The plain words & concepts of the constitution itself clearly state its meaning. Many here refuse to believe its basic simplicity. - They want it to support their particular agenda. - Damn shame.
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Very few are capable of understanding the constitution. Even a lifetime of effort is some times insufficient. Where do you see these people capable of such sustained intellectual endeavors? Where were they ever?
For the first hundred years or so there were few misunderstandings about constitutional basics, except for 'states rights' & slavery. And non-intellectuals certainly understood those issues.
Why are they incapable of understanding anything else of such complexity? Being to read the words does not mean one can understand what they are saying. Like a great poem by Shakespeare there is a wealth of meaning in the simple words and phrases little of which is gleaned by an ordinary reader.
You see 'penumbras', perhaps? -- You protest-eth too much, imo.
Your agenda wants to find it complex, in order that it may be interpreted in your way of thinking..
Our constitution simply promotes individual freedoms. -- 'Laws' that infringe on these freedoms are repugnant to its principles.
In fact, I would wager that a good punishment for most of our fellow Americans would be to force them to read the constitution. They would claim to do so would be unConstitutional itself.
We require a constitutional test for natualization.. - I think the same type test should be required in order to vote..
There were huge arguments about the constitution and even such illuminairies as Jefferson believed that States could determine constitutionality. That, of course, is nonsense.
Marshall's masterly explanations of its meaning managed to clear up many features much to Jefferson's fury. J. even believed the US had no constitutional ability to buy Louisiana. Madison finally convinced him to shut up about it.
I love the fanatasies of the all-knowing past when large portions of the population were totally illiterate and other portions had educations which barely allowed them to read more than a few words painfully and slowly. Where did this ability to divine such documents as the constitution come from?
Penumbras are irrelevent to my points as is the rest of that statement. My agenda is to actually understand the constitution and implement it not to pine over some Golden Age fantasy.
I agree about the voting but the fear is that any test would be manipulated. Like the literacy test given to Black voters in the past in the South. When given a Chinese newspaper to read one said "It say 'ain't no nigras votin' in this election.'"