Liberal "nut wank" Bill Mahr notwithstanding, some have questioned the relevance of the U.S. Constitution in modern times. After all, it was written by men (and only men) at a time when the populous was mostly uneducated and unsophisticated about matters of government and individual rights. (some things haven't changed much). While the Declaration Of Independence is the flowery manifesto of American independence, the Constitution is the user guide how to make the American experiment work. Written at a time when the leading technology was bees waxed candles, the nuts and bolts workings of the constitution are timeless. Sadly, I've even heard a few conservatives question the relevancy of the constitution these days - to the point of suggesting it may be time for a new U.S. Constitution to reflect the changing times. They are wrong.
We need not attempt to create it's successor. The constitution is the blueprint for national and individual success. But the constitution is not a "living document" as some would have you believe. It is stone. It cannot be re-interpreted for the convenience of the moment or partisan political whims. For instance, the founders knew the failings of human nature. That's why the 1st and 2nd amendments are what they are. Freedom of speech (and religion) along with the right of free men to bear arms, are the two most important amendments. They knew that a free society, a Representative Republic as we are, would require individual freedoms to protect its longevity. And they feared that a tyrannical government, even a freely elected one, could run roughshod over the people. The people would need the tools to make certain that didn't happen. And if it did, the people would have the means to throw off the shackles that enslaved them. Those two amendment guarantee and make certain that ability lies with the people.
The problem isn't with the Constitution. It's with those who find the Constitution too restraining. Well, it's supposed to be restraining. While it allows for new amendments when required, it has rock solid purpose and clearly definable law. Amendments are not to be added or changed willy-nilly. That's why it requires the government to run the gauntlet of procedures in order to change or add an amendment. The Constitution is specifically designed to restrain government, not promote it's expansion. It exists to limit the power, size and scope of the federal government. Hence, the 10th amendment which reserves significant power to the states - which the federal government has usurped in the last 100 plus years. Take some time to read the 10th amendment, then tell me if you think the federal government has overstepped it's intent. Uh huh.
Unlike other country's constitutions, ours doesn't approach the rights of the people as being granted by the government. The founders recognized that any right that can be granted by the government, can be taken by that same government. They understood that rights granted by God, cannot be taken by man. Hence the phase unalienable rights. The approach was different from anything prior. The constitution also lays out the format for electing officials, which branch of government has what powers and the mechanisms for a functioning republic. It is often clumsy but it does work. And it would work much better if certain people would let it alone. The current President uses Executive Orders as a way to bypass congress which is clearly the legislative branch of government. The President's ability to use Executive Orders and actions were never intended to circumvent congress and create defacto law. Sadly, he's not the first Chief Executive to do this.
We have been given a great gift. That gift must be protected from those who would use it for partisan purposes. And to do that properly, it must be understood. I'm not a constitutional scholar. But you don't have to be one to appreciate the simplicity and grandeur of our constitution. It's really quite a simple read. The founders meant what the said and said what they meant. It's written in ink and paid for in blood. And designed for a free people who will cherish and protect it. It will endure long after you and I are gone just as it was intended. Written for the ages, it requires no rewrite. It just needs to be followed.
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