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Originalism is at war with America
The Hill ^ | 08/29/18 | Alan Brownstein

Posted on 08/29/2018 3:11:58 PM PDT by yesthatjallen

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Apparently, Originalists are old fuddy-duddies stuck in the past.

Apparently we should argue Constitutional law based on popular consensus of the day.

If we get it wrong, it will all simply 'self-correct'.

1 posted on 08/29/2018 3:11:58 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
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To: yesthatjallen

How can we have Presidents who are “citizens of the world” if we restricted the office to just natural born citizens, born here of citizen parents?

Anwar al-Awlaki’s kids deserve the same right to run as Ted Cruz.


2 posted on 08/29/2018 3:16:08 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here of Citizen Parents__Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: yesthatjallen

His demented NWO America, not ours.


3 posted on 08/29/2018 3:16:11 PM PDT by cowboyusa (America Cowboy UP!)
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To: cowboyusa

Brown-stain is just another addled opinionist at The Hill.


4 posted on 08/29/2018 3:18:44 PM PDT by glennaro
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To: yesthatjallen

The Hill is a complete cesspool of leftist opinion.


5 posted on 08/29/2018 3:19:58 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (Apoplectic is where we want them)
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To: yesthatjallen

The author is a fool that deserves derision.

The Constitution has been amended with at least 26 changes through the decades...nearly 1 for every decade.

The author is actually arguing to disregard the Constitution in favor of direct democracy.

Over my dead body.


6 posted on 08/29/2018 3:20:26 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: yesthatjallen

“But originalism conflicts sharply with American reality and American ideals. Years ago, Frank Sinatra sang a song about what America meant to him. The last line was “But especially the people, that’s America to me.”

Who needs the Founders when you’ve got Frank?


7 posted on 08/29/2018 3:20:50 PM PDT by avenir ("But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine."--Paul to Titus)
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To: yesthatjallen

“Alan Brownstein is a professor of law emeritus at the University of California, Davis School of Law.“

This “law school” should be burned to the ground and this professor driven naked into the wilderness.

L


8 posted on 08/29/2018 3:22:02 PM PDT by Lurker (President Trump isn't our last chance. President Trump is THEIR last chance.)
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To: yesthatjallen

Pure idiocy. Originalists believe that the Constitution should be changed only according to the rules that were established for changing the Constitution. “Non-originalists” believe that unelected judges should be able to change the Constitution whenever they see fit.


9 posted on 08/29/2018 3:24:15 PM PDT by Behind the Blue Wall
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To: yesthatjallen

If “originalism” is so bad, then let’s try this:

Stop defining socialism by the socialism of the 19th and 20th century. It was a horrible failure. 30 times worse than the Black Plague! People have mobility and education today. If they can’t find work, they should move to where the work is. If they lack skills, they should work to gain skills.

We don’t need socialism to mean “free health care” or free anything. The NEW (non-”originalist”)socialism is that all people understand that they must work for what they have. The more they produce, the more benefit to society. When you are successful and prosperous on your own, then society benefits. So, the NEW socialism is to get a job, work, buy your own health care, pay for your own kids’ education, pay your bills on time, and be equipped to join the militia—because nothing is more social than being willing to kill some tyrants with your neighbors!

You think they would cheer for ditching THAT kind of “originalism”?

disclaimer: some idiot will interpret this as me advocating socialism. I am not.


10 posted on 08/29/2018 3:26:05 PM PDT by Bryanw92 (Asking a pro athlete for political advice is like asking a cavalry horse for tactical advice)
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To: yesthatjallen
The Constitution is immutable. If it weren't immutable it wouldn't be the Constitution, it would just be some laws. How can anyone not understand that? It is the firewall, the immutable bastion which will protect our liberties as long as there is an America.

Really, if you don't have originalism, you don't have anything.
 

11 posted on 08/29/2018 3:27:27 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ("Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.")
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To: Lurker
I don't suspect that the professor's ancestors were even in America 250 years ago. or even 150 years ago. Maybe 100 years ago. Possibly.
 
12 posted on 08/29/2018 3:29:52 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ("Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.")
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To: Mariner
The author is actually arguing to disregard the Constitution in favor of direct democracy.

More likely in favor of judge-made law.

13 posted on 08/29/2018 3:35:48 PM PDT by x
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To: Behind the Blue Wall
Originalists believe that the Constitution should be changed only according to the rules that were established for changing the Constitution. “Non-originalists” believe that unelected judges should be able to change the Constitution whenever they see fit.

That's it in a nutshell.

14 posted on 08/29/2018 3:36:28 PM PDT by tx_eggman (Liberalism is only possible in that moment when a man chooses Barabas over Christ.)
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To: yesthatjallen

Firstly the Founders intended that the Constitution would be hard to change and would not be interpreted by “Fashionable Opinion”. If it can be easily changed by some judge inventing some new meaning for a word or phrase in the Constitution then it is no longer a Constitution. The Founders put in place two mechanisms to change the constitution both of which require the informed consent of the people. Having judges stick their fingers in the current social or political wind to reinvent the constitution was never intended by the Founders and should be resisted at all costs.


15 posted on 08/29/2018 3:38:26 PM PDT by Timocrat (Ingnorantia non excusat)
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To: yesthatjallen

IOW, remove meaning from words and go by feelings.

That would be fun.


16 posted on 08/29/2018 3:39:25 PM PDT by lurk
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To: yesthatjallen
This guy's model for jurisprudence is alive and well in the U.S. You can find it on almost any Indian reservation in the land. These are primitive people with no written languages, and the "law" means whatever the hell they want it to mean on any given day.

Give them enough time, and these leftists will be living in huts and peeing in their own drinking water.

17 posted on 08/29/2018 3:40:12 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("The Russians escaped while we weren't watching them ... like Russians will.")
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To: yesthatjallen

“But originalism conflicts sharply with American reality and American ideals.”

The author is wrong specifically because (a) originalism does not stop at any point in time, and (b) as far as what the Constitution does and not mandate is found across and into all its amendments up to and inlcuding moddern times and (c) it sets squarely with the Constitutional structure for “updating” the Constitution, which the Constitution spells out as via the amednment process and not through mere judicial dictates.

Originalism honors and respects the facts inheremt in the first words of the Constitution, which say “We the people”, not “we the courts” and which in every way implies it is the people, acting through our legislators, state and federal, not judges, that are the only authors of the Constitution recognized by the Constitution.

Of course I would not expect someone like the author well indoctrinated by the Leftists to get either originalism or the Constitution correct.


18 posted on 08/29/2018 3:42:29 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: yesthatjallen
The Constitution is a contract between the people to firm a government. If that government can then interpret the contract to mean anything it pleases then it isn't really a contract any more. It is just a rationalization for tyranny.

The liberals' ideal is something like a cable company contract that says "the company can make any modifications to this contract it desires so long as it gives you ten days notice". And, unlike the cable contract, you aren't allowed to cancel and leave.

19 posted on 08/29/2018 3:43:56 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (Leave the job, leave the clearance. It should be the same rule for the Swamp as for everyone else.)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

The Constitution is immutable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That’s what I thought before the Kenyanesian Usurpation.
It remains to be seen if we survive that.


20 posted on 08/29/2018 3:44:23 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here of Citizen Parents__Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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