Politics And Current Events

[NAN]

Didn't Hamilton shoot into the air or ground and Burr was supposed to do the same, but Burr shot him. The duel was just supposed to be more symbolic?

I thought I read that somewhere or saw it on History Channel.

[Tico Rick]

I love TJ, but his vision of the U.S. as an agrarian society was so early-nineteenth century.

[columbia]

I love TJ, but his vision of the U.S. as an agrarian society was so early-nineteenth century.

PBP fashions himself as an agrarian.

[PFiDC]

I'm a direct descendant of Hamilton


/csb

[count2infinity]

I just read the other day that Thomas Jefferson believed the constitution should be scrapped every 19 years and re-written so that future generations didn't have to live by the laws of the past generations.

[Freddy Rumsen]

I just read the other day that Thomas Jefferson believed the constitution should be scrapped every 19 years and re-written so that future generations didn't have to live by the laws of the past generations.

While TJ actually did say this, it should be remembered that this was part of a long-winded rambling letter he wrote to James Madison when he was in his 70's and was not excited about where the U.S. was heading in the late 1810's.

[count2infinity]

I just read the other day that Thomas Jefferson believed the constitution should be scrapped every 19 years and re-written so that future generations didn't have to live by the laws of the past generations.

While TJ actually did say this, it should be remembered that this was part of a long-winded rambling letter he wrote to James Madison when he was in his 70's and was not excited about where the U.S. was heading in the late 1810's.

meh... I still agree. I think the constitution is well over due for a re-write.

[Silentom]

Who carries money around?

believe it or not... two of my absolute favorite places in State College (one is a coffee and cheese place then other is a chinese restaurant) only take cash. It's rare now-a-days, but those type of businesses still exist.

Joe and Dolly's North Shore deli is still cash only. Great place for a sandwich, btw.

[NAN]

I just read the other day that Thomas Jefferson believed the constitution should be scrapped every 19 years and re-written so that future generations didn't have to live by the laws of the past generations.

While TJ actually did say this, it should be remembered that this was part of a long-winded rambling letter he wrote to James Madison when he was in his 70's and was not excited about where the U.S. was heading in the late 1810's.

meh... I still agree. I think the constitution is well over due for a re-write.

Isn't that what Admendments are for?

[NAN]

I'm a direct descendant of Hamilton


/csb

That is actually pretty cool.

[count2infinity]

I just read the other day that Thomas Jefferson believed the constitution should be scrapped every 19 years and re-written so that future generations didn't have to live by the laws of the past generations.

While TJ actually did say this, it should be remembered that this was part of a long-winded rambling letter he wrote to James Madison when he was in his 70's and was not excited about where the U.S. was heading in the late 1810's.

meh... I still agree. I think the constitution is well over due for a re-write.

Isn't that what Admendments are for?

sure, but there are plenty of nations around the world that do re-writes to every so often. I just think the constitution is held too much like a holy doctrine/gospel that cannot be touched. It's disturbing (to me) the number of people that think it's an absolutely perfect document and shouldn't be touched... ever. Other than San Marino's constitution, the USA's constitution is the oldest in the world. That's just one man's opinion though.

[MR25]

As much as it seems like a good idea, a re-write of the Constitution in this current political climate would be disastrous. It would never get finished because either side would want complete opposite things and I don't see them ever compromising on stuff like gun control.

[NAN]

I agree in a way. It was written for times that were 200+ years ago. Times have changed. I just thought major updates were through the admendments. (I can't spell it).

I laugh when people say that the country today wasn't the vision of the founding fathers and therefore it sucks. No crap. The world has changed drastically, and if they were alive today, I'm sure they would have viewed it differently as well.

[count2infinity]

I agree it would be and absolute s***show. Just saying that I think it's well overdue.

[tifosi77]

As much as it seems like a good idea, a re-write of the Constitution in this current political climate would be disastrous. It would never get finished because either side would want complete opposite things and I don't see them ever compromising on stuff like gun control.

I would argue that part of the reason the current climate is so disastrous is, at least in part, because that re-write approach was never embraced. So we have a culture that has on one side strict constructionists/originalists who seem to regard the document as a holy scripture in which absolutely no nuance can be read, and on the other we have normal people.

There are certainly some core principles which should be timeless, but let's not forget that the original document contained a provision that codified blacks as only 60% people.

[grunthy]

24 states have called for a constitutional convention. Only need 10 more.

[grunthy]

It contained that provision because the north didn't want to give the south the majority of the votes.

[Freddy Rumsen]

Living as we do in a post-structuralist age it doesn't really matter what any "Constitution" says on paper.

[tifosi77]

It contained that provision because the north didn't want to give the south the majority of the votes.

It's repugnant, regardless of the motivations behind it.

[grunthy]

It contained that provision because the north didn't want to give the south the majority of the votes.

It's repugnant, regardless of the motivations behind it.

Not disagreeing. Just making a statement.

[MWB]

It contained that provision because the north didn't want to give the south the majority of the votes.

They still got the higher votes because it upped their numbers in Congress. North wanted slaves counted as 0 in terms of the population count. South wanted them counted even though they couldn't vote.

[columbia]

Translation: the founding fathers kind of sucked.

[Freddy Rumsen]

It contained that provision because the north didn't want to give the south the majority of the votes.

They still got the higher votes because it upped their numbers in Congress. North wanted slaves counted as 0 in terms of the population count. South wanted them counted even though they couldn't vote.

(Let's not forget there were slaves in the North in 1783)

[MWB]

Then, as today, it was all about how you could get the most bang for your buck.

[Freddy Rumsen]

Translation: the founding fathers kind of sucked.

"BREAKING: People whole lived 240 years ago do not have the same moral and philosophical positions as we do. News at 11"