Who does the Bill of Rights cover?

This Week | 2 Dec 01 | Bob Barr

[H.Akston]

Bob Barr just said on Sam and Cokie's show that the Bill of Rights is part of the Constitution, and the Constitution covers "persons", not just citizens, and "the Bill of Rights applies to all persons on our soil."

[H.Akston]

Barr didn't give any reasons. He just blurted it out, much like your ejaculations herein.

[go star go]

if everyone here has protection of the Bill of Rights then illegals have the same rights as you. either they cannot be raided or you can.

[NewAmsterdam]

It isn't that simple. How can it be, otherwise, that Jewish groups (as an example) can take German (as an example) companies to court in America to demand repayments of their money?

[H.Akston]

No they're not "given to us by the Constitution", but the Constitution is OUR device for protecting them. It's not a Frenchman's device, or an Al-Queda terrorists device, whether or not he's physically in America.

[mdittmar]

I agree with you.

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

During the debates on the adoption of the Constitution, its opponents repeatedly charged that the Constitution as drafted would open the way to tyranny by the central government. Fresh in their minds was the memory of the British violation of civil rights before and during the Revolution. They demanded a "bill of rights" that would spell out the immunities of individual citizens. Several state conventions in their formal ratification of the Constitution asked for such amendments; others ratified the Constitution with the understanding that the amendments would be offered.

[go star go]

Police murder citizens in police raids. That's clearly a violation of the Bill or Rights.

[H.Akston]

If a foreign person requests asylum and it is granted, then he's covered. But that has to happen. If we don't grant it, they don't get that protection. Barr made a blanket statement that could have applied to Al-Quadas in this country, who haven't requested asylum. I can't believe I'm having to explain this.

[H.Akston]

Bless you.

[proudofthesouth]

I usually agree with Bob Barr, but in this case I feel he made a serious blooper.

[NewAmsterdam]

Lol, I know. But if you proclaim the belief that individuals have unalienable rights, which means it seems to me, that they are inherent, i.e. they cannot be granted by anyone nor taken away, then, surely that goes for each and every human being. After all, your constitution is a product of the Enlightenment which made claims on universality.

[go star go]

that's a neat little trick. do you understand logical thought? if, then, else? i thought not.

i suppose now you'll tell us you have no problem with Osama's boys exercising their 'rights' under the second amendment. They can walk into a gun shop, go through the background check, and walk out with a gun and head straight to the airplane with your husband and kids on it.

[BohDaThone]

The first ten amendments say what they say. Look at the text of each -- e.g.

Third -- "No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house" [Not, "in the house of any citizen"]

Fifth -- "No person shall be held to answer for a . . . crime [except by indictment, etc.]" [not "no citizen . . . ."].

Some amendments are limited to citizens: Fifteenth -- "The right of citizens . . . to vote shall not be denied [on account of race]."

Read the text of each, and you'll see who they apply to.

[go star go]

And you have no problem with non-citizens voting...

[Gumlegs]

Police murder citizens in police raids. That's clearly a violation of the Bill or Rights.

Always, in every raid? As a matter of policy?

[athiestwithagun]

You are both wrong.

The Bill of Rights does not grant anybody anything. Our founders believed that rights were inherent and existed independent of the government. Both the Constitution and the BoR embody this philosophy. The BoR is the short list of rights the government cannot legally infringe. The BoR is not a grant of privilege to the "people" but a set of restrictions on the power of the State. It says things like, "Congress shall make no law" and, "the right of the people shall not be infringed." Try reading the Bill of Rights sometime: It applies to the government not the 'people'.

[go star go]

It's a matter of policy if you have a gun, have committed no crime, and use your gun to defend your home from what you perceive to be home invaders.