The conversation was about a different medication, but it could have been any medication.
"Where does the Constitution give you a right to that?"
"Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness!"
You know, you have every right to pursue happiness, but no where (not even in the Declaration of Independence), is it written that you have a right to the guarantee you'll get it. You have the right to buy aspirin, if that is what you think will bring you happiness, but not a right to make me pay for your aspirin. You see, that infringes on my right to Liberty, to spend my money as I see fit.
There are many things that would be nice and many things that "someone" should do something about, but not every one of those things should be done by government. Wouldn't it be nice if you could walk into any restaurant and get fed for free? No one would ever have to be hungry if that were the case.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could just go to the doctor and he would treat whatever ailed you? Or go to the pharmacy and they'd give you all the aspirin your pursuit of happiness could demand? In such a utopia, you wouldn't even need or want to work! Then you could just walk over to the car lot and pick out whatever car you wanted. You'd just walk in and find no waiters, doctors, or pharmacists, and no cars, because they could just walk into a restaurant of their choosing and eat too. Why go learn medicine, since you were able to eat for free! Why serve someone a meal when you could get one served to you for free! It'd end hunger and solve the health care debate. Why didn't the Founding Fathers think of that!?!
The funny thing is the silence you get when you ask someone: "Where does the Constitution authorize the US Government to do that?" In so many cases, it doesn't, but they don't know that because they don't know what the US Constitution says. Some will say: "Well, that's for the experts to decide!" NO, it is not. The US Constitution specifically limits the government and protects the People from it, because the Founding Fathers knew politicians would ever seek to increase their own power. The Founding Fathers repeatedly said that the government derives its power from the people, and the people have a responsibility to keep tabs on the politicians.
"But the Constitution guarantees a separation of church and state.' "
No, it doesn't. It says the government cannot "prohibit the free exercise of" religion, nor "establish a religion." I.e. there is no Church of America (as there is a Church of England), nor can the government tell a church (or mosque or temple) what to preach from the pulpit. An American Indian shaman can legally use peyote in his ceremonies, though it is illegal for other Citizens to imbibe.
Half of the Constitution (Article 1) is devoted to what the Congress has responsibility and authority to do, as well as what it can't do, and how it is made up. That was nearly two of the original pages. About 20% was devoted to Presidential powers (Article 2). While he was a part of the approval process of legislation, of the People's Representatives, his primary duty is to preside (not rule) over the day to day business of the government. A little more than a quarter of the Constitution, i.e. the rest, reserved all other powers to the People or their State Governments, including the 1/15th they devoted to explaining that governmental disputes would be resolved by Supreme Court.
Am I an expert? No. I am a Citizen. I have the same responsibilities as you, to know what the Constitution says. That's the beauty of the Constitution; It's written in plain English. You don't need a law degree, or even an English degree to understand it. But if you had to choose, the English degree would help more than the law degree. Even a Junior High School understanding of English should suffice to understand what is written. A 12th grade level is better, but if you run into a question as to what a semi-colon means (there's a lot of them in it), you can either look it up in a grammar guide, online, or ask an English major. They love the semi-colon. It'll make their day that you noticed they still exist.
Much of the current spending of the US Government does not meet the question of Constitutional authorization. But don't trust me, and don't wait for the "experts" to decide it does. Go read the Constitution for yourself, and then contrast that with the Federal Government programs you know of. And no, don't get upset that you don't know them all. Congress and the President don't even know them all. They don't even bother to write them all out anymore. They pass "Omnibus Spending" bills so they don't have to spend all that time figuring out what they're blowing YOUR money on.
Stumble It!
