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To: Straight Vermonter
There are natural rights described in the Declaration, and then there is the Constitution, a social compact among We the People of the United States, that is intended to secure rights to citizens. Without that distinction, one demand that the US government secure rights deprived from citizens of other nations within their borders. The distinction among citizens and non-itizens regarding enforcement of and efforts to secure those rights must exist.
22 posted on 11/28/2001 10:52:45 AM PST by Carry_Okie
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To: Carry_Okie
There are natural rights described in the Declaration, and then there is the Constitution, a social compact among We the People of the United States, that is intended to secure rights to citizens. Without that distinction, one demand that the US government secure rights deprived from citizens of other nations within their borders. The distinction among citizens and non-itizens regarding enforcement of and efforts to secure those rights must exist.

The constitution does NOT intend to secure rights of citizens. It describes what rights government may usurp. As a matter of fact Madison was reluctant to add a bill of rights because he felt that people would come to the conclusion that you (and in fact many modern Supreme Court Justices) have, namely that the rights in the bill of rights are the ONLY ones expressly protected. Madison included the 9th and 10th amendments for exactly this reason.

[Amendment IX]

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

[Amendment X]

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

48 posted on 11/28/2001 1:37:28 PM PST by Straight Vermonter
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