Thank you for your input, counselor. The term "Constitutionalist" has been bandied about a lot lately, and its meaning has been blurred, at least as I've observed. It's also often used as in "strict Constitutionalist." In almost any sense of the word, it implies "kinda stupid," because that entails pretending nothing happened and nothing changed over the last 233 years. Meanwhile, the mechanisms for ensuring our system of laws stay true to the original intent of the Constitution have been weakened (IMHO) or subverted, causing what I see as significant losses of personal freedoms. During my travels in Europe, I see countries where personal freedoms are greater, and I chalk that up to governments that are newer and were able to take certain advantages from our mistakes.

@mischl well as the Constitution was written, according to the 10th Amendment if it's not in the Constitution it's left of the states. I'm guessing you're on this particular site for a reason and if the Christian conservative right controls all of our government they are also against the rule of law and only like the laws they like and only pay the taxes they like. We have learned from the last election that 40% of our population is racist and idiotic. It doesn't mean that states can't give us the right to privacy and the rights to go with it but apparently 40% of the country doesn't like that idea

How does the question of slavery relate in any manner to the abortion ruling?

@Alienbeing Only in the sense of the Supreme Court rolling things backwards instead of all of us moving forward.

@DenoPenno Prohibition of Slavery is specifically mentioned in the Constitution. No Court could negate that, thus abortion and slavery are not comparable.

@Alienbeing OK.

Amendment is REAL tough. Codifying it by federal law is way more practical.

Which is where amendments come in….

@Buck Yes, amendments may he made, but it is extremely difficult. Can you see an amendment legalizing abortion passing in today's polarized political environment?

Our bipolar government can’t get shit done period. I’m merely suggesting that the need for laws to evolve was recognized early on, hence amendments.

@Buck

@Flyingsaucesir It is difficult to amend the Constitution because at the Federal level we are a Republic, NOT a Democracy. At the time the Constitution was written small States distrusted large States, and wanted to be sure they had a voice.

Today (but for different reasons) States still distrust each other.

The Constitution is a living document. It can be amended.

Perhaps you might want to read the 10th Amendment.

@Alienbeing

@lerlo Perhaps you can be more specific.

@Alienbeing the 10th Amendment is pretty clear. If you want more please read my post above

@lerlo OK anything not specifically addressed in the Constitution is automatically left to the states to decide. I get that.

When Gorsuch, Kavenaugh, and Barret stated in their confirmation hearings that Roe was "settled law," implying that they would respect stare decisis and let Roe stand, was that a lie under oath? Can they be impeached for that?

@Flyingsaucesir please see my comment on the post above. Yes they should be charged with perjury and yes they should be impeached. Will they, of course not. They'll say they were persuaded that legally the decision had to be overturned which while technically correct violates stare decisis.

@lerlo Having practiced law for over 40 years I am positive I am much more acquainted with the Tenth Amendment, (or any other legal issue) than you are.

What I am not acquainted with is what point you are trying to make, vis-a-vis anything I said.

If you wish to be a wise guy, just run along, and play with the other children.

@Alienbeing I'm sure that quick legal mind will figure it out eventually. If you read my comment to the original post and the 10th Amendment and you don't understand my point maybe after my 40 Years of the practice of law I can't communicate anymore.

@lerlo If you are referring to your 6/29 reply, it is obvious you have no clue about how the 10th Amendment relates to the remainder of the Constitution. If that is not your reference, then you prove you have no point, so go back to playing with yourself.

@Alienbeing the only dick here is you

@lerlo Your childish remarks and obvious attempt to chage the subject so as not to show your legal ignorance is obvious to the most casual observer.

Your continued ignorance is invited, it is a delight to see a person make a fool of himself.

I'm willing to chip in $5 USD to send Alienbeing back to whatever in hellish planet he thinks he came from. Who's with me? Can we get a GoFundMe account going to ship this twat of a twit back to his home planet of Totalitarianism?

Economic issues are political issues.

@FreethoughtKaty, @SnowyOwl Instead, why not put up a cognitive arguement. Maybe because you can't?

@SnowyOwl, @FreethoughtKaty They are political in the sense that budgets are passed by elected officials, but they are not a Rights issue. The key point that you missed is everyone must be able to enjoy a Right in the same manner, because everyone has exactly the same Rights.

@FreethoughtKaty Let me give an example of the point.

First, we must agree that I do not have any more Rights than you do, or anyone else, and vice verse. In other words we all have the exact same Rights.

Next let's consider two items:

1. Freedom of Speech
2. Healthcare

By recognizing your Right to say anything you care to say about the Government, it costs no one a penny.

Now healthcare I personally believe should be universally available to everyone. However, healthcare is not free. Doctors, hospitals, etc get paid for their services. Let's now presuppose you are very rich, while I am very poor. I can't afford healthcare, but I still need it to be healthy, and possibly even to continue to live. I say healthcare therefore should be an entitlement, actually I suggest Medicare for all. However since in this example you are rich, you and other rich people will have to subsdize or maybe entirely pay for my healthcare. Hence you pay, I get it for free. We are not enjoying healthcare equally are we?

Again, since I truly do believe healthcare is a "must" provide, it must be provided as an entitlement, not a Right, and I say that is OK, because we can't let humans die just because they can't afford healthcare, but in doing so we didn't establish a Right, we established an entitlement.

