To: RKV
Doesn't the Bill of Rights extend to all Americans, whether or not they reside in a state? Should people in Washington D.C. not have the freedom of speech? (rhetorical).
Though that brings up a question (yet another one): are the rights in the Constitution which don't specifically refer to people in the states applicable to territorial born Americans in the American territories/commonwealths?
7 posted on
03/09/2007 1:10:13 PM PST by
Jedi Master Pikachu
( What is your take on Acts 15:20 (abstaining from blood) about eating meat? Could you freepmail?)
To: Jedi Master Pikachu
Actually the current state of the court is that the Bill of Rights only partially extends to all Americans. It ain't right, and seems pretty contrary to the 14th Amendment to me, but "partial incorporation" is the way the court operated in this latter day.
12 posted on
03/09/2007 1:13:08 PM PST by
RKV
( He who has the guns, makes the rules.)
To: Jedi Master Pikachu
Doesn't the Bill of Rights extend to all Americans, whether or not they reside in a state? Should people in Washington D.C. not have the freedom of speech? (rhetorical). The bill of rights applies to those not residing in one of the States that are party to the agreement only to the point that they are called out. For example, the 13th amendment specifically states that slavery will not exist in any of the United States OR in any place subject to their jurisdiction.
The Constitution doesn't GRANT the citizens of our nation any rights (such as freedom of speech), it simply calls out a few rights that we already have to be off limits to any governmental interference.
The Constitution is the document that lists the rights that "We the People" grant to the federal government.
It also lists a few that "we" agree that the States give up - such as keeping warships.
To: Jedi Master Pikachu
Doesn't the Bill of Rights extend to all Americans, whether or not they reside in a state? Should people in Washington D.C. not have the freedom of speech? (rhetorical).
Well, since constitutional rights extend to illegal aliens, one could argue that they cover DC residents as well.
To: Jedi Master Pikachu
Though that brings up a question (yet another one): are the rights in the Constitution which don't specifically refer to people in the states applicable to territorial born Americans in the American territories/commonwealths? They have all the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Voting is not a right, at least not a universal one, it can be denied for a variety of reasons, although later amendments have restricted what those reasons may be. (may not be denied on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude (15th amendment), sex (19th amendment) or failure to pay a poll tax (in a federal election, 24th amendment), or age (if 18 or older, 26th amendment). Neither is representation in Congress, or voting for Presidential electors. (Except in DC for electors, amendment 23)
All of the rights protected by the first 9 amendments are individual ones, nothing to do with the states. The 10th amendment protects powers of the states, and/or the people, from federal usurpation.
36 posted on
03/09/2007 4:19:55 PM PST by
El Gato
("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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