I'm just a bill, Yes, I'm only a bill, And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill. Well, it's a long, long journey To the capital city, It's a long, long wait While I'm sitting in committee, But I know I'll be a law someday... At least I hope and pray that I will, But today I'm still just a bill.
I'm assuming this socratic exercise will lead to hilarity in its logical conclusion so I'll hop on the hook... The Constitution says: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Why, pray tell, do you ask? [bats eyes innocently. . . ]
Is not that obvious? Well ok then. I would say that the Bill of Rights is merely a list of restrictions on the federal government that helps ensure rights are not infringed (and I guess then extended to the states). It does not grant rights. I would say it presumes that people already have those rights. Else wouldn't it say that people have freedom of speech. The point being is that just because something isn't in the Constitution doesn't mean it's not a right.
Then Matt, I suggest finding yourself a country with a better constitution. Darfur is just a few plane trips away.
Cool, I just had a divine revelation that I have a right to dump my trash in Prospect Park. I deny the legitimacy of any social power that tries to abridge my God-given right.
If you're going to go in this direction, then technically I have the right to murder someone if I choose. As humans on this planet we all have the right to do what we want. However, for societies to thrive and for there to be order in the world, restrictions must exist as well as pointed areas of freedom. The Constitution does not give us rights we have an infinite amount of freedom from day one. What it does do is it tells us those rights that cannot be taken away by the desingated governors among us. Other legal documents (drawn up by our duly elected representatives) will add the restrictions you seem to despise so much.
What about my right to free health care? Or my right to walk down the street without being sexually harassed? Or my right to keep every cent I earn? Aren't these creator-granted rights?
The one I found left from Atlantic City Intl (close to Matt) at 605, but went to Cincinatti first, then stopped in London, then went on to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. That's as close as I could find.
I'm waiting for the day when one of you come up with a controversial and unpopular thought. That should be something. Keep thinking inside the box, gents
Understanding how the basic functions of government work constitutes thinking inside the box? Oh well........
Burlew doesn't have an argument. He blurts out incoherencies and bizarre non sequiturs to which we reply only to show off how smart we are and pat each other on the back. Burlew knows as much about civics, political philosophy, jurisprudence, and logic as my daughter's hokey-pokey elmo. edit: I take that back. When hokey-pokey elmo falls over, it knows to say "whoops. can you help me up?". Even more, when you do help it, it says "thank you".
This thread is a prime example of the greatness of BigSoccer. Only here can we go from "When did the government make it illegal to buy more than 2 boxes of Sudafed" to a long, mind numbing argument over the difference between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, with a smattering of references to (some) semi-obscure treaties, manifestos, and delarations of the past 2000 years.... I fully expect that we will be arguing over historical accuracy of the Bible within the next few hundred posts......
I'm an amendment to be, yes an amendment to be And I'm hoping that they'll ratify me.... There's a lot of flag burners who've got too much freedom, And I wanna make it legal for policemen to beat 'em, Cause there's limits to our liberties, At least I hope and pray that there are 'Cause those liberal freaks go too far... Then I'll crush all opposition to me, I'll make Ted Kennedy pay, If he fights me, I'll say that he's gay...