There is a significant gap between the 18th century line of thinking and modern thinking. We can all agree on this, and even the Leftists can as well. The problem is, they think it's ok for us to think differently and that it makes the Constitution wrong. We think, correctly, that our society is in fact the wrong party, and the Constitution remains true. Two totally opposite sides of the same coin.
I believe neither of those things.
The people who lived in the 18th century were different from us in many surprising ways. They had entirely different understandings of family life, religion, property, even things like love. They had different perceptions of time and distance. Sometimes they were racist and sexist, but that’s not the point (did you know some of the Founders supported women’s suffrage? That some founding states had it in the 18th century?).
In many ways, I think our society is better than the society of Founding-era America. In other ways it is worse. In some ways I think the Constitution is flawed - it is a human document, and the product of a compromise between two political factions that were not always sympathetic. Its adoption was fraught with political struggles, lying, cheating, and even violence. Many
reasonable people at the time believed the Constitution was unnecessary and the Articles were enough.
I do not necessarily think that our society is in some form of moral collapse.
We must know these things, and our children must know these things.
Yet I don’t believe this invalidates the Constitution. Not only is the Constitution current law, but it expresses the combined learning of generation in respect to human nature and government. We must learn these things and teach them to our children.
Yes, placing warning labels on the Constitution, and any other historical texts, is misguided - but not because anything the warning label says is actually wrong. It’s because a reasonable person should already know these things, just like a reasonable person should know that a Superman suit doesn’t allow it’s owner to fly. (Which is I think the point Cato is trying to make).
Yes, the Constitution was produced by men with entirely different values from those of modern men. Yes, you should explain this to your children.
And come!
Why would you not want to?
History is like the best action movie and romantic film, all in one!