Support the Constitution or amend it?

[Wry Catcher]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

Balanced budget amendment; toss out the Electoral College; outlaw abortion; make marriage only between a man and a woman; deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

 

[tonystewart1]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

Balanced budget amendment; toss out the Electoral College; outlaw abortion; make marriage only between a man and a woman; deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

Because if you want to make changes to the supreme law of the land thats how you do it. You dont bring a case to the justices on high and allow them to legistate from the bench.

 

[westwall]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

Balanced budget amendment; toss out the Electoral College; outlaw abortion; make marriage only between a man and a woman; deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

What's your problem with doing things the correct way? Why do you allways want to legislate from the bench?

 

[tonystewart1]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

Balanced budget amendment; toss out the Electoral College; outlaw abortion; make marriage only between a man and a woman; deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

What's your problem with doing things the correct way? Why do you allways want to legislate from the bench?

Its the only way for liberal to get laws passed that the vast majority of Americans would not support.

 

[Kuros]

Eat an apple or an orange?

Why not some of both?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

Balanced budget amendment; toss out the Electoral College; outlaw abortion; make marriage only between a man and a woman; deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

Why do you think a desire to amend the Constitution means that you do not support it? Does it make more sense to pass laws that ignore it in order to get your way?

 

[uscitizen]

All politicians sworn to uphold the constitution have to do exactly that. If it is ammended they will continue to uphold it.
If they don't they are traitors to their office and oath. And not patriots.

 

[dblack]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

Balanced budget amendment; toss out the Electoral College; outlaw abortion; make marriage only between a man and a woman; deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

Excellent question. But it seems to be based on a common misconception that advocates of strictly following the Constitution are against change. I don't see it that way at all, and as far as know neither do most Constitutionalists.

The point of having a Constitution isn't to commit us to a unchanging set of rules. The point is to set concise limits on government. And if we decide government needs to do something not allowed by those rules, we can carefully change them to allow whatever it is (healthcare, for example).

But, if we don't follow that process - if instead we simply work around the constitutional limits with creative reinterpretations - we water down the document's overall power to limit government.

Healthcare reform is a great case in point. If we want to nationalize healthcare, or health insurance, constitutionally, we need to create an amendment that declares it as a federal power. Instead, what the Obama administration is attempting to do is create the power by expanding the already strained interpretation of the Commerce Clause. This raises the question (which is also the key argument of the constitutional challenges to ACA): if the Commerce Clause allows the government to order us to buy health insurance, what prevents them from demanding that we buy anything else that suits the politics of the moment?

 

[The Rabbi]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

Balanced budget amendment; toss out the Electoral College; outlaw abortion; make marriage only between a man and a woman; deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

THey should just do what Obama does: screw the Constitution and pass laws and regulations as they want and hope some activist judge upholds it.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

‘Claim’ being the operative word – those wishing to amend the Constitution are actually ignorant of the Founding Document and its case law.

Balanced budget amendment

A partisan contrivance, having nothing to do with good governance and everything to do with an opponent’s voting record.

outlaw abortion

Violate privacy rights and allow greater government intrusion into Americans’ private lives, a strange position to take for conservative advocates of ‘individual liberty.’’

make marriage only between a man and a woman

…by restricting same sex couples access to marriage laws in violation of the 14th Amendment.

deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

Indeed there is no such thing as an ‘anchor baby.’ The 14th Amendment is clear – along with its case law – that those born in the United States are citizens, having known no other country. That their parents are here illegally is irrelevant, as one can not be punished for the crimes of his parent. The government does not give one his rights, nor may government take rights away.

 

[zzzz]

I wonder why it is legal to make us pay into Social Security and not legal to make us pay for health care. Seems to be that both can be categorized as the same thing. Or is it because health insurance is given by private companies? And where do the states get off making us buy car insurance? Oh that's right driving is privilege not a right, but is health care a right, is Social security a right?

