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Dead Constitution See other Dead Constitution Articles Title: Interactive Constitution illuminates bedrock of American liberty Interactive Constitution illuminates bedrock of American liberty Michael Walsh Reporter Yahoo Politics September 18, 2015 “Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States” is an oil-on-canvas painting by Howard Chandler Christy. (Photo: WikiCommons) We the people inherited a monumental document from the Founding Fathers — pity we don’t always agree on its contents. The United States Constitution, ratified in 1788, lays out the frame of the nation’s government and affirms the rights of its citizens. However impressive as a repository of wisdom and foresight, the constitution’s broad language makes it subject to interpretation: It has been amended 27 times and is at the heart of many contemporary arguments over the government’s scope and role. The National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit, launched an Interactive Constitution online Thursday that features a range of perspectives on the legal issues that animate today’s political landscape. It allows readers to sift through various interpretations of each amendment by top legal scholars — both liberal and conservative. “The Constitution, though the subject of vigorous debate, is the one document that binds us in these polarized times,” Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, said in an interview with Yahoo News. “It’s our birthright as Americans. The guarantees of liberty that it promises are really one thing that citizens of every different perspective can share and celebrate.” The American Constitution Society and The Federalist Society, two constitutional law organizations, helped select the experts to discuss matters of debate. Interactive materials have been supplied for the first 15 amendments, and the center intends to fill in the rest over the next two years. The United States Constitution was ratified on September 17, 1787. (Photo: WikiCommons) For each provision, the scholars come together to write a joint statement about their common ground concerning its history and purpose. Then they write separate statements about how their readings diverge. “It’s exhilarating to see how quickly liberal and conservative scholars, who disagree about so much, agreed about the core of the Constitution’s meaning for all its major provisions and how civilly they were able to voice their disagreements too,” he said. Rosen, also a professor of law at The George Washington University, tells his students not to believe anyone who says there is a clear answer to a constitutional question. “There really are good, strong arguments on all sides and an obligation to educate ourselves as to what they are,” he said. For the project, law professors Barry Friedman and Orin Kerr, from New York University School of Law and George Washington University Law School respectively, wrote a common interpretation of the Fourth Amendment, which affirms the people’s right “to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.” Poster Comment: The new U.S. Constitution was ratified with one caveat. This was that it was insufficient and required some Amendments. This brought about the Bill of Rights, the first ten Amendments to the Constitution. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
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