Thursday, September 30, 2004
Damn That Pesky Constitution!
It Keeps Getting in the Way
Four, three and maybe even two years ago, I would have laughed at any liberal inclined person who asserted that the President or the GOP had no respect for the Constitution. "Get a job, Hippie!" I'd likely say.
But, sadly like France being right about Iraq, it's looking like criticisms of the GOP's lack of respect for the Constitution is both fair and accurate.
One need look no farther than the agenda the past two weeks in the House of Representatives. First, they passed legislation stripping all federal courts (even the Supreme Court) of jurisdiction to hear cases involving the pledge of allegiance. Second, they voted on the flag burning amendment. Today, they're voting on the Federal Marriage Amendment to override decisions by local legislature on same-sex marriage and to deny gay men and women equal protection under the law. You've got wacky Allen Keyes (and Zell Miller...not technically a republican) calling for the repeal of direct election of Senators.
To top it all off, the powers that be continue to appeal decisions that have struck down the ability of the feds to conduct secret searches of your computer, phone records and who knows what else- with disregard to Constitutional protections against unwarranted search and seizures.
To say I'm disappointed is an understatement and to make it worse it angers me that these attacks on the constitution only serve to lend credibility to whack jobs like Michael Moore and such.
Four, three and maybe even two years ago, I would have laughed at any liberal inclined person who asserted that the President or the GOP had no respect for the Constitution. "Get a job, Hippie!" I'd likely say.
But, sadly like France being right about Iraq, it's looking like criticisms of the GOