The fact that it could change over time is what makes it powerful. No need to rewrite it every few decades- tough to do, given the process for Constitutional revision- and keeps the law “alive” and relevant even over the gulf of centuries. Which allows the courts to do THEIR job of interpreting laws. SpAs a whole, this is something so called “strict constructionists” either don’t understand or- for their own reasons- strongly dislike (and if you look closely, allows them to ditch their principles when “strict construction” would yield results they dislike).
The FF were wise enough to realize that human civilization was not stagnant, but still changing, and that they could not foresee with any accuracy what the world would be like in the distant future.
And it’s a drafting style you see all over American Civil and Criminal legal codes.
