1434 Commstitution

The American Constitution is amazing. It’s survived as the guidebook legal document for our country for over 200 years, from woodfires and slaves to nuclear power plants and robots, and has done so remarkably well, with only 27 amendments so far.
It’s interesting to note that the first 10 amendments were added before it could even be ratified by the states but, you know, it’s hard to please everybody. Even the Founding Fathers, sage compromisers that they were, failed to make their living document lively enough to pass first muster.
Constitutional originalists take note.
But what’s most interesting to me, who’s often had the pleasure of working with groups of people, is how the constitution ended up as good as it did, considering it was made by a committee.
Recent large public documents by committee have not been as successful or healthy.
Part of the constitution’s success is it’s vague enough to allow for interpretation. That’s why we have a Supreme Court. Both because the constitution called for it and because the constitution calls for it.
Supreme Court Justices are called upon to decide things over which reasonable people disagree. The hard questions. Decided by smart guys. You hope.
So it was particularly discouraging the other day when I read how Justice Clarence Thomas is having to amend his financial disclosure forms to include $680,000 his wife received from a conservative think tank.
Justice Thomas said his omission resulted from a “misunderstanding” of the filing instructions. Well that’s a relief. If even a Supreme Court Justice has a problem with a legal document, I don’t feel so stupid.
Still, must be an ego-deflator to be the Supreme Legal Judge of the land and have to hire an ordinary lawyer to explain things.
Darn those pesky confusing legal documents...
America, ya gotta love it.