WTF? O'Reilly Just Claimed the Magna Carta Didn't Influence the Const.!

[liberalpragmatist]

:wtf:

O'Reilly had on two guests -- a Cardoza Law School Professor and some judge -- the Fox News "Judicial Analyst". They were talking abt the 10 Commandments/Roy Moore controversy and discussing a constitutional proposal to allow displays of the 10 commandments, prayer in schools, the pledge of allegiance, and other Christian religious displays (ALL of them).

O'Reilly and the Judicial Analyst claimed that the 10 Commandments were a historical display b/c they were the originator of our law! The Law Professor objected, citing the TRUTH that the constitution and the American legal system is based on the Magna Carta, English Common Law, the English Bill of Rights, Hammurabi's Law Code, and other historical examples.

Then O'Reilly (and his brilliant "Judicial Analyst") claimed that the Magna Carta had ZERO influence on the Constitution. Then, demonstrating his considerable ignorance, he went on to claim that there was no way in hell that the Americans would have based their legal system on the Magna Carta and English common law because we just fought a war against the British, who were our enemy! Then, demonstrating this ignorance even more fully, he declared that the Magna Carta was the antithesis of the Constitution (not in those words) and that it set up a hierarchical system that was diametrically opposed to the "American" idea of "all men created equal" (which, according to him comes from the 10 commandments and the Bible) since the Magna Carta declared the King could do whatever he wanted!

This is shocking (though I guess I shouldn't be so shocked -- it is O'Reilly after all...I admit I watch him from time to time, I need laughs like this one). Tell me, I'm not an expert on the Bible (and I don't mean to deface Christianity or the 10 commandments or anything) but WHERE in the 10 commandments does it say anything about "all men are created equal"? The ten commandments say things like "you shall have no other gods before me" and prohibitions on adultery, idol worship, speaking God's name in vain, jealousy, plus a demand to keep the sabbath holy. The only ones that relate to ANY American law are "thou shalt not murder," and "thou shalt not steal," and those are contained within EVERY single law code in history!

Ok -- rant over.

[Ilsa]

1. Geez, even the extreme

reich-winger lawyers have to be cringing over his stupidity!

Thanks for the post. I never watch O'Reilly.

[King Bush II]

2. how anyone can be as stupid as him

and yet be in such a position of power is mind boggling. the fact that anybody would ever believe anything he says is even more frustrating.

[Cush]

3. Well duh

It was based on the Bible and all the people who created the Peabody Awards /sarcasm

[truebrit71]

4. What a complete idiot...

just a complete and total moron....

[roguevalley]

5. well, its obvious he didn't pay attention in class.

no one in their right mind believes that the Bible is
the basis for our system of law. Perhaps our philosophy
and conduct have been INFLUENCED by it but not our
system of law.

RV, who saw the Magna Carta and was amazed that it wasn't
in courier new font. ;)

[Composed Thinker]

9. Well, you might be able to make the case...

that the Ten Commandments influenced our laws. But haven't they influenced a lot of similar things?

[Walt Starr]

22. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH LAW

Damn, I am SO SICK of pointing out how nonsensical this is.

Only two out of ten have anything to do with the law, and those are so generic as to exist in all cultures regardless of religion.

[Kat 333]

21. He was too busy

telling everyone to "Shut Up" ??? Pathetic idiot ...

"In the half-decade his top-rated show has been on the air, he's called for the muzzling of practically everybody. At the rate O'Reilly is going, he'll be the only person allowed to speak in a couple of years. Which, I suppose, is his master plan. Here are excerpts from his show:"

http://slate.msn.com/id/2087706/

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. Don't watch big Zero

but according to Al Franken in his excellent interview on Fresh Air today, O'Reilly went to a private school. My question is, what in the world did they teach him?????????

