What would ...

R

redhawk41

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What would the authors of the Constitution of the United States of America say if they saw America today? Some discussion points:

- personal liberty
- technology
- the federal government
- foreign policy

the reason i ask: some folks say the world has changed and the Constitution is no longer valid, outdated. i disagree, pointing out 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'. the ideology outlined in the Constitution is just as valid today as it was 200+ years ago. it will also be just as valid 200+ years from now.

Your thoughts?
 
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Well, certainly the founders couldn't have seen the power of modern press, with computers and the internet. I think if they knew the devistation they allowed by writing the 1st amendment, they would have never done it.








(the above is sarcasm)
 
I think overall they'd be amazed and proud -- maybe not proud of every detail, but proud of the overall effect.

When the constitution was written we were a tiny confederacy (before the constitution we operated under the "articles of confederation") of no importance to the world. Our colonies just weren't worth the pain for England to continue fighting for while at war with France, though she could have since we didn't have the military might to strike a meaningful blow against the British Isles.

If those founders could see us now, they would see that we have become:

  • The most powerful nation on Earth
  • A historical defender of liberty and democracy
  • The most powerful economic entity in the world
  • A continent wide nation with 50 states and going on 300 million people

The things that would concern them, though, would be:

  • Restrictions on personal liberties (Thomas Jefferson was even opposed to libel laws)
  • The power of the Federal government -- these guys never intended for a Federal government to rule over the states -- though I think they might understand why it's necessary (if it is).
  • Failure of so many people to understand the importance, even in the 21st century, of a population allowed to arm itself that the government must answer to.

That's my .02.

Mostly I think they'd be proud and amazed by how far we've come. But they'd shake their head sometimes too, just like my parents are proud of me and my family but (coming from the Depression area) just don't understand some of the financial choices we make.

They never meant for us to be stagnant or not continue to grow, and grow we have.
 
Constitution = Citizens, not Serfs

The Constitution is extremely valid today.

The Founding Fathers set up our system of laws to prevent one thing: Feudalism. That's always a threat to mankind, be it the 12th century, or the 21st.

The question is, how well is the general population keeping the government accountable to the Constitution? If we give up too many freedoms so the government can "keep us safe", instead of preserve our God-given rights as human beings, we'll end up as Serfs.
 
Actually, I think they would start another revolution due to the People not having the Rights or Protections as stated in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

And modern day "People" would just sit on their butts while they were trying to have that 2nd revolution :(.

Oh, got into my own little tirade there :( :

- personal liberty - None really exists anylonger. Because personal responsibility is absent in most of "American's".

- technology - Would most likely love how we've gone forward and alot of the technology that made it possible to get the technology now days came from American's.

- the federal government - They would have a revolt and then ask the "People" WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- foreign policy - Would probably be torn on our "world policing" policies, would really be ticked about our boarder security, and would most likely wonder why the heck we're kissing up to the French and the Germans, ESPECIALLY THE FRENCH :p .

Wayne
 
I think that they'd kick our fat lazy arses

from here to next week for a lot of reasons.

But I think that they'd be proud of what we've become/overcome for many others.

No society is perfect, but we have the best there is. Their experiment with freedom is 225+ years old and still prospering. Can't say that about any other country in the world with anywhere near the freedoms we enjoy.
 
The question is, how well is the general population keeping the government accountable to the Constitution?
Click to expand...
this is something i often wonder about. many folks today either don't know or don't care what it truly means to be free. they depend on the government, and are therefore accountable to the government instead of visa-versa.

i have to think that this is nothing new, that folks were like this early in the nations history, it's just that there wasn't enough government to be dependant on.
 
One thing y'all have to remember in any debate is that the Federal constitution was NEVER meant by the founders to be any kind of limit on the laws that States could right; it was strictly for the Federal government.

By their views, California could outlaw possession of any gun of any kind, Vermont could outlaw freedom of speech, etc. The original constitution did not protect people, it protected the states from a central government.

Then, after the civil war when it was necessary to whip the South back into shape, the 14th amendment was added. It's thanks to the 14th and court rulings since that the bill of rights has come to be regarded as "individual" liberties.

Would the founders have approved of that? I don't know. I think if they sat down and talked to us and reviewed our history, I think they might find it acceptable.

