Diversion and deflection. Search the Federalist papers. Many liberals do what you are now doing. Unseemly;y from it is, desiring that a "unwritten constitution" be the foundation of our natural rights.
Federalist 25, second to last paragraph, second sentence.
Federalist 26, twice.
Federalist 38, five times.
Federalist 84, 10 times.
Federalist 85, once.
The Founders did not see a need to title the first ten amendments, being that they are obviously a bill of rights...to the casual observer.
Thank you for the recommendations on the Federalist however I am very familiar with the papers and the works of Publius( Hamilton) Madison and Jay,
I am not espousing that the " unwritten Constitution" be the foundation of our "natural rights". I doubt that anyone with half a brain would attempt to do the same.. I am simply stating that the written text presupposes and invites certain forms of interpretation that go beyond clause-bound literalism..
As for the " bill of rights".(1791). The bill of rights indeed meant very little to folks of color or woman or poor white folks. Not until 1865 thru 1870 when the 13th amendment (1865) 14th amendment (1868) and the 15th Amendment (1870).. Not until these three Amendments were ratified did the " bill of rights" or the words WE, the people have no
concrete moral meaning, they were in-fact just words on a piece of parchment that did not pertain to ALL THE PEOPLE..
OE, you continue to quote the Federalist, please enlighten me, were not the federalists opposed to a " Bill Of Rights"?
Folks that support " Natural Rights" for all people clearly find the United States Constitution ambiguous and clearly said text did not mean ALL the People..
Not until 1870 when the the 15th amendment was ratified did the Constitution finally mean WE, we now meaning ALL..
The Federalist papers are also ambiguous, take my favorite for example. Federalist #49 written on February 2,1788 by James Madison writing under the nom de plume, Publius.. To wit, " The people are the only legitimate foundation of power, and it is from them that the Constitutional charter-- is derived." " Government is and should be the servant of the people, and it should be fully accountable to them for the actions which it supposedly takes on their behalf".. While Federalist 49 is very inspiring, like most of the papers clearly are, there are many ambiguities. For example the words, the people, them, the people, them and their.. Clearly did not apply to folks of color or woman or poor white folks, so again the words did not apply to all folks, clearly a moral sin against the creator and natural rights for all folks..
The delegates while yes indeed were the best and brightest of their time, were also slaves to their own greed(property). Bear in mind that during that hot summer in Philadelphia in the year of our Lord 1787, the big elephant in the room was " slavery".. And twenty five of said delegates owned slaves..
The thirteen Founding Fathers again the best and the brightest, however, only three of those great Patriots did not own slaves, Paine, Hamilton and John Adams.. Hence those three founders were in fact the most moral of the lot and were " not slaves" in their own minds.. ( my .02).
We cannot argue the fact that if one owns a slave aka another human being, one is in-fact a petty tyrant. Hence I would argue that 25 of the 39 delegates and 10 of the Founding Fathers were in fact petty tyrants and slaves in their own minds.. To wit, George Mason circa 1787, pre the signing of the Constitution.. " On slavery and ownership thereof, " Every gentleman here is born a petty tyrant. Practiced in arts of despotism and cruelty, we become callous to the dictates of humanity. Taught to regard a part of our own species in the most abject and contemptible degree below us, we lose that idea of the dignity of man which the hand of nature had implanted in us, habituate from our infancy to trample upon the rights of human nature, every generous, every liberal sentiment is enfeebled in our minds."
Lysander Spooner questioned the morals and the beliefs of the delegates that signed and ratified our "written Constitution".. to wit, " those who are capable of tyranny are capable of perjury to sustain it."..
If the "Bill of Rights".. were incorporated in 1787 to protect the individual rights of the citizens, clearly said bill, did not apply to all people living during that time.. Therefore, thankfully in 19th century America, the voters had more insight upon Natural individual Rights than our best and brightest in 18th century America.. We have indeed come a long way, with the help of the written Constitution and its Brother the " unwritten Constitution"..
OC, always a pleasure opining Sir, your ambivalence towards me aside, it is indeed my pleasure.
Regards
CC