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Originally Posted by dksuddeth
why is it dead wrong? thats part of the reason for this thread. I want to know WHY people think that the founding document of this nations governmental powers should be reinterpreted as times change.
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I think this is because the Founding Fathers had a different nation in mind than most Americans do today. I imagine most of what they outlined in the Constitution was intended for an audience of Caucasian, land-owning men. That it can be applied to almost anyone (taking the Amendments into account, of course) is a bit of a consequence of a democracy. It took 80 years to amend for racial suffrage and 130 years for women's suffrage. The Founding Fathers were long dead by then. As human understanding develops, so too should a constitution.
I think the key here is to focus on the differences between activist judges making "quick fixes" and the need for continuing a practice of constitutional amendments.
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön
Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot
Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 12-11-2007 at 07:13 PM..
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