How important is the US Constitution?

[Bindare_Dundat]

 Some people advocate applying the "spirit of the founding documents," rather than the literal meaning of the words in the documents.
Others advocate that we adhere to the "letter of the supreme law" and interpret the documents in strict accord with the written words.

How seriously do people take the US Constitution these days?

[24KT]

Some people advocate applying the "spirit of the founding documents," rather than the literal meaning of the words in the documents.
Others advocate that we adhere to the "letter of the supreme law" and interpret the documents in strict accord with the written words.

How seriously do people take the US Constitution these days?

"It's just a damned piece of paper" -- GWB

[Hugo Chavez]

Some people advocate applying the "spirit of the founding documents," rather than the literal meaning of the words in the documents.
Others advocate that we adhere to the "letter of the supreme law" and interpret the documents in strict accord with the written words.

How seriously do people take the US Constitution these days?

I take it very serious.  These days you have Harvard professors saying it needs to be scraped for the times...   Bullshit, why would they want to scrap it when they have guys like John Yoo fully willing to mangle the fuck out of it...

[youandme]

Well considering it was based on the principles of Locke, and work of Machiavelli I say it still stands as one of the most important pieces of paper in world history, more countries have adopted the outline of our constitution than any other philosopher or other governmental document combined.

[loco]

"Many people think of the United States as a young country. Yet it has the oldest written constitution among the major nations of the world. Moreover, it was, for the first time in history, a constitution that specifically limited the powers that the federal government would be able to exercise over its citizens."

http://student.britannica.com/comptons/article-9277514/United-States-Constitution

[Hugo Chavez]

"Many people think of the United States as a young country. Yet it has the oldest written constitution among the major nations of the world. Moreover, it was, for the first time in history, a constitution that specifically limited the powers that the federal government would be able to exercise over its citizens."

http://student.britannica.com/comptons/article-9277514/United-States-Constitution

BWHAHAHAHhaahahhahahhah..... that worked out real well....

[w8tlftr]

BWHAHAHAHhaahahhahahhah..... that worked out real well....

LOL

Definite self pwnage by the American people.

[Hugo Chavez]

LOL

Definite self pwnage by the American people.

yup...

[loco]

BWHAHAHAHhaahahhahahhah..... that worked out real well....

Man, is this "Hugo Chavez picks on loco" day?

Why hasn't it worked out?  Are you one of those Americans who calls Bush a dictator?  If you really believe that, why is your legislature and your judiciary not doing anything about it?  Why are American citizens not doing anything about it?  Do Americans want a dictator?

[w8tlftr]

Man, is this "Hugo Chavez picks on loco" day?

Why hasn't it worked out?  Are you one of those Americans who calls Bush a dictator?  If you really believe that, why is your legislature and your judiciary not doing anything about it?  Why are American citizens not doing anything about it?  Do Americans want a dictator?

If not a dictator then a more socialist style of government modeled after Europe.

Sad but true. We're pissing our individual liberties and sovereignty away. 

Yay nanny state!

[Hugo Chavez]

Why hasn't it worked out? 

AHAHAHHAHAHAHhahahahhahah.... anybody care to take the shot for me, I hate to have all the fun   to easy

[youandme]

LOL

Definite self pwnage by the American people.

Actually Edmund Burke of the French Revolution would praise this, it's well known that the constitution was written as a limited controlling measure, that still gave people the right to participate, the federal government at that time had little or no influence because strong state sovereignty.
In fact over 90 countries have adopted tid bits of this constitution.
Looks like it has held it's worth many times over, and has proved that the framers had vast forsight into the problems that would face the nation.

[Hugo Chavez]

Ok, gotta go to work for a bit, cant wait to get back and see the carnage, never seen this good of an opening


merry christmas righties....  this question by loco is right up your alley

[headhuntersix]

Things are working fine....If I can see a clear example of US troops kicking doors and arresting citizens or rounding up people for speaking out then I'll gladly join ur revolution. Nobody here has been affected by the Patriot act or the wire tapping so relax. I'd be more worried over all the bullshit laws passed by local governments limiting all the normal things we do every day. Permits for eveything/smoking bans etc etc.

[loco]

Ok, gotta go to work for a bit, cant wait to get back and see the carnage, never seen this good of an opening


merry christmas righties....  this question by loco is right up your alley

Who are you calling rightie?

