Mike, Mike, Mike I thought you loved and revered the Constitution. I am shocked. You will never serve in public office anywhere in this great land if you cannot be loyal to the Constitution. Do you actually claim to be an American citizen, Sir! Or just someone who likes to thumb their nose at law, any law, any where, and at all times, if so I find the attitude so childish.

What Calhoun is bellowing about here is whether or not he and his handlers are going to be able to keep SLAVERY for ever and ever or are they going to be influenced by others out side of South Carolina, be it the remaining states, that is the Union or by the world at large. He apparently died 15 years to early and a Civil War to late to get his answer. Every bitch about majority rule from Calhoun is really a complaint and a worry that his bastion of slavery might lose its strange institution. Calhoun like others fail to understand that the The Constitution is about Union not disunion.

A good and thoght provoking quote. Thanks editor.

Freedom of speech and press is a great thing. But greater still is the freedom to ignore or not to listen to folk. I exercise that freedom whenever I happen to surf by Rush Limbaugh unless I am in the mood for some hilarity and levity. Again just because you have freedom of speech others have the freedom to not listen or to ignore you. I do not know of the rules or customs that allow so much press action in terms of the White House or Congress. Generally I assume that the players on the public stage want the coverage, this is democracy at its best and I am glad Mike speaks so admirgingly of this aspect of Democracy. But legally it would appear that the Prez and Congrssmen could shut us out anytime they choose, but thankfully we have an open society and Congress thanks to CSPAN etc.

I never liked Dershowitz. To me he sounds like a legal Woody Allen. As far as the quote, plaque on all of their houses. Guns are great but they are not for taking on police, or government in any form whatever. They are for fun and for shooting animals on occasion. Those who think they are for taking on government are violating the Constitution even in their thinking or thought processes.

The Constitution is not suppose to be what the Judges say it is but what the people say it is. We say what the Constituion is by the Amendment Process. Now that is not to say that interpretations must be made for new and strange situations and law. Of course the framers never envisioned government involvement or disenvolvement in the abortion issue. In their day I don't know how abortion was induced or done (I assume it was but am not sure) but it was kept quite, private, and out of the hands of government. Not we have politicized and made the issue one of public opinion and Constitutional law. The so called privacy issue.

PS: While I agree the public should be free to comment on anything it wishes, but the Judges and courts are suppose to rely on The Constitution, written law, and case law. They are not to be swayed by the heat of public opinion.

Wow! I cannot believe your rating Mike. So you believe that the courts should be controlled by public opinion rather than a clear reading of the written law, constitution, and case law. Again I am shocked.

I believe we follow Eisenhower's advice and the police, especially the Feds, protect our Constitutional rights against attack by locals especially extreme religious hate groups. What rights have been hadnded over, can anyone tell us?

Oh half baked BS. Prove it!

My apologies I meant "promote the general welfare". Mike the Communists preach and teach the fading away of the state, is that what you and Archer teach and preach. If so what is the difference between you and they. Free enterprise and initiative is the greatest thing going but when we and our government buy much of our goods and services from much more socialized and or communistic or government controlled or subsidized economies like Japan, Inc. South Korea, and China (a dictatorship of the Communist Party) and our economy suffers in return, to hear the very same people harping about the evils of socialism leaves me a little bit aghast, the very same people who rushed to Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai and Wall Mart for all of their other China made goods, They support socialims in every purchase they make. Talk of hypocrisy, you don't even know what the word means.

Marriage license and registration is for the purpose of determining property ownership and rights. A marriage is legal quite similar to a partnership. The personal spiritual side of is between two persons in private. The public property ownership part is the only thing "govt" or the public is interested in since unfortunately Judges sometimes must decide things. As far as Archer and Carlton they cannot even read the plain words of a quote and make sense of it, Archer reads Jefferson's quote where he says the government should not have more debt than it can pay off in 19 years and Archer says that it means that government cannot have debt. Carlton claims that the Constitution was written to extol our rights rather than to form a government. Just as in misery loves company it is not surprising to see Carlton and Archer patting each other on the back. I love to sit back on watch it.

The issue with Bob Jones is only that because of their freedom deniying policies the IRS denied them non-profit status. Bob Jones recanted his rules and regualations and allowed his students the same rights as students anywhere.

