Tri-City College Preparatory High School Newspaper

Are We Failing Our Forefathers?

By Peter Cowles

            “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
            The Constitution was set up to be the “supreme law of the land” according to article VI, paragraph two.  Some people believe that the Constitution is a living document and is interpreted according to the times. However, even according to that logic, are we actually following the Constitution in current Federal Policies?
            Amendment ten of the Constitution states which rights are given to the government and which rights are given to the states and the people.  It reads “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 amendment is very clear - the federal government only has the powers given it in the Constitution and it doesn’t give them out at will.
            According to the Constitution, Congress is only allowed to levy direct taxes on property and people. Direct taxes are a flat rate that everyone has to pay. The only exception to this is the income tax, which was amended into the Constitution on February 3, 1913.  All other federal taxes on property and companies are illegal if they are based on how much a person makes.
            Outside of taxes many forms of Federal Government is illegal.  The new healthcare bill being passed shouldn’t even be in Congress because it isn’t under their jurisdiction.  Now you have to have a permit to protest.  Even Free Speech is being regulated and behind closed doors Congress is passing bills without the public’s knowledge. The Constitution can only be interpreted so much. The Federal Government was set up to make decisions that the states or the people weren’t capable of making but now it has grown dangerously large and has gained tremendous power.
            Now a choice has to be made.  Either we go back to following the Constitution or we write a new one, one that “fits the times.” We need to stop living the lie that we are obeying the Constitution that are forefathers’ wrote. If they were here, what would they think of how we are running the government? So are we failing our forefathers? Or are we wiser then they were and able to make a new constitution better than the last?

Times

April 7- Math AIMS Testing
Required for Sophomores
Jrs/Srs who wish to retest

-Stanford 10 for all freshman

- All students who have exceeded on Math AIMS may take the day off

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"The views expressed in articles published in Denobis are those of the authors alone. They do not represent the views, policies, or opinions of DeNobis, Tri-City College Preparatory High School, or its instructors or staff."