tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post9151598508964342272..comments2024-03-24T19:55:32.537-05:00Comments on The View from This Seat: Happy Bill of Rights Day!LKSeathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-59944169499105036312016-12-18T14:42:28.433-06:002016-12-18T14:42:28.433-06:00:) Thank you, Craig.:) Thank you, Craig.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-83850880713633810702016-12-16T16:16:13.288-06:002016-12-16T16:16:13.288-06:00Thinking Friend Eric Dollard's comments are al...Thinking Friend Eric Dollard's comments are always thoughtful, and I appreciate him regularly sharing them:<br /><br />"Thanks, Leroy, for the info. I was not aware of National Bill of Rights Day, so I learned something.<br /><br />"Interestingly, the Bill of Rights originally only applied to the federal government, not the states. Because it only applied to the federal government, it did nothing to protect the rights of slaves. Beginning in 1925, the Supreme Court has gradually applied the Bill of Rights to the state and local governments.<br /><br />"In The Federalist Papers, Hamilton argued that a Bill of Rights was not needed; the original Constitution was adequate, but its addition to the Constitution has done much to preserve individual rights, especially since 1925." LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-61476838763950400202016-12-15T19:40:13.445-06:002016-12-15T19:40:13.445-06:00I took this as a challenge, and reread the Bill of...I took this as a challenge, and reread the Bill of Rights to see if there were any amendments I would remove. I must not be very liberal, because I was not offended by any of them, although I hope jurisprudence has found a way to adjust the $20 threshold for civil suits to a current equivalent (about $2,000?) for guaranteeing the right to a trial by jury.<br /><br />I see the Bill of Rights as something of a map, telling us that if we are debating issues where it draws distinctions, then we are debating the right issues. For instance, the second amendment juxtapositions the right to bear arms with a need for a well-ordered militia. Now society may from time to time lean too far towards the right, or towards the order, but this is the right debate. More than that a constitution cannot do, for where it gets too particular, as in the $20 threshold, that is exactly where it is guaranteeing that it will fail.<br /><br />Today the real constitutional question is whether the Electoral College will follow the explicit advice of founding father Alexander Hamilton in Federalist Paper #68 by refusing to endorse an terribly unqualified candidate for President. Instead, state laws and long tradition seem to have so rusted the joints shut, that the Electoral College seems to have forgotten its original mandate to behave as a deliberative body, akin to the College of Cardinals electing a new Pope. Personally, I would prefer we moved to a true popular vote for the election, but, failing that, the College should not be extra-constitutionally hampered by the states from performing its most rare and sacred of duties in reviewing the results when the facts demand it. See link: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed68.aspCraig Dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00033176451913108084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-22317044838765516602016-12-15T16:39:18.601-06:002016-12-15T16:39:18.601-06:00Here is a brief, but very pertinent, comment by Th...Here is a brief, but very pertinent, comment by Thinking Friend Glenn Hinson:<br /><br />"That great document deserves our recognition and celebration every year!"LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-80742015901263996012016-12-15T16:38:24.385-06:002016-12-15T16:38:24.385-06:00Tom, thanks for your significant comments. We all ...Tom, thanks for your significant comments. We all tend to think about our own rights, but you helpfully challenged us to think about the rights of others.LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-27756396122363267422016-12-15T16:36:59.452-06:002016-12-15T16:36:59.452-06:00Thanks for your comments, Ed!Thanks for your comments, Ed!LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-91981061073706610352016-12-15T13:24:07.082-06:002016-12-15T13:24:07.082-06:00The Bible speaks of building one another up and ou...The Bible speaks of building one another up and outdoing one another in showing honor to others. What would our country be like if we ALL treated the Bill of Rights the same way? We might be caught saying things like "How can I use the Bill of Rights to defend and insure your freedoms?" instead defending our own. Three cheers for James Madison during a time of tremendous political turmoil!Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08468602047786863722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-88112940751458778152016-12-15T12:50:38.485-06:002016-12-15T12:50:38.485-06:00Thanks for the good education. This is what makes...Thanks for the good education. This is what makes United States the most favorable and great nation on earth. thanks. Edwin E. Kanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05939850257716408643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-59009261470718150012016-12-15T08:21:11.691-06:002016-12-15T08:21:11.691-06:00I have a more liberal leaning friend who thinks mu...I have a more liberal leaning friend who thinks much of the Constitution and Bill of Rights are out of date and need to be removed or replaced (including 6 of the first 10 Amendments). There are Constitutional processes for doing so. The Constitution, then and now, is contentious for many within the citizenry of the Republic, and the leadership of all the branches has not been helpful, further polarizing the citizens. It is just hard to live with people who have differing perspectives – sometimes militantly. Thankfully, Ralph and I are still friends.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-50490906781445519462016-12-15T07:47:52.383-06:002016-12-15T07:47:52.383-06:00This is perfect! My "Religion in the American...This is perfect! My "Religion in the American Experience" class is taking their final exam today, and I'll give them all a "Happy Bill of Rights Day" sheet to go along with their exam. (This will actually be a bonus for them, as it will actually help with one of the exam questions.) May they never forget the Bill of Rights!Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12568295807925760036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-6542072735670135552016-12-15T07:11:07.058-06:002016-12-15T07:11:07.058-06:00👍🏼👍🏼Anton Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17377655010541153458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355086750486200439.post-49822353739895997972016-12-15T05:40:33.361-06:002016-12-15T05:40:33.361-06:00Here is the link to President Obama's proclama...Here is the link to President Obama's proclamation (made late yesterday) about today being Bill of Rights Day 2016:<br /><br />https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/12/14/presidential-proclamation-bill-rights-day-2016LKSeathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08860725174433173015noreply@blogger.com