Constitution: Articles V, VI and VII

We are going to cover the Constitution and its Amendments line by line.  When Republicans wave their paper props and parrot their vile machinations, we will be prepared to expose the lies.  The text comes from The US Constitution.  It will be displayed in black, while my comments will be indented in blue.  Earlier articles include:

Preamble – Article I, Section 5

Article I, Sections 6-10

Article II, Section 1

Article II, Sections 2-4

Article III

Article IV

 

Article V

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

The founding fathers made the Constitution possible, but difficult, to change.  It made two items unchangeable prior to 1808.  The end to the importation of slaves in 1808 was immutable.  Also any Amendment allowing direct taxes, except as imposed according to a state’s population, was forbidden prior to 1808.  It also made one provision not subject to amendment ever: all states are to be represented equally in the Senate in perpetuity.

Article VI

1:  All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

The new nation assumed the debts it had acquires on the road to independence.

2:  This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

The Constitution gives Treaties the same precedence as laws and even the Constitution itself.  It is interesting to note, therefore, that the Obama administration does not have the Constitutional authority to ignore our treaty obligation in Part I, Articles IV & V of the UN Convention Against Torture, which requires active prosecution of those who have authorized torture.

3:  The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Considering all the Republican attacks, accusing Obama of being a Muslim, they are applying a religious test in direct contradiction to the Constitution.  In addition, Republicans during the Bush regime applied religious tests to hundreds of positions, making Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University the most common alma mater in government service.

Article VII

The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.

And so the Constitution became law.

What we have seen so far in this study is that what the Constitution says, and what Republicans are claiming it says, are completely unrelated.  To them it is only a piece of paper, to quote an infamous moron, despite their deceitful claims that they are defending it.  The believability of those lies depends on public ignorance.  Since the mainstream media have largely failed in their responsibility, the truth will remain hidden unless we make it known.

But our study is incomplete, because some of the most interesting and controversial elements of the Constitution are contained within its Amendments, so that’s where we will go from here.

I shall try to put up a new article in this series almost every day.  It will take some time to cover it all, but when we’re done, we shall be immune to the lies with which Republicans seek to undermine our freedoms.