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Third Amendment

I often wondered why such a trivial provision should find it's way into a constitution.

It did occur to me that the "founding fathers" took the whole constitution rather less seriously than USAians do nowadays when it seems to be treated as if it were divinely inspired.
 
Nikk said:
I often wondered why such a trivial provision should find it's way into a constitution.

It did occur to me that the "founding fathers" took the whole constitution rather less seriously than USAians do nowadays when it seems to be treated as if it were divinely inspired.
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It wasnt trival at the time. The colonists were pissed off that they had to house n feed the Brit troops.

If the Bill o Rights was written today I'd be totally different.
 
A few years ago, I put up a series of signs around the office calling for the "repeal of the Third Amendment". I thought they were rather amusing. :D
 
Tmy said:
It wasnt trival at the time. The colonists were pissed off that they had to house n feed the Brit troops.

If the Bill o Rights was written today I'd be totally different.
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But it was trivial. It is a minor offshoot of beliefs and values concerning property rights.

This sort of thing can be dealt with by routine subsidiary legislation relating to raising and funding an armed force . It is not fundamental to a country's political structure.
 
Nikk said:
But it was trivial. It is a minor offshoot of beliefs and values concerning property rights.

This sort of thing can be dealt with by routine subsidiary legislation relating to raising and funding an armed force . It is not fundamental to a country's political structure.
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It was certainly not trivial. Quartering troops in American homes was a burdensome and oppressive tactic to control the colonists.

You're suggesting having the government write legislation to prevent the government from oppressing the people? I think you've managed to completely miss the point of the US Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights.
 
Yeah, it tends to be a little tough to practice your freedom to dissent against the ruling party if the ruling party can station armed troops in your home and monitor your political beliefs, socializations, and attempts to organize political opposition through those troops. Good old King George III and his buddies new this and barracked troops in folks homes specifically for these reasons (and to save a few pounds). Quite happy to have that provision in there myself.
 
rdtjr said:
Yeah, it tends to be a little tough to practice your freedom to dissent against the ruling party if the ruling party can station armed troops in your home and monitor your political beliefs, socializations, and attempts to organize political opposition through those troops. Good old King George III and his buddies new this and barracked troops in folks homes specifically for these reasons (and to save a few pounds). Quite happy to have that provision in there myself.
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It is my sense that in 2004 there are more effective ways for the govt to snoop on me. When the troops are in my house, I am quick to ix-nay on the ot-play.
 
Nikk said:
But it was trivial. It is a minor offshoot of beliefs and values concerning property rights.
Click to expand...

I've read some Irish history, and this was a really big part of the oppression of Ireland. And they wouldn't just sleep in the homes. If they were quartered in your neighborhood, they were expected to be fed, too. That's kind of a problem if you are a subsistence farmer who can barely feed himself and his family.
 
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