[it_luddite]

Unfortunately, there are significant amounts of people on both sides of any debate, much less this one, with either blinders on or have selective vision.

As a strict constructionist, I affirm the right of anyone to burn any flag, anyone to "protest" at a funeral, as well as PRISM being unconstitutional. Further, I believe that there is not an explicit "right to privacy" and therefore there is not a right to privacy. Them's my blinders!

[mindcrime]

Further, I believe that there is not an explicit "right to privacy" and therefore there is not a right to privacy.

So are you saying that a "right" has to be explicitly spelled out in the BoR in order to be a right? If that's what you mean, then how the heck does a "strict constructionist" get that to jibe with the 9th Amendment?

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people

[tsotha]

>So are you saying that a "right" has to be explicitly spelled out in the BoR in order to be a right?

This is why Madison thought the Bill of Rights was a mistake. The rest of the document was written as a list of delineated powers - "this is what the federal government can do". That's much, much more restrictive than "this is what the federal government can't do". He thought the BoR would lead people into thinking the federal government is allowed to do anything it isn't prohibited from doing.

I think history has born him out, too. I'd much rather see courts asking the question "is this on the list of things the federal government can do?" rather than "does it pass muster on 2A or 4A grounds?" Of course if that were the case 2/3 the federal government would go away. Not a bad thing, IMO.

[ScottBurson]

Yeah, that's the funny thing about the Ninth. It pretty much says, you shall not construe the other amendments strictly.

Kinda puts strict constructionists in a bind -- which was clearly its purpose.

[vbuterin]

Not really; strict constitutionalists can still say that the government should never infringe on amendments 1...8,10, and if it can intrude even less (ie. add more rights) then that's great. In fact, I think that was the whole point of writing the constitution that way.