The U.S. Constitution is too old, Ginsburg says

By Letters to the Editor
Democrat correspondent From page A6 | February 24, 2012 | 25 Comments

EDITOR: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg took an oath of office to defend our Constitution. Yet she told an audience in Egypt, "I would not look to the U.S. Constitution. Egypt needs a document like South Africa's constitution." This is who we have as a Supreme Court judge.

Here is what President Obama said in an interview with NBC's Matt Lauer several Sundays ago: "Our founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about changes that I would like to do sometimes. If it wasn't for that old document, we'd be a lot further along with our radical agenda of fundamentally transforming the United States of America."

Before Mr. Obama became president he criticized that document as being a charter of negative liberties.

God has given us the greatest country on this Earth. We have men and women who are in high offices who want to make us a second- or third-rate country. And it looks like we are sure headed that way.

ROY SHOUN

Diamond Springs

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Discussion | 25 comments

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HLFebruary 21, 2012 - 4:45 pm
Hello ROY SHOUN, The destruction of America continues unabated,such is the way of this world. If you compare the Empires of the Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Greece, Roman Empire, German Empire, British Empire and now Europe and America you could probably find a common denominator.
Dave ScottFebruary 21, 2012 - 4:48 pm
That quote is a bald faced lie. Obama did not ever speak those words . Typical Tea Party mentality. It fits your twisted outlook so it mist be true. Of course you do not know this since all you did was selectively plagiarize from a letter that has been published in many periodicals all over the country.
DanFebruary 22, 2012 - 3:13 am
Ummmmmm..... WRONG ...did about 2 clicks and found this vid ... is your browser broken or do you just think we all are stupid ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkpdNtTgQNM .... (Chicago radio 2001) Seems the truth got in the way your progressive propaganda ......maybe the video was fake and the voice is a impersonator...LMAO. that quote wasn't even as scary as the rest of the Socialist in Chief's interview.....
James E.February 21, 2012 - 6:37 pm
Mr. Scott, you beat me to it -- President has never said "our radical agenda." Hey, if Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly, Newt, et al., said it, it must be true.
DanFebruary 22, 2012 - 3:29 am
Name something that they said that wasn't true.... all I ever hear is "FOX LIES" Really ?... name one with a quote and some empirical evidence, not anecdotal progressive spin. Even if you can Google one up, I'll show you hundreds of lies from Media Matters, MessNBC, Huff Post. Does Obama lie too then.... what about all those promises you Libs forgot about during the campaign ..... what happened ? The constitution ain't going anywhere.... as much as you would like to tear it up. Must be frustrating, all those traditional Americans getting in your way of your socialist/communist utopia. Move to Europe they will take you... let me know how fast you want to come back.
Robert ZFebruary 21, 2012 - 6:45 pm
By God lets just throw all those Tea Party Republicans in jail! They all lie and want to kill all minorities, gays, and baby whales to boot! There, that about cover it? Lets just have one party The Liberal Democrat party, after all they know whats right for you and me better than anybody...I swear...how obscene this has all become...
DanFebruary 22, 2012 - 3:17 am
Another "empathetic" progressive showing their true colors.... when you can't win an argument attack the other side with insults. Good thing we conservatives outnumber you wannabe socialists 2 to 1 or we could just join Greece and all their successes.
HLFebruary 21, 2012 - 6:50 pm
Hello Robert Z, I love a good snark. Kudos to you. Don't forget they hate Gods Green Earth!
DanFebruary 22, 2012 - 3:48 am
Yup that's intelligent ... we all want to destroy the planet that we live on. Here's some liberal hypocrisy..... if you care so much are you setting an example... I doubt it >do you drive a car ?.......polluter >do you fly ?.....................more pollution >do you have a house ? What ? last time i checked that requires wood from trees. Tree killer.... what about the birds you murdered when that tree was cut down ? more wildlife killing ........ >your house itself displaced some form of wildlife.... who are you to kill and force nature to relocate so your liberal hypocritical arse can sit and watch your 50 inch mercury laden big screen TV ?.....freakin liberal lear jet hypocrites !!!! Maybe we should all live in caves and walk everywhere... that would leave the least impact... set an example of your agenda ...I'll watch.
MartinFebruary 22, 2012 - 4:53 pm
Democrats are always right, should say extreme left wing ones anyway, the ones that want us to all move to the city (agenda 21) and give the land to the green peace.
Dave ScottFebruary 21, 2012 - 6:57 pm
My,they sure get touchy when called out on their lies, don't they?
DanFebruary 22, 2012 - 5:03 pm
Still haven't heard your apology... for calling everyone a liar who quoted Obama from 2001 .... what are you waiting for ? There it is right in front of your liberal face ? .... maybe it's a conspiracy like 911 and the A/V was created by a right wing recording studio.
