NEW PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION

[guyone]

NEW PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION

"We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional and other bed-wetters. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights."

ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, a fancy home, or any other forms of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes . (This one is my pet peeve...get an education and go to work....don't expect everyone else to take care of you!)

ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but if it would turn out the same way as current public housing, we're not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you put away for the rest of your sorry life.

ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful. (AMEN!)

ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are well educated, have a job, and unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from!

(and Last but not least....)

ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history, culture, or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one God. You are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all, with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!

[trish]

I do have the right to sue the greedy tool manufacturer who dumps his waste into the river upstream of my community.

If congress passes and the president signs a law that guarantees citizens a public education or affordable housing and if I meet the criteria of that legislation, then I DO have the right to those things. The constitution doesn’t exclude rights it doesn’t mention.

Turns out we ARE VERY INTERESTED in PUBLIC HEALTH CARE and we shall eventually have it and with it the right to it.

The largest drains on government charity are big corporations on the dole. Corporate entities should get a job and take care of themselves.

There’s no place in the constitution of the United States of America for religious exclaimations such as “AMEN”.

Many older immigrants to our country try hard to learn English but find it very difficult to acquire. Many never come close to being fluent. However, all their children (who like all children want to be part of the social life of their schools and neighborhoods) do learn English and its idioms and often speak it better than we do. I encourage them, and their non-English speaking parents and grandparents to stay.

This country was NOT founded on ANY religious belief, on the contrary, it WAS founded on ENLIGHTENMENT IDEALS. If you don’t like it, deal with it; it’s the truth. We do have the right in concert to change the direction of our history and our goals. The phrase “in god we trust” is a recent addition to our coinage and we may just as easily in the future decide to remove it from our currency.

[thombergeron]

God this is idiotic. I mean honestly. Whatever pinhead originally wrote this needs a high-school level civics class. It's a national embarrassment that stuff like this is even written in the first place, let alone cut-and-pasted by legions of dittoheads across the Internet.

Next time, instead of sitting slack-jawed in front of the O'Reilly Factor, try reading a book. The Federalist Papers would be an excellent first choice. Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia is also instructional.

For the Founders thoughts on the one God thing, try Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, which mentions the "wall of separation" for the first time. Also, in terms of actual legislation, read the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which Jefferson wrote, though Madison pushed it through the state legislature.

Lastly, google "Natural law" and "Rights of Man," centuries-old concepts that informed the authorship of the actual Bill of Rights. As it turns out, human beings actually do have a right to good health, an education, and gainful employment. To see this codified, see the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which, of course, the U.S. has signed.

Oh, and the U.S. does not have an official language, English or otherwise. There are several good reasons for this.

[guyone]

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Funny nothing there about socialism there.

Amendment I

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.

The bold part is the one that the commies always forget.

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Bolsheviks can't seem to wrap their minds around that. I can understand it though. They don't want any citizens shooting back.

Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people


Nothing about bolshevism, socialism, progressivism, or any other kind of commie crap.

[chefmike]

Maybe you should lay off the jesus juice, gump... :screwy

[trish]

Funny nothing there about socialism there.
Funny, nothing about capitalism there either.

[trish]

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.


The bold part is the portion most right wingers don't understand.

[trish]

Nothing about bolshevism, socialism, progressivism, or any other kind of commie crap.


Gee, it doesn't even mention the right to pollute, the right to inherit, the right to drill off shore or deforest public lands. Nothing about capitalism, laissez-faire, one god, or spreading democracy abroad. It doesn't even mention the quark theory of matter! What were they thinking?

[qeuqheeg222]

free excise of religion weelll are they gonna let all the kids pray in school to whomever they wish?a corner for the baptists,a corner for the catholics,mit romney corner,allahs corner, a buddha corner?i think the europeans in the centuries previous to the writing of our constitution had enough of state sanctioned religion that caused more than a few wars or 60yr wars or 100 yr wars or whatever for our founding fathers to realize there was a problem with church and state being coupled,especially under the tutelage of lecherous kings and the such....

[Oli]

.

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

The bold section is the one the gun lobby hopes you don't read.

[Cuchulain]

Hmmm.....don't see anything there about endless war or the death and mutilation of US soldiers and foreign civilians so that oil companies and defense contractors can fill their coffers with taxpayer money....don't see the phrase "imperial presidency" either, and I somehow doubt that those things are compatible with "promote the general welfare".

[guyone]

HA HA HA HA! Bolsheviks gotta love 'em.

[trish]

Well I'm no Bolshevik lover, that's for sure, but hey...to each his own.

