The Constitution.........

[pamsback]

        The idea that the Constitution is a living document that can be ammended to fit the times is a hot button issue. If yall can discuss it without havin a cow and startin a war I'd really like to hear what you think from ALL sides.
     
    MY thoughts on it are on both sides. I think it can and sometimes SHOULD be amended to PROTECT MORE and limit GOVERNMENT more but I don't think it should be used to take away.
    But then amending it to protect MORE leaves the door open for all KINDS of ridiculous things that a FEW people think should be protected and are not necesarily in the best interest of our country.
  SO all in all I guess I think it should be PRESERVED and upheld at all costs.

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests."
                                            Patrick Henry

Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
                          Benjamin Franklin

[Varmit]

Good topic Pam

Could you elaborate on what you meant by "...but I don't think it should be used to take away." And could you give an example of..."ridiculous things that a FEW people think should be protected and are not necesarily in the best interest of our country." 

Personally, I think that it should be upheld in its present form. 

[pamsback]

"...but I don't think it should be used to take away."

As in interpreting the second amendment so as to justify REmoving our right to keep and bear arms. I am a STAUNCH supporter of this right.
As in using it to take more power AWAY from the states.....
As in the fairness doctrine......to me freedom of speech is freedom of speech...I may think about somebody elses point of view but I don't feel obligated to give theirs at the same time as I'm givin mine and vice versa and I will stand for somebodys RIGHT to say and think whatever they do whether I LIKE it or not!...... I may argue with em about it maybe LOL

..."ridiculous things that a FEW people think should be protected and are not necesarily in the best interest of our country." 

To be quite honest I don't have a specific example of this at the moment, I will do some thinkin and research and get back to ya on it.

[pamsback]

   take that back...one ridiculous one DOES come to mind and that was Prohibition. Even as a kid I thought that was stupid thing to waste an amendment on.

  Also some people have wanted to amend it to make Christianity the "official" religion of the US. Freedom of religion is freedom of religion. Just to be clear I think banning public prayer and religious symbols that is so close to the hearts of Athiests is TOTally wrong. Freedom of religion is FREEDOM of religion.

  but that's all I got right now so I'll have to think about it some more.

[dnalexander]

Good topic Pam

Could you elaborate on what you meant by "...but I don't think it should be used to take away." And could you give an example of..."ridiculous things that a FEW people think should be protected and are not necesarily in the best interest of our country." 

Personally, I think that it should be upheld in its present form. 

Billy in stead of questioning Pam maybe you could stop criticizing her point of view and give yours and support it with a little evidence. By criticizing you are just arguing and by providing support for your view you are educating. I know you can do it you have done it before. This could have been said to me also, just trying to support more of us educating others than us just getting stuck in an unsupported opinion loop.

David

[Varmit]

David, I wasn't criticizing her, I was just wanting a little clarification because I was unclear about what she meant.  And just for the record, so far on this thread I agree with her. 

[dnalexander]

David, I wasn't criticizing her, I was just wanting a little clarification because I was unclear about what she meant.  And just for the record, so far on this thread I agree with her. 

My bad Billy. I apologize to you.

David

[pamsback]

Billy in stead of questioning Pam maybe you could stop criticizing her point of view and give yours and support it with a little evidence.

Hey thanks for the support David!

David, I wasn't criticizing her, I was just wanting a little clarification because I was unclear about what she meant.  And just for the record, so far on this thread I agree with her. 

Holy CRAP did the world come to an end when I wasn't lookin?! LOL kiddin ya

What ARE some of your views Billy? Any pet amendments or ones you don't like?

[pamsback]

  Was watchin The Alamo...........John Wayne/Davy Crockett :Republic. I like the sound of the word. It means people can live free, talk free, go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober, however they choose. Some words give you a feeling. Republic is one of those words that makes me tight in the throat - the same tightness a man gets when his baby takes his first step or his first baby shaves and makes his first sound as a man. Some words can give you a feeling that makes your heart warm. Republic is one of those words.

With or without a Constitution.......with or without political parties.......that's what it's about.

[Anmar]

Billy, you posted this in another thread

To suggest that the Constitution can be changed to "fit the times" subverts the document entirely.  What use is there in having a document that limits the power of the gov't, if we give that gov't the power to change that document??  After the signing of the Constitution, Ben Franklin was asked by a woman on the street, "What have you given us?", Franklin responded, "A Republic, if you can keep it."

The constitution was designed to be a living document, in that it can be changed to fit the times.  Had the founders not wanted the constitution to change, they would not have inlcuded an Amendment process.  Furthermore, there are some good examples of changes that were made for the better.

Take the whole 3/5th's clause thing.  Thr original constitution counted black people as 3/5ths of a person when determining votes.  This was changed by the 14th amendment.  Then there are others that give voting rights to certain groups that didn't have them under the original constitution.  Conservatives are constantly wanting to change the constitution to ban gay marraige and abortion, how would that be possible if the constitution can't be changed?  There are issues coming to us in the future that we won't be able to deal with, that the founders couldn't even fathom.  We'll need to have a way to deal with them.