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To: sourcery
If Congress can change the meanings of words in the Constitution, then they can make the Constitution mean whatever they want. That would enable them to make the Constitution totally irrelevant.

I, in principle, agree with you. Let me point out a problem with your position, though.

When the Constitution, or a law, is not unambiguously clear in meaning, somebody has to determine what the true meaning is.

For the most part, that has been the courts.

Do you seriously contend that allowing the courts to interpret the Constitution as they see fit is better than giving such power to Congress?

The voters can completely replace a Congress in 6 years, if they see fit. Replacing the Supreme Court entirely might take 40 or more years.

The courts are the least representative and democratic branch of government. Giving them additional power by allowing them to decide whether a president's election was valid is not a good idea. They're much too powerful already.

57 posted on 02/05/2012 11:35:27 AM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: Sherman Logan
Do you seriously contend that allowing the courts to interpret the Constitution as they see fit is better than giving such power to Congress?

Giving anyone the final authority on what words mean in the law is extremely dangerous. The courts rightfully have the power to interpret the law, but not to make or change it. That power is reserved to Congress, the States and the people.

The flaw in our system is that we have no effective mechanism to prevent the courts from stepping over the line from resolving ambiguities to actually making or changing law.

But giving Congress the power to make words mean whatever they want (at least as far as the law is concerned) is not the answer.

72 posted on 02/05/2012 12:50:12 PM PST by sourcery (If true=false, then there would be no constraints on what is possible. Hence, the world exists.)
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