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UncleNasty -> RE: Living document ? (10/29/2008 11:09:42 AM)
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Regarding a "Christian nation" the Treaty of Tripoli is clear on this, in clause 11 I think. Negotiated in the Washington admin. and ratified by 100% of the Senate during the Adams admin. Clause 11 says, in essence, the United Sates is in no way a Christian nation.
My view is that the the constitution is living only to the extent that the process for altering it is adhered to. All branches of the government have disregarded the disabilities imposed by it, and the processes for properly and lawfully altering the supreme law of the land have largely been discarded.
I look now to an eloquent quote by Lysander Spooner:
"Constitutions are utterly worthless to restrain the tyranny of governments, unless it be understood that the people will, by force, compell the government to keep within constitutional limits. Practically speaking, no government knows any limits to its power, except the endurance of the people. But that the people are stronger than the government, and will resist in extreme cases, our governemnts would be little or nothing else than organized systems of plunder and oppression."
This also from Patrick Henry:
"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."
Uncle Nasty
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