# Think Tank > U.S. Constitution >  Things That Are Not In the U.S. Constitution

## RSLudlum

Quite an interesting website discussing what ISN'T specifically stated in the Constitution! 

http://www.usconstitution.net/constnot.html

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## Danke

So what?  The Constitution doesn't grant rights.

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## Kludge

> So what?  The Constitution doesn't grant rights.

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## Pauls' Revere

> So what?  The Constitution doesn't grant rights.


HHMMM...me thinks it does.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitut...lofrights.html
as amended.

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## MS0453

> HHMMM...me thinks it does.
> http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitut...lofrights.html
> as amended.


Did the BOR create rights or does it attempt to secure them?

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## yongrel

Many would argue that general privacy rights aren't in the Constitution, only specific instances where an individual has the right to privacy.

I'm not among them, but their position makes for an interesting conversation.

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## Truth Warrior

Oh, you mean the about ~99.99% of the current Federal government?

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## hypnagogue

The only entity that the Constitution grants rights to is the Federal Government. We retain everything not specifically given to them.

More and more I'm beginning to agree with the arguments of some of the drafters that the Bill of Rights could become a mistake. People look at it as an exhaustive list of rights, when it would be better to view it as a list of important examples.

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## Truth Warrior

The late addition of a Bill of Rights was an unwanted "compromise" tactic, to assist the Federalists in the Constitution conventions ratification process. ( Article VII )

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## FreeTraveler

> Amendment IX
> The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.


Paul's Revere - sorry, but if it granted rights, the Ninth Amendment would not be included. The Bill of Rights is a group of clear statements that define how FedGov is to act in regard to certain rights. All other rights are retained by the people.

Yongrel - general privacy rights are not addressed in the Bill of Rights, and therefore the Ninth Amendment guarantees your right to privacy.

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## Truth Warrior

Check out Amendment X. ( X the ( apparently ) unknown.  )

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## The Moog Magician

The Bill of Rights is a proven force for civil rights in American history.

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## Truth Warrior

For all of you *Jeopardy* fans: 

"I'll take 'US Government activities', for $10 million, Alex.

What are "*Things That Are Not In the U.S. Constitution"?"*

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## NaT805

I think I read this somewhere:
"The conventions of a number of the States having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to *prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers*, that further *declaratory* and *restrictive clauses* should be added."

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## ARealConservative

> The only entity that the Constitution grants rights to is the Federal Government. We retain everything not specifically given to them.
> 
> More and more I'm beginning to agree with the arguments of some of the drafters that the Bill of Rights could become a mistake. People look at it as an exhaustive list of rights, when it would be better to view it as a list of important examples.


powers...rights are individual

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## Matt Collins

> HHMMM...me thinks it does.
> as amended.


The only rights the Constitution grants to my knowledge is copyright/patent/trademark etc.

Everything else is a restriction on the government.

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## Matt Collins

> The only entity that the Constitution grants rights to is the Federal Government. We retain everything not specifically given to them.


Read the 9th and 10th Amendments and notice the specific terms.


Amendment 9 basically says "rights not written here should not be meant to ignored" while Amendment 10 basically says "if powers are not given to the Federal government, then those powers belong to the States or People"

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## bill50

The Constitution grants the government a limited number of privileges to rights that otherwise belong to man.  Even the Bill of Rights does not grant rights.  It merely points out some of the more important rights that men do have.

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## Matt Collins

> The Constitution grants the government a limited number of privileges to rights that otherwise belong to man.  Even the Bill of Rights does not grant rights.  It merely points out some of the more important rights that men do have.


Actually the Constitution grants power to the government, and guarantees rights to the People/States.

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## Truth Warrior

*The Federal Constitution Is Dead*
Kevin Gutzman on who killed it.

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## UnReconstructed

lol at rights coming from a piece of paper

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## Zippyjuan

The Constitution never set out to cover everything- only to establish the framework for how the government would deal with issues that may arrise. It says how the government was to be constructed and what part would be responsible for what.

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## hypnagogue

> Amendment 9 basically says "rights not written here should not be meant to ignored" while Amendment 10 basically says "if powers are not given to the Federal government, then those powers belong to the States or People"


 I believe that's what I said? Are you disagreeing or just pointing to the exact lines of the Constitution?

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## Truth Warrior

> lol at rights coming from a piece of paper


lol at *power* coming from a piece of paper

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## NaT805

> lol at *power* coming from a piece of paper


lol, I always use that notion with people.  "Just because someone wrote it on paper they suddenly have power over you?  When they come to your door for a raid, what do they point to saying they can violate your property?"  "A warrant?"  "Paper!"

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## Theocrat

> So what?  The Constitution doesn't grant rights.


Actually, the U.S. Constitution does grant rights. It gives rights to the federal government, not the People.

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## Matt Collins

> Actually, the U.S. Constitution does grant rights. It gives rights to the federal government, not the People.


No, it gives power to the government, not rights.

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## familydog

> No, it gives power to the government, not rights.


I disagree. The Constitution does grant rights--states rights. 

The Constitution doesn't grant rights to the people though, it protects their natural rights in two ways: the Bill of Rights, bill of attainder, ex post facto, habeaus corpus protection, and the concept of the states itself. Our founders believed that the only way to truely protect our natural rights is a system of federalism, where state and local autonomy stands above all else. These state and local governments are needed to protect our natural rights because these rights cannot be protected inherently due to their basis being in human nature. Thus, some rights are needed to be given up (to the state and local) in order to secure the whole of natural rights. A powerful central government or weak state and local governments are a way to tyrrany, according to our founders. Thus, the Constitution grants rights to the collective--the states.

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## Matt Collins

> I disagree. The Constitution does grant rights--states rights. 
> Thus, some rights are needed to be given up (to the state and local) in order to secure the whole of natural rights. A powerful central government or weak state and local governments are a way to tyrrany, according to our founders. Thus, the Constitution grants rights to the collective--the states.


Incorrect. All rights (powers) were inherent to the States. When they came together to form the Constitution they voluntarily yielded rights/powers to the Constitution. Keep in mind that the States are sovereign.

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## Truth Warrior

> lol, I always use that notion with people. "Just because someone wrote it on paper they suddenly have power over you? When they come to your door for a raid, what do they point to saying they can violate your property?" "A warrant?" "Paper!"


 That's where and when the "brainwashing" is supposed to kick in.

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## familydog

> Incorrect. All rights (powers) were inherent to the States. When they came together to form the Constitution they voluntarily yielded rights/powers to the Constitution. Keep in mind that the States are sovereign.


Inherent? Where did those inherent rights come from?

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## demolama

They come from the rights that all nations have... such as go to war, regulate trade with foreign nations, tax, etc.  These inherent rights were first done by monarchs as a part of their divine right of kings because the kings were the essence of the state.  Once the monarchy was dissolved their powers didn't go away but were resumed by whatever form of government that made up the nation.

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## Danke

> Inherent? Where did those inherent rights come from?


Your creator.

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## familydog

> Your creator.


My creator gave me, the individual, rights. My creator did not give the collective rights.

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