[DigitalWarrior]

I was wondering, in the unusually politically active THR, how many people have read the Constitution. If we can't even be bothered to read ALL of it, how can we fault Progressives for not having read ALL of it?

I was reading the fedralist papers, and I realized that I haven't even read the whole document that I was reading the defence of. Obviously I will fix this by nightfall.

[tommytrauma]

The Constitution is a surprisingly short read. Shirt pocket size versions can be found at any Borders for 4 bucks.

[Al Norris]

You mean there are some people at THR who haven't read the Constitution and its supporting documents?... aside form those who don't care what them 200 yr old dead white men wrote..... :neener:

[Tamara]

The thing I was mostly struck by after reading the Federalist Papers is how badly I wanted to beat Alexander Hamilton with a large stick.

Thank you, Mr. Burr!

[Balog]

Read it a few times. Still haven't made my way through the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers or the correspondences of the Founders.

[Balog]

The thing I was mostly struck by after reading the Federalist Papers is how badly I wanted to beat Alexander Hamilton with a large stick.

Thank you, Mr. Burr!



Ouch :eek: ! Why is that?

[2dogs]

how many people have read the Constitution

Only the parts that say:

1. People have a God given right to kill the unborn.

2. Marketers (now apparently) have the right to invade my home and sell me what I don't want.

3. Race based discrimination is abominable........unless needed to further the cause of diversity.

4. God does not exist.

5. Only National Guardsmen are qualified to own firearms.




Why, is there more?:evil:

[Blackhawk]

All, and several times.

[spartacus2002]

Try reading the Articles of Confederation sometime and contrast it to the Constitution. Fascinating...

Another interesting read is the Constitution of the CSA. Can you believe it included a line-item veto for the President, a supermajority requirement for spending bills, each bill dealt with ONE issue and did not have a zillion riders attached, and it included the same provisions as our bill of rights. Of course, it also guaranteed that slavery would continue, which ain't all that good, but in other ways it was a respectable document of government

[Tamara]

:rolleyes:

[TallPine]

Only the first few chapters - you know, the part about Adam and Eve and Noah - got bored and fell asleep after that ....

[FPrice]

At one time or another I have read all of the Constitution. But I keep going back and re-reading portions.

[Baba Louie]

http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_ccon.html

and

http://kancrn.kckps.k12.ks.us/Harmon/breighm/origin4.html#Amendments

Good things to bookmark for those interested in the writings and thoughts of 200 year old dead white guys.

Articles of Confederation eh? CSA Constitution? Have to search for those and read as well.

Hamilton's POV was a little different than Jefferson's, thats for sure. Burr was... an interesting fellow as well (second understatement of the day, but its noon). Almost President by one vote and that election sparked the 12th amendment if I recall correctly (and I do).

Now I know that few of us here are intelligent enough to understand and interpret the words contained in the aforementioned documents, as even SC Justices seem to have problems reading and understanding what IS IN there as opposed to what they WANT to be written in there, (Maybe they have special spectacles that allow them to read the writing between the lines I can see?) but I recommend that each of you force yourself to wade through them with a blank notepad, a few freshly sharpened No 2 pencils and take a few notes. I guarantee that you'll be miles ahead of your next door neighbors in understanding what is supposed to be the limits and extent of our government's powers.

There'll be a test later. ;)

Funny point (well, maybe sad): William Jefferson Clinton (ahem) taught (ahem) a college class on the US Constitution at one point. I'd love to have a copy of his class syllabus as well as his tests/answers.

Adios

[hvengel]

Interesting. Over 90% have at least read the whole thing. If this same poll were taken of the general population I would think that less then 10% would answer that they had read the entire thing.

[Balog]

Forget the GDP [generally dumb public], I'd love to see it given to our Congressmen. But wait, that would require a politician to answer a question honestly and directly. Guess we'll never see that happen.

Edit: Fixing my keyboards dyslexia

[Kinsman]

Well, I like to read....wait, I LOVE to read. Liberty and Revolution and kicking kings out and figuring out how to set up a "good" gummint are all interesting subjects, so.....I have read the whole thing. And the FedPapers. And plenty writings of the dead white guys.

Can't figure out how some senators etc. can take the oath with a straight face.

[DigitalWarrior]

Thinking about the results of this poll, I question it's validity.

94% of the people who responded to the poll reported that they had read it.

Perhaps those who have not read it do not respond. I figure it looks like I am whining because I am nearly alone, but I genuinely doubt these numbers, like Saddam Hussein getting 99% of the vote.

[.45Ruger]

I not only read it but also am planning to take a class at the local community college about it. It will be interesting to see how things are presented.

