Your Constitution...

I have a tendency to get a little bristly when I hear people citing their "___ Amendment Rights" to do something - As in "I have a 2nd Amendment Right to bring an Uzi with me when I'm squirrel hunting" or something equally daft. It bothers me because the Constitution, like the Bible, has taken a beating by those who choose to lift extracts and phrases from it to suit their personal need. Granted, many of those who make such specious arguments often lack some of the refined critical analysis skills that can be handy for such a discussion, but to attempt to wield such an intellectual weapon without an understanding of how it actually works is the greatest danger to a functioning democracy that is possible. If these arguments go unchallenged, you end up with a failed state filled with moral and religious ideologies in permanent conflict. In short, you get Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Afghanistan, etc.

We aren't experts in Constitutional Law, but we are great proponents of the ongoing intellectual discussion about the interpretation of the standards laid down in the Constitution of The United States.

I'm inclined to encourage those interested in the framework of our government system to familiarize themselves with this document to better understand how and why interpretation is so very important and frequently taken far out of context by those who wish to have the Constitution on their side while they're spouting some searing invective against someone or something that they deem to be morally unacceptable.

The Constitution is, in fact, written in a very clean, intellectual language, purposefully devoid of polarizing moral or religious insinuations - not because the Founding Fathers weren't necessarily God-Fearing Christians - but because they sought to divorce themselves from the English system (see King George III and George II) that placed an enormous premium on one's religious affiliation - primarily if you weren't Anglican.

When you have a moment to read, click HERE and read your Constitution.

Go ahead, we'll be here when you come back.

And, as always, I Heart Rachel Maddow.