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In regards to the Constitution, I am of the originalism school. This means I believe the framers left the architecture for changing the constitution via the amendment process. There is another view eloquated by Thurgood Marshall calling it a 'living document' open to evolve with changing social mores... What some describe as judicial activism. I understand that rationale, I just believe the other. But that is also why I pose this, in my opinion, funny position and analogy.
I'm sure people will cite lots of legal-eze, quotes, bits of the Bill or Rights, probably the Bible, and maybe even Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance.
In short, the original Bill of Rights set up barriers to what the Federal Goverment can, and more importantly, can't do. The 10th, not often heard in public discourse, is one of the 2 most important of the 10, in my opinion. That which not outlined in the Constitutuon shall be left to the states, or the people (paraphrasing... Writing from phone not from a strictly formal academic structure).
So what's that got to do with vampires. Any Americans don't like... Fill in the blank. Many Americans think the government is inefficient at best, evil at worst (I tend towards the inefficiency). On hot bottom tops, however, many Americans want the Federal government to solve the problem. That's why I outlined judicial activism vs the amendment process... Yet how often us that followed?
So the bill of rights gives a big list of things the Feds can't do. Kind of like vampires... They can't (in lore) come into ones house unless invited. Then, when they are invited in... Well we know what happens.
It is some people's opinion that's how the constitution was intended... To keep king George's heir out of the house, so to speak. Yet, especially over the 20th and 21st century, it seems 'we' the people keep inviting the vampire, federal Goverment, into the house then complain about how they screwed us. Well, it is a vampire, and it does need blood... As for the government, many would agree that large, exceedingly large, bureaucracies are inefficient at best, some would say evil at worst.
So the federal government gets invited in, it is inefficient, AND it is constrained by the 14th amendment and equal protection... So often, those who wanted it to do said thing, get upset that it's got to equally apply, or try to be fair, to the opposing viewpoint... And both sides are unhappy, and go back to blaming the government, yet keep inviting it back in vs some other, radical solution, like amend the constitution, or look to their particular state, or maybe, just not give the Federal Government more power.
Some believe it needs more power. I don't agree with them but some valid points will be raised, both historical and current day.
I tried to think of something clever to respond to this post. I failed. Then I tried to think of something stupid to respond to this post. I succeeded.
Both parties haven't really relied on any ideology and just focused on a few issues that their party supports and the opposite party dislikes.
The only party that I know of that relies on ideology to make politicial decisions is the Libertarian Party.
Unfortunately the libertarian parties platform gets about as much tread way as the vampire before it gets invited in so, in my opinion, we keep using the big 2 to keep us divided on hot button topics that cast dispersions to the other.
Sometimes, many times, I think once they walk behind the curtain, said R or D slaps the other on the back and says 'we just won our next term!'
A big part of the genius of the founders in forming the constitution is that they fully realized that life would change over time and they wrote it in terms that were vague enough to give it the flexibility to remain relevant yet specific enough to be effective.
Unfortunately the libertarian parties platform gets about as much tread way as the vampire before it gets invited in so, in my opinion, we keep using the big 2 to keep us divided on hot button topics that cast dispersions to the other.
Sometimes, many times, I think once they walk behind the curtain, said R or D slaps the other on the back and says 'we just won our next term!'
No, of course not. Vampires aren't even bad, they are just vampires. The silly point is much if tge Bill was set up as what the Fed Gov can't do... Except over the years, 'we' look to local government for a solution... They run out of money and turn to the state... They run out of money and invite the Feds in. To follow equal protection, they create laws that most don't like... Then we all complain how we got here (pick a topic, there are hundreds).
A big part of the genius of the founders in forming the constitution is that they fully realized that life would change over time and they wrote it in terms that were vague enough to give it the flexibility to remain relevant yet specific enough to be effective.
Agreed.
And they put a process in to change it... But it takes time, so for those that abide by the principle of originalism, it gets circumvented by going to the courts which gets labeled as judicial activism (which is a bit different than just being the opposite of the originalism viewpoint but there are similarities).
I know constitutional amendments are a hard process, I think that was the intent. Have serious debate before changing... Instead, what's seemed to have occurred, is what gets referred to as scope creep (in project terminology) or incrementalism
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