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It was only an afterthought that the basic freedoms we call the Bill of Rights were added as the first 10 amendments and even then only the more privileged ever got them. And who wrote the Bill of Rights; the backbone of our Constitution? None other than Thomas Paine who gave us Common Sense, published January 10, 1776.

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2006-09-04 04:17:57 · 15 answers · asked by jeeveswantstoknow 2 in Politics & Government Law & Ethics

Charles D. Reread the copy. I didn't say that Paine wrote the Constitution. I said he wrote Common Sense. Common Sense WAS published January 10, 1776. Check the history books. It was the first declaration of independence: the first document read by practically everyone in the colonies and the only one saying that WE THE PEOPLE don't need a king to rule us. Paine was black listed from England for that document. I said he did write the Bill of Rights which is the only MEAT to this otherwise mealy mouth committee inspired document. Were it not for his Bill of Rights, we never would have made it to the 20th Century as a Republic. Paine WAS the American Revolution, and any spec of Freedom you now enjoy you, WE all owe it to this fine gentleman. With few exceptions, none of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, also signed the Constitution. The former was written by Thomas Paine, not Jefferson; the latter by a committee.

2006-09-05 15:28:19 · update #1

Source reference: "Thomas Paine, Author of the Declaration of Independence" by Joseph Lewis.

2006-09-05 15:30:27 · update #2

EW The point I was trying to make is not that real criminals shouldn't be locked up, they should. It was, what constitutes a criminal worthy of such treatment that he/she is a menance to society's well being, and one who poses no threat, but is put behind bars none the less. Administrative crimes (those crimes where no victim pressing charges against another occurs) probably constitute 50% or more of those in jail needlessly. Why is the taxpayer being burdened with the cost to house these people?

This represents a systematic destruction of civil liberties that has been going on for decades now, and more with a vengence since the passage of the USA Patriot Act.

Gov'tmt has effectively declared a permanent war on We the People, all under the guise of protecting us from the terrorist. Eminant domain, RFID, Cameras everywhere, radar check points, wire taps: ye papers, please. That's where we are headed. Make no mistake about it.

2006-09-06 02:50:27 · update #3

15 answers

America!!!!!!!!!

2006-09-04 04:20:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Your arguments are specious at best. In part of your rambling defense of your question you state:

"Administrative crimes (those crimes where no victim pressing charges against another occurs) probably constitute 50% or more of those in jail needlessly. Why is the taxpayer being burdened with the cost to house these people?"

Here is a case in point. I knew a man who worked as a purchasing agent for a local community. Over the years he would routinely cut purchase orders made out to bogus companies for imaginary services. Over the space of about 10 years he had embezzled around 3 million dollars. An audit of the town's books finally turned up the scheme. He was arrested, tried and convicted and sentenced to a term of 10 years. He did the time in a minimum security facility and got off early because of good behaviour. I think they should've locked him up in a maximum security facility and thrown away the key.

He only served around 6 years. The money was never found and he was not ordered to pay restitution---as he claimed the money was 'gone'.

You're saying this type of criminal shouldn't be imprisoned? They shouldn't be punished?

You're a wacko.

2006-09-11 17:50:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Clearly you are referring to the United States. I guess you believe that none of these individuals did the crime?

Your understanding of the Bill of Rights is flawed at best.

The Bill of Rights was not an afterthought to the Constitution. Many of the preceding Constitutions (of the thirteen ratifying States) had Bills of Rights in them or attached. In addition, there were other Bills of Rights preceding the Constitution such as, The Petition of Right [1628] and The Bill of Rights [1689]. Bills of Rights are part of the Common Law heritage of what evolved into the Constitution of the United States.