[moa]

Senator Byrd of West Virginia carries a copy of the Constitution with him while he is in the Senate. As far as he is concerned, every Senator should be an expert on the Constitution, and has no business in the Senate if they are not an expert.

[Dave Markowitz]

Thinking about the results of this poll, I question it's validity.

94% of the people who responded to the poll reported that they had read it.

It's a self-selecting sample, not statistically valid to tell you what % of High Roaders have read. All it tells you is the % of the people who have elected to participate in this poll who have read the Constitution.

The same point can be extrapolated to ANY online poll.

[jsalcedo]

I've read it a few times but it really deserves study instead.

[tcdrennen]

If you really want to get into it, start with Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, then get Montesqueu and Cesare Beccaria. Fascinating to see the same phrases in their original forms and see the evolution. Same for the English Bill of Rights, etc.

Oh, BTW, Hamilton never ran for president, it was Burr who tied with Jefferson in 1800, throwing into a tied House of Representatives. Hamilton hated Burr more than he disliked Jefferson, so persuaded some Federalists to vote for TJ, making Burr Vice President. Hamilton was ineligible to be President, having been born in the Bahamas (? - somewhere in the West Indies, anyway.)

The 12th Amendment made the election of Pres and VP separate in the Electoral College, and gave the House and Senate respectively the power (one vote per STATE) to elect the Pres and VP from among the highest electoral vote getters if there was no Electoral majority.

And Burr and Hamilton fought their duel over New York State political insults and slanders, not the national election of 1800.

[Seminole]

It's not that long--you could read it once a week with no notable decrease in your available spare time.

Senator Byrd of West Virginia carries a copy of the Constitution with him while he is in the Senate. As far as he is concerned, every Senator should be an expert on the Constitution, and has no business in the Senate if they are not an expert.

This is a joke, right? Not knowing what the Constitution says was Byrd's only excuse. If he is "an expert" on the Constitution, the only possible conclusion is that the Senator is a dispicably corrupt opportunist! :neener:

[telomerase]

..Was still for more limits on government than 99% of our current politicians.

[WvaBill]

Sen. Byrd is an expert on the Constitution who is able wax eloquent when it agrees with his agenda. I have seen him wave it at his fellow Senators when he sees money headed to another state, or heaven forbid, an individual WAGE-EARNER:eek:

[spartacus2002]

I saw in print once where someone remarked that although Hamilton was among the more statist of the founders, he was a raving libertarian compared to todays rulers...:cuss:

[m.i.sanders]

I've read the Constitution, the Constitution for the CSA, the Constitution of SC (well, at least the yankee imposed one), most of the Federalists papers, and some of the Anti-Federalist papers. I've haven't read the Articles of Confederation yet. Every so often I'll pull out my copy of the Federalist papers to answer a question I've thought about.

I really should find a copy of the Anti-Federalists papers, since the most of the dire consequences they predicted have more or less come true. I'll admit that it's not quite as bad as the Anti-Federalists predicited, but it's really amazing how close they got it.

[Chris Rhines]

I've read the Constitution several times, but not for a while and I doubt that I will again.

I wonder how many people who have read the Constitution back to back, have also read Lysander Spooner's No Treason.

- Chris

[Standing Wolf]

If we can't even be bothered to read ALL of it, how can we fault Progressives for not having read ALL of it?

Who are these so-called "progessives"?

[DigitalWarrior]

These Progressives:

As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man--
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began:
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;
And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!

[gypsy3]

Not only have I read it....more than once...but have hand copied it twice.
Years ago, back in highschool, it was common practice for the teachers to punish students by making them hand write the constitution.

[pittspilot]

Read it, studied it, studied the law behind it and had the Liberal dogma about it shoved down my throat.

Ahhhh, the joys of law school.

[CaesarI]

Senator Byrd of West Virginia carries a copy of the Constitution with him while he is in the Senate. As far as he is concerned, every Senator should be an expert on the Constitution, and has no business in the Senate if they are not an expert.

"I swear to defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign, and domestic."

"F" rating from the GOA.

Hmm... perhaps a perjury case... if not treason.

Reading it, and understanding it are two different things.
Reading it and understanding, and furthermore applying it correctly, are two different things.

Only member of either the Senate, or the House who I've seen who has always voted the Constitution is from Texas. His name's Ron Paul.

-Morgan

[tyme]

Another interesting thing to read is the UN charter...
http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/index.html

And while you're there the more widely read UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights at http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

The decl. of rights is short. The charter's somewhat longer and references other sections at times, so it's more difficult to wade through.