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Strict Interpretation
Author: TriSec    Date: 10/04/2014 10:55:28

Good Morning.

An early Saturday - I'm off to do some local politicking today. We'll be putting out some yard signs for local candidate Tom Stanley, a gentleman who I would like to replace on City Council next year. (He's running for Mayor; it's his Representative seat that's up this time around.)

In any case, I've been ruminating on Congress of late. We've all seen the news; it's been a hell of a week.


But I don't think these are disparate things. Our wars are ever-expanding, domestic agencies are suffering (Secret Service), and we're sitting on a potential outbreak that feels like it's been mismanaged since the first minutes of the crisis. (Ebola)

We can all point at the leadership in Washington and say how inactive and ineffective it is, but I've recently had a thought. This may just be the most efficient and accurate legislature of all time.

The Constitution is many things to many people. I've thought for years that the only thing anyone ever pays attention to is the wee sentence "The right to bear arms shall not be infringed". But then I've found the recent capitulation to be galvanizing.

There is the concept of a benevolent dictator. We should actually be thankful that it's Mr. Obama in office. A lesser man would have these United States brutalized and bended to his whim by now. Imagine if Congress walked off the job under you know who. One shudders to think what might be happening. We teetered on the brink of fascism under that regime. These are the "checks and balances" that the founders held so dear.

I'd imagine the Constitution is somewhat like the Bible; it's been said you can find arguments for and against any issue in the Good Book. One wonders if the Constitution is being interpreted the same way by the lesser among us.

There's a tremendous power imbalance happening right now. We all know how this is supposed to work, but with Congress on a permanent vacation, the other two branches of government don't seem to be able to get the job done anymore.

But back to my point today. Much of the GOP fancy themselves as "constitutional fundamentalists", and I have been inclined to agree. Oh, there's all that business about waging war, concluding peace, and doing all the things that governments have a right to do. But Congress now has skimmed the Constitution and have again fixated on just part of one sentence. In this, they excel and are the Best Congress Ever.

It's right here; the very first line of the very first amendment:

"CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW..."
 

1 comments (Latest Comment: 10/05/2014 15:31:45 by Will in Chicago)
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Comment by Will in Chicago on 10/05/2014 15:31:45
If inactivity were a virtue, this GOP Congress would be up for sainthood in some faiths. However, it isn't when we have a country and a world with many problems.