Friday, June 24, 2005

The Constitution says...The Constitution means...

One of the fun features that Mad Magazine would occasionally so was "what they say - what it means."

Well, it's time for a look at the Supreme Court and the US Constitution...


According to the Supreme Court…
What the constitution says: What it (apparently) means: Cite

The Congress shall have Power...To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; "Among" really means "within." "Commerce" really means "no commerce." Someone can't grow marijuana in their own house, for their own use, with no intent of selling it anywhere, much less across state lines, even if the people of his/her have decided that it's a lawful activity. Raich

Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press Congress can determine who spends what on elections, who gets to advertise, how and when and where they do it. Congress can even stop advocacy groups from advertising in the run-up to elections. Because none of that activity involved in getting political messages out actually qualifies as "speech."McCain-Feingold

No person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. City and state governments can take your house and land away, even though it's not "blighted", even though it's well-maintained and you've been there for 60 years, and give it to someone else as long as they promise to generate higher tax revenues (or at least make generous campaign contributions to local officials…)Kelo

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. The powers reserved to the States can't actually be exercised by those States, however, if they're exercised in a manner that offends the sensibilities of 5 members of the Supreme Court, or their liberal friends, or the grand high muckety-mucks of those "civilized" nations in Europe in which those justices would like to vacation. Lawrence

Excessive bail shall not be required...nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."Cruel and unusual" means "the French don't do it that way…"Roper

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States...nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."Equal protection" means "UN-equal protection"Grutter





More from:
  • Michelle Malkin

  • Betsy Newmark

  • Captain Ed

  • Begging To Differ

  • New England Republican

  • Patterico

  • Wizbang

  • Gerry Daly (who's comment - "this decision would almost certainly have come down the other way had the Democrats never “Borked” Robert Bork" - is almost the exact same comment that I made yesterday on hearing the decision - "Yet another reason, in the long list of reasons, to weep for the failed Bork nomination...")

  • Professor Bainbridge - Must read...
  • |

    0 Comments:

    Post a Comment

    Comment?

    << Home