constitution-huggers: why do you conveniently forget?

Question

that the constitution states in the preamble that the goal of the rights and laws is to "promote the general welfare"? whenever someone wants to do something that's clearly malicious in nature, like neo nazi marches, people say it's there right. it obviously doesn't promote the general welfare, rather, it does the exact opposite.

also, we already partly outlaw that right in times of definite wrongdoing, like slander. why do people scream that we're infringing rights when someone does something just as bad, like promote violence

by the way, this is not an attack on america or it's policies, i'm simply stating the constituition limits the government. people like to think of the founding fathers as gods but it's not true. no one's perfect. the consitution can be important to our government, but it shouldn't control it.

everyone on here is posting that it'd take away our rights...perhaps you neglected to read the second paragraph: we already infringe the "freedom of speech" right of people who slander or libel.

smelly cat, do you know what you're talking about? you think there are no neo nazi demonstrations? you don't remember them trying to march in skokie, illinois? near my hometown in a largely black community the KKK was going to demonstrate. you obviously have no idea what you're talking about.

Answer 1

Yeah...those constant NeoNazi marches are pretty disturbing, aren't they?


wft?

.

Answer 2

The first amendment protects Neo Nazi marches, and that trumps the vague statement in the constitution's preamble that it is supposed to promote the general welfare.

Slander is prohibited because it is indefensible. Unpopular political speech is protected because if we prohibit Neo Nazi marches today, they might use that as a precedent to prohibit the Democrats from marching tomorrow. It's a bad precedent to set. If the Neo Nazis incite violence, then they can be arrested for that. But they usually don't explicitly incite violence.

And yes, the constitution should control our government. Something has to control our government. Why not the constitution? If it's wrong, we can always amend it.

Answer 3

Wow! You are SO unAmerican, I can't even begin to talk.

OK, I caught my breath now. I'm gonna make this simple so that you can possibly understand it. Cuz I know you were sleeping through history class.

The whole POINT of the Constitution was to limit government. It was DESIGNED to control the government. That is the only PURPOSE for the Constitution. Our entire society is based on this idea of limited government. This is precisely what makes America different than the rest of the pre-Constitutional governments, such as monarchies and dictatorships and pure democracies that descend into mob rule (like the French Revolutionaries did).

If you don't understand that, you have absolutely NO understanding of America or our system of government or of who we are as a people. You really ought to go find a different country, because I don't think you'll ever be happy here. If you're ever happy here, then I'll be the one leaving. You scare the daylights out of me. Freedom-hater!

Answer 4

The founding fathers did a great job of framing this countries principles on paper. But they knew and we also know that it takes the people who are living in the current time period to guard those principles. There will always be people who try to destroy what is good. Greed is not exclusive to the rich. The poor do a pretty good job at it too. I think our common sense about what is good for the country as a whole is being under-cut constantly. I would love to see what the founding fathers would have thought of our development if they could have seen the future.

Answer 5

Your entire premise is wrong. The Constitution defines the role of the government. It also protects freedom of speech and the right to peacefully assemble, thus marches by Nazi's are protected by the Constitution. These things have all been ruled on by another branch of government,the judicial branch. It is also set up and defined in it's role by the Constitution.

Answer 6

Neo-Nazi marches, unless they turn violent, are NOT malicious in nature - they're just carrying a message that not many like, and which happens to exclude other groups.

The Constitution does limit Government, but that's a part of what it's SUPPOSED to do. And, quite honestly, our nation's problems aren't stemming from sticking too closely to the Constitution, but from disregarding it.

Answer 7

I see the hope and virtue in your statement, but unfortunately a Preamble is designed to overview the nature of a document NOT to specify said documents specific duties, and in all cases rights outlined within the body (like the first amendment) take power over the preamble.

It's a good argument, but not one that would hold up in the court. So... keep thinking creatively, and stay vocal :)

Answer 8

Promoting the general welfare may be the general goal of our rights and laws, but the general welfare is not what we are required to follow. The rights and laws are! We do have to follow the constitution!

Answer 9

<<>>>

If the government isn't bound to abide by the constitution then no American has ANY rights at all. So much for all that B.S. about "land of the free".

P.S. Good luck in 10th Grade History class! You're going to need it! LOL!

Answer 10

the amendments of the constitution become the effective law of the land.

the first amendment, regardless of the preamble's comments, has become the law of the land.

the perfect example is prohibition. the eighteenth amendment outlaws the sale of alcohol. the twentieth repeals the eighteenth.

amendments change all relevant parts of the constitution.

Answer 11

This is one of the foolish views i've seen in a while. The Constitution is the BASIS of our government. That single document is held in such high regard because everything in our government is based and regulated by that document. To say thats its not the controlling influence is so horribly incorrect.