Rights and Liberties in the Constitution

Rights and Liberties in the Constitution The US Constitution guarantees a number of rights and liberties to US citizens.   The right to trial by jury in criminal cases is guaranteed. (Article 3, Section 2)The citizens of each state are entitled to the privileges and immunities of the citizens of every other state. (Article 4, Section 2)The requirement of a Writ of habeas corpus may not be suspended except during invasion or rebellion. (Article 1, Section 9)Neither Congress nor the states can pass a bill of attainder.  (Article 1, Section 9)  Neither Congress nor the states can pass ex-post facto laws.  (Article 1, Section 9)  No law impairing the obligation of contracts may be passed by states.  (Article 1, Section 10)  No religious test or qualification for holding federal office is allowed. (Article 6)No titles of nobility would be allowed.  (Article 1, Section 9)   A Bill of Rights The framers at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 felt that these eight rights were necessary to protect the citizens of the United States. However, many individuals not present felt that the Constitution could not be ratified without the addition of a Bill of Rights. In fact, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson argued that not including the rights that would eventually be written into the first ten amendments to the Constitution was unconscionable. As Jefferson wrote to James Madison, the Father of the Constitution,,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no government should refuse, or rest on inference.†Ã‚   Why Wasnt Freedom of Speech Included? The reason why many of the framers of the Constitution did not include rights such as freedom of speech and religion in the body of the Constitution was that they felt that listing out these rights would, in fact, restrict freedoms. In other words, there was a general belief that by enumerating specific rights guaranteed to citizens, the implication would be that these were granted by the government instead of being natural rights that all individuals should have from birth. Further, by specifically naming rights, this would, in turn, mean that those not specifically named would not be protected. Others including Alexander Hamilton felt that protecting rights should be done at the state instead of the federal level.   Madison, however, saw the importance of adding the Bill of Rights and wrote the amendments that would eventually be added in order to assure ratification by the states.

Rankle

Rankle Rankle Rankle By Maeve Maddox A reader declares: I rankle Or get rankled when I hear someone, usually, an athlete, is under rated. What does this mean? The question asks about the term underrated, but this post will focus mainly on rankle. First, the verb underrate: underrate: to estimate at too low a value or worth. Ex. Research shows men tend to overrate themselves and women underrate themselves. Further explanation of underrate does not seem necessary. The reader is correct in the observation that the term is frequently used in reference to athletes. For example, a Google search brings up several lists of â€Å"the most underrated sports figures†: 10 Most Underrated Athletes of All Time The 25 Most Underrated Sports Superstars of All Time The List: Underrated all-time athletes 10 of the most underrated sports stars of all time The 5 Most Underrated Athletes The 25 Greatest Underrated NBA Players of All Time Now, to rankle. Taken into English from Old French, the verb rankle initially meant â€Å"to fester† or â€Å"to suppurate.† A wound that rankled was in the process of rotting. Over time, the word has dwindled in figurative use to mean to annoy or to irritate. Rankle conveys a sense of ongoing emotional hurt or bitterness. The verb may be used transitively or intransitively. Here are examples of current use: After less than three months on the job, LePage has already managed to rankle more constituencies with his bluntness than any Maine governor in recent memory.- Deseret News Christie’s Cowboys Support Rankles Some New Jersey Residents- Wall Street Journal My father didn’t get his due. That still rankles.- Shadaab Khan $10 bill change rankles descendant of Alexander Hamilton- New York Times [Rod] Serling was not just another freelancer and he rankled at the perceived affront to his work- Jeannot Szwarc Are you rankled by your cankles? A new liposuction treatment may help- Daily Mail Note: The word cankle is a new one on me. Word flags it as a misspelling. Cankle does not appear in the OED or on the Ngram Viewer, but Merriam-Webster offers a citation from The Philadelphia Inquirer dated 2001 and defines cankle as: a wide, thick, or fat ankle that appears indistinguishable from the lower calf. Cankle is a portmanteau: calf + ankle. As for rankle, It’s a good word to convey a festering annoyance of long duration. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†Hyper and HypoUsing Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm