Liberty for All: Reclaiming Individual Privacy in a New Era of Public MoralityYale University Press, 2008 M10 1 - 304 pages divIn the opening chapter of this book, Elizabeth Price Foley writes, “The slow, steady, and silent subversion of the Constitution has been a revolution that Americans appear to have slept through, unaware that the blessings of liberty bestowed upon them by the founding generation were being eroded.” She proceeds to explain how, by abandoning the founding principles of limited government and individual liberty, we have become entangled in a labyrinth of laws that regulate virtually every aspect of behavior and limit what we can say, read, see, consume, and do. Foley contends that the United States has become a nation of too many laws where citizens retain precious few pockets of individual liberty. With a close analysis of urgent constitutional questions—abortion, physician-assisted suicide, medical marijuana, gay marriage, cloning, and U.S. drug policy—Foley shows how current constitutional interpretation has gone astray. Without the bias of any particular political agenda, she argues convincingly that we need to return to original conceptions of the Constitution and restore personal freedoms that have gradually diminished over time./DIV |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 62
Page x
... of special interest groups. As Thomas Jefferson put it back in 1787, “Lethargy [is] the forerunner of death to the public liberty.” Many liberals seem to have concluded that amendment-through-interpretation is a Preface x.
... of special interest groups. As Thomas Jefferson put it back in 1787, “Lethargy [is] the forerunner of death to the public liberty.” Many liberals seem to have concluded that amendment-through-interpretation is a Preface x.
Page xi
... concluded that amendment-through-interpretation is a net societal good, since it has generally allowed desired changes to oc- cur. For example, the Court's infamous “switch in time that saved nine” during the New Deal is hailed by ...
... concluded that amendment-through-interpretation is a net societal good, since it has generally allowed desired changes to oc- cur. For example, the Court's infamous “switch in time that saved nine” during the New Deal is hailed by ...
Page xiii
... concluded that “liberty for all” was meant to be the pre-eminent value underlying American law. If this is deemed ideological (undoubtedly it will by those who think that all constitutional theory is inherently ideological), it at least ...
... concluded that “liberty for all” was meant to be the pre-eminent value underlying American law. If this is deemed ideological (undoubtedly it will by those who think that all constitutional theory is inherently ideological), it at least ...
Page 17
... conclude that these incipient American states did not genuinely embrace them. But these early laws—adopted at a time when states were colonies of the British empire—are reflective of British norms in governing, not American. The ...
... conclude that these incipient American states did not genuinely embrace them. But these early laws—adopted at a time when states were colonies of the British empire—are reflective of British norms in governing, not American. The ...
Page 24
... conclude, based on the plain language, that many of the provisions applied to the state and federal governments equally. A similar conclusion was reached by the Mississippi Supreme Court in 1823: “The defendant's counsel relied much ...
... conclude, based on the plain language, that many of the provisions applied to the state and federal governments equally. A similar conclusion was reached by the Mississippi Supreme Court in 1823: “The defendant's counsel relied much ...
Contents
1 | |
8 | |
41 | |
4 Marriage | 65 |
5 Sex | 102 |
6 Reproduction | 131 |
7 Medical Care | 151 |
8 Food Drugs and Alcohol | 178 |
Notes | 199 |
Index | 281 |
Other editions - View all
Liberty for All: Reclaiming Individual Privacy in a New Era of Public Morality Elizabeth Price Foley No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
abuse activity adultery adults allow Amendment American law applied asserted associated authority basis believe Bill of Rights cause citizens civil cloning Code common concluded consent considered constitutional Consumers couples created crime criminal decision defined designed drugs effects embryos enacted equal evidence example exercise existence fact federal first governmental power granted harm human important individual liberty individual sovereignty injury institution interests involve Justice Lawrence legislative legitimate limited lives majority marijuana marriage married means morality of American nature obscenity original person police power political potential prevent principle prohibiting prostitution protect public morality punishment question reasonable recent recognized regulate relationship respect restricting result risk same-sex secure sexual society specific Stat statute substance suggests suicide Supreme Court tion tort United women