Ira, why do you feel so offended about the "anti-american" comment?
For conservatives, what is not following the Constitution and Capitalism, is anti-american.
Distribution of wealth is anti-american.
Nationalization of huge industries ( car, health care ) is anti-american.
And so on, and so forth.
That's why we are having this discussion.
As to public school education ( including colleges, public and private) - the majority of faculty there are liberal with the agenda to reshape the new generation in the liberal way, so they grow up believing in socialism, not capitalism.
So, what do you believe in?

if were you, I would not start questioning Maria's education...you can take my words for it...:-)
promote general welfare is not the same as provide, imo...

James Madison addressed the "general welfare" specifically:
"If Congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare,
and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare,
they may take the care of religion into their own hands;
they may appoint teachers in every State, county and parish
and pay them out of their public treasury;
they may take into their own hands the education of children,
establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union;
they may assume the provision of the poor;
they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post-roads;
in short, every thing, from the highest object of state legislation
down to the most minute object of police,
would be thrown under the power of Congress.... Were the power
of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for,
it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature
of the limited Government established by the people of America."

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

btw, for Maria: the constitution is not established for the people, but as a guideline for the federal government relationship between them and states, and people within the US.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

I do not get the point of this discussion. What is wrong with FOX news? They present the views that have each and every right to exist. The professors in Academia are all liberals? Are you serious?
Liberals and conservatives mixture is necessary for healthy society. Bush Jr. is liberal? How come he ended up with budget deficit?Obama is conservative? How come he spent billions to support financial corporations?
Everything is relative. In state were I live liberals are fighting to change the State Constitution to permit interracial marriages. In larger states the conservatives fighting for more common sense...

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Слaбый пол сильнее сильного, в силу слaбости сильного полa к слaбому

***********.youtube.com/watch?v=a4obR5CTm4I&feature=related
here is a documentary about indocrination taking place in public schools...see what you think...this is video 1 out 7 - more on the right...

as far as the purpose of the Constitution, it's both to
1. establish the government and delegate its limited powers
2. protect rights of the citizens (hence, bill of rights)

first of all come down...I personally don't think anyone is more or less American than me or anyone else...some concepts or ideas, however, is not American...like Maria had already explained...
socialism is for sure not American...

Svetlana, this is NOT true, it only guides federal government which laws they are not allowed to make.
In general i notice both you and Maria have the same misconception of the constitution and what it is.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

yeah, Михаил, I forgot you are the only one without any misconceptions...:-)
what exactly is not true? did I say it gives rights or protects?...you see the difference?
btw, all watch that videoS about public schools...so many things we don't know about..