Posted on Oct 16, 2015
CPT Jack Durish
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I suspect that members of the military know more about the Constitution and understand it better than those who have never served. But how well do you know and understand it? The Federalist Papers were written during the ratification process to explain the Constitution and help win approval from We the People. Hillsdale College has put together an excellent series presenting the Federalist Papers. It's understandable (not overly intellectualized) and the price is right... It's FREE! Even though I have long studied American History and have a law degree, I still learn something new every time I study more. This I highly recommend, especially to those who serve. How can we keep our oath if we don't understand the importance of that which we serve
http://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/federalist-papers/lecture-1/lecture
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LTC Stephen F.
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I am very familiar with the US Constitution and try to convince others about its importance and timeless value while work to preserve, protect and if necessary defend the Constitution of the USA CPT Jack Durish.
Thankyou for both recommending and providing a hyperlink to the Hillsdale College online course.
For a year or so I attended monthly meeting of a Constitutional Study group. THe group was one of several in Northern Virginia which had been initiated by Justice Clarence Thomas's wife Virginia Thomas years before. It was attended by government, legal, college professor, and ordinary people as we worked through the constitution with frequent subject matter experts providing background on relevant sections.
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CPT Military Police
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CPT Jack Durish You probably know this but I thought I'd give some background info....Regarding the NATIONAL debate about adopting what is now our Constitution.

The Federalist papers as they are called were letters or essays if you will that were published because people didn't support the Constitution and were an effort to win over people. They urged the people of New York to ratify the new Constitution. The new Constitution was to replace the Articles of Confederation. It was agreed the new Constitution would become effective if 9 of the 13 states ratified it. These letters were not the only letters sent to papers either in support of or condemning the new Constitution. Those who opposed the new Constitution did so because they believed a 'Central government' would override state's rights and take away individual liberties. Those who supported the adoption of the new Constitution that this new Constitution and proposed system (form of government) would provide the government with the power to act in National Interests for the best interest of the Union and would prevent the Union from falling apart.
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CPT Jack Durish
CPT Jack Durish
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You are absolutely correct and the Hillsdale College course emphasizes this history
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PO1 Volunteer Preparator
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Thanks! I was interested in the Federalist papers when in high school, and when you look at the responsibilities of the President and Congress, there are a lot of details missing in the Constitution that have been decided over many decades in the Supreme Court.
I was wondering about whether a President can give no funds to an agency that Congress established, so I found lots of detail in discussion of the Supreme Court talking about the Federalist Papers, mostly differences between Jefferson, Hamilton and Madison.
See https://constitution.findlaw.com/article2/annotation01.html#5
and https://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/constitution#essay-68
To keep a democracy strong people need to get off their rear once in a while and read reliable information rather than just what they hear from their friends or one radio or TV station. No political party has a monopoly on uninformed voters or even legislators!
Dan
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CW3 Harvey K.
CW3 Harvey K.
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Amen to that. There is no substitute for the primary source. There is a need however, for linguistic analysis. Usage in language changes over time, e.g. Noah Webster's dictionary had no definition of "browse" relating to reading or shopping by Humans -- only eating habits of animals. It's contemporaneous usage did not include such exclusively Human activities.
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CW3 Harvey K. - You're right. Everything changes. We were after the passage of the Constitution a Union of States, with continuing powers of States. Now practically speaking we are One Nation, with subsidiary subdivisions called states where there is not a huge difference in law. If you know how to drive in one state, you are presumed to be practically ready to drive anywhere, and when you get a license in another state, they don't give you a test, just a booklet about state driving.
Almost any article of the Constitution has to be read carefully with an awareness of the times. The right to bear arms to the people of the times were things like fire a musket, not fire a fully automatic weapon, go hunting in a tank, etc. The interpretation of terms is by courts who can weigh the consequences for things like national security.
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CW3 Harvey K.
CW3 Harvey K.
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PO1 (Join to see) - Quite so. The Bill of Rights was an expression of rights as general principles, covering all technological advances and applications. As noted in HELLER, that principle of protection from "unreasonable searches and seizures" applies to modern electronic searches such as phone taps, X-rays, etc. not merely physical searches, the only possible searches "of the times" in which the BOR was written.
I am amazed at some who claim that "a well regulated Militia" can be interpreted as (somehow) invested with the modern connotation of "lots of government rules, regulations, and restrictions" when it had no such usage for 80 years before, or 80 years after its use in the 2nd Amendment. Amazing, how words can be given a two century retroactive meaning -- when it suits the purpose of those who would rationalize the suppression of a Constitutional right they disapprove of.
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