Am I a Liberal Activist?
This is a discussion on Am I a Liberal Activist? within the Off Topic & Humor Discussion forums, part of the The Back Porch category; I have been watching the news on the Supreme Court and something has me confused. I noticed that they define a Judge as an activist ...
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July 16th, 2009 03:16 PM
#1
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Am I a Liberal Activist?
I have been watching the news on the Supreme Court and something has me confused. I noticed that they define a Judge as an activist if they claim a right exists that is not actually enumerated in the Constitution. Most equate that position with being liberal.
Trouble is that is exactly what I believe the Constitution meant. If the power or right was never granted to the Federal Government in the Constitution then it is indeed an individual right. If those individuals then choose to grant that power or right to their individual State they can.
Am I therefore a liberal if I believe that a person has a right to an abortion exactly because its not in the Constitution?
Am I a liberal because I believe that the right to privacy is mine because it was never given up to the Federal Government?
Somewhere people have come up with the idea that if its not in the Constitution then is is not a right. I believe this to be backwards. Some say "Show me where in the Constitution you get the right....." I have that Right exactly because its not in the Constitution.
No Judge can give me a Right. No Judge can make up an individual right.
I was born with the full right to do as I please. We created the Constitution to rein in some of the more undesirable rights, but the vast majority were left outside the power of the Feds.
Michael
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July 16th, 2009 03:16 PM
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July 16th, 2009 03:41 PM
#2
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No I don't think your a liberal, and I agree, that you have certain rights regardless if they are enumerated in the constitution.
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July 16th, 2009 04:45 PM
#3
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Just make certain that this thread does not drift into an abortion rights discussion.
DefensiveCarry Forum Rules Page:
9. We have learned from bitter experience that discussions of certain subjects (politics, religion, abortion, sexual orientation, etc) often degenerate quickly.
For this reason, we generally discourage these subjects in our discussions. We also discourage "caliber wars" and the virtues of "open carry" topic; strongly encouraging you to take these discussions to other forums where these topics are the focus.
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July 16th, 2009 05:01 PM
#4
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Forget the labels. Our country has a very bad history in which misinterpretation of the constitution has been used to justify horrific laws directed against blacks, and more rarely, against Jews, Mormons, and anyone else the majority disagrees with.
The only way to make sure these forms of discrimination are squelched is to
apply the BOR to the actions of the states, and then to do what our SC has done, rule that merely because a right is not enumerated doesn't mean it does not exist.
And QK, thank you for the timely reminder to all about what is forbidden here.
I appreciate your keeping a close watch on that.
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July 16th, 2009 05:08 PM
#5
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Sounds a lot like:
Amendment 9 - Construction of Constitution. Ratified 12/15/1791.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Cheers,
Rod
"We're paratroopers. We're supposed to be surrounded!" Dick Winters
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July 16th, 2009 06:23 PM
#6
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Originally Posted by
mlr1m
I was born with the full right to do as I please. We created the Constitution to rein in some of the more undesirable rights, but the vast majority were left outside the power of the Feds.
Michael
Where in the world did you get the idea that you were born with the right to do as you please?
Cite that right, please?
You have certain unalienable rights. Some are enumerated in the COTUS, some are not. But, there are some things you cannot do, period, and be within the law.
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. - Jim Elliott
The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
Albert Einstein
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July 16th, 2009 07:08 PM
#7
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You are born free, governments bind you, to do as you please as long as it is not to the detriment of anothers rights. Simple PHIL 101 moral argument.
They who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
Previously known as "cjm5874"
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July 16th, 2009 09:06 PM
#8
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Originally Posted by
miklcolt45
Where in the world did you get the idea that you were born with the right to do as you please?
Cite that right, please?
You have certain unalienable rights. Some are enumerated in the COTUS, some are not. But, there are some things you cannot do, period, and be within the law.
I also said this.."We created the Constitution to rein in some of the more undesirable rights"
Can I cite any particular right? No. I can however cite all the rights that we gave up to the Federal Government. The rest belong to us.
Michael
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July 16th, 2009 09:22 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by
mlr1m
Trouble is that is exactly what I believe the Constitution meant. If the power or right was never granted to the Federal Government in the Constitution then it is indeed an individual right. If those individuals then choose to grant that power or right to their individual State they can.
