A Look At The US Constitution "Reconstruction Amendments"

"Freedom and equality — the concepts are central to the American identity, and yet for most of the last 150 years, the Supreme Court has failed to read the 14th Amendment as broadly as its framers intended. It took a century before federal laws backed up the amendment’s basic guarantees for black Americans in any meaningful way. Today its meaning is still hotly debated, at least among people on the right, which raises significant concerns in the post-Kennedy era. Whatever Justice Kennedy’s other flaws, he was willing to read the 14th Amendment in line with the framers’ expansive intent, especially in his decisions on gay rights and reproductive rights. Now that he’s gone, what will become of the amendment?"

America Started Over Once. Can We Do It Again?

Is The US Constitution A "Living" Document?

Conservatives like to criticize progressives for viewing the US Constitution as a "living" document that can change with the needs for society. Then, why not accept that the US cannot establish religion?

The Living Constitution 

(123RF.com)

 

A "CliffsNotes" Version Of The US Bill Of Rights

There are 10 "first amendments" to the US Constitution and all were radified by Congress together and labeled the "Bill of Rights." The FACT that addressing the role of religion in our country was the first SENTENCE in such should cause a pause in the religious fundies. But, you and I know where that goes. Oh, they conveniently overlook the FACT that the question of "establishment of _ religion" vs "establishment of A religion" was, and still is, hotly debated and, yet, we have what we have.

The Establishment Clause 

Bill of Rights 

 

An Amendment To The US Constitution

Anyone who is reasonable and respects evidence can clearly see that Donald J. Trump is unfit to hold the most important office on Earth.  How do "We, The People" regain our rightful authority and avoid this catastrophe ever again? I propose a 28th Amendment to the US Constitution:

Section 1: Candidates for the President of the United States of America shall accept an evaluation by a panel of psychiatric professionals approved by the American Psychiatric Association, or an equal body, to ensure that the candidate has no significant personality disorders. 

 

Section 2: Candidates for the President of the United States of American shall make public all tax returns and any other significant financial documents.

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The Bill Of Rights

"The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. Proposed following the oftentimes bitter 1787–88 battle over ratification of the U.S. Constitution, and crafted to address the objections raised by Anti-Federalists, the Bill of Rights amendments add to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically delegated to Congress by the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people."

Protecting Church-State Separation Is Not Hate

The FFRF, or the Freedom From Religion Foundation, is dedicated to "protecting the constitutional principle of the separation of state and church."  I recently was "unfriended" on Facebook when I challenged the person's public media assertion that the FFRF is a "Hate Group."  I challenge anyone to provide evidence that the FFRF, any of its staff or its volunteers, has ever written or spoken with hate towards any religious group.

ITFAS: It's The First Amendment, Stupid

"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."

US Constitution 101

Here is a podcast presenting the history of the US Constitution, how it has been corrupted, and what is being done through the non-partisan organization Move To Amend to combat the problem.

Corporations, Personhood and Rights

Scalia's "Originalist" Interpretation Of The US Constitution Is Challenged

Antonin Scalia was known as an arch-conservative who was at the vanguard of what we see today in the politics of the USA.  He had a dogma-induced blindness behind an affable personality.  He never could see that he was cherry-picking within his "Originalist" bias as least as much as those he was criticizing for interpreting the US Constitution from the view of present circumstances.  He never revealed a humble understanding that politics is not a "hard" science, but a "soft" social science, with very imprecise tools at arriving at truth.

The originalist position on constitutional interpretation should be laid to rest along with Justice Scalia.