It's printed by the Cato Institute. It costs $4.95. You can order it online. Discounts for bulk orders.
This tiny, paper volume is all one needs to form a more perfect government of the people, by the people and for the people, with Liberty and Justice for all.
I think we should all carry it—as a totem. I think we should all memorize the best parts. I think we should buy several and pass them out to friends & family, and encourage them to read it and discuss it with them.
I don't think most people realize how far we have strayed from Constitutional principles. They believe that if a judge somewhere declares something "constitutional" or "unconstitutional", it must be so. They believe idiocies like the California Court that said people "have no Constitutional right to educate their own children."
That judges in any court in the United States of America could say such a thing, and that such a statement is not scoffed at, derided, dismissed and rejected wholesale by the Press and the People demonstrates how little we know about our "rights".
We might want to start by explaining the concept of Rights:
- That Rights are not granted by the State.
- That Rights are not granted by the Constitution.
- That Rights are the God-given natural inheritance of all men.
- That the purpose of the Constitution was not to grant Rights to individual, but to limit the power of government so that the inherent Rights of individuals are not violated.
- The Constitution is not a finite list of individual Rights. It is a finite list of governmental powers.
- The Constitution grants certain powers to government in specific, limited, conditional circumstances with the consent of the governed!
- The Constitution does not require that an individual Right be found written within it to exist. To wit:
- Amendment 9: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
This is not an amendment the Socialists (Liberals) or the Elite want anyone to remember at all.
The Gunslinger
And don't forget the Tenth; second in importance only to the Second in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThe 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.
I've got the same book, dog eared, fuzzy edged and often referenced.
Wouldn't it be nice if all elected officials were given a Constitution comprehension test prior to being sworn in to office. After all, it seems rather pointless to ask them to swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America when they don't understand what it is they are pledging themselves to uphold. And one more thing; no free points for being a minority, a level playing field for all. Pass the test with a score of at least 90% or go home.
Does "level playing field" mean we can't supply spanish and ebonics versions for our English "challenged" friends?
ReplyDeleteThat's right Jack.
ReplyDeleteIf you have any intention of imposing your government on me you'd damned well better be able to speak proper English.
My friend, a "recovering" attorney, suggests than most lawyers have never actually read the Constitution.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, he is certain almost no legislators have, and doubts that most judges are familiar with the document.
Considering the appalling laws passed, legal arguments made and judgments handed down these days, I don't have trouble believing him.
I find it appalling that any attorney would actually be graduated from law school, much less be able to pass the bar without at least a general understanding of our Constitution.
ReplyDeleteEven I, during my pursuit of a well rounded education (this may be correctly interpreted as lack of direction) while an undergraduate, elected to take a class in Constitutional Law.
I think it may be more likely that lawyers, judges and legislators simply have no regard for this particular document.
Yep, Alpha...I think that's exactly what he meant.
ReplyDelete