Can you enumerate these rights? Please be specific and explain the origins of those rights.
Am I therefore a liberal if I believe that a person has a right to an abortion exactly because its not in the Constitution?
No, you are a liberal/libertarian if you think you can make up rights to suit your personal beliefs.
Am I a liberal because I believe that the right to privacy is mine because it was never given up to the Federal Government?
No rights are 'given up' to the Federal government. The Constitution defines a limited government. They have no power outside those bounds. The state governments, and all governments of anf by the people determine your legal behavior in civilized society.
I was born with the full right to do as I please.
Really? What makes you think that?
We created the Constitution to rein in some of the more undesirable rights, but the vast majority were left outside the power of the Feds.
The original Constitution had NOTHING TO DO WITH RIGHTS. It was the frightened anti-Federalists (libertarians today) that do not understand the concept of our government. So they lash out in predictable ways.[/QUOTE]
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July 17th, 2009 12:53 AM
#10
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Originally Posted by
SelfDefense
Can you enumerate these rights? Please be specific and explain the origins of those rights.
We were born with or they were from our Creator.
No rights are 'given up' to the Federal government. The Constitution defines a limited government. They have no power outside those bounds. The state governments, and all governments of anf by the people determine your legal behavior in civilized society.
If no rights were given up to the Federal Government where did they get them? Our Government gets its power from us. We give up certain rights collectively to it. Such as the right to regulate commerce between the states for instance.
Michael
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July 17th, 2009 01:01 AM
#11
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My problem with liberals is that they constantly claim the constitution to be a "living document" that can be changed on a whim, or the interpretation can be changed based on a societal shift. I didn't hear you state that in your post, so I doubt that you are a lib.
As for the other stuff, those are man's laws. When we all leave this world, we will answer to a higher authority for the transgressions we have committed while here and be judged.
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined". - Patrick Henry
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July 17th, 2009 01:07 AM
#12
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[QUOTE=mlr1m;1224840][B]If no rights were given up to the Federal Government where did they get them?p/QUOTE]
The government has no rights. They have powers defined by the People.
Our Government gets its power from us. We give up certain rights collectively to it.
I didn't give up any rights to the government, not individually nor collectively.
Such as the right to regulate commerce between the states for instance.
I had no ight to regulate commerce so I certainly did not give it up. The Constitution, however, does provide that power to the Federal government.
If you think the Constitution should be discarded, can you offer an alternative form of government? Many other forms of government have been tried. None of them have succeeded nearly as well as our Constitutional Republic. Percent? No. But the best government ever created.
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July 17th, 2009 02:16 AM
#13
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[QUOTE=SelfDefense;1224853]

Originally Posted by
mlr1m
[B]If no rights were given up to the Federal Government where did they get them?p/QUOTE]
The government has no rights. They have powers defined by the People.
Powers or rights, whatever you choose to call them.
I didn't give up any rights to the government, not individually nor collectively.
I had no ight to regulate commerce so I certainly did not give it up. The Constitution, however, does provide that power to the Federal government.
Before this nation was formed individuals had the power to make their own rules when trading. They gave that power up to the Federal Government when they agreed to the Constitution.
If you think the Constitution should be discarded, can you offer an alternative form of government? Many other forms of government have been tried. None of them have succeeded nearly as well as our Constitutional Republic. Percent? No. But the best government ever created.
Where would you get the idea I would want to discard the Constitution?
Michael
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July 17th, 2009 08:00 AM
#14
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Actually

Originally Posted by
mlr1m
...Am I a liberal because I believe that the right to privacy is mine because it was never given up to the Federal Government?
....
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Privacy is addressed in the Constitution
Cheers
"To believe that social reforms can eradicate evil altogether is to forget that evil is a protean creature, forever assuming a new shape when deprived of an old one." - SAT
Never argue with an idiot - they'll bring you down to their level then beat you with experience.
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July 17th, 2009 11:57 AM
#15
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"Powers or rights, whatever you choose to call them."
Wow!! Just WOW!!
This is one of the reasons we are in the predicament we are in as a nation. So many people cannot identify the difference.
MT
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Benjamin Franklin
Steps in the stripping of State's Rights/Sovereignty
1. War of Northern Agression 2. Coersion to ratify the 14th Amendment 3. Ratified 17th Amendment
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