Sunday, February 28, 2010

"Parchment Barriers" in the Constitution

Just read this in The 5000 Year Leap ... really stuck out at me:
The whole spectrum of checks and balances needs to be more thoroughly studied and more viorously enforced.  Madison appropriately anticipated that "parchment barriers" in the constitution would not prevent usurpation.  Each department of government has the responsibility to rise up and protect its perogatives by exercising the checks and balances which have been provided.  At the same time, the people have the responsibility to keep a closer watch on their representatives and only elect those who will function within Constitutional boundaries.
I'll go out on a limb here and say that those attempting to use those checks and balances to check an unbridled lurch in a wrong direction would probably be called "Obstructionists" by the other side.

I should also point out that the idea that it's the Democrats' plan or the "Status Quo" is a great, real example of one of President Obama's favorite catch phrases .... a "false choice".

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