Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8?

The fourth of July is a good time to read the constitution. Why? Because the United States constitution is more than just about inalienable rights. For example, Article 1, section 8, clause 8 of the United States Constitution is profound. It was likely written by a distant relative of Steve Jobs or other innovation-minded Americans, such as Robert Goddard. However, America's quest, to provide protection and encourage innovation, is not without global risks.

A few miles from Obama's chair in the Oval office is the Goddard Space center, named after Robert Goddard. He is credited with launching the first liquid fueled rocket in 1926. According to historians, his team of scientists launched 34 rockets between 1926 and 1941. He was issued more than 200 patents, most on rocket related subjects, such as devices for  gyroscopic navigation-which is used to control rocket flight, to help planes navigate and to keep ships sailing upright.

Historians call him one the fathers if  not, the father of rocketry. He was scoffed at in the newspapers when he discussed sending a rocket to the moon. In the early forty's as the story goes, the most influential Americans and the military believed the only valuable use for rockets was to accelerate the take-off of sea planes. The Germans disagreed.  German scientists purchased a copy of Goddard's patents from the US patent office and started building their own rockets based on Goddard's patent disclosures. The Constitution can bite both ways.

As I  understand it, Hitler invested $100 million in the German rocket program and the result was the V1-an unmanned rocket bomb that rained havoc, killing an estimated 22,000 civilians, on London.  On the drawing boards was the V-9, designed to destroy London and the V-10, code named the "York," which we can only imagine was designed to bomb an American city.

By the way, Article 1, section 8, clause 8, states "To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive rights to their respective writings and discoveries.."It is the foundation clause that protects what we now refer to as intellectual property. This week, more than 236 years after this inspired clause was scribed, Apple won a victory in federal court prohibiting Samsung  from selling the Galaxy 10.1 in the United States. Apple claims that Samsung copied the patented design of the iPad.

The United States constitution is a treasure at many levels. I am going to read it outloud on the "Fourth" and then watch for those important upcoming supreme court decisions that will undoubtably effect the election.

Join me.