Let’s Study The Constitution, Part V - Bill of Rights

The Coach's Team ^ | 6/25/17 | Susan Frickey

[Oldpuppymax]

By now you should be seeing a trend in our study of the Constitution. The Articles set up the form and intent of the Federal Government along with the powers relegated to each branch. But many of the Framers believed this was inadequate for their peace of mind in ratifying this first-ever document. They believed eventually the Federal government would encroach on individual rights, as had happened throughout world history; a history they had intently studied for years before creating our constitutional republic. So in order to get on board with ratifying the Constitution, many of the signers demanded the inclusion of certain guarantees which became the first ten Amendments to the Constitution, commonly known as the Bill of Rights.

The amendments in the Bill of Rights guarantee the natural rights of INDIVIDUALS not the rights of certain groups of people.

The Framers were extremely concerned about protecting the individual and his natural rights against the encroachment of a tyrannical Federal government. They wanted to be certain that individual rights were defined and protected in the official document, even though constraints on the Federal government had been outlined in the Articles.

So, in order to obtain enough signatures for ratification, the Bill of Rights was incorporated as part of the Constitution. The signers wanted the added protection of telling the Federal government to keep its hands off individual rights and freedoms. The States submitted one hundred eighty-nine suggestions. These were finally consolidated into the ten provisions now known as the Bill of Rights.

Lonnie D. Crockett writes, “In truth, the Bill of Rights is not a declaration of rights… it is a declaration of prohibitions against the Federal government. One will notice that Amendment 1 begins, ‘Congress shall make no law’. The Bill of Rights is...

[loveliberty2]

Thank you for posting this great reminder of the great genius of America's Founders in producing a written structuring of a strictly-limited government "of the People, by the People, and for the People" for the protection of the Creator-endowed individual rights which accompanied them into the world.

They never wanted the written Bill of Rights, subsequently, to be misused to create new powers of bureaucrats and officials in government to oppress "the People" as they would go about enjoying their various pursuits of "happiness."

“In America, a new people had risen up without king, or princes, or nobles….By calm meditation and friendly coun­cils they had prepared a constitution which, in the union of freedom with strength and order, excelled every one known before; and which secured itself against violence and revolu­tion by providing a peaceful method for every needed reform. In the happy morning of their existence as one of the powers of the world, they had chosen Justice as their guide.” - Justice Joseph Story

[jeffc]

They believed eventually the Federal government would encroach on individual rights...

And they were right! Too bad they failed to understand just how power-hungry the Judiciary would turn out to be.

[Steelfish]

Multi-culturalism, Radical Feminism; and Gay Marriage have undermined our constitutional foundations. These books and treatises are now sadly relegated to unceremonious sentimentalism.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

They believed eventually the Federal government would encroach on individual rights...

And they were right! Too bad they failed to understand just how power-hungry the Judiciary would turn out to be

. . . and how feckless the state governments would be . . .

[jeffc]

and how feckless the state governments would be

Hypnotized by dollar signs...

[DocRock]

Thank goodness they did realize the nature of all governments to over reach and put in the second amendment as a safety valve.