The Cult of the Constitution

By: Mary Anne Franks

Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt

In this controversial and provocative book, Mary Anne Franks examines the thin line between constitutional fidelity and constitutional fundamentalism.

Constitutional fundamentalists read the Constitution selectively and self-servingly. Fundamentalist interpretations of the Constitution elevate certain constitutional rights above all others, benefit the most powerful members of society, and undermine the integrity of the document as a whole. The conservative fetish for the Second Amendment (enforced by groups such as the NRA) provides an obvious example of constitutional fundamentalism; the liberal fetish for the First Amendment (enforced by groups such as the ACLU) is less obvious but no less influential. Economic and civil libertarianism have increasingly merged to produce a deregulatory, "free-market" approach to constitutional rights that achieves fullest expression in the idealization of the internet. The worship of guns, speech, and the internet in the name of the Constitution has blurred the boundaries between conduct and speech and between veneration and violence.

But the Constitution itself contains the antidote to fundamentalism. The Cult of the Constitution lays bare the dark, antidemocratic consequences of constitutional fundamentalism and urges listeners to take the Constitution seriously, not selectively.

©2019 Mary Anne Franks (P)2019 Tantor

Deep Dive into the 1st 2nd 14th amendments

Really an eye opening book. As usual power & money controls most of how the 1st & 2nd ammendments are defined & even decided by the court. Well researched & read. Interesting legal case stories demonstrating the authors concerns. I recommend this book.

Very thought provoking

This book opens your eyes to the obvious that is all around you on a daily basis

excellent book

she really shows the hypocrisy of the aclu and eff. i thought this was written well and very well researched as a point/counterpoint.

White Supremacy Explained in Context

Ms Franks writes clearly and with some detail about the Constitution, about human and doctrinal fallibility and about the abuse of power by a self interested minority, white males, to hold power. Freedom is their answer to all questions but freedom has not been the desired or subtextual goal: holding power by doing whatever is needed to achieve holding onto to power is their only goal.

Who, exactly, the people?

(As posted in Goodreads)
The title is misleading; a more appropriate title would be:
_The USA: Women and Non-Whites Need Not Apply_
The book is disturbing, but I agree with it 100%. It does do some comparing the US Constitution to the Bible of fundamentalists, but really it emphasizes the lack of equality and stated in the Declaration of Independence with the actuality of our nation. It points out how far we have always been from our stated goal and dream. And even those who claim to try to fix it, come far from the point.
I think that it is up to ALL of us to continue to work to remedy this situation!
Good book, but it opens a lot in the realm of advancement.

A bit repetitive but really interesting

This impassioned critique of America’s obsession with the constitution is both revelatory and engaging. My only criticisms are the author’s frequent reiteration of key arguments, and the thesis’s heavy reliance on a “white men versus everyone else” dichotomy. However, the simple premise did allow for a poignant rebuttal to the logical fallacies in free speech, second amendment, and section 230 rhetoric. Additionally, though a bit abrasive at times, the author isn’t wrong to point out that the constitution was written by landholding white men at a time when equality of gender and race didn’t exist. These origins mean that constitutional fundamentalism can’t possibly be attuned to the complexities of modern America.

Thought provoking

Though I'm a white Male, I appreciate the views and learned from reading this book.
I will read it again, trying to gain greater understanding of the problems and how to reduce them in ways that I can.

Every American needs to read this book.

Mary Anne Frank’s did a fantastic job laying out the truth in ways I had not yet heard. I’m walking away from it with many emotions including embarrassment, shock, horror but also hope. As a former conservative still living in right wing communities in the south, this book gives me verbal ammunition for these important discussions we find ourselves in so often today. Do not hesitate, buy this book now!! I’ll be buying a copy for every family member this Christmas, that’s for sure.

I’ve been saying this for a long time

The constitution ,free speech and guns are the true religion of America. The white male population respects nothing more than the trinity

Great analysis of our current state

This book filled in a lot of gaps for me regarding the dissonance of thought amongst many hard line supporters of certain constitutional amendments.