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By Glenn Beck
FNC
James Madison, father of the Constitution
Founding Father James Madison was not an imposing figure, standing only about 5 foot, 4 inches and weighing less than 100 pounds — think Victoria Beckham after a month-long fast. George Washington called him "a withered little apple."
He may not have been imposing to look at, but he was an intellectual force to be reckoned with.
He was a major player at the Constitutional Convention and is often referred to as the "father of the Constitution." And what better source to go to in order to talk about something I've been thinking a lot about lately: the 17th Amendment.
Do you know about the 17th Amendment? It was passed in 1913 — Woodrow Wilson supported this. Immediately now, when I see that Woodrow Wilson something, I can be quite certain that it's not going to be a good outcome.
Before 1913, U.S. senators were appointed by state legislatures. Madison explained that the House of Representatives would always be regarded as the "national" institution because its members were elected directly by the people. But the Senate, on the other hand, would derive its powers from the states.
The idea was to have the senators be the representatives of the states' interests — sort of a like a lobbyist for the state. You'd think progressive would have liked that.
The 17th Amendment changed that and instituted direct popular election of United States senators: Two senators from each state, elected by the people. And since that time, states have had no direct representation in Washington.
In 1821, Thomas Jefferson warned: "When all government, domestic and foreign, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the centre of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another, and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated."
Progressives will tell you that the change was needed because the states were becoming too corrupt. Well, what's happened since? It allowed special interests to lobby senators directly, cutting out the middleman of the state legislatures.
Has anyone else noticed that senators routinely get large influxes of campaign cash from outside the state? Remember Chris Dodd? I didn’t know anyone in Connecticut who was ready to give money to Chris Dodd. Yet he was getting tons of cash nationally. How is that representative of Connecticut?
Let me give you an example of the 17th Amendment coming into play today: Obama's health care bill would never have seen the light of day. A senator looking out for the interest of their state would likely not even consider anything with an unfunded federal mandate attached to it. Think of a state like Massachusetts: Why would they pay more taxes for mandated health care that they already currently have?
James Madison and the Founders didn't intend for the federal government to have that much power. What would they do if they were around today?
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Publishing Company Under Fire for Putting Warning Label on Constitution
Warning Label Put on Constitution!
Warning that appears on Wilder Publications' reprints of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and other historical texts.
A small publishing company is under fire after putting warning labels on copies of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and other historical documents.
Wilder Publications warns readers of its reprints of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, Common Sense, the Articles of Confederation, and the Federalist Papers, among others, that “This book is a product of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today.”
The disclaimer goes on to tell parents that they "might wish to discuss with their children how views on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and interpersonal relations have changed since this book was written before allowing them to read this classic work."
Walter Olson, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, says the company may be trying to ensure that oversensitive people don't pull its works off bookstore or library shelves.
"Any idea that’s 100 years old will probably offend someone or other," Olson told FoxNews.com. "…But if there’s anything that you ought to be able to take at a first gulp for yourself and then ask your parents if you're wondering about this or that strange thing, it should be the founding documents of American history."
The warning seems to be offending more people than the documents themselves.
Amazon.com’s customer reviews of Wilder’s copy of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Confederation show an overwhelming number of people speaking out against the disclaimer, describing it as “insulting,” “sickening” and “frankly, horrifying.”
Another review for Wilder’s edition of the Federalist Papers calls for an all-out boycott of the publisher, sarcastically pointing out the "dangerous ideas" it’s trying to protect children from: "limited government, checks and balances, constrained judicial review, dual sovereignty of states and federal government, and deliberative democracy."
And though warning labels are usually posted to protect a company from potential lawsuits, constitutional attorney Noel Francisco says this disclaimer has no legal benefits.
"Would it ever be a legal concern that selling the Constitution would expose you to some kind of liability? No. Never,” Francisco told FoxNews.com. "The Constitution is the founding document of the country, an operative legal document."
As for the idea that this warning label might help keep these works from being yanked off bookshelves, Francisco says it is more likely to have the opposite effect: people not carrying the book because it has the disclaimer.
"By putting on the warning, you’re making controversial something that’s not controversial: our Constitution, our Declaration of Independence," he said.
Amazon customers appear to agree. Almost all of the reviews discussing the disclaimer end with the same thought: don't buy from this publisher.
Efforts to reach the publisher were unsuccessful.
Related:
Inauguration Day = national day of prayer?
Sound crazy? Even if you agree with it, you know it'd never fly today. But it wasn't that long ago that politicians weren't afraid to openly talk about faith and prayer. How has this public sentiment changed? The Overton Window. It's the political theory that says what's acceptable in the public realm can be moved - and it's also the theory that's the centerpiece of Glenn's new fiction thriller The Overton Window. How did Presidents talk about prayer 30 years ago? Watch this VIDEO, and get ready for the release of The Overton Window this Tuesday June 15th!
Obama vs. Capitalism
Remember when Barack Obama talked about how his grandmother was a 'typical white person' who has certain reactions 'bred' into them? Here's another group of people he's lumped into one category: capitalists. President Obama is finally meeting with the CEO of BP after initially saying he wouldn't because 'people like him' all say the same thing - what you want to hear. What does the President have in store for the company and what should future companies take from it? Glenn talks about the latest with BP on radio today. ( Transcript, Insider Audio)
Audio from 1982 that will blow your mind
The President and all of the people who shrug off claims that radicals and revolutionaries are in and around this White House probably haven't heard this audio from 1982. It's from an FBI agent who had been undercover working to get info on Bill Ayers’s domestic terrorist group The Weather Underground. The FBI agent talks about what the group said after he asked what they will do if they achieve their takeover of the United States government. The answer explains why the mainstream media never bothered to show it. Glenn plays it on radio today. ( Transcript, Insider Audio)
Tom DeLay: You Saw the Constitution Burned By Democrats Tonight – When ObamaCare Passed
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Sunday that Americans saw the Constitution burned by Democrats as the current Party in power rammed through healthcare reform legislation the citizens clearly said they didn't want.
Speaking to Fox News's Geraldo Rivera after the historic vote, the man formerly known as "The Hammer" said, "Not only did they not listen to the American people, they shredded and trashed the Constitution and then stood there on the floor of the House and lied to the American people."
Despite what fawning and gushing liberal media members have and will continue reporting concerning what happened in our nation's capital Sunday, DeLay spoke the really inconvenient truth that might haunt this country for generations, "You saw the Constitution burned by the Democrats in the House of Representatives tonight" Read more ..
Suggested Start for Summer Reading:
James Madison and the Spirit of Republican Self-Government
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America ‘or’ THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WITH THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS; THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE; AND THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
Please check out Constituting America - http://constitutingamerica.org/ and join the 90 in 90 = 180 Challenge
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