At the writing of the Constitution of the United States there was more than a single perspective on what should be accomplished. Among these points of view there were those who wanted a Bill of Rights and those who believed that one wasn’t required due to the structure and intent of the Constitution. To reach passage of the proposed constitution out of the convention, an agreement was reached in that the first order of business of the new Congress (if the Constitution was ratified) would be to propose a Bill of Rights to the States through the use of the Constitutional Amendment process. As we all know the Constitution was passed out of convention and issued to the Congress (existing under the Articles of Confederation) and then it was proposed to the States and eventually ratified. During the ratification process it should be noted that in ratification debate the need of a bill of rights was addressed in many States. In fact, in Virginia when the Constitution was ratified a “Declaration of Rights” (numbering 20 articles) was attached.

As agreed the first order of business of the new Congress was to address the need for a Bill of Rights and this job was assigned to James Madison. James Madison did so and followed quite closely the work of George Mason who wrote the Virginia Bill of Rights. James Madison (influence greatly by Patrick Henry) produced a Bill of rights containing 12 Articles and this was proposed to the various States for ratification. The States ratified 10 of these 12 articles and this became the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution and is know as the Bill of Rights.

As a final note, most people assume that this is a listing of rights, it is not. Rights are assumed as emanating from the individual and existing prior to the ratification of the Constitution. These first 10 Amendments are comprised of two types. The first 8 can be considered exclusionary in that they exclude the federal government from initiating specific acts. The final 2 are declarations of basic truths. In this interpretation they structurally fit the intent and form of the Constitution itself.

2006-09-04 12:16:47 · answer #3 · answered by Randy 7 · 0 0

Almost none of that was true, Thomas Paine didn't write the Constitution or the Bill of Rights Probably James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights.

What does the bill of rights have to do with the Americans in prison right now?

2006-09-04 11:22:22 · answer #4 · answered by Charles D 5 · 2 0

So because we actually have a police force that solves crimes, catches criminals, and puts them in jail your going to condemn America? You should be glad, because in most of the rest of the world, they don`t solve crimes. Their police forces are either inept or they look the other way.
By the way we don`t know how many people are locked away in China, because they "disagree with Communism", as that information is secret. However we do know that 70 million were murdered for that thought.
In America there are zero in prison and zero killed, by our Government, for their ideological thought.

I suggest you stop listening to Anti American Leftist propaganda. The KGB had a name for people that bought their misinformation and passed it on. They called them "Useful idiots".

2006-09-11 14:16:29 · answer #5 · answered by Gone Rogue 7 · 0 0

America

2006-09-04 11:23:34 · answer #6 · answered by ~~~~Jaime~~~~ 2 · 1 0

I would imagine it's the USA. How about the laws that were broken by the 2.2 million people? Do you think that we should just shut down the prisons and let everybody do whatever feels right to them?

2006-09-04 12:07:47 · answer #7 · answered by EW 4 · 1 0

Fcking USA the US doesnt realise why how much they are universally hated by young and old all over the world. They should just go bump their heads on the wall and die.

2006-09-06 01:13:37 · answer #8 · answered by noobie 2 · 0 0

Stop whining, you Weak Sister!

Are you missing the burglars, punks, and dope fiends? Huh? Missing a few murderers, are you? Well, get up off your extra-large rear-end and go visit 'em in your local lock-up. It'll be fun, I promise!

Or is it that you miss the sound of nightly gunfire? Or your formerly high insurance premiums? Or is it that your wife misses wondering if she's gonna get mugged in a dark parking lot after getting off work late?

WHAT is your problem? Tell us!

2006-09-04 11:26:28 · answer #9 · answered by Walter Ridgeley 5 · 1 1

What country has 2.2 million of its population in prisons?

The US emprison and execute its Black population, another
country would be Israel, it is the biggest palestinian prison of the world, it is Israel if you can label an occupation army responsible for state terrorism against civilian - a country-

2006-09-04 11:25:26 · answer #10 · answered by cyranoyebo 3 · 0 1

You have a point? Not just with this question .... but is there a point to your autonomic breathing functions all the time? Certainly maintaining a supply of oxygen to your brain is not the point.

2006-09-04 11:21:10 · answer #11 · answered by Ray Nagin 2 · 1 2

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