@Alienbeing we as a species and then as societies decide what a right is. For example, the rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not universal, right? And if my tax burden is higher than yours but we both have equal access to the system that tax dollars are funding, then that is absolutely equally “enjoying” healthcare. An entitlement, in the U.S. anyway, is something we put money into so we can use it later, like social security. It’s certainly a misnomer.

@FreethoughtKaty You did not address the facts presented that say everyone must be able to enjoy a Right is the exact same manner or it cannot be a Right, although it can be an Entitlement.

To be fair, John Roberts did vote in favor of upholding Roe, even tho he is still a conservative asshole. He probably did so in order to make the SC look less partisan and extreme, but he already knew, I'm sure, that voting with the liberals would not affect the outcome.

@TomMcGiverin No offense, but fuck "fair".

@KKGator I hear ya. That's why I'm a socialist, not a Dem, because I believe in fighting these assholes by all means necessary, as Malcom X would say, rather than this centrist Dem Party bullshit of bipartisanship and civility...

@TomMcGiverin That's why I'm an independent and not a democrat or a republican.
Contrary to a lot of what some people may think, I'm also a moderate.
I don't like extremes in any direction.

I just believe that everyone is entitled to equal rights, and equal protection under the law.
That includes bodily autonomy and the right to live their lives as they see fit, as long as they aren't harming anyone else.

@KKGator Can't agree with you on extremes, but I do on the rest of it.

@TomMcGiverin Roberts voted in favor of Citizens United, one of the worst decisions ever.

@Flyingsaucesir That's a damned fact!
He's a giant pos, too.

@Flyingsaucesir I remember that, which is why I still referred to him as a conservative asshole..

@Flyingsaucesir Citizens United, otherwise known as How to Dissolve Democracy in One Easy Ruling.

@mischl That continues to be one of the WORST decisions of all time.
If we lose this nation, that will be one of the biggest reasons why.

That is why, even tho I have always been antiwar, if it comes down to fighting these pricks in the street, I am willing to buy a gun, learn to shoot and give my life if necessary, to kill a few of them to take with me if I end up dying for it. This is the first war that actually would be worth fighting in during my lifetime. I will not die passively or let them take me to a camp.

@TomMcGiverin Right on. Hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does I'll be right there with you.

@Flyingsaucesir As will I.

Let's not forget that it was liberals who won the Civil War and WWII. Standing up for democracy is a liberal project.

That’s an insult to assholes everywhere!?

@Buck That's true, I am often an asshole and I am offended to be lumped in with these pricks and bitches..

Unfortunately, they have brainwashed a lot of women on their side to their way of thinking.

@misstuffy Think of the ''Stockholm syndrome." Think of how women can be ''groomed.'' We make it far too easy for them.

@LucyLoohoo Warren Zevon got it wrong when he wrote "Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland's Thompson gun." This implies a political conversion, when what really happened was Stockholm syndrome.

@LucyLoohoo You are so right. Most of these women celebrating are part of the religious right. I myself ama carrier of a genetic disease that is XY chromosome based. Females are carriers with afflicted males. The disease cripples the body and the victims die a slow miserable death. I watched my eldest brother suffer from this and when I was married, we were expecting a child. As it turned out, this was an afflicted male. We opted to abort. That baby was very much wanted. I had already bought some baby clothes, we had a name chosen, everything. But we knew we did the best thing, the most humane thing for him. As much as it broke my heart, I knew I did the right thing. Now, other women, facing that same decision, may be forced to carry and give birth under similar circumstances. Be forced to watch their children suffer and die miserable. I would really love to hear how these justices think this is more humane. How this is any kind of life they so want to protect. I believe they are misguided and this precedent is dangerous for women.

@misstuffy They would claim it was “gods will”, and that there is some sort of lesson to be learned from the suffering. That is precisely what I was told about my deformed fetus. These people are so deluded and make every excuse in the book for why things happen and how we need to always trust their God. Religion is a Sickness that has taken over peoples minds. I don’t know how to reach them.

@Redheadedgammy And yet they claim God does not make mistakes. What is funny is that so many people planning to go into the ministry, go through religious studies only to come out Atheists. When they get a good education that is.

@misstuffy I had read somewhere years ago that what you say is true. Once they get into their Buybull, and really study it, more than a third of them drop out. It may be more now though as I think I read that article back in the early 2000’s.

@misstuffy I'm so VERY sorry to hear this! How horrible for you and your family! And yet, it was the most compassionate, loving solution anyone could choose.

BUT then....there's Oklahoma and Mississippi, et al....where ''loving xtians'' would have thrown you into the slammer!

@Redheadedgammy I agree, some of our biggest activists have come out of seminary schools. They went in believing they would come out to save all these souls for Jesus and got their eyes opened, and being both intelligent and able to think for themselves. Deconverted thanks to their educations.

@LucyLoohoo Thank you, had he been a healthy fetus, my son would have been turning 33 years old this year.

@misstuffy And some of the most intelligent atheists have that same background---heavily indoctrinated in religion, etc. They're our ''nurseries," aren't they?

@LucyLoohoo Yes that is true. These are the ones that our now our leaders, like Dan Barker, or Seth Andrews, my fave podcaster. Seth has stated that he learned more about the Bible as an Atheist than he ever knew as a Christian.