[regular.joe]

O.K., I'm back for more. Food for thought.

The definition of constitution in the context in which we have been using it is: the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed...or... the document embodying these principles.

The document that embodies the principles according to which the United States is governed.

Principles. I'm going to include the entire compliment of definitions:

1. an accepted or professed rule of action or conduct: a person of good moral principles.
2. a fundamental, primary, or general law or truth from which others are derived: the principles of modern physics.
3. a fundamental doctrine or tenet; a distinctive ruling opinion: the principles of the Stoics.
4. principles, a personal or specific basis of conduct or management: to adhere to one's principles; a kindergarten run on modern principles.
5. guiding sense of the requirements and obligations of right conduct: a person of principle.
6. an adopted rule or method for application in action: a working principle for general use.
7. a rule or law exemplified in natural phenomena, the construction or operation of a machine, the working of a system, or the like: the principle of capillary attraction.
8. the method of formation, operation, or procedure exhibited in a given case: a community organized on the patriarchal principle.
9. a determining characteristic of something; essential quality.
10. an originating or actuating agency or force: growth is the principle of life.
11. an actuating agency in the mind or character, as an instinct, faculty, or natural tendency: the principles of human behavior.
12. Chemistry. a constituent of a substance, esp. one giving to it some distinctive quality or effect.
13. Obsolete. beginning or commencement.
—Idioms
14. in principle, in essence or substance; fundamentally: to accept a plan in principle.
15. on principle,
a. according to personal rules for right conduct; as a matter of moral principle: He refused on principle to agree to the terms of the treaty.
b. according to a fixed rule, method, or practice: He drank hot milk every night on principle.

So, what are the principles embodied by our constitution? Just a question. I think they can be found in the opening paragraph.

I stand by my statements earlier. General welfare is not dealing with only the defense of the nation.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Definition of the coma: the sign (,), a mark of punctuation used for indicating a division in a sentence, as in setting off a word, phrase, or clause, esp. when such a division is accompanied by a slight pause or is to be noted in order to give order to the sequential elements of the sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list, to mark off thousands in numerals, to separate types or levels of information in bibliographic and other data, and, in Europe, as a decimal point.

We've had to go into some discussion as to the meaning of these things. It's important to understand perhaps.

Notice the coma between the phrase "provide for the common defence", and the phrase "promote the general Welfare". It is no mistake later that among the powers given to congress is to provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States. Hey, two of the different things that were outlined in the opening paragraph of the document.

So, if the people elected to congress, decide to pass a law for the general welfare of the United States, and that law deals with immigration they are well with within the spirit and principle of the Constitution. The constitution is not law, it is the document that embodies the principles which formed our nation and governmental system. Congress makes the laws.

As an example, in 1974 there was a law passed enacting a national speed limit of 55 MPH. It does not specify in the constitution that congress can do that. The law was not repealed on it's constitutionality or lack there of. The law was enforce until 1995 when it was passed back to the states. Although the constitution does not specifically give congress this ability to set a national speed limit, they did just that based on the general welfare of the U.S.