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Basic beliefs

Two weeks ago I wrote a letter to the editor and Ann’s name was inadvertently shown as the author. Last week two writers chastised Ann for her comments when it was me, Bill, who should have felt their ire.

Both Messrs. Graham and Verster took issue with my observation that the Constitution was a “living, breathing document.” What I found interesting was they totally ignored the quotes I included from Chief Justice John Marshall, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, which I thought did a rather nice job of supporting my contention. Are they implying by their silence this august triumvirate was wrong?

I do take issue with the accusation that I was “intolerant and disrespectful” because I asked “what is the message people are attempting to convey when they appear at gatherings waving a large American flag while wearing a pistol on their hip?” I have my own thoughts on this subject which I’ll save for another time. (By the way, the Constitution does allow for the asking of questions.)

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Basic beliefs

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Two weeks ago I wrote a letter to the editor and Ann’s name was inadvertently shown as the author. Last week two writers chastised Ann for her comments when it was me, Bill, who should have felt their ire.

Both Messrs. Graham and Verster took issue with my observation that the Constitution was a “living, breathing document.” What I found interesting was they totally ignored the quotes I included from Chief Justice John Marshall, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, which I thought did a rather nice job of supporting my contention. Are they implying by their silence this august triumvirate was wrong?

I do take issue with the accusation that I was “intolerant and disrespectful” because I asked “what is the message people are attempting to convey when they appear at gatherings waving a large American flag while wearing a pistol on their hip?” I have my own thoughts on this subject which I’ll save for another time. (By the way, the Constitution does allow for the asking of questions.)

Close to lastly, in response to my asking what is meant by statements like “return to the Constitution,” one writer said the Constitution represents the “American Soul” and “We hold these truths to be self-evident” refers to the core values of our forefathers. Fine, so far.

But then, both scribes say the nation has fallen away from these basic beliefs due to the actions of: judges, politicians, advocacy groups, bureaucrats, the culture’s political whims, and human nature. In other words, if I am allowed to paraphrase, over the centuries anyone who had anything to do with structuring the federal government really screwed things up.

And so, whose present day “self-evident truths” are we left with? Bingo! You guessed it!

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