In an op-ed published Sunday at the New York Times, Louis Michael Seidman, a professor of constitutional law at Georgetown University, said the United States should "give up" on the Constitution "with all its archaic, idiosyncratic and downright evil provisions."
The biggest problem, it seems, is that the document was written by "a group of white propertied men who have been dead for two centuries, knew nothing of our present situation, acted illegally under existing law and thought it was fine to own slaves..."
"Consider, for example, the assertion by the Senate minority leader last week that the House could not take up a plan by Senate Democrats to extend tax cuts on households making $250,000 or less because the Constitution requires that revenue measures originate in the lower chamber," he wrote. "Why should anyone care? Why should a lame-duck House, 27 members of which were defeated for re-election, have a stranglehold on our economy? Why does a grotesquely malapportioned Senate get to decide the nation’s fate?"
"Our obsession with the Constitution has saddled us with a dysfunctional political system, kept us from debating the merits of divisive issues and inflamed our public discourse. Instead of arguing about what is to be done, we argue about what James Madison might have wanted done 225 years ago," he added.
His solution, apparently, is to abandon and disobey the document altogether, even though he seems to like a few of the provisions that are in it.
"This is not to say that we should disobey all constitutional commands," he wrote. "Freedom of speech and religion, equal protection of the laws and protections against governmental deprivation of life, liberty or property are important, whether or not they are in the Constitution. We should continue to follow those requirements out of respect, not obligation."
He concludes by calling adherence to the Constitution "bondage" and implies that freedom can only exist without it.
"But before abandoning our heritage of self-government, we ought to try extricating ourselves from constitutional bondage so that we can give real freedom a chance," he wrote.
"Leftists don't like the Constitution," Breitbart's Ben Shapiro tweeted. "So it's no wonder one of them now calls for America to 'give up' on it in NYT."
"The worst part about that NYT article is that there are enough stupid people in this country who read it thinking 'YEAH,'" added Rebel Pundit.
"NYT op-ed page runs hit pieces against black Republicans and now the Constitution. The poor Gray Lady has grown senile," tweeted Ari Fleischer.
Related:
- Jan Schakowsky: Quoting Constitution 'Revolutionary plan' by radical Republicans
- Gun debate pits liberals, media against Constitution, freedom-loving Americans
- The case against re-electing Barack Hussein Obama, part 2: Obama vs. the Constitution
- Ezra Klein: Constitution old and confusing
- The political class versus the electorate
- Republicans vow return to Constitutional principles in "Pledge to America"
- Democratic Senator: Republicans don't deserve Constitutional freedoms
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