You may refer to a searchable copy of the US Constitution at US Constitution Online. Here are the answers to our quiz:
Which of the following words does NOTappear in the Constitution?
Answer: Slave
While “slavery” appears, “slave” does not. It is surprising that a topic of such controversy is sp0ken of in such oblique language in the Constitution. “Magazine” refers to a place where ammunition is stored.
A president of the United States must have resided within the US for
Answer: 14 years
See Article II Section 1
No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.
The Supreme Court is tasked with advising Congress as to the constitutionality of proposed legislation.
Answer: False
The Supreme Court rules on actual controversies, not hypothetical ones. Section III deals with the Judiciary.
Which of the following words appears in the Constitution including amendments (either in singlular or plural form)?
Answer: Erection
While most people will know that there was a constitutional amendment on the subject, alcohol was not mentioned by name. “Erection” is mentioned in Article I, Section 8:
and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;
What is a “bill of attainder”?
Answer: Legislation declaring someone guilty without a trial
Which of the following is NOT explicitly listed as a power of Congress in the Constitution?
Answer: Protect individual privacy
All of the others are listed.
Which of the following is Congress explicitly PROHIBITED from doing by the Constitution?
Answer: Taxing exports
No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.
Article I Section 9
Ah Yuk was summarily sentenced to 30 days hard labor under the Chinese Exclusion Act (an act prohibiting Chinese immigrants from becoming US citizens, and regulating their travel and employment) for being in the US illegally. This was held to be unconstitutional because:
Answer: It violated the 5th and 6th amendments.
“Summarily sentenced” means that there was no jury trial. The 5th and 6th amendments deal with the right to trial by jury.
Federal Judge Edgerton said in In Re: Ah Yuk
…I think he [the circuit commissioner] exceeded his authority under the law, and also under the limitations and restrictions of Articles 5 and 6 of the amendments to the constitution when he sentenced him to hard labor…
Lesson learned: The majority is not always right.
“The majority is not always right.”
Ouch! 🙂
As long as we are learning about the Constitution, here’s an interesting little birther-related wrinkle on that “making regulations for the Army” part.
Actual text, Article 1 sec. 8: Powers of Congress:
And here’s how it pertains to birthers, specifically Lt. Col. Lakin:
See: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/02/birther.court.martial/#fbid=WkzIq3t_Yif&wom=true
From the CNN article Expe linked:
No sh*t, Sherlock!
Which part of the “you ain’t gonna get discovery that way, and you’d better work on getting LTC Lakin a good bunk at Ft. Levenworth” message didn’t you understand? You’ve been told by any number of experts, from Military Lawyers, to (proper) Constitutional Experts, to High School bloggers, that you don’t have a defense and you won’t get discovery.
What is the point of destroying your client’s life further?
Phil Cave said you looked deflated. Has the penny dropped? Will your ego allow you to quietly withdraw and let his apparently excellent Military attorney MAJ Kemkes get the best possible outcome for LTC Lakin?
“Alcohol” caused me to fail to consider the “erection”. Ain’t that always the case.
And a similar principle applies to the birther argument that if their fantasies came true and Obama were found to be ineligible, all of his “appointments” (including SCOTUS justices) would be invalid. They fail to comprehend that the President only nominates judges – it is the Senate which actually confirms them.
I had a college professor who everytime he meant to say election he would say erection. So he’d ask us stuff like who won the erection of 1960
Does anyone remember Emily Litella complaining about “flea erections”?
“Excuse me, Miss Litella, but that’s ‘free elections.'”
“Nevermind”
Marilyn Monroe?
Quite possibly