voice at all.

By: The Mike

The Mike — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:01:00 +0000

Great post – as usual. Just a piece of paper indeed, but the government it forms is definitely more influential to freedom, tangible to individuals and all around principally sound. That’s one thing that cannot be brushed aside like they do the document itself – not for long at least, and oh how I rue that day.

By: Dara

Dara — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:27:21 +0000

our failure to enforce the contract created by the Constitution has resulted in it being treated as little more than the animal parchment

Exactly correct. It’s practically become null and void with the way the past couple administrations have practically ignored the document. It angers me that it’s treated with such contempt and disregard.

By: Lili

Lili — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:20:38 +0000

(Ok, now I feel a need to back up my statement:

According to Wiki answers, it was drafted on paper, but the one that was signed was parchment (animal skin–also called vellum)

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_kind_of_paper_or_parchment_was_the_US_constitution_written_on

http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:ll49yIGVKFUJ:www.archives.gov/preservation/formats/paper-vellum.html+us+constitution+vellum&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a

By: Lili

Lili — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:09:26 +0000

actually, it’s a piece of parchment ;)

By: Adrien

Adrien — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:56:15 +0000

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/12/01/is-secretary-of-state-hillary-clinton-unconstitutional-some-say-yes/

By: David

David — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:33:24 +0000

Connor,

I think you give Congress too much credit by saying they are “cowardly and complicit.” Our Congress has been as active in shredding the foundation of our government as the president has been.

@Reach
Personally I like this quote – “they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.” (Helaman 5:3)

By: Kelly W.

Kelly W. — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:24:52 +0000

Frank,

It sure does appear Obama wasn’t born in Hawaii. However, this breach of the Constitution pales in comparison with what Cheney and Bush has done the past 8 years.

We gave McCain a pass, apparently, because it is fact that McCain was born in Panama.

By: Clumpy

Clumpy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:50:13 +0000

@Kelly:

Because we’re morons who haven’t really considered what we believe. Bush was too stubborn and loved being the “decider” too much to ever let anything including morality (except professed morality) dictate his behavior, and we let him do it because of the manufactured “culture war” that kept us from moving to the other side or, better yet, forming our own opinions of individual issues and developing a larger philosophy.

These articles confirm what I knew about Bush for so long. I just never knew he verbalized it. How sad.

By: Frank Staheli

Frank Staheli — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:25:32 +0000

Speaking of respect for "The Piece of Paper", how about the insult that was added to the injury of Obama likely not being a United States Citizen--apparently Hillary Clinton cannot constitutionally become Secretary of State.

By: rmwarnick

rmwarnick — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:47:04 +0000

It is the responsibility of Congress to impeach President Bush for violating the Constitution. They could still do it, but probably won’t because, as you say, most members of Congress have no more respect for the Constitution than Bush does.

It will be interesting to see how much our next President can do or will try to do to restore the rule of law.

By: Reach Upward

Reach Upward — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:02:58 +0000

Isn’t it odd how, unlike every other legal document, our judiciary considers ‘modern interpretations’ of the words in the document and ‘changing cultural values’ when interpreting what constitutes constitutional.

“…and they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and that they had become a wicked people….” (Helaman 4:22)

By: Kelly W.

Kelly W. — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:50:34 +0000

“But while such behavior is repulsive and tyrannical, Bush was right—the Constitution is just a piece of paper.”

But Connor, the Constitution is a “God-inspired” piece of paper, not a “G__ D_____” piece of paper as Bush called it.

How Mormons can like a president who uses profanity at the Constitution is beyond me. Utahns gave Bush his largest margins in the 2004 election.

When the Constitution hangs by a thread, we probably won’t be able to count on the Republican Elders to save it.