OneBadDude said:
Every civilization is a sociological, political, economic organism. If the law were that rigid we wouldn't be where it is now. Government documents are not their 'bible.' This isn't something that you're either for or against; it's a reality.
But in principle, don't you think its important for a government to abide by its own laws?
only so long as they remain applicable to the current day and age.
OneBadDude said:
Every civilization is a sociological, political, economic organism. If the law were that rigid we wouldn't be where it is now. Government documents are not their 'bible.' This isn't something that you're either for or against; it's a reality.
But in principle, don't you think its important for a government to abide by its own laws?
only so long as they remain applicable to the current day and age.
take the Three-Fifths Compromise, for example...
Which was changed through the amendment process...
OneBadDude said:
Every civilization is a sociological, political, economic organism. If the law were that rigid we wouldn't be where it is now. Government documents are not their 'bible.' This isn't something that you're either for or against; it's a reality.
But in principle, don't you think its important for a government to abide by its own laws?
only so long as they remain applicable to the current day and age.
take the Three-Fifths Compromise, for example...
Which was changed through the amendment process...
and a perfect example of one of the ways in which the Constitution is a living document.
OneBadDude said:
Every civilization is a sociological, political, economic organism. If the law were that rigid we wouldn't be where it is now. Government documents are not their 'bible.' This isn't something that you're either for or against; it's a reality.
But in principle, don't you think its important for a government to abide by its own laws?
only so long as they remain applicable to the current day and age.
take the Three-Fifths Compromise, for example...
Which was changed through the amendment process...
and a perfect example of one of the ways in which the Constitution is a living document.
It seems to me that yr using "living document" in two radically different ways. Yr proving yr first use of the phrase, that the interpretation of the Constitution evolves over time, by pointing out instances of the second, that the Constitution is amended thru the Constitution's own mechanism for being altered.
You seem to be conflating "evolution of interpretation" with "explicit alteration".
OneBadDude said:
Every civilization is a sociological, political, economic organism. If the law were that rigid we wouldn't be where it is now. Government documents are not their 'bible.' This isn't something that you're either for or against; it's a reality.
But in principle, don't you think its important for a government to abide by its own laws?
only so long as they remain applicable to the current day and age.
take the Three-Fifths Compromise, for example...
Which was changed through the amendment process...
and a perfect example of one of the ways in which the Constitution is a living document.
It seems to me that yr using "living document" in two radically different ways. Yr proving yr first use of the phrase, that the interpretation of the Constitution evolves over time, by pointing out instances of the second, that the Constitution is amended thru the Constitution's own mechanism for being altered.
You seem to be conflating "evolution of interpretation" with "explicit alteration".
no, i was giving an example of a law or part of the Constitution that i believed was not required to follow, which is a counterpoint to LSlice's question. there was three years where it served no purpose, therefore was not applicable to the current day and age at the time.
furthermore, the Three-Fifths Compromise illustrates a "black and white" element of the Constitution that outgrew its usefulness because it was inflexible. thusly, Congress superseded it with an Amendment (the 14th one, i believe), because the inclusion of constitutional amendments is one of the many ways the writers made the Constitution flexible.
scylis
USA
November 2004
JUN 15, 2008 09:27 PM