The PreAmble to the Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights was a specifically negotiated and planned addition to the U. S. Constitution as an assurance to guard against the federal government from becoming too powerful and to protect Individual Rights and there is importance to its PreAmble.
The focus of the Bill of Rights is usually made upon the ten Amendments to the U. S. Constitution, which comprise the Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights are the only amendments to the Constitution planned with a PreAmble and presented and ratified as a group of ten amendments.
This PreAmble notes the purpose of the Bill of Rights and refers to the Fifth Article of the U. S. Constitution, which provides for amendments and the requirements for an amendment.
The exact transcript of the PreAmble to the Bill of Rights:
Congress of the United States
begun and held at the City of New-York, on
Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.
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: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.
RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring,
that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.
ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.
Did You Know?
Originally, there were twelve (12) proposed amendments for the Bill of Rights. See the coming TFP article for that info!
-The Founding Project Administrative Staff Writer
http://www.billofrights.org https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript
The average person misses an important point when we refer to these ten amendments as our “Bill of Rights” and thinks that it represents the government deciding to be nice and grant us rights that we wouldn’t have otherwise.
HUGE MISTAKE!
The key words are not “Here are your rights…” but “CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW…”
The whole basis of the “Bill of Rights” was to impose limits on the government, specifically the federal government. That’s the whole genius of our system that people don’t get! Because of evil in the world, especially evil men, we need government to protect us. However as Washington said, to resort to the government for protection was like utilizing fire; “a fearful master” he called it. Because what prevents the government itself from becoming bad, and evildoers utilizing it? That’s why the constitution provides a limited government.
The problem with thinking that the “Bill of Rights” or anything else related to government as granting us rights, means that the government considers itself in control of what rights we have and don’t have. What they give, they can take away. Look at the constitutions of many dictatorships. The government grants rights at its discretion with the possibility of taking them away, and that’s usually what happens.
You are correct. This is why the US is a republic and not a democracy and why our Constitution was written as it was. In a democracy, the majority can vote away the rights of the minority. In a Republic, individual rights are assured and are unalienable. Our government is controlled by THE PEOPLE. We just don’t always stay diligent with our duty to control it.