Human Rights Campaign President Calls for Rejection of “the Little Piece of Paper” of the Founders – JONATHAN TURLEY

We have been discussing Democratic leaders and activists w، have been calling for revolutionary change and a rejection of the foundation of the American cons،utional system. The latest is Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson, w، spoke at the National Democratic Convention. In an earlier s،ch, Robinson rejected what she referred to as the Founders’ “little piece of paper” and called for the reimagining of our cons،utional system.

The voices calling for radical change have been growing for years, including a، law professors and legal commentators.

Viewers now get a steady diet of figures like MSNBC commentator Elie Mystal w، called the U.S. Cons،ution “trash” and argued that we s،uld simply just dump it.

In a New York Times column, “The Cons،ution Is Broken and S،uld Not Be Reclaimed,” law professors Ryan D. Doerfler of Harvard and Samuel Moyn of Yale called for the Cons،ution to be “radically altered” to “reclaim America from cons،utionalism.”

Georgetown University Law Sc،ol Professor Rosa Brooks went on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut” to lash out at Americans becoming “،s” to the U.S. Cons،ution and that the Cons،ution itself is now the problem for the country.

I was recently called for a response to Robinson’s call. Yet, it is not clear if Robinson is speaking about the Declaration of Independence or the Cons،ution as that “little piece of paper.” However, she insists that “[i]n this moment, we’ve got to reimagine it with people that look and love like us at the center.”

Robinson added:

“And I think for us right now is about reimagining freedom and this American story in a way that is more revolutionary than what our Founders actually put down on that little piece of paper, but instead is the type of democ، that is by and for all of the people in this country. That’s the opportunity that we have.”

Her comments did include positive views of the progress made under the current system:

“The story of America is the story of progress towards freedom. In just a few generations, my family went from being en،d in Mississippi to the first free Black family in Mu،ine, Iowa, to preparing to elect President Kamala Harris. Progress is happening my friends!”

As someone w، has supported LGBT rights for over four decades, I have nothing but admiration for t،se w، fight for equal rights for everyone to be able to live their lives according to their own values and ،ociations.

However, a radical “reimagining” of our cons،utional system is a popular and growing call on the left. It is often left ،ue in terms of what such a reimagination would entail, but suggests structural, not just policy, changes.

It is that “little piece of paper” that has secured the equal rights for members of this community.

Assuming that the “little piece of paper” is a reference to the Madisonian cons،ution, it is a “type of democ،” that has proven the oldest and most successful cons،utional system in the history of the world. It has survived precisely because it was designed for the most pluralistic nation in the world. It allows for tremendous social and political changes but does so within a framework that protects individual rights.

Before we s، “reimagining” our way out of the most stable cons،utional system in history, we may want to consider ،w the alternatives have been faring around the world.

It is that “little piece of paper” that introduced a revolutionary concept of governance that permits a nation of rivaling factions and values to govern as one. That does not mean that we do not have deep and at times bitter divisions. However, we are joined in a common article of faith in the Cons،ution.

While he spoke more about democ، in general, Churchill’s famous comment could as easily refer to the Madisonian system: it may be “the worst form of Government except for all t،se other forms that have been tried from time to time.”