 

[uscitizen]

I wonder why it is legal to make us pay into Social Security and not legal to make us pay for health care. Seems to be that both can be categorized as the same thing. Or is it because health insurance is given by private companies? And where do the states get off making us buy car insurance? Oh that's right driving is privilege not a right, but is health care a right, is Social security a right?

SS is a right to me since I paid my premiums.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

‘Claim’ being the operative word – those wishing to amend the Constitution are actually ignorant of the Founding Document and its case law.

That must be why the Constitution has never been amended in the entire history of the United States of America.



By the way, case law is not part of the Constitution. The fact that anyone even has to explain that to you, again, shows how little you know about the Constitution or the law.

Balanced budget amendment

A partisan contrivance, having nothing to do with good governance and everything to do with an opponent’s voting record.

That must be why Germany has one, and Sarkozy wants one for France. and they want want to implement one in Italy, they are all partisan hack Republicans.

Violate privacy rights and allow greater government intrusion into Americans’ private lives, a strange position to take for conservative advocates of ‘individual liberty.’’

That must be why no Democrat has ever voted for anything like the PATRIOT ACT or PRTOECT IP.

make marriage only between a man and a woman

…by restricting same sex couples access to marriage laws in violation of the 14th Amendment.

That is your, erroneous, interpretation.

deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

Indeed there is no such thing as an ‘anchor baby.’ The 14th Amendment is clear – along with its case law – that those born in the United States are citizens, having known no other country. That their parents are here illegally is irrelevant, as one can not be punished for the crimes of his parent. The government does not give one his rights, nor may government take rights away.

Actually, neither is actually that clear. What the 1th actually states is that those who are born here, and subject to the jurisdiction of, are citizens. The children of foreign diplomats are not automatically citizens, and all it would take is an act of Congress that defines jurisdiction in a way that prohibits citizenship to anchor babies and the courts would probably defer because they have never ruled on that specific issue either.

Thanks for again proving you are a complete ignoramus about law.

 

[Charles_Main]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

Balanced budget amendment; toss out the Electoral College; outlaw abortion; make marriage only between a man and a woman; deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

Your Question makes no Sense. The Constitution Allows for an Amendment Process. Therefore just because one if for an Amendment does not mean they are not supporting the Constitution.

If Not for Amendments Blacks would still be slaves, and counted as 2/3rds of a person. Woman would still not have the Vote. We would not have had Civil Rights.

So I object to the Entire Premise of your question. How can one say if you support an amendment you are not supporting the Constitution, when the Amendment Process is clearly spelled out in Said Constitution.

As someone who thinks of himself as a Strict Constitutionalists, I see absolutely no Problem with making changes to the Constitution. Just so long as it is done according to the Rules of Passing and Amendment, and of course it must withstand legal Scrutiny in the Court system set up by said Constitution.

 

[edjax1952]

I wonder why it is legal to make us pay into Social Security and not legal to make us pay for health care. Seems to be that both can be categorized as the same thing. Or is it because health insurance is given by private companies? And where do the states get off making us buy car insurance? Oh that's right driving is privilege not a right, but is health care a right, is Social security a right?

Here is a little history lesson for you on Social security and how it got to its present condition and status.
http://www.usmessageboard.com/blogs/edjax1952/483-history-of-social-security.html

 

[JoeB131]

Why are those who claim to be ardent supporters of our Constitution so willing to amend it?

Balanced budget amendment; toss out the Electoral College; outlaw abortion; make marriage only between a man and a woman; deny rights to 'anchor' babies.

I would say the fact the founders sought to establish a pretty clear method of amending the constitution realized they were aware of their limits, and left it up to succeeding generations to make changes.

Usually, they get it right. the only amendment I'd consider bad ideas where the 18th (corrected by the 21st) .

 

[zzzz]

Speaking of amendments, what amendment took 202 years to get ratified? It was one of the original 12 amendments from James Madison. (Actually he had 19 but they were consolidated into 12)