Four Pages.

The Constitution of the United States of America was originally written on just four pages. Sure, they were monster motion picture poster sized pages but, that’s all there was to it. Think four pages of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” sized posters. That’s what it took to lay down the foundations of our government. Five if you count the Bill of Rights but, that was added later.

In those four pages were written down all the instructions for running the Federal Government of the United States. Those four pages held the LAWS which the government was to abide by. They told the government what powers it did have and made it pretty darn clear IMO that those were the only powers it had and that any attempt by the Federal Government to move beyond those powers was AGAINST THE LAW.

Reading and understanding those four pages is not that much to ask of one seeking to hold national office. If you think about it, our form of government is really pretty simple and any idiot should be able to determine what the Federal Government is authorized to do based upon a reading of those four simple pages. In fact, they don’t even have to read all four pages, all they have to do to find out what the government is allowed to do is read article 1, section 8:

Section. 8.
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Source

Section 9 list a few things that are specifically prohibited to the Federal Government and Article 10 provides some simple limitations on the states.

People talk about laws passed by Congress as being unconstitutional but, when you get right down to it, what they are saying is that Congress has BROKEN THE LAW which defines its limited powers. If people would stop seeing the Constitution as a founding document or charter with the people, they might come to the realization that, what the Constitution really is, is the code of laws that the Federal Government must live by. When congressmen vote for and pass laws that are unconstitutional, they are breaking the law and should be held accountable for their unlawful behavior.

It is a shame that the Constitution did not make this more explicit or lay down a set of penalties for breaking the supreme law of the land. Violating the Constitution should be a felony crime punishable by jail time IMO. IF laws were passed making the supreme law of this land an actual law instead of a contract and lawmakers could be held criminally responsible for violating that supreme law, it would not take long for the people to take back America. Our representatives wouldn’t dare to pass unconstitutional laws if they had to be afraid of ending up in prison with Bubba as their roommate.

From those four simple pages, the Federal Government has evolved into a leviathan controlling every aspect of its citizen’s lives. The 2010 U.S. tax code is 71,684 pages in length. All of the laws and regulations created by the Federal Government over the years could fill up libraries and it would be impossible for any one man to know them all. All this came from four simple pages.

They say this is a country of laws but, if the government cannot even obey the simple laws contained within the four pages of the Constitution, how is anybody supposed to have any respect for the laws they pass for us to follow.

reply to post by FortAnthem


love it. the only thing i disagree with is the jail time. i believe our government is out of control, but every single group of people would make mistakes. that's why we have checks and balances. you cant' go around throwing leaders in jail every single time they violate the constitution. in fact that kind of law would probably lead to corruption and disregard for the document. the supreme court would be much, much, much more reluctant to find a law unconstitutional if it meant the imprisonment of everyone who worked to propose, pass, sign, or implement the legislation. like hamilton says in the fed papers, impracticable laws will be worked around constantly and that process will degrade respect for the rule of law. other than that one thing, i share your views my friend.

reply to post by snusfanatic


It doesn't take the Supreme Court to determine whether a law is unconstitutional or not. The limits of the Federal Government are clearly spelled out in article 1 section 8. Any laws which do not adhere to these guidelines would be a violation and unlawful.

Representatives would need to cite the section of the Constitution that allows their proposed legislation. If a law is found lacking, it should be pointed out during debate of the law and the legislation withdrawn. If the entire legislature conspires to pass an unconstitutional law, then yes, they should all be sent off to jail for their crimes against the country. Every one that voted for the unconstitutional law.

reply to post by FortAnthem

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

the federal reserve people and the 80,000 page tax code are not what they had in mind it is my profound belief

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

wikileaks and assange anyone? anyone? anyone?


liberals scream bloody murder at these:

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and maintain a Navy; To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces; To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

liberals hate that part too.


shame government bloat shame of them.

tri-corner hats and tiny buckles on our boots!

wigs for the landed gentry!


huzzah!

reply to post by neo96

wikileaks and assange anyone? anyone? anyone?

If the government had not exceeded its designated powers, the US would not be involved in unlawful wars across the globe. Heck, I doubt that the government deciding which info was allowed to be revealed to the American people would be found to be legal under the Constitution.

A government kept within its proper bounds would not need to keep classified information from its people.

reply to post by FortAnthem


A government kept within its proper bounds would actually be a just government. It was the attempts of our forefathers to bring about such a structure.

They knew that Man was inherently capable of always attempting to exert control over their fellow Man. Hence the reason for such structured and limited capabilities within the confines of the Federal Constitution. Yet, through time and manipulation or not only the Government, but the People, we have seen a bastardization of how a Government should be ran.

I expounded upon this in my thread. Maybe not fully, but enough to start exploring how to reign in Washington and start to bring power back to the States and the People on a whole.

reply to post by FortAnthem


it is not up to some austrailian to decide what is legal or illegal for this country and while you may share his ideals the we dont have the whole story behind the scenes of what is what.

national security issues and epsionage acts make a clear case to protect this country and its people from outside forces they exist for a reason and its not up to one individual american or foreigner to say otherwise.

im not really going to argue the legalities of the war with you we agree on a great many things but national security exists to protect you and me and all of us so that we can lead the normal lives we do.

we have become Rome !!!
and we too shall fall

reply to post by boondock-saint


How have we become Rome? What makes you think we (the United States of America) will fall? How do we parallel to that of the fall of Rome? Rome was a city-state in its later years, are you suggesting we are such?

I know that is a lot to think about and it is much easier to just spout of claims, but really people....use that damn brain of yours and show us what you really think and how you came to such a conclusion.

ATS is becoming less attractive everyday.

reply to post by boondock-saint


I do believe that Rome has never fallen. Just changed names throughout the ages.

what we need is a time-machine.

do any of the political parties have a time machine?

We could fix so many problems by just going back in time.

Take the Country BACK (in time)

reply to post by ANSPHAR


This is a good assertion that through the ages, empires never really fell but have transferred their powers to the newest empire of the age.

But how do you explain Great Britain the Untied States in co-existence if Rome never truly fell?

Originally posted by justadood
what we need is a time-machine.

do any of the political parties have a time machine?

We could fix so many problems by just going back in time.

Take the Country BACK (in time)

Rumor has it that the Vatican has a time machine.


But they only use it to go back to watch old plays and see Jesus being crucified.


You would think they could be nice and let us borrow it to go back and change the whole course of American history but, NOooo.


Selfish < SNIP>!

The US became Rome. Maybe. I still blame the Vatican Hahahaha... maybe not fully but Religion and politics are not separate that is for sure. they both love money and power way to much.

I'm taking a play outta the Misoir playbook:


BUMP