The Living document
Some people may think that the US Constitution is just a document that states our plan for government, but it is so much more than that. It defines the way we think and the way we live. (The Constitution). The purpose of this article is to improve America’s world image. It seems that a lot of people see the US in a negative way, and I’d like to change that. Although it may be believed that our constitution is outdated, it can change with the times while still creating safety and stability for the US citizens.
Amendments contribute to the constitution being thought of as a living document. The reason for this is that our society changes all the time, and our constitution needs to apply to the way we live. “Technology has changed, the international situation has changed, the economy has changed, social mores have changed, all in ways that no one could have foreseen when the constitution was drafted”(Strauss). The
26thamendment allowed a larger number of people in our country to voice their opinion. Eighteen year olds were being sent to war but were not able to vote. The 26th amendment solved that. This helps us because if we ever want to change something or we don’t like something we can make an
amendment; and it doesn’t have to happen again or we at least know there will be consequences if it does. It is not realistic to expect that the way we run our country will be the same in ten years, five years, or even next month. The way our constitution is set up has created protection for the people by drawing boundaries for us.
Another reason for calling the constitution a living document is the fact that we are able to bend it. Over many years the courts have reinterpreted it to meet the needs of the situation. Before schools were integrated, a young colored girl named Linda Brown had to walk miles to the black school, instead of walking
right across the street to the white school. Her father, with help from the NAACP, sued. In the end it turned out that the schools were violating the 14th amendment. As a result of this change, schools are no longer
segregated. “The framers of the constitution established the broad structure of government but also left the system flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions” (Mintz). The constitution is stable because it has to go through a lot of people in order to change it, but flexible as well because it can still be changed.
It is important to keep in mind that adjustments can be made to existing amendments or new amendments can be added altogether. It is to our advantage to know this so that we can get involved with our community, our nation, and even other nations in order to help change them for the better. Knowing that we can be involved with our community, our nation, and even other nations in order to help change them for the better. People from other countries may think that the way to be successful as a nation is to keep running their government the way they always have. We believe that the way we adapt and the way we are able to bend our constitution not only keeps us in touch with our society but also makes us a more stable country.
Amendments contribute to the constitution being thought of as a living document. The reason for this is that our society changes all the time, and our constitution needs to apply to the way we live. “Technology has changed, the international situation has changed, the economy has changed, social mores have changed, all in ways that no one could have foreseen when the constitution was drafted”(Strauss). The
26thamendment allowed a larger number of people in our country to voice their opinion. Eighteen year olds were being sent to war but were not able to vote. The 26th amendment solved that. This helps us because if we ever want to change something or we don’t like something we can make an
amendment; and it doesn’t have to happen again or we at least know there will be consequences if it does. It is not realistic to expect that the way we run our country will be the same in ten years, five years, or even next month. The way our constitution is set up has created protection for the people by drawing boundaries for us.
Another reason for calling the constitution a living document is the fact that we are able to bend it. Over many years the courts have reinterpreted it to meet the needs of the situation. Before schools were integrated, a young colored girl named Linda Brown had to walk miles to the black school, instead of walking
right across the street to the white school. Her father, with help from the NAACP, sued. In the end it turned out that the schools were violating the 14th amendment. As a result of this change, schools are no longer
segregated. “The framers of the constitution established the broad structure of government but also left the system flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions” (Mintz). The constitution is stable because it has to go through a lot of people in order to change it, but flexible as well because it can still be changed.
It is important to keep in mind that adjustments can be made to existing amendments or new amendments can be added altogether. It is to our advantage to know this so that we can get involved with our community, our nation, and even other nations in order to help change them for the better. Knowing that we can be involved with our community, our nation, and even other nations in order to help change them for the better. People from other countries may think that the way to be successful as a nation is to keep running their government the way they always have. We believe that the way we adapt and the way we are able to bend our constitution not only keeps us in touch with our society but also makes us a more stable country.