The Constitution by the People, but not FOR the People

[Keith Broaders]

In the election conducted on December 15, 1788 George Washington received less than 40,000 votes in his home state of Virginia. At the time Virginia had a population of a little over 700,000. In other words only 5 people out of every 100 even were eligible to vote for our first President George Washington. The women, the slaves, the Indians and the white men that did not own enough property were not allowed. In the preamble to the Constitution, the words "We the People " the word people is capitalized. When a word is capitalized in the middle of a sentence, the word must be a proper noun. If the word was not capitalized it the word people would be a common noun. The common noun for the people refers to all of the people, while the word People when it is capitalized in the middle of a sentence it is referring to a specific group of people.

The Constitution was written by the People, but not for the people.

The People that drafted the Constitution were rich, white men that owned a great deal of property. Most of them were well educated and most of them were lawyers.

Many of the provisions written into the Constitution were added to protect the rights of the People not all of the people.

 

 Proof that what I have written is unfortunately true.

Rules for Capitalization
Click Here

The Federalist Papers
Click Here

The Anti-Federalist Papers
Click Here
 

Population of Virginia in 1790
Click Here


Presidential Election of 1788
Click Here

Lawyers that Signed the Constitution
Click Here

[Joe Sager]

That brings to mind former Army Specialist Michael New (http://www.mikenew.com). The one document that New thought would vindicate him has not helped him in the least. Maybe he isn't rich enough.

[Jeff Smiles]

I would like to remind professor that most of the opposition to our Constitution stopped once the Bill of Rights was entered into this Document on December 15, 1791. Many good folks still argue the legitimacy of the Article of Confederation and the Northwest Ordinance and claim they are still in effect. But what are we really trying to say here? Are we saying that America was, and is, a complete and dismal failure, except for the rich?

Online Professor said:

The Federalist's Papers were written by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. Have you read the Anti-Federalist Papers  which were written by Major Anti-Federalist authors included Cato (likely George Clinton), Brutus (likely Robert Yates), Centinel (Samuel Bryan), and the Federal Farmer (either Melancton Smith, Richard Henry Lee, or Mercy Otis Warren). Speeches by Patrick Henry and Smith are often included as well.

I suspect that you have only read the arguments in favor of the Constitution and that you have not read the opinions of those that opposed the ratification.

[Timothy K Smith]

Rush would call this clown a "seminar"  reader. I hope the CC will sort out these kind of  idiots who are here to dilute and dumb down the best efforts of the CC to protect and defend the Constitution. I have no time for these twisted detractors!

[John D. Hansen, Jr.]

What you say is correct, according to the today's capitalization rules. But the rules of capitalization were different in the days of the Founding Fathers.

Online Professor said:

Ask any competent English professor that when a word in the middle of a sentence is capitalized, what part of speech must it be?" If the word people in the middle is capitalized it is a proper noun. When the people is not capitalized in the middle of a sentence it is a common noun. The proper noun People refers to a  specific group or people, while the common noun people refers to a much larger group of people..

[Clyde-Earl Young]

Dan W Rykard said:

So like always money comes into play for the people. The people with money has always called the shots, and always will.

 " and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. "   Declaration of Independence

     Though out our generations, this has proven to be that the rich are  usually (not always) wicked and lawless.

I had a rich man accuse me of "Child Abuse" and the Local Sheriff's were more than happy to issue Bills of Attainder and ex post facto laws against my family.   The corrupt courts were more than happy to  accommodate this rich man's malice with enacting a corruption of the blood judgment against my wife and I, and we haven't been permitted any contact with our only son since December 17th, 2003.  My wife died on May 13th, 2013 from Con-Genitive heart failure.   

     They forced us into a condition of genocide, and the malicious prosecutions were a spectacle that I had never experienced before moving to Utah.  Our only son (if he's still alive) turned 18 years old last August, but I will never get any cooperation from those who practice  and protect official malfeasance and Apartheid (Segregation).  The rich man never had to answer for his lies, nor anybody else within the bureaucracy.  

        Although there may not be any statute of limitations on murder, fraud and  numerous criminal acts by those in government in their personal and professional capacities, I haven't  surrendered  the idea of living  autonomously  outside of the   autocracy of the rich.  I have been reduced beyond recovery, and  financially  I've been devastated, but yet, I hope to stay alive long enough to see my son, and perhaps at least see some brought to  accountability to the people at large.   They may complete the works of death that they had begun, but while I draw breath, I will oppose tyranny to the end.

    

      

[Keith Broaders]

Thank you for your input. I would like to share what I found.

 

Capitalization of nouns

• In German (and Luxembourgish), all nouns are capitalized. This was also practiced in Danish before the spelling reform of 1948, and in English during the 18th century (as in Gulliver's Travels, and most of the original 1787 United States Constitution).

John D. Hansen, Jr. said:

What you say is correct, according to the today's capitalization rules. But the rules of capitalization were different in the days of the Founding Fathers.

Online Professor said:

Ask any competent English professor that when a word in the middle of a sentence is capitalized, what part of speech must it be?" If the word people in the middle is capitalized it is a proper noun. When the people is not capitalized in the middle of a sentence it is a common noun. The proper noun People refers to a  specific group or people, while the common noun people refers to a much larger group of people..

[Keith Broaders]

John D. Hansen Jr. has stated that the rules for capitalization has changed over the years. I did some investigating and found:

Nouns
◾In German (and Luxembourgish), all nouns are capitalized. This was also practiced in Danish before the spelling reform of 1948, and in English during the 18th century (as in Gulliver's Travels, and most of the original 1787 United States Constitution).

Obviously not all nouns the in Constitution are capitalized. Base on this revelation my assertion that the framers were referring to themselves and not all of the people can not be substantiated. Nonetheless, only 5% of the people participated in the Presidential election in 1788 in the state of Virginia.

[Keith Broaders]

[know your rights]

With the type of language spoken here, the correct name for this "club" should be called "The Anti-Constitution Club."

I don't understand how the "online professor," the supposed creator of "The Constitution Club," is posting such anti-constitution rhetoric! wtf

this site baffles me.

[Carol Hamilton]

and - as it's been debated, amended, and interpreted for over 200 years, your point is?????

[Bill May]

In response to: 

The constitution was written by the people, but not for the people.

I consider that incorrect. The people were party to their relevant state constitution and they secured to those people their rights.

The fed instrument was written by representative of the state gov's and is was for them. I use the term 'was' because the gov has not recognized anyone as a state-only citizen for decades. Everyone is considered a 14th citizen or subject of the fed gov with a secondary citizenship of sorts in their state.

 

[Beverly Nahm]

     Women, slaves and Indians did not have the vote when George Washington was elected so they could not vote for him.  Women, for the most part, when our Constitution was written, did not have the education or experience to be given the privilege to vote, (voting is a privilege, not a right),  Indians and slaves were not considered to be Americans so they were not permitted to vote.  As for the word people being capitalized, here it was meant to show the importance our Founders placed on the American people.  As for only men who were rich or owned property were present at the Dec. of Ind. or Constitution, it is true that most of them were rich - but not all of them, such as John Adams and Roger Sherman.  Also, only men who could afford to be away from the business could have afforded to attend.

   Our Constitution was written "For the People"!!!

Beverly Nahm 

  

.