Our civil liberties are mostly alive and well, BTW -- if you don't believe so, let's do a poll and see how many people DON'T get arrested for posting anti-government stuff on the internet or carrying signs and protesting whatever at the Nation's capital. Even the KKK moves openly and has marches.
 
Thomas Jefferson, quoted on 4/15/05:

"It pleases my eye to confirm that this great land and its people are prosperous and generous, but I must ask, who is leading this nation at present? Why is this country defending other countries and fighting dubious wars abroad when its own borders are as porous as cheesecloth? It seems akin to fending off felons at the home of your neighbor whilst leaving your own doors ajar. The government seems to have spread like creeping charlie into every aspect of the lives of the citizenry; this is not as was intended! Also, what's up with this "OJ" fellow? He was soooo totally guilty, dude! Hang that negro immediately!"
 
They'd call for revolution, and when only a few came, they'd call for a succession of some area, declaring that the fools that would not fight deserved the tyranny they brought upon themselves.

Or something like that. They certainly wouldn't waste alot of time trying to turn sheep into wolves.
 
I think they would be outraged by the current attitudes and actions of our elected "leaders." I can easily see them locking and loading, saddling up for the ride to D.C. to rectify matters.

After all, they did so once before!

I think they would be disgusted with the millions of neutered, brainwashed "sheeple" in this nation, and livid with the parasitic Demosocialists that relentlessly work to gut the Constitution. There would be alot of "leaders" and "celebrities" that would be shot for treason.

But then, I'm just an extremist - just like the Founders were! :D
 
Things they would find pleasure in:
1. the fact America is still around.
2. the fact that people still quote them (on TFL), still argue their intentions (in courts and on the senate floor), still wear bifocal lenses and change light bulbs every month.

Things that they would be intrigued by:
1. the Civil War, especially, but all the wars that America has taken part in since their time.
2. The civil rights movement, both for blacks and for women.
3. Technological advancements.

Things that they would be deeply concerned about:
1. As stated in posts above, the almost total lack of appreciation and understanding by present day Americans for their own constitutional rights, as well as responsibilities as citizens.
2. The enormous size of the federal government.
3. The nuclear "option" of war.

Things that would scare the hell out of them:
1. Michael Jackson
 
-personal liberty - I think in some ways they'd be happy, in others not. In reality we enjoy a high standard of living, and anyone who wants to get ahead and is willing to work hard can do so. OTOH we have the increasingly intrusive government which WE ALLOW to intrude into our lives.

- technology - I think they'd be frankly amazed, but would immediately see the benefit of car vs horse, plane vs wagon. I'm not sure they'd see the improvement of muzzle-loader over M16, perhaps if they came back when we still had the Garand though.... Seriously, I'd expect them to embrace the technology, at least as much of it as they could understand.

- the federal government - I think what would bother them most is that the government has, in effect, taken the place of the church in our society. It used to be if you were hurt and couldn't work people from the church would give VOLUNTARILY to help you out, and the vehicle for that giving was usually the church. Now when someone can't work they look for the government to provide money that it took INVOLUNTARILY from your neighbors.

- foreign policy - I think they'd be amazed at where our foreign policy is pointed, and at what nations are non-entities. France was one of the strongest nations in the world back then. Japan was a non-issue then.

I think what would bother them most overall is that so few people take an interest in the government. Even when they do they do so now in terms of "what is BEST for me overall" but "what can I get out of this right now". In an high-school history class we called this "enlightened self-interest".

I DON'T think they'd say it was time to break out the rifles and overthrow the government. If you read the Declaration of Independence you find that they did everything they could to address the problems with England by peaceful means. We've allowed our rights to be eroded and we haven't even started the process of correcting it yet. I do think they'd tell us to get off our fat, complacent butts and get involved, turn this nation back into something resembling the one they handed over to us. Only if the government refused to respond to the mandates of the people would they consider revolution.
 
I think it depends on which founder.


Jefferson would probably be horrified to find that we're still using the same old Constitution from his time. I also think he would be amazed that there were still christians.

Hamilton and Madison would probably be quite pleased with the scope and authority of the federal government.

There were a lot of different views around in those days, so I think they'd all have something different to say if they could see us now.
 
What would the Founding Fathers Say?

Generally like most of the thoughts and words of Jeff Cooper today. Cooper sees the steady crumbling of our Republic and our Constitution, I tend to agree.
 
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