On a recent trip to Washington, my wife and I were fortunate enough to stop at the Jefferson Memorial. While reading the writings etched into the walls I realized that the answer to the arguments regarding the strict construction of the constitution based upon the intent of the framers was written by the framers. We only need to read what they said and wrote. For example: When the strict construction people say that the constitution needs to be interpreted according to the 18th century standards that existed when it was written, we can reply with Jefferson’s statement “…laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. …institutions must advance to keep pace with the times… [or] …we might as well require…civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.” When the it is pointed out that the constitution does not use the phrase separation of “church and state” and school prayer should be allowed, we only need to look to Jefferson for guidance. He wrote: “No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship…” We progressives can go back to the basics by framing our own moral arguments using the words and intent of the framers of the constitution.
No comments:
Post a Comment