January 18, 2011 10:41:19 AM
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John P MacKenzie
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The enforcement provisions of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments
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We want to hear about your favorite passage of the constitution, and may invite you to follow up on-air or online. Need a refresher? Here it is.
They say that Congress may enforce the post-Civil War amendments "by appropriate legislation." The Warren Court interpreted this broadly, broadening equal protection and voting rights. The activist Bush courts have betrayed that principle by deciding for themselves what's "appropriate," narrowing democratic power. The enforcement provisions need to be better understood, by the public and by the Supreme Court.
(Hardly need to say how important the First Amendment is, but that said.... )
