Professor: Take our country back, from the Constitution

[Teh One Who Knocks]

CBS News


http://i.imgur.com/j3QblZS.jpg

(CBS News) Is the U.S. Constitution truly worthy of the reverence in which most Americans hold it? A view on that from Louis Michael Seidman, Professor of Constitutional Law at Georgetown University:

I've got a simple idea: Let's give up on the Constitution.

I know, it sounds radical, but it's really not. Constitutional disobedience is as American as apple pie.

For example, most of our greatest Presidents -- Jefferson, Lincoln, Wilson, and both Roosevelts -- had doubts about the Constitution, and many of them disobeyed it when it got in their way.

To be clear, I don't think we should give up on everything in the Constitution. The Constitution has many important and inspiring provisions, but we should obey these because they are important and inspiring, not because a bunch of people who are now long-dead favored them two centuries ago.

Unfortunately, the Constitution also contains some provisions that are not so inspiring. For example, one allows a presidential candidate who is rejected by a majority of the American people to assume office. Suppose that Barack Obama really wasn't a natural-born citizen. So what?

Constitutional obedience has a pernicious impact on our political culture. Take the recent debate about gun control. None of my friends can believe it, but I happen to be skeptical of most forms of gun control.

I understand, though, that's not everyone's view, and I'm eager to talk with people who disagree.

But what happens when the issue gets Constitutional-ized? Then we turn the question over to lawyers, and lawyers do with it what lawyers do. So instead of talking about whether gun control makes sense in our country, we talk about what people thought of it two centuries ago.

Worse yet, talking about gun control in terms of constitutional obligation needlessly raises the temperature of political discussion. Instead of a question on policy, about which reasonable people can disagree, it becomes a test of one's commitment to our foundational document and, so, to America itself.

This is our country. We live in it, and we have a right to the kind of country we want. We would not allow the French or the United Nations to rule us, and neither should we allow people who died over two centuries ago and knew nothing of our country as it exists today.

If we are to take back our own country, we have to start making decisions for ourselves, and stop deferring to an ancient and outdated document.

[Acid Trip]

No Constitution = No Freedom of Religion/Speech/Firearms/Illegal search and seizure/Assembly/etc

They would all be deemed "too dangerous" to make it in the modern world.

[Griffin]

This translation of the constitution is like English translations of the bible.

Centuries ago the bible was rewritten to suit the monarchy so be prepared for the "Dictator Obama" version of the constitution.

[Muddy]

No Constitution = No Freedom of Religion/Speech/Firearms/Illegal search and seizure/Assembly/etc

They would all be deemed "too dangerous" to make it in the modern world.

Exactly.

[Griffin]

A young monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to helping the other monks in copying the old canons and laws of the church by hand. He notices, however, that all of the monks are copying from copies, not from the original manuscript.

So, the new monk goes to the head abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small error in the first copy, it would never be picked up. In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies.

The head monk says, "We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son." So, he goes down into the dark caves underneath the monastery where the original manuscripts are held as archives in a locked vault that hasn't been opened for hundreds of years.

Hours go by and nobody sees the old abbot. So, the young monk gets worried and goes down to look for him. He sees him banging his head against the wall and wailing, "We missed the "R", we missed the "R". His forehead is all bloody and bruised and he is crying uncontrollably.

The young monk asks the old abbot, "What's wrong, father?" With a choking voice, the old abbot replies, "The word was CELEBRATE!"

[Oofty Goofty]

How well did it work out for Germany when the Nazis gave up on their constitution?

[Southern Belle]

It's a very dangerous attitude. The Constitution is the only thing that protects our freedoms and has made us the thriving country we have been.
This is scary.

[Muddy]

We're cooked man.. Once the people figured out they can vote themselves money, the downhill spiral began.

[Hugh_Janus]

welcome to our world :dance:

[FBD]

I wonder what this asshat would say if we told him we should do away with tenure, it is really an old outdated concept that entrenches dusty old squatters that dont have to do anything better with their life.

!!! tenure is such an important part of teachers' heritage and how things are done around here! you just dont know what its like being in the system where you either work hard and get tenured or you are crap! :lol:

no, its you fucking suckass teachers that hang around long enough to get a "permanent" sign to wear around your neck so you can rest on your laurels and not ever have to worry about job security.



A young monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to helping the other monks in copying the old canons and laws of the church by hand. He notices, however, that all of the monks are copying from copies, not from the original manuscript.

So, the new monk goes to the head abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small error in the first copy, it would never be picked up. In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies.

The head monk says, "We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son." So, he goes down into the dark caves underneath the monastery where the original manuscripts are held as archives in a locked vault that hasn't been opened for hundreds of years.

Hours go by and nobody sees the old abbot. So, the young monk gets worried and goes down to look for him. He sees him banging his head against the wall and wailing, "We missed the "R", we missed the "R". His forehead is all bloody and bruised and he is crying uncontrollably.

The young monk asks the old abbot, "What's wrong, father?" With a choking voice, the old abbot replies, "The word was CELEBRATE!"

If it werent spiritual fuel... :dance: