There was a ridiculous story on NPR yesterday morning about some congressional staffer who has decided to "translate" the U.S. Constitution into more easily understandable English. A few points here. First the U.S. Constitution is a triumph in clarity (at least until certain judges get their hands on it). It is short, to the point and, most importantly, limited in its goals. The Constitution just wasn't meant to do too much when it came to the details. Provide the broad rules and then let the process go. Second, "translating" the Constitution to me seems like another word for redefining the words to suit ones view. Take, for example, the second amendment. To my eyes it is carefully worded to acknowledge a preexisting right to keep and bear arms, and noting that because of the need for a well regulated militia, that right will not be infringed. My guess is that this staffer might "translate" this passage into something similar to the position of the gun control advocates who maintain that the right to keep and bear arms applies only to the militia.

Finally -- and this is the best part -- the interviewer in this story pointed out the fact that the Hill staffer had discovered what was referred to as a "dirty little secret" in the Constitution. Namely Aricle I Section 9, which forbade Congress from outlawing importation of slaves until 1808. Certainly nobody is proud of this section of the Constitution, but we were dealing with the political reality of creating a union of slave-owning vs. free states. The sad part of the NPR story is that this staffer and it seemed the interviewer were shocked by the existence of this clause. All this tells me is that one of our citizens managed to make it through high school, college and then get a job working for the legislative branch (governed by Article I of the Constitution) ignorant of this part of the Constitution which was one of the compromises need to forge the union. Proud moment.
- posted by Anonymous @ 2:25 PM