Is there an American history tutor in the house? 'Cause Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-MN, needs one bad. The Tea Party's fave said that "the very founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States....Men like John Quincy Adams, who would not rest until slavery was extinguished in the country”.
It is true that John Quincy Adams didn’t rest before slavery ended and that’s because he was dead.
John Quincy Adams was so against slavery he became a leading opponent of the Slave Power and argued that if a civil war ever broke out the president could abolish slavery by using his war powers, a correct prediction of Abraham Lincoln's use of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
The debate of slavery didn’t start until Hamilton’s presidency. In Fact George Washington was a member of the House of Burgesses which drafted a petition to the throne labeling the importation of slaves into the colonies from the coast of Africa "a trade of great inhumanity" And two years later he was certainly involved in the composition of the July 1774 Fairfax Resolves one of the resolutions of which recommended that no slaves should be imported into the British colonies. The resolutions took the opportunity of "declaring our most earnest Wishes to see an entire Stop forever put to such a wicked cruel and unnatural Trade." On the other hand in 1772 Washington himself purchased five additional slaves for use on his plantations.
In her speech, Bachmann makes the case that those that founded this country, wrote the constitution - didn't agree with slavery.
Section 2 of Article I states that apart from free persons "all other persons," meaning slaves, are each to be counted as three-fifths of a white person for the purpose of apportioning congressional representatives on the basis of population. Section 9 of Article I states that the importation of "such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit," meaning slaves, would be permitted until 1808.
And Section 2 of Article IV directs that persons "held to Service or Labor in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another," meaning fugitive slaves, were to be returned to their owners.
It’s hard to imagine that someone who represents a population of 614,935, has the backing from such, to make such comments that challenge everything that we were taught in elementary school.
It’s hard to imagine that her constituents would elect someone so uneducated to represent them.
This isn’t the first time we have heard from the uneducated members of congress or those trying to get there.
• Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (R-New Jersey) made a very impassioned speech about the constitution but couldn’t get it right. Article 1 Section 1, he said was Free Speech. The Constitution tells us that Article 1 section 1 is - All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. What’s even more impressive here is that Articles don’t contain any of the Constitutional rights per say. The describe legislative powers, Executive powers, Rules of elections, term limits, presidential powers, ETC.
• Christine O'Donnell got tangled in the First Amendment, appearing unaware it separates religion and government.
• Sharron Angle from Nevada who almost took Harry Reid’s seat offered her interpretation of the constitution by saying “the second amendment ensures our right to free speech”….Perhaps that’s what she meant by “second amendment remedies”?
• Congressman Hare (D-ILL) was asked a question about the Affordable Care Act (or as the republicans call it “ObamaCare”) whether it was constitutional or not and instead of giving an intelligent answer, he said “don’t worry about the constitution”. When those challenging the new law’s only basis for suit is the Commerce Clause, but a interesting one that could throw the new law into limbo once it reaches the Supreme Court.
Don’t worry? Thinking the 2nd amendment is about free speech? Or that ANY Article in the constitution pertains to any of the rights found in the Amendments? What is our nation coming to when it’s people elect uneducated people to our nation’s highest offices?
So clearly this may appear to be a rant, but in the true fashion, it’s a rant against the American people, not those fortunate to get elected. It’s high time we set standards when we vote for those we send to Capitol Hill. And even more so, to our state houses and state and local elected offices.
Can you imagine a nation where the people we elect are smart, well traveled, educated by our best educational institutions? Perhaps then we will see to fruition all of the strong policy that the American people demand from it’s government.
Take the time, investigate your candidates and expect a higher degree of education from our leaders. If a blue chip or fortune 500 wouldn’t hire a well educated person. Why should we hire them to represent us?
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