Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Erock/Smashey Campaign Views on the Constitution
| The Erock/Smashey campaign believes that the Constitution of the United States is a literal document, meant not to give power to the federal government, but to limit the power the federal government has. According to the 10th amendment to the Constitution, all powers not delegated to the federal government by the states and not prohibited to the states in the Constitution are reserved to the states or to the people. It was a guarantee that any political decisions were made by localities rather than a distant central government that would be impossible for them to control as had happened under British rule. Below are our beliefs on the biggest debates of Constitutionality. War: In accordance with the Constitution Congress reserves the exclusive right to declare war. The President, as Commander in Chief, directs the war once it is declared. It is our belief that any war, not declared by Congress as outlined in the Constitution, is therefore unconstitutional. Congress has no constitutional authority to delegate a declaration of war to the executive branch. It is exactly what the framers were trying to avoid, yet exactly what we have allowed since Korea. The Erock/Smashey campaign holds strongly the view that all war must be declared by Congress. Social Policies: We believe that social policies such as abortion should not be decided by federal courts, but should be regulated to the states as outlined in the Constitution since such decisions were not given to the federal government. Article 3, Section 2 gives Congress the power to strip the federal courts of jurisdiction over broad categories of cases. By a simple majority, Congress could strip the federal courts of having jurisdiction over abortion and overturn Roe v Wade. At that point the issue would revert to the states where it constitutionally belongs. The Erock/Smashey campaign sees abortion as morally wrong and strongly advocates education and adoption as alternatives. We also however believe in following the law, whatever it may be. Americans have come to believe that it is normal for us to allow 9 judges in Washington DC to decide the social policies that affect every neighborhood and individual in the United States. One side hopes that the court will see it their way. The other side hopes they will see it their way. It is the belief of the Erock/Smashey campaign that every American neighborhood is not the same and that disputes over competing values should not be decided by a broad federal court. We believe that the constitutional approach is to allow the decisions that are not spelled out explicitly in our founding document to fall to the states. Let the neighbors decide for themselves. Which brings us to our next belief: Removing politics from politics. The Erock/Smashey campaign believes that if the citizens of the United States were faithfully bound to the Constitution , we would have no need or desire to be especially concerned when someone of a differing political philosophy is elected. Our Constitution relegates very few tasks to the federal government so it should be of almost no consequence as to who is elected. We would not have to worry if a policy that we disapprove of will be imposed on our neighborhood by a new President or Senator and their appointed federal judges. We would also no longer have to sit by and watch as those with the monetary power to donate large sums and hire numerous lobbyists decide what direction our government takes. The Erock/Smashey campaign believes this: The more power we allow the federal government and explicitly the executive branch to have will also be available to whomever takes office next. We believe both sides should remember that small detail as that person or philosophy may not be one in line with your own. Are you willing to give the other side that power? Once we believe that the Constitution is a living document to be interpereted how the courts and federal leaders see fit, we must be willing to accept it and the decisions that are made when the other side is in control. The Erock/Smashey campaign believes that respecting a literal Constitution is the best way to ensure that we have a power of the people, by the people and for the people. Not for the whim of the few at the top of a centralized government. |
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