You brought it up so...
The main part of the Constitution does not and did not intend to limit
government power. It only grants certain specific powers. In the context in
which it was written, government has no power save that which it's given.
All power that the government wields and laws which it enacts must trace
directly back to those powers granted it by the Constitution.
Example: The BATF picked a fight with a fellow in Montana a few years back.
They discovered that he'd made a machine gun for himself from scratch. Seems
he didn't have a federal firearms manufacturing license. Well, when they
brought him to federal court, he argued that since the laws governing
firearms arise from the government's Constitutionally granted power to
regulate and promote interstate commerce (which it does), and since none of
the parts used in the gun were manufactured in any other state and since he
hadn't transported the gun across state lines, let alone for purposes of
commerce, the federal government lacked jurisdiction (power) to hassle him
about it. The high federal court agreed with him and dismissed the case!
(The fellow was, however, in deep doodoo with the state of Montana about it
though.)
For this reason, the Constitution written by the "fathers" initially lacked
the "Bill of Rights" we have now because the the "fathers" did not believe
it necessary. After all, the Constitution did not give the federal
government any power to regulate speech, press, religion, etc., so they
couldn't do it. The states, fearing the new federal government would seek to
extend it's power by removing liberty from men as all previous governments
had, demanded that certain rights be specifically named as off limits to the
new governments. These became the first ten amendments to the Constitution
known as "The Bill of Rights". They are amendments (or changes) to the
originally written Constitution and so form a part of it. No state ratified
the Constitution until after the the document had been amended. All
amendments are a part of the Constitution.
The only thing we really lack is a "Prime Directive"... Leave other species
alone until they join the present century by themselves.
Regards,
Bob...
--------------------------------------------------------
"Art is not a reflection of reality. it is the reality of a reflection."
-Jean Luc Godard
----- Original Message -----
From: "graywolf" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Actually the Constitution itself does not limit the governments powers, it
> is
> the Bill of Rights that does that. And the revolutionary fathers forced
> that
> through against quite a bit of opposition, if I remember my history
> correctly.
>
>
> Tom C wrote:
>>> From: "Bob Blakely" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>
>>> In the US, the document from the people granting specific powers to the
>>> government for the >sake of liberty is called The Constitution. It's a
>>> great document, even allowing for amendment
>>> should times change and the need arise. I wish it was used here in the
>>> US.
>>
>> LOL. True.
>>
>> To my way of thinking, it was the revolutionary government (people in
>> power)
>> that granted these powers to the government they had established. What
>> larger part the 'people', the ordinary men and women working in the
>> fields
>> or going about a pedestrian way of life had in granting power, is
>> questionable. Seems more a matter of not contesting those powers vs.
>> granting them.
>>
>> Tom C.
>>
>>
>>
>
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