Seven strokes of genius in the constitution

There is a whole list of things that make the constitution a work a genius:

1.  The constitution is a short document with few words.  Take a look at any legislation today.  It typically runs above 1000 pages.  Legislation obfuscates what the legislation actually does with its length and its verbage.  The constitution, written hundreds of years ago is much clearer and more concise.  Unlike today's legislation, it is meant to be understood.

2.  Freedom of religion.  It means that there are no people made into second class citizens because of their religion.  It keeps any religion from dominating people of other religions.  Belief in that right allows people of various religions to coexist and practice their religions without conflicts seen in the Middle East.

3.  Limits on the federal government.  The federal government has ignored these limits in a lot of different ways.  However, back when the federal government was limited in its scope, the cost of government was a tiny fraction of what it is today.  People could not vote money for themselves through legislators who buy their votes with taxpayer money.

4.  The requirement to treat all states equally.  This keeps congress from writing laws that favor one state over another.  It also makes the bribe to Nebraska and Louisianna written into the proposed health care legislation unconstitutional. 

5.  The right to bear arms.  As much as I fear another Columbine incident, I fear what the federal government can do even more.  If you do not believe that just take a look at what Stalin did to the USSR citizens or what Mao did to the Chinese citizens, or what Pol Pot did to the citizens of Cambodia.  The right to bear arms is what stands in the way of the federal government going amok.

6.  Freedom of the press.  This is even more important now that there is an internet.  Government does many things in secret.  And sometimes what it does in secret is wrong.  Freedom of the press is the only check against that.

7.  Bicameral legislation.  This keeps the larger states with their greater representation from running roughshod over the smaller states.  It also makes laws harder to pass.  Fewer laws are better laws.