AMERICANS ARE INFURIATED!

 Weekly Opinion Editorial

ANGER IS MOTIVATOR!

by Steve Fair

 

     One thing both Republicans and Democrats can agree on- the other Party’s stance on issues, if left unchecked, will destroy America.  In a recent NBC News (a liberal leaning organization) poll, 80% of those polled believed the other side is a precarious threat to democracy.  America is more polarized and divided than ever before and it boils down to one thing- how they view the U.S. Constitution.  Three observations:

     First, liberals hate the Constitution.  They believe the 2nd amendment is about duck hunting and the Electoral College too complex.  They advocate direct election of the president, ignoring state rights.  They believe the Constitution is broken and should not be reclaimed or amended, but discarded.

     In an August New York Times op/ed, two liberal law professors-Ryan Doerfler (Harvard) and Samuel Moyn(Yale)- wrote: A politics of the American future like this would make clear our ability to engage in the constant reinvention of our society under our own power, without the illusion that the past stands in the way. To liberals, the Constitution is the past and cannot be applied to today’s complicated problems.  According to liberals, America should be constantly ‘reinventing’ itself with no rules as a guide.

      President Abraham Lincoln said, “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.”

     Second, the Constitution exists to limit the power of government and to insure our freedom.  It codifies the freedoms of speech, association, assembly, press religion, equal protection under the law, the right to due process and the right to privacy.  It’s not just a yellowing old document under glass at the National Archives.  It is what keeps government in check and insures our individual freedoms.  Without it, America isn’t America. Liberals want America to become more like Europe, with government being more involved in citizen’s lives. 

     Third, public schools are required by law to teach about the Constitution each year.  Most Americans don’t know that.  In 2004, Congress passed a law that requires schools receiving federal funding to provide education on the history of the Constitution each Constitution Day.  The bill was introduced by the late Senator Robert Byrd, (D-WV)Sadly, most schools don’t offer a comprehensive overview of the U.S. Constitution.  Rick Green has a video series titled, ‘Constitution Alive,’ that is available online that provides an excellent overview of the Constitution.   Every American citizen should know what the founding document says. 

     The October NBC News poll found Americans are angry.  Liberals are angry at the Supreme Court because they disagreed with the Roe vs. Wade reversal.  Conservatives are angry because Joe Biden is president.  Both are angry about the economy.  But anger or zeal without knowledge or resolve accomplishes little.  The outcome of the midterm elections in November will come down to which side is enraged the most.