Founding Quotes of Note XVII

"The Constitution--which at any time exists, 'till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People--is sacredly obligatory upon all." --George Washington

I wish someone had taught the "our-Constitution-is-a-living, breathing-document"-revisionists this little tidbit as they skated through their public school years. Of course, I suppose expecting government schools actually to dwell on our Founders' intentions is much like expecting to get through the checkout line at Wal-Mart quickly: it jest ain't gonna happen. By the way, for all those who believe our founding document is more malleable than Play-Doh, I have a question: If the Constitution should be defined and reinterpreted to fit the times, why was a clear means of revising the document included within it? I'm referring to the amendment process. This is the method its authors found best for change--this and no other. Doesn't this belie the whole contemporary, situational interpretation of its words? Rather than a "living, breathing, palpitating" document, I see it as one that has fallen into respiratory failure--asphyxiated by black-robed relativism--and dead on arrival.