Robert ZFebruary 21, 2012 - 7:11 pm
No Mr. Scott I was going beyond that. Both LIberals and Conservatives utilize information to their benefit truths be damned. I just find that the left are more thin skinned than the right. They also have the media to help them keep safe from any reality that may intrude on them. Oddly I know of no liberal talk show hosts who can compare to the annointed bloviator , Rush. We will be a third world country some time though and I think the left will have more to help with that than the right. Just an observation on my part...
James E.February 21, 2012 - 8:08 pm
Mr. Z, at a press conference today, Mitt Romney said, "When elected I will pillage the towns, take the vote away from women, and make gay marriage illegal in all 50 states." Yes, us liberals use quotes to our benefit. And, it doesn't matter that Mitt didn't say the above. Harriett, Mitt wants to take away your vote and chain you to the kitchen stove. You can believe it because I put his statement in quotes.
Robert ZFebruary 21, 2012 - 8:11 pm
Mr. Longhofer, I was not disputing the idiocy of the remarks in the article. But you helped prove my point. Thank you.
James E.February 21, 2012 - 8:19 pm
Mr. Z, of course I proved your point. Us liberals are just so thin skinned and sensitive.
CatherineFebruary 22, 2012 - 5:35 pm
Mr. Shoun, First, Obama never said what you have in quotes in your letter. The video link posted by "Dan" in fact proves he didn't say this. Secondly, can't one concurrently defend our Constitution while recognizing that other, hard-won democracies may have created more complete, modern Constitutions to which upcoming democracies might look for guidance?
Jack MartinFebruary 22, 2012 - 5:49 pm
Catherine you're correct in that the audio does not directly quote what was alleged. However, if after listening to that audio, you are not convinced that then-Senator Obama deeply, sincerely wanted to implement a vast overhaul and/or "radical" interpretation of what the Constitution is and does, you're listening with a pre-disposition. ("Still a man hears want he wants to hear and disregards the rest..") To seriously compare ANY other governmental charter, from any nation, at any time in history, to our constitution is naive at best. Our rise to greatness was not an accident, it was by design. The design begins with the words, "We the people of the United States...."
CatherineFebruary 22, 2012 - 6:39 pm
In the tape, Obama is speaking specifically about social justice for people after the initiation of the civil rights movement. So the quote, and attribution, are just not true. Next, read the outline of the South African Constitution. You'll like it. As we borrowed from others, they borrowed from us. It's good stuff. And "by design"? Our guys did the best they could in their era, and I appreciate their work, but they were building on generations of thought that came before them, just like the South Africans did in the 1990s. I'm guessing Mr. Shoun is may not have access to the wonderful world of search, so that he can become familiar with these things.
HLFebruary 22, 2012 - 7:01 pm
Hello Catherine, I see that James E Longhofers favorite Groupie graces us with her presence. Yes, let us emulate South Africa where the White Man has been driven from the farm lands and the once bread basket of Africa is no more. We could also learn from the massive rape that causes 3 out of 4 people to have AIDS or HIV cases with little prosecution. If you ever get a chance to visit, kindly bring a body guard dear, you will need it. Globalist, what do you do?
James E.February 27, 2012 - 10:31 am
Harriett, I'm too old to have Groupies. I would have to have Grannies.
HLFebruary 27, 2012 - 10:48 am
Hello James E Longhofer. Oh no. I'm a Grandmother of two. What does that make me? I kid, I kid. BTW I went through six months of Letters to the Editor and comments. I do not think I have laughed so hard in a long time. I hope you are doing well Sir.
Robert ZFebruary 22, 2012 - 7:25 pm
Capetown...a lovely place. Outside of that...good luck. Oh , did that sound racist? Go to S. Africa feel the change....
eugene garnerFebruary 27, 2012 - 6:54 am
I really don't care what Obama, Hannity, Limbaugh, Bush said. I can read the Constitution, Federalist and anti-Federalist Papers and I see a blueprint of checks and balances to LIMIT the size, reach and power of government. Instead we have allowed an oligarchy of banksters and big corporate monopolies to buy our government through special interests and play most of our politicians as the puppets they are. The Constitution is too old? Bull! It is a tool to override the few that would use the raw power of government to rule over the masses. We have incrementally destroyed the Constitution by allowing our representatives who have not honored their oath to obey and defend the Constitution to obfuscate it into irrelevance. The proper function of an ethical government is the protection of the inalienable rights, freedom and property of the INDIVIDUAL, PERIOD. Instead we have allowed them to shackle us with perpetual debt slavery and the tyranny of a police state. It is trickled on you incrementally, so you don’t notice, but we are the broiled frog, unless we reverse things NOW. Ron Paul for President 2012. A true Constitutionalist…… calling him an isolationist is like calling me a hermit, because I don’t kick in my neighbors doors.
CatherineFebruary 27, 2012 - 8:27 am
Ginsburg didn't say our Constitution was too old for America.