Constitutional Ignorance is dangerous. Without proper knowledge and understanding of the Constitution, American citizens are vulnerable to deception by the governing authorities. As a result, states are losing their rights and the economy is slowing being destroyed. George Nicholas, a delegate to the Virginia ratification convention in 1788, made this statement at the convention: “An enlightened people will never suffer what was established for their security to be perverted to an act of tyranny.” The unenlightened citizens of the United States contribute to government perversion of the Constitution when they fail to prevent or respond to such abuse. They have failed to be “enlightened” and allowed members of the Federal Government to trample their rights. The Federal Government has accomplished this by taking advantage of constitutional ignorance. Jonathan Gruber, embraced as the head architect of “Obamacare”, admitted that the only way “The Affordable Care Act” was passed was due to,"the stupidity of the American voter". The fact that the federal government is willing to hire men of Gruber's character, further illustrates that they are willing to take advantage of American ignorance.
Constitutional Ignorance takes away state rights. "In 1788, at the Virginian ratification convention, the 168 delegates were sharply divided. The controversy over ratification swirled around several key issues; most importantly the lack of a bill of rights that would protect the states and fear that the federal power of taxation would prove to be too dangerous. But even these two particular issues were only part of a more fundamental dispute. Would the Constitution give us a national government that was so powerful that it would undermine our liberties?" (Michael Farris) The answer then was “No”. The answer today is vastly different.
Many in today’s government have deliberately taken advantage of the people’s ignorance. Our current President has bypassed both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He has issued a staggering amount of executive orders that he has no right to issue. The blame ultimately, must fall on us. We, the citizens of the United States, have allowed our government to disregard our rights, allowing the Supreme Court to overturn state laws that were perfectly legal. The states’ voice in government has been all but eliminated. The United States Constitution states that,"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." This line was intended to protect the rights of the states. It has simply been ignored, and the unenlightened people stood by ignorantly. This problem will not change until all citizens of the United States are enlightened.
Constitutional Ignorance hurts the economy. Our country has a massive debt; it borrows and spends at will. This problem can be traced back to ignorance of the Constitution. One line of the Constitution; “Promote the General welfare” has been perverted more than any other in my opinion. The definition of “promote” in this context, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary means to contribute to the growth of something. The word “general” is defined as something that is applicable to the whole. The word “welfare” means: happiness, well-being, prosperity. So the phrase “Promote the general welfare” means that the government can do things that will bring “happiness, well-being, and prosperity,” to the U.S. as a whole. This clause does not say “specific welfare” which caters to minorities and low-income families.
In return, the more financial support the government provides the more dependent the people become. Consequently, the government will have to raise taxes to keep up with a growing, more dependent, and needy population. An old adage states, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” Our government has been handing out a lot of fish.
There are several examples of this issue in the past. In 1827, a $10,000 relief bill for the widow of a naval officer was proposed. Colonel Davy Crockett rose in stern opposition and gave the following successful rebuttal: “We must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living. I will not attempt to prove that Congress has no power to appropriate this money as an act of charity. Every member upon this floor knows it. We have the right as individuals to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of Congress we have no right to appropriate a dollar of the public money.” Another example of when a member of the federal government stood for the Constitution was in 1854, President Franklin Pierce courageously vetoed an extremely popular bill intended to help the mentally ill, saying: “I cannot find any authority in the constitution for public charity.” These men’s reasons for denying money to what seemed a good cause, are summed up in this statement by South Carolina Senator William Drayton in 1828; “If Congress can determine what constitutes the general welfare and can appropriate money for its advancement, where is the limitation to carrying into execution whatever can be effected by money?”
Today’s government views general welfare and public charity as synonymous. This is apparent from the spending of tax-payer money on, Welfare programs, and recreational activities such as: modern dance classes, midnight basketball, and self-esteem training. In addition, much of today’s welfare provision is extremely specific and not general. In doing this, they are degrading other citizens’ general welfare by taking their money away in order to pay for such activities.
Constitutional Ignorance is threatening the United States. These issues are just a few of the many examples that could have been given. The Federal Government will continue to take advantage of Constitutional ignorance. If the “enlightened citizens” want to change the direction of our nation, they must first change the direction of its people. The only way to change the problem of ignorance is to enlighten the people, and that starts with the enlightened. It is our duty to educate everyone we can about the Constitution and the danger of ignorance, then and only then will this problem be resolved.
