I get a little annoyed whenever I see people in the news debating whether or not some law or some part of the government’s behavior is “unconstitutional”, as if violating the U.S. Constitution is some heinous and morally reprehensible act.
Practically speaking, life is just a game, and the Constitution simply sets up some basic rules for the game. Without rules, the game wouldn’t be very fun, so I’ll admit that people who violate the rules deserve to be criticized and punished for playing unfairly.
On the other hand, pundits take the argument too far when they start invoking the philosophical intentions of the “Founding Fathers”, as if those people who founded this country were some infallible, all-knowing geniuses or gods who constructed some perfect formula that can be applied to any future scenario in order to always arrive at the right answer. They weren’t. They were an arbitrary set of people, at an arbitrary point in history, creating an arbitrary set of rules.
It’s true the Constitution can be amended, but the amendment process is fallible too. It’s governed by politicians who are voted into office by ordinary and potentially ignorant citizens and whose opinions vary based on the culture of the day.
There is no absolute right and wrong. While the Constitution may help keep order in society, it was and always will be created by mortal human beings. It’s neither magic nor holy. It’s just a piece of paper.
