Our forefathers created the constitution with the intentions of having there be a great deal of ambiguity, allowing for changes, and by allowing for differing views of the document. They realized then that in order for the constitution to remain relevant in the future, it must be able to evolve, and that is what they specifically had in mind when they created the constitution in a vague manner. It laid the basic groundwork for the structure of our republican democracy today. And, although it may not be perfect, it certainly has withstood the test of time, and is very much of relevance today.
Given the vagueness of some of the most significant clauses in the constitution which are the commerce clause, the executive powers clause, and the necessary
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A good example of this is the fourth amendment. Since there was no mention of the constitution saying anything about one’s privacy, our forefathers realized this as being necessary to a person’s natural rights and added it to the constitution. According to Swindle (2013), “our founders believed that freedom from government intrusion into one’s homes is a natural right and fundamental to liberty.” With this amendment being part of the constitution, then why has the government, as of late, been accused of spying on its own people after the terrorist attacks of 2001? Isn’t it our fundamental right to be granted privacy as citizens of the United States? The Patriot Act of 2001 basically gives government agencies the right to do whatever they deem necessary to thwart another attack on our home soil. This involves spying on an unprecedented scale on U.S. citizens. I believe this Act is necessary but it raises the question of why does this Act go against the Fourth Amendment? It is because of the ambiguous nature of the Amendment which allows for differing interpretations which is why the Patriot Act could have been created. At the end of the day, although this act may seem to infringe upon the people’s freedoms, it does protect