[Decker]

Actually Edmund Burke of the French Revolution would praise this, it's well known that the constitution was written as a limited controlling measure, that still gave people the right to participate, the federal government at that time had little or no influence because strong state sovereignty.
In fact over 90 countries have adopted tid bits of this constitution.
Looks like it has held it's worth many times over, and has proved that the framers had vast forsight into the problems that would face the nation.

I agree.  Remember too that the Framers were afraid of the great unwashed getting too much of a say in the government which is why we have a democratic republic with an electoral college.  The Framers wanted to keep the right people--the monied elites--insulated to a degree from the rabble.

[stormshadow]

Things are working fine....If I can see a clear example of US troops kicking doors and arresting citizens or rounding up people for speaking out then I'll gladly join ur revolution. Nobody here has been affected by the Patriot act or the wire tapping so relax. I'd be more worried over all the bullshit laws passed by local governments limiting all the normal things we do every day. Permits for eveything/smoking bans etc etc.

Federal Government: "We want a National ID"

State Government: "We have some concerns with individual privacy and personal liberty, we need to discuss this"

Federal Government: "Agree to the ID or your citizens don't fly in commercial airplanes"

You don't have a problem with this?

So as long as you can go into a bar, have a smoke, a beer, and watch the game, all is well eh?

[War-Horse]

Federal Government: "We want a National ID"

State Government: "We have some concerns with individual privacy and personal liberty, we need to discuss this"


Federal Government: "Agree to the ID or your citizens don't fly in commercial airplanes"

You don't have a problem with this?

So as long as you can go into a bar, have a smoke, a beer, and watch the game, all is well eh?

Exactly.  HH6 acts as if this door kicking comes out of the blue one day.  It is a progression of breakdowns in civil liberties that leads to these actions.   He doesnt understand that when we bring these things up..were not protesting door kickins...but the step by step process that leads to the possibility.

If we all waited to the last minute to take action, it will be to late.  So we are aware of the process......he only looks for the action  = Fail.

[loco]

Federal Government: "We want a National ID"

State Government: "We have some concerns with individual privacy and personal liberty, we need to discuss this"

Federal Government: "Agree to the ID or your citizens don't fly in commercial airplanes"

You don't have a problem with this?

So as long as you can go into a bar, have a smoke, a beer, and watch the game, all is well eh?

Yeah, that would be a problem.  Does the federal government really have to have so much control over commercial airlines?  Did the founding fathers not intend for the federal government to be small and to stay small?

[War-Horse]

Yeah, that would be a problem.  Does the federal government really have to have so much control over commercial airlines?  Did the founding fathers not intend for the federal government to be small and to stay small?

Under the guise of "National Security" and "Patriot act"  These abuses will continue to grow.     America is Dying.....

[240 is Back]

Under the guise of "National Security" and "Patriot act"  These abuses will continue to grow.     America is Dying.....

nah, these controls have always been in place.  every country has them to an extent, we're just more aware of them now.  USA is still the best place in the world to live.

[War-Horse]

nah, these controls have always been in place.  every country has them to an extent, we're just more aware of them now.  USA is still the best place in the world to live.

These controls are being manipulated to further these controls. thats the point.

[G o a t b o y]

nah, these controls have always been in place.  every country has them to an extent, we're just more aware of them now. 

I disagree.  Technology has allowed and created abuses we couldn't have dreamed of a couple of decades ago.  Maybe those in power have desperately wanted such control since the beginning of time, but only very recently have they had the tools to actually do it.

[Bindare_Dundat]

I take it very serious.  These days you have Harvard professors saying it needs to be scraped for the times...   Bullshit, why would they want to scrap it when they have guys like John Yoo fully willing to mangle the fuck out of it...

Thats why I asked the question. With guys like George Bush, Yoo, Cheney, etc... blantantly ignoring/modifying the meaning of the Constitution and the people really doing dick all about it, I wondered how seriously people take the documents. I think people just give it lip service for the most part and take it for granted.

[w8tlftr]

I can't believe I had to vote for that numb nuts.

I was listening to the Michael Savage show today. The shit he was taking about that happened under Bush's watch made my fvcking blood boil.

Man, I'm really worried about our country.