In any case we all know that in guyone's mouth "HA HA HA HA! Bolsheviks gotta love 'em." means "You got me. I can't refute any of your points, but I'm still not going to change my mind."

[guyone]

That was pretty mentally challenged.

[Quinn]

HA HA HA HA! Bolsheviks gotta love 'em.

Brownshirts! Gotta love 'em.

-Quinn

[trish]

That was pretty mentally challenged.

...which again translates into "I can't refute any of your points but I'm not changing my stance."

Seeing that you have some difficulty grasping the very issue you brought up in this post let me help you out.

First you post a new preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America which actually is not a preamble but a bill of rights (at least this is my understanding, perhaps others can set us straight here on nomenclature). Setting aside this confusion, this alone tells us you find the actual Bill of Rights deficient, wrong-headed or both. Then you post the real Bill of Rights with commentary implying that U.S. citizens have no right to gainful employment etc. because it’s not covered by the Bill of Rights. Now this is a bit inconsistent since you already believe the Bill of Rights to be deficient and/or wrong-headed. I actually have deep respect for the Bill of Rights. The authors were wise to keep it broad and yet did not claim completeness, providing instead a procedure for future amendments. This means the Bill of Rights does NOT automatically limit our rights only to those it explicitly or implicitly covers. It does not limit the power of States or of the Federal Government to tax their citizens. It does not limit the right to own a garage full plastic explosive. Nor does it grant the unregulated right to plastic explosives. It makes no explicit mention of how abortion is to be REGULATED (you see, even conservatives want regulation). The implication of your commentary is that if it’s not in the Bill of Rights it’s not a right and even you should be able to see that this is just ridiculous. No constitutional scholar or supreme court judge would ever agree with such an implication. So instead of taking pot shots at imaginary Bolsheviks, be a real man and just say, “You got, me. I’m still a conservative on social issues, but I see now I can’t use the Bill of Rights in this way to support my case.”

[yodajazz]

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Funny nothing there about socialism there.
[i]


Public policies which "promote the general welfare" will always be debated.
Even a policy which is effective, can lose it over a period time. So the real debate is over which policies are effective and which are not. It has very little to do with labels like "socialism" and "bosheviks". I read in yesterday's paper that our goverment was unable to account for 19 billion dollars of equiptment given to the Iraqis. Socialism has nothing to do with this issue, but it is directly related to the words highlighted.



NEW PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION

(This one is my pet peeve...get an education and go to work....don't expect everyone else to take care of you!)



It does sound like you are saying that the government should help to provide education to everyone, if you expect them to use it to help take care of themselves. If you do, then the real debate is about which policies are effective and which are not.

But where have you ever seen that people should be garunteed a new car and a big screen tv, (Unless you are living in a fantasy world)? Even conservatives have to admit that public policies which increase the abilities of people to buy these items are good for the economy as a whole.

[ezed]

Is there a drug out there that "I haven't called my Doctor about"? Like Cialis, Viagra, and levitra is to whoping boners, is there some drug (maybe distributed to white males from Canada) that cause people to go full bore on the cataloged definitions of ideologies such as "conservatism", "socialism", "bolshevicks", "communists", "liberals" etc, etc etc.

I put forth the following... "pawnism". Those who buy into the fact that any who are in power under any of these banners is really an adherant to the doctrine.

All those in power under any of these doctrines are united by their common membership under the banner of the acquisition of personal wealth, power, and fame. Secretly know as "fuckyouupthe assism but always give a reach around....ism"

[Cuchulain]

Is there a drug out there that "I haven't called my Doctor about"? Like Cialis, Viagra, and levitra is to whoping boners, is there some drug (maybe distributed to white males from Canada) that cause people to go full bore on the cataloged definitions of ideologies such as "conservatism", "socialism", "bolshevicks", "communists", "liberals" etc, etc etc."

Yep, it's called money. The symptoms you describe can be caused by having an obscene amount of the drug, an obsessive desire to have obscene amounts of it or even a deluded belief that you will one day have obscene amounts of it. Another side effect of this drug is the complete loss of any social conscience. Interestingly, there are some people who can indulge even in mass quantities of this evil substance and still remain decent, caring human beings. These people, unfortunately, are a distinct minority of those addicted. :)

[ezed]

Yep, it's called money. The symptoms you describe can be caused by having an obscene amount of the drug, an obsessive desire to have obscene amounts of it or even a deluded belief that you will one day have obscene amounts of it. Another side effect of this drug is the complete loss of any social conscience. Interestingly, there are some people who can indulge even in mass quantities of this evil substance and still remain decent, caring human beings. These people, unfortunately, are a distinct minority of those addicted. :)

Please, name one (in power), who's carried it over the long term.