Liberal Forum

IkeBana » 22 Aug 2022, 6:39 pm » wrote: ↑

22 Aug 2022, 6:39 pm

The founders would be ripping out their wooden teeth over a prohibition to abortion before the quickening.  And they would be having the same reaction to the government interfering in any American's choices about what sort of substances they chose to put in their bodies.

No?

I don't doubt they would favor choice with regard to pregnancy.

As regards substance use, there is good evidence they'd have favored significant governmental regulation. Their inclusion of eminent domain laws demonstrates their conviction that society qua society has rights and powers above those of the individual. There is also the bit about congress having authority to "raise armies." Anyone who cares a whit for both honesty and context will admit this is a reference in the founding document to the right of society to conscript citizens and force them to fight in wars. That's a pretty extreme curtailment of liberty to serve a public purpose - every bit as extreme as prohibition, and more. 

That said, the notion that they'd have seen any case for prohibition is laughable - and is utterly contrary to the plain language of the Constitution. Regulation? Absolutely. Prohibition? Absolutely not.