Friday, April 9, 2010

WHAT'S THE CONSTITUTION MEAN?


I can only say that I hope that the Tea Party Movement succeeds. By that I mean that those involved bring change. Oops, am I allowed to use that word? For those of us in the movement, suffice it to say, we have an agenda. How about smaller government, less taxes, and a balanced budget? What's wrong with that? I know there are entitlements, but I fundamentally reject that term. Really, what are you entitled to? I guess because you are an American you are entitled to the government taking care of you. Since when?

In the constitution it never said that the governtment would take care of you. Find it. I'll wait. I've always thought that when you want to find out what the Founding Fathers thought, ask them. Here is Thomas Jefferson:

I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground-- that all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states, or to the people. (10th Amendment). To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specifically drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible of any definition.


Let's try to understand what TJ said. He was a strict construcitonist. In other words, the constitution sets forth certain powers for the federal government and that's it. They are called enumerated powers. There are 18 of them. Health care, right to a job, right to a home, those rights don't exist.

Rights are endowed by our creator. These are natural rights. For those loose constructionists among you, that's what we stricters mean. Where does it say you can do that?

13 comments:

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

In my opinion, time for the Enumerated Powers Act, wherein for each proposed federal law one must justify the existence of that law under the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.

BZ

Anonymous said...

I agree with BZ.

Now what does the Constitution really say? It says what the Supreme Court says that it says. Most Americans don't care much about these appointments, but then most Americans were educated by socialists. The long term consequences of Obama appointees is mind boggling.

Brooke said...

Agreed. The damage Obama will do will take at least an entire generation to undo.

Law and Order Teacher said...

BZ,
You're right. I like the way you think. Imagine, justifying a law by finding it in the constitution.

Mustang,
I hope that the Supreme Court will decide in the favor of the constitution. But, probably not, right?

Brooke,
Thanks for the visit. I don't know how long it will take, but you are probably close. Scary.

Ducky's here said...

Jefferson was one opinion among many.

The last three decades have shown us that a strong,interventionist government is absolutely needed. The failure of the left is in not helping rethink the nature of the state and its constraints.

Jefferson's libertarianism is as obsolete as the cart horse.

Brooke said...

I'm going to go ahead and let the complete totalitarianism of what Ducky just commented sink in.

Yeah.

Ducky's here said...

No Brooke, it's just that if you look at the natural world you get a good look at your natural rights. The right to die a nasty brutish death. That's about it.

Community generates right for man. Locke's ideas were not a universal construct. The fetishizing of the individual is only one thread in Wester thought and not its greatest.

Brooke said...

So individualism is bad, we've got the 'right' to die a horrific death and big government is our only savior?

Are you storyboarding for some crappy sci-fi novel?

Law and Order Teacher said...

Ducky,
We are going to have to disagree on this. Government interventionism is what has put us in this spot.

Brooke,
I'm with you on this one. I'm a small government guy.

Z said...

they shove EVERYTHING under the "right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", don't they.

Apparently our paying for someone else's health care is HIS RIGHT to LIFE...our welcoming in illegals is OUR giving them LIBERTY....all else, (freebies, welfare, the sudden "old-fashioned, obsolete" moniker civility and decency are getting, seem to fall under someone else's 'happiness', which we MUST PROVIDE.
All tongue in cheek above, of course. But, I believe it's true.

And VERY VERY sad and unconstitutional...but WHO CARES, right? :-) (I do)

Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

You yourself said "Rights are endowed by our Creator." Your movement,side? claims a Judeo/Christian influence and foundation for our Country's founding.

Then you turn around and say health care is not a right? A home is not a right?

I have a fundamentla problem with using The Creator to make an argument then abandoning what He and his Son stand for. Either our Constitution and Country are based on Judeo.Christian principles or not Law and Order. If so, practice it. If not, leave the religious spin out of the argument.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this.

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

"婷妏 said..."

Man, that guy hits it outta the ballpark every time!

;^)

BZ

Law and Order Teacher said...

Thanks to all who have commented. I have been tending to family situtations. As for the comments,

Z,
Thank you as always.

JT,
I don't think that God promised that all people should have the right to pursue happiness. If that includes these benefits they must be earned. He has cautioned us to be charitable and care for our fellow man, but I don't him saying that was a government responsibility. That falls under the charitable part. If you don't wish to be charitable that's your business and between you and God. These are my understandings of Judeo/Christian principles.

BZ,
Thanks again.