Remember two years ago, when the U.S. House kicked off 2011 by reading the entirety of the Constitution? As reader T.D. reminds me, the effort, spearheaded by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), is back. In fact, earlier today, the reading was completed over the course of about 70 minutes.
As Roll Call noted, members aren't reading the entire text, choosing to leave out "the parts of the Constitution that had been amended after the document was ratified Sept. 17, 1787." As a result, "This saved a few unlucky souls from having to read such dark and unsavory passages such as Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3, aka the clause that says only three-fifths of slaves would be counted when determining the distribution of taxes and the apportionment of representatives in the House."
That's understandable, I suppose, but it's a point worth considering in more depth.
I'm reminded of something Adam Serwer wrote in 2011:
The reason to include the superceded text is to remind us that the Constitution, while a remarkable document, was not carved out of stone tablets by a finger of light at the summit of Mount Sinai. It was written by men, and despite its promise, it possessed flaws at the moment of its creation that still reverberate today. Republicans could use the history lesson -- last year they attacked Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan during her nomination process because one of her mentors, Justice Thurgood Marshall, had the audacity to suggest that the Constitution was flawed since it didn't consider black people to be full human beings.
As Jamelle Bouie wrote about the Huck Finn controversy, "If there's anything great about this country, it's in our ability to account for and overcome our mistakes." We shouldn't pretend we didn't make them.
The New York Times editorial board added, "Members of the House might have thought they were bringing the Constitution alive by reading it aloud ... but they made a crucial error by excising its history. When they chose to deliberately drop the sections that became obsolete or offensive, and which were later amended, they missed a chance to demonstrate that this document is not nailed to the door of the past. It remains vital precisely because it can be reimagined."
Indeed, I've long believed that as symbolic gestures go, there's nothing wrong with politicians reading the Constitution out loud, but I'd prefer a larger conversation among lawmakers about why constitutional text is open to interpretation, capable of evolving and adapting to changing norms and social dynamics, and why the far-right shouldn't be the final arbiters of its meaning.
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I would enjoy it more if the Vocaloid Hatsune Miku were to read the Constitution while dancing. Her Japanese accent would make it either hilarious or adorable.
We are living the failure of the Constitution.
I think it's time for a new one.
No, just new readers
So....they want to read the Constitution but the 'first draft'...not the living document that has been amended by the WILL OF THE PEOPLE. Huh.
All those Congress-persons did is mouth the words to the Constitution. They have shown by their deeds they have no idea what the Constitution means whatsoever. It's a living document you nutcases!.
As the continue they read the 3 Commandments that are easy or convenient to follow.
Speaking of the Constitution, just read this
http://truth-out.org/news/item/13890-the-second-amendment-was-ratified-to-preserve-slavery
I wonder how many UNDERSTAND it?
"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and Constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."
-Thomas Jefferson
Maybe they're afraid that by reading the the whole thing they'll be forced to admit that it is "we the people" that are flawed and not the document they are reading.
Hey, the words didn't write themselves ya know...
I've always been a fan of the Revolutionary period. I think everyone should spend the time to read the Federalist papers and the Constitution. While it is incredibly remarkable what these men did to create our nation, flaw as it was, and still is, it also gives one the ability to appreciate the strengths of our Constitution, as well as it's weaknesses. I suspect that proportional representation, like most European parliaments have, is probably more representative of the people as a whole. But while the USA is one of the youngest nations in the world, we have the oldest government that's still in existence.
I wonder if the right-wing has a problem with the U.S. Constitution related to the form of Christianity to which they give at least lip-service. They seem to like to believe that their religious scripture is perfect and unchanged, and will be forever. They want their Constitution to be perfect and unchanging too - the government version of holy scripture. Do they really think people are so ignorant that if they simply don't read into the record the parts that have changed, that everyone will pretend with them that the Constitution has never changed and should never change?
Republicans can read? Coulda fooled me.
What a dog and pony show the "reading" was by both parties.They can't handle the constitution!! Many Americans are to irresponsible to handle freedom or self absorbed to know what it truly means.Liberals want to ban guns, conservatives want to ban video games,some people both.All these numskullian ponderings prove that the U.S.A is the land of the dum!!
Good post William!!
Justice Harlan took on the issue of Civil Rights after the Civil War. At that time the State of Louisiana claimed that Civil Rights could only be enforced by States and not the Federal Government. The history of the Constitution includes a group of signers making sure there was a back door to slavery. But Harlan made a decision which has since been the guiding light of this country and how we live today -- and how we will survive as we evolve and correct mistakes -- moral imperatives. That is the greatness of America. That is the what created the idea of equality for all men and women, the death of slavery and what Thomas Paine has called The Rights of Man.
Impressive..I was unaware that anyone of them could read..
High Unemployment , Gun violence , Crumbling Infrastructure , Voter supression , Broken healthcare system , Global warming , Trillion Dollar Deficits , our troops dying in Afghanistan , and all these fools are doing in Congress is reading the Constitution ?...
Am I missing something here ?..
Change count three fifths of "slaves" to "other than Republicans" and that original statement in the Constitution is still true. Gerrymandering at its finest.
Did they read the parts about regulating commerce and a militia being well regulated, a right to bear arms?
And that they have power to borrow money on the credit of the U.S. (which is number one, not to be used to harm the credit of the U.S.)
and COIN money, set the value of it?
Yeah, it does change over time, nothings stays as it was, not even if you try making it go backwards. History and old memories are not erased by going forward and living with what we have now.