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To: robertpaulsen
That right was only protected for a certain class of citizens

That right was Constitutionally protected for "the people", a term which was not more narrowly defined in the Constitution. That actual active protection varied among discernable groups was a matter of imperfect implementation of protection by fallible biased humans - just as voting, citizenship, etc. all started as primarily improperly limited to white male landowners, and those not included subsequently had to fight (legally and physically) for inclusion.

It's the 21st Century, RP - arguing to limit the protection of enumerated rights to a subclass of people in general (and let's stick to your "white, male landowners" allegation, not some red herring) is legally, politically, and socially very passe.

21 posted on 10/17/2007 1:11:30 PM PDT by ctdonath2 (The color blue tastes like the square root of 0?)
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To: ctdonath2; TheThinker
"It's the 21st Century, RP"

You know that. I know that. But TheThinker is the one trying to apply what was in the Founder's minds in 1789.

"The people" weren't "all persons" in 1789 and they aren't "all persons" today. That's my point.

27 posted on 10/17/2007 3:16:26 PM PDT by robertpaulsen
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