[rusty charly]

7. from this week's newyorker

As a national platitude, at the “In God We Trust” level of things, this seems unexceptionable to everyone except those who might be called card-carrying atheists, people who become litigious every time they hear a reference to God in a public place. What makes the Roy’s Rock story so bizarre, though, is that the Justice’s chosen symbol completely subverts the point it is supposed to make. Of the Bible’s Ten Commandments, only two (VI and VIII) proscribe activities that secular law regards as criminal. It is not illegal in the United States to: have another god before Yahweh; manufacture graven images (for instance, pieces of granite with Scriptural texts carved on them); say “God damn it” when you spill the ketchup; go to “Terminator 3” on Sunday; abuse (verbally) your parents; engage in extramarital sex; or (except under oath) tell untrue stories about your neighbor. And if it were a crime to covet the ass parked in the driveway of the people next door, it is hard to know how capitalism would survive. Coveting asses is the whole basis of our prosperity.


http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/?030908ta_talk_menand

[King Bush II]

8. Check out the Freepers forums

even they can't stand oreilly anymore http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/975488/posts

[Astarho]

10. Funny (or sad, I'm not sure which)

Some time ago I seem to remember a DUer making a comment about how when the Bushies were done shredding the Constitution they would go after the Magna Carta next. it was meant as a joke at the time, but still...

[CarlBallard]

11. Maybe there should be less legal analysis

From a guy who decided to convince his company to sue over a joke.

[liberalpragmatist]

15. Excellent Point

I suppose that I found the fact that the Judicial Analyst (who supposedly is a Judge) backed him up! How the hell do we get people into our legal system like this man and Roy Moore?! (at least the Judicial Analyst conceded that an amendment to allow all sorts of religious displays wouldn't pass).

I might add something more -- What I found absolutely hilarious was that after infuriating the law professor, who looked absolutely aghast and attempted to tell the truth, he and the judge attempted to "soothe" things over, telling her that "her view was a valid one too." -- Her VIEW was VALID TOO!! What VIEW? This isn't some egghead opinion! This is UNDISPUTED FACT! Any high-schooler in a civics class should learn this! Certainly anybody with a college background and a knowledge in U.S. History! Since when is it an "opinion" that the magna carta, english common law, john locke, the english bill or rights, and tons of other sources like hammurabi and roman law influenced our laws and the constitution? It's NEVER been an opinion -- it's an indisputed FACT.

And what the hell did he mean about her view being valid TOO? His view isn't valid -- even the freepers agree!

[Skittles]

12. Yeah? He thinks he is fair and balanced too

he's f***ing delusional

[SpiralHawk]

13. An eagle feather tip to the Lenape and the Haudenausenee

(better known as the Iroquois Six Nations. These nations from what is now known as Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania had a direct and profound influence on the Declaration and the Constitution.

Look it up, and deal with reality. Here's one link -- just a starting point.

[liberalpragmatist]

16. I'm sure they did

I wasn't aware of it, but I certainly believe you, and it would make a good deal of sense. Still, English law was the principal influence.

[vision]

20. Actually even Congress has acknowledged it

(1) the Congress, on the occasion of the two hundredreth anniversary of
the signing of the United States Constitution, acknowledges the
historical debt which this Republic of the United States of America
owes to the Iroquois Confedaracy and other Indian Nations for their
demonstration of enlightened, democratic principals of Government
and their example of a free association independent Indian Nations;
http://nativenet.uthscsa.edu/archive/nl/9307/0057.html

[vision]

18. Where is the link? :)

I agree the Iroquois had a profound influence. Here is one link
http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi709.htm

Wouldn't it have been interesting if we would have kept the provision that women and only women can impeach a leader and replace him? :)

[radwriter0555]

14. Who's o'reilly? He's irrelevent... so why bother even acknowledging

he's alive?

Utterly irrelevent.

[SnohoDem]

17. Then I guess the

National Constitution Center has it all wrong. They include the Magna Carta but not the Ten Commandments in their "Founding Documents" section.

Magna Carta

:dunce: Watta maroon.

[OHdem10]

19. Magna Carta

To think Ross Perot paid millions for an ancient copy of the Magna Carta suppossedly used at time of the Constitution. I know he is weeping buckets after O'Reillys brilliant discovery--Sarcasm

[Starpass]

23. & then the wingers will turn around and blame teachers for making

da' people fucking stooopid. No, it's guys like these and Limbaugh who are allowed to take a microphone and spew ignorance all over this land that are undoing everything every good teacher tries to instill every long day.