Comments about ‘A changing Constitution’

The courts protect me from your agenda.

I am thankful that our Founding Fathers shunned pure democracy. Our judicial system is a key component in protecting the rights of the minority. There are plenty of countries which oppress their people through majority rule, and the United States is often called upon to intervene on behalf of the minority.
The Founding Fathers would be quite pleased with the success of their work.

This is Political right wing paranoia of the worst sort. The right of the author to make such a statement, and my right to take issue with it, is proof enough for me that the constitution still stands in all its righteous glory.

The Founding Fathers were wise enough to provide that the Constitution could be changed (amended) if and when the people desired. They also provided (among other checks and balances) that questions regarding the constitutionality of legislation could be resolved by the courts. That is exactly what has happened. I don't agree with everything the executive, legislative, and judicial branches have done over the years, but I don't see it as an abdication of the Founders' intent. I'm glad the Founders created a document flexible enough to allow our government to respond to changing times. The results do not represent a departure from the intent of the Founders, but an application of the principles and procedures they embedded in the Constitution itself.

If Mr. West and others do not like the results, the Constitution provides the means for change. That too was built in by the Founders.

I like the re-write of the Constitution by Mr. West.

The country we live in bears no resemblance to the country of 1789. That was country of 3 million inhabitants, clustered along the eastern seaboard. 95% of them were small farmers. There was no national economy, just a cluster of local economies. There was no communications, in our sense of the word, also no transportation, and no medical care. We had a tiny army and navy.

Today we are a country of 300+ million people, the world's hegemonic military power, and have a very complex and interdependent economy. The founders could never have anticipated the course of our development, and for anyone to say what type of constitution they would have devised for our time is pure conjecture.

The letter writer is taking the position that two wolves and a lamb get to vote on the dinner menu.

Where was David West with Citizens United v. Federeal Election Commission?

Our preamble to the Constitution has indeed changed.

It now states, "We the federal government and the CORPORATIONS of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, will tell the citizens that their votes don't need to count."

Signed,
Paanchi
Kishkumen
Giddianhi
Gadiantons, Inc.

But go ahead and continue to be distracted by your war of not wanting Healthcare for people....

The Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land. It is the will of the people, not the will of the government.

All judgment handed down by any Court must FIRST agree with the Supreme Law of the Land.

Any law passed must agree with the Constitution.

The people of California changed their constitution. The Supreme Law of California was changed to define marriage as the union between one man and one woman. That is the Supreme Law of California.

No Court can change the Constitution. Every Court must obey the Constitution. The Constitution IS the law. The amendment process is not left to the Courts.

Those who think that 3% of the population can dictate to the other 97%, the definition of marriage are mistaken. This matter will end up in the Supreme Court and the foolish judges in the lower courts will be show up to be nothing but simpletons who tried to legislate from the bench - again.

Right on and a huge thank you to David West! We have been hoodwinked by liberals, the liberal press, and the courts that have slowly but surely eroded our freedoms and liberty. This piece shows actually what has been taken away from us as American citizens! How people can't see this is beyond me! I studied the Constitution in depth both in my home growing up and in school all the way through college. I taught it in the classroom as an elementary school teacher. I know what is in the Constitution and what is not. This election year is critical to get us back to Constitutional principles as laid out by our Founding Fathers who were inspired to write it under God's direction. That is not under BHO's regime. We need new leadership with a clear vision of who we are!

I wish this piece could be read in every home in America with parents teaching and interpreting it correctly, reprinted in every newspaper in the USA and read in every US History class across this land with some civil dialogue. Wake up America! Our country is at stake here.

Not content with merely changing the meaning of words and interpretations, conservatives now would rewrite the Constitution itself.

As I understand it, the Constitution says that all powers not given the federal government within the Constitution are retained by the people.

As I understand it, in a republic the peoples duly elected representative has the power to act in the peopleâs name and authority. The president is a duly elected representative of the people..

Therefore the actions of the president cannot be unconstitutional because he represents the people who have the powers not already given him.

The preamble was "changed" when Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission gave Corporations the rights of people.

Your vote is no longer wanted, valid, needed or necessary.

America is now a full blown Corporatocracy.

Where's your outage about that?
or are you just going to remain upset about people's access to Healthcare?

Reading the letter and comments bring to mind why we have courts. Too many partisans worship the Constitution only when it suits their opinion. I wish I could say it was amusing to watch you whine because after 8 years of seeing rights trampled on while you sit on your hands then all of a sudden it becomes meaningful to you when special interest groups light your pilot light. Your moaning carries no water in these quarters. I suggest taking a chill pill and read a history book.

When unions can raise any amount of money, even money "coerced" from their members and spend that money to get their candidate elected, it is only fair that corporations, who are directly affected by unions and laws passed by those who "owe" favors to unions, should also have a voice in who makes the laws that directly affect how they do business.

How many jobs have been lost because some dunce thought that raising wages was the proper way to handle a problem? How many jobs have had to go offshore because some dunce passed legislation making it impossible to stay onshore and still compete with offshore companies.

The greatest problem we have in America is LOST JOBS. The unions have caused most of that with restrictive work rules that made our corporations unproductive. The only way to turn that around is to have EQUAL input from corporations.

The Democrats have had a one-sided advantage since at least the days of FDR. They have nearly destroyed everything that they supposedly tried to "fix". Their "fix" has only been programs to buy more votes. The PROBLEMS have not been addressed.

Corporations solve problems. Unions create problems.

@Mike Richards
I don't know which way the Supreme Court will decide the Proposition 8 case. But the fact that the California Constitution was amended will have no effect on the outcome. If the state of Missouri in the 1840s had placed the Mormon extermination order in the Missouri Constitution, it would still be a violation of a federal Constitutional right, and subject to invalidation.

Yes, it is a shame that Mr West was not there to tell the distinguished gentlemen in the Constitutional Convention what they should be thinking. The fact that 213 years later we can still debate these things is testimony of it's brilliance. Organizations are not people and money is not speech but your current Supreme Court says otherwise.

I am glad that we have a constitution to protect us against the extremities of any political ideology, including yours.

There are some legitimate debates to be had on the meaning of phrases like "promote the general welfare", "interstate commerce clause", and the like. We should welcome such debate. But the one thing we can't allow is an ignoring of the Constitution, with no pretense that an action is actually allowed under that document. Take for example the fact that Presidents now declare war, a power clearly given to the Congress. The Patriot Act and NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act, a provision of which allows for indefinite detention of citizens without a trial) are bi-partisan examples of this as well. The Patriot Act, were it appropriately named, would be the "Repeal the 4th Amendment" Act, and would have garnered much less support. Although we live in a different time than the founders, I don't believe most would say freedom of religion or speech or any right are anachronisms belonging to a less enlightened time.

The problem with these actions is they are often done with bi-partisan support, and the court has ignored its duty. With the NDAA being signed by Obama and supported by Romney, it's unlikely you'll hear much complaint about it from these comment boards.

J Thompson

I donât believe that 13% of the American workforce has the money to outspend the giant international commercial corporations and the multitude of non-union millionaires and superrich.

Where do unions obtain money other than their members and a few rich supporting millionaires?

Offshore jobs, uncontrolled immigration, actual slavery, and other strategies are the actions of the business monopoly to cheat in the business operations of America. Products sold in America at the high prices set by American standards are made by labor at low wages in less fortunate nations.

Almost all government actions are bought and paid for by commercial businesses, benefits to the general welfare sometimes get through the mill as an excuse for the actions.

All media, conservative or liberal, is owned and operated by business people. The anti-labor bias of these business people are the cause of so much misinformation about labor, people and their unions.