Things that aren't in the U.S. Constitution
Filed under: politics
I get sick of hearing about “freedom of speech”, especially in the UK who have, like a lot of things, adopted it from the US because they have no ideas of their own (see also, ironically: the British Empire). So I found this and thought it was interesting:
Things That Are Not In the U.S. Constitution
Have you ever heard someone say, “That’s unconstitutional!” or “That’s my constitutional right!” and wondered if they were right? You might be surprised how often people get it wrong. You might also be surprised how often people get it right. Your best defense against misconception is reading and knowing your Constitution.
A lot of people presume a lot of things about the Constitution. Some are true, some are not. This page will detail some of the things that people think are in the Constitution, but are not.
One critique of this page is that it is full of nit-picks. Slavery, for example, may not be “in” the original Constitution, but it is in the original Constitution — the word may not have been there, but the concept was. This is absolutely true. But by studying the words and coming to know them intimately, we gain a better understanding of our history and how some arguments about the Constitution endure.
Now, I’m not up on my American legislature (I neither passed not took the bar) but this appears to be sensible and level-headed but if there are holes in the arguments, then so be it, and in which case email me and let me know. Otherwise, have a read and get educated.