Mike if governemtn creating and running NASA is wrong in your view, then what about creating and running an Army, how do you feel about that? If we are going to straight arm our nation and its peoples ability to function by crying socialism at every turn and complaining about government involvement but then turn to socialistic and communistic countries who have heavy government involvement in industry and business (Japan, Inc., Communist China, Korea) to fill all of our industrial output needs and insatiable consumer hunger where will it put us? As for Archer who has shown his dim wittedness by relying on the "oh he has twisted the meaning" approach rather than relying on any real ability at intelligent discussion. Again this guys quote is BS, bad logic and structure. He mixes liberties, with crisis, and big government etcetera. Again if his real interest is in maintaing liberty at all costs the size of government is a mute point. Many colonialists thought that The Continental Congress was a farce, to big, supplies to Washingtons Army were being pilfered and huge profits and graft were being made (all of this partly true) etc. I am sure you guys would have been in the forefront attacking Congress and the Army. Such is always the way with traitors.

Mike your comment that the "promote the general welfare" clause and the preamble is directed at the government is BS at least until you can prove it to me. As far as the size of govenrment or nanny as you like to call it it is all a fiction. State county and local government is 1000 of times bigger than what you poetically call big government. But just like the communists I understand that you want to see government fade away. Are you a communist plant Mike.

So Cal please tell us what is the "public opinion" concerning interracial dating. That was the issue that caused the University so much trouble. Was public opinion for it or against it. It would appear that freedom and liberty is on the side of dating whoever one wants to date regardless of "public opinion". And private individuals can have any opinion about they wish and I suggest that we do, but an institution which punishes folk for exercising their freedom, well is that a little bit like coercion or fascism. Was Bob Jones making institutional law on its own that violated citizens overriding rights to freedom and liberty? If Bob Jones philosophy had its way would it mean that other institutions, businesses and employers could bar individuals having interracial dates or marriages, thus a major slam dunk on Americans freedom?

I often don't like the positions of the ACLU but they do serve a purpose to keep us on our toes about safeguarding liberties.

We sure are giving a lot of due process to the guys in Gitmo. Almost eight years worth now. Good for us and for due process. If the tables were turned our guys heads would have rolled long ago.

Again Justin it is about giving equally qualifed people the same treatment regardeless of race, sex, ethnicity etc. Get it! How can this be so difficult?

Justin we are not talking about hiring less qualifeid people. We are talking about giving every one equal opportunity regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or disability. It is really sad that you miss the difference here. Jim your statement shows you to be a sycophant of Mr. Williams. We don't comment on these pages in order to give the person quoted a big head or kiss his butt, however, apparently you do.

Mike where does the Constitution say that we may go to the moon? It doesn't, so what is your point? I think you totally don't understand what the Constituion is or what it does or does not do. We are free to take bad cops to court, it happens all of the time. How can you be unaware of actions by people all of the time either legal ones, demonstrations etcetera to bring a point of opinion on public issues to the for and to force changes in the body politic. That my freind is freedom in action. Finally we are free because we can amend the Constitution any time we wish. Thus my friend we are the Constitution and now you really know what freedom is!

Dumbest quote ever! This guy has never read history or he would know of state and local governments whose officers and executives were all members of the KKK you know those Black, Jew and Catholic loving folks with their Exalted Imperial Wizards and stuff. How can a guy like Williams be so damn ignorant of facts? Good thinking Tom Cox! The Feds go out of their way to hire minorities and protect and provide for exercise of religous freedom on the job. They bend over backwards for diversity, not so much I think in the backwaters of our society. The Feds our in the vanguard of tolerance, and freedom.

Reagan was the start of all of our current problems. He had his head in the sand. He was the original borrow and spend President followed by his sycophants the Bushes. If the government has taken too much tax money from the people why does it borrow 10 thillion.

to be free of the Big Self is what I guess is what you are saying Mike. Only a three because of lack of clarity like most poetry. Those who want interpretation beware of who you pick to interpret.

We are constantly protected Mike by debates like we have here, elections in which we throw the bums out etcetera. America is a vibrant strong country and governmental structure based on law. Our freedom protects us. Thanks for finding me correct about something, isn't that a refreshing situation. Wa