Snow Melt

Opinion Thursday: The Bill of Rights

The July 4, 2013 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  is
You have been transported back in time to 1776 and the founding fathers are asking for your opinion on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights articles that they are proposing for structuring the new government. Which ones would you keep? Which would you remove or change? Why?

It is Thursday, July 4, 2013. I am sitting at my desk the living room l sipping a glass of iced coffee and researching the Bill of Rights, which are the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. On September 1789, twelve amendments were suggested, but only ten were ratified.1 The Bill of rights covers the subject of (1) religion and the freedom of speech, (2) "well regulated Militia" and the right to bare arms, (3) quartering soldiers in citizens homes during peace time, (4) an individual's right to make sure his or her home and belongings are secure, (5) the Grand Jury, (6) a speedy public trial, (7) the right to a jury trial, (8) forbidding excessive bail and "unusual punishment", (9) certain rights are retained by the citizens, and (10) that certain powers are reserved to the individual states.2

Would I suggest changing or removing any of the Bill of Rights? No! The first ten amendments are well-written and fairly easy to understand. If there is something not covered by the Bill of Rights then Amendment eleven to twenty-seven take care of those items.3 The fact that the Constitution can be amended or changes suggests that it s a dynamic document, which is still valid today and remain valid in the future.

The Bill of Rights were ratified in December 17914 and became a part of America's legal code. In the last 222 years only seventeen amendments have been added to the Constitution, so the founding fathers had to be doing something right. The majority amendments were added because the United States Congress felt that they were needed to cover situations that the founding fathers never considered nor would they consider even if someone from the twenty-first century took a trip back in time to tell them. I suspect they would be happy that the amendments were added because of the changes that occurred in the country over the years.

This are your rights,
as citizens of the United States
so celebrate.

Thought of the Day: "A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference." - Thomas Jefferson

Footnotes
1  http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html
2  http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
3  http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html
4  http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bill-of-rights-is-finally-ratified