Last year, on Memorial Day, I was thinking about the sorry state of American politics and wondering how we ended up with a president who hadn’t even read the Constitution. I realized that was only possible because most Americans haven’t read it either. We’ve become a nation of consumers instead citizens. We expect good service from our politicians without even reading the yelp reviews before we let someone else elect them. That Memorial Day, I decided to be better than the president and read the Constitution. It took, like, 15 minutes. But when I was done, I couldn’t really remember what I read. I mean, the language is dated and there’s no plot. It’s pretty dry.
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Article One of the Constitution – Complete
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The Tonnage and Compact Clause – Constitution Article 1 §10.3
I kinda broke my rhythm for Constitutional study, but what can you do? Things slip in the summertime. But this week I’m back and ready to tackle Article 1, Section 10. The last Clause I looked at was Article 1 §10.2, which dealt with import and export duties. This is a momentous occasion, because Article 1 §10.3, aka the tonnage clause and also the compact clause is the end of Article 1. It took 13 months to finish Article 1 of seven in the Constitution!
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Artful Constitution
By Elcobbola – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11136558
On Wednesdays we study the Constitution. Usually. But I’ve gotten a bit behind because I’ve spent the last two weeks on Mt. Rainier and at a music festival. Days spent in a national park reminded me that the federal government can be a force for good when the people demand it. Days spent celebrating life through music reminded me that sometimes art speaks more loudly than scholarship. So I’m skipping the clauses today in favor of a poem.
Like the Constitution, everyone in America thinks they know Emma Lazarus’ poem, The New Colossus, but few of us have ever read the whole thing. And even fewer, it seems, understand and support it’s message.
Poetry doesn’t hold the weight of law in this country, and this poem in no way accurately describes our country the way it is. But it’s about the country we should be.
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Duties and Inspection Laws – Constitution Article 1 §10.2
On Wednesdays we study the Constitution. Last week I started Article 1, Section 10, which limits the powers of the states. Article 1 §10.1 was kind of a laundry list in parallel with the powers and limitations of Congress. This week I’m looking at Constitution Article 1 §10.2, which deals with import/export taxes, and, I’m sorry to say, is almost as boring as it sounds. But there’s alcohol at the end if you make it that far.
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Contracts Clause – Constitution Article 1 §10.1
On Wednesdays we study the Constitution. Last week I finished Article 1, Section 9 (ostensibly limiting the powers of Congress) with the Emoluments Clause. This week I’m starting Article 1, Section 10, which limits the powers of the states. Article 1 §10.1 is kind of a laundry list, and much of it parallels the powers and limitations of Congress. The Annotated Constitution has 40 pages of case law and interpretation of it’s various phrases. I’ll try to be more concise.