a different way to get at this is to ask yourself what *is* a constitution? is it a legal contract or is it a political document? is meaning singularly reducible to text or does meaning emerge from text and context?
Reposted from
jamelle
the constitution says you must be 35 to be eligible to serve as president. now, let’s say a presidential nominee was born on february 29, 1972, a leap year. and let’s say they were running in 2024. now, technically, they would only be 13. you could say they were ineligible. but that’s stupid! (1)
Comments
Me: "No one born on a leap year is counting their age in literal fourths"
Technically a person born on a leap year has a different birthdate every year, 365 days after the last one. I suppose we all do.
The constitution doesn't say "a person with 35 birthdays past", so...no
Either way, age and number of birthdates passing is not the same, but I guess we can't expect these people to use logic, anyway
Constitutional professors in law schools say it's a blueprint.
Legislatures amend the contact from time to time. Ppl elect/reject the politicians
When the terms of the contact are called into question, judges rule on/enforce the contract
- Withdraw unanimous consent from all Senate business until constitutional rule was restored
- Refuse to vote for any legislation until constitutional rule was restored
- Boycott as a caucus until constitutional rule was restored
It’s a contract. If you break part of it, you break the whole thing. If you cancel the part that says a president is limited to two terms, you also cancel the part that says there is a president.
Ultimate tools they are. The constitution and the Bible
It’s like discovering that “to protect and serve” is an LAPD motto and not part of a police officer’s job description.
But many police take it seriously.
So what’s a motto?
And if the contract is violated, we circle back to a key point in the Declaration of Independence:
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,"
It’s upended my upbringing, where the Constitution was the Law. Now it feels like we’re living in a cult compound
DJT is a despot ruling by EO's and issuing tariffs on a whim. Congress is irrelevant.
He ignores the judiciary because he can't be impeached.
The Constitution is just a piece of paper. Well parchment...
Unless, of course, it's incompatible with their desired outcome.
Just pointing out the end game of where a constitutional analysis leads.
We all experience leap year even if not as a birthday.
It's about your own government taking your shit. It's about each person having autonomy over their domicile.