I don't know how many people took american history or paid any attention to it, but here is what I remember. In the founding fathers time only land owning white males could vote, that was about 15% or so of the population. Slaves were counted as property and only counted as 3/5th of a person. Women couldn't vote either. In fact we had poll taxes until the civil rights movement. The founding father's were very smart about formation of the government, but they borrowed from other documents both domestic and international. America back then was a agrarian society, america today is not. If the founding father's were around they would probably favor the elite not the 85% of non land holding people.
hmmm... I'm a land-owning white male.... Seriously, I don't think this is true. They're attitudes would change with the environment just like everyone else. But, no I don't really care what they think. They're dead and don't have a stake in our society anymore. I'm happy to look to the rules they wrote, the precedents that were set, but couldn't give a rat's ass about their intent. They're given more credit for prescience than they deserve anyway.
I care what they thought in their context, but one thing people need to keep in mind is that the Founding Fathers were NEVER commenting on TODAY - I doubt many of them could have even imagined what this country would turn in to.
Exactly, the world has changed alot. People argue everyone should have a gun, and then quote a founding father. But they conviently forget is that in their age, guns took about a minute to reload and almost every male was a farmer and/or served in the army.
The Constitution is a living document written by dead men whose ideals and thinking were admirably progressive within the context of their era. I believe they would want us to retain these same progressive ideals and interpret, adapt, and apply them to our unfolding future.
As a historical anecdote and an ideological background, yes. As relevant to current problems, decisions, or debates, no. Basically, what Rashmon said.
I think people tend to forget how incredibly brave they were dispite their privaledge. they put their lives on the line for their ideals, banned together for with others whose ideals were sometimes different.
They revolted so they could make more money. All political conflict is economic. Egalitarianism was the rallying cry to motivate the the people.
Great, great response. I think people get confused as to where the Constitution ends and the compiled agenda of past and present administrations begins.
Compare all the governments that existed at the time of the American Revolution and then get back to us. Not only were the "Founding Fathers" revolutionaries, who risked their lives and fortunes for the establishment of this country, they began a revolution with an impact that expanded far beyond what became the United States, with repercussions that still resonate today.
