THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

1776 | The Founding Fathers

[agitator]

"Likewise, I doubt it would pass as legislation, if offered to this Congress."

Especially those pesky first 10 amendments. Who needs them anyway, we need to be safe from...

[frogjerk]

You forgot this important part of it...

Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In Witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,...

Seperation of state and church, yeah right...

[TheOtherOne]

Honestly, you just made me realize my first tagline.

[TheOtherOne]

Thanks for the Bump!

[dead]

I just thought it was funny. Looks like they fixed it up for you though.

[biblewonk]

All subject to the interpretation of lawyers and armchair constitutionwonks.

[Lazamataz]

Already posted here.

[Iron Matron]

Sect. 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Looks like John Kerry, and a few others could be tossed out on their ears. Too bad our Congress does not really work on behalf of "We the People".

[TheOtherOne]

You can't expect me to trust a govenment copy?

[eyespysomething]

I believe more than a few 'conservatives' need to read it for the first time instead of getting their talking points from the RNC.

Talk about heads blowing a gasket. I like the thought in A Patriot's History of America that the Bill of Rights should be called a "Bill of limitations of government" so as to not imply our rights come from the government, or that those listed are the only rights we have.

Did that make sense?

[inquest]

Wow, sounds like somebody feels threatened by seeing the U.S. Constitution on FR.

[TMSuchman]

The dim's keep telling us that this is a living document & needs to keep changing, but IMHO it is the bedrock of our society. An UNchanging, UNmoving foundation. We know what happens when a foundation moves, the structure above it falls down. I refuse to let this happen!

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Article VII. The ratification of the conventions of nine States shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the same. Done in Convention, by the unanimous consent of the States present, the seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the twelfth. In Witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

[TheOtherOne]

I date my checks that way...if I'm in a mood...like tax day.

[billbears]

Yes. But the government and most of the party faithful don't see the Constitution as a limit on the national government. Instead they see it as a confirmation of their wasteful spending, questionable foreign policies, and the right of centralization of power in Washington DC

And to question any of the above automatically gets you labeled as some sort of liberal for doubting the all holy party

[mysterio]

4th Amendment The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated; and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.

9th Amendment The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

These two Amendments are dead.

[stainlessbanner]

Agreed! Now about that map on the back.....

[Congressman Billybob]

And, the 27th Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights.

James Madison, then a Congressman, was given the task of turning the 200+ demands for a Bill of Rights from the states, into a single, concise list. He drafted 17 Amendments that passed the House. The Senate passed 12 of those.

The original 1st Amendment was defeated and remained dead. The original 2nd Amendment took 203 years to be ratified, as the 27th Amendment. But it is still part of the Bill of Rights as drafted by James Madison.

Though it seems poetic justice that the First Amendment is the "first," that is pure accident. It was originally the "third" amendment.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "Hunting the Great White ... Minivan"

[need_a_screen_name]

You left out one of the MOST IMPORTANT PARTs of the Bill of Rights -- the PREAMBLE which tells SPECIFICALLY that the Bill of Rights was to make sure the government knew it was limited to the powers stated in the Constitution

Our revisionist historians (not that you are one) ALWAYS leave this off the Constitution!

Effective December 15, 1791

Articles in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

PREAMBLE

The conventions of a number of the States having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best insure the beneficent ends of its institution.