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To: justshutupandtakeit
How many rights do you think there are?

It would be impossible to list them all or even come up with a number, as they are a subset of an infinite list: all possible human behavior. However it is possible to define a right: That which does not interfere with the rights of others. I think you're familiar with the libertarian non-coercion principle, so I won't go into it further here.

Hamilton and Madison were opposed to the BoR because they feared it would be used to limit the rights of Americans rather than protect them.

They were right, so the 9th and 10th Amendments were added, which couldn't be clearer. And yet those were ignored all the same. It is evident that government (as it has evolved) has no intention of honoring rights, and the Bill of Rights has been enormously useful in slowing it somewhat. Example: Imagine going to court and arguing a warrant is needed for a search without the 4th Amendment.

262 posted on 02/10/2004 9:56:59 AM PST by freeeee ("Owning" property in the US just means you have one less landlord)
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To: freeeee
The reason the 9th and 10th have been ignored is because they are so vague as to be useless in legal terms. They were a sop to the anti-federalists and no one expected that they would have any value other than to mollify opposition to the constitution.

The most conservative members of the Court have been the most active in limiting and circuscribing the reach of the 4th amendment.
362 posted on 02/10/2004 1:22:06 PM PST by justshutupandtakeit (America's Enemies foreign and domestic agree: Bush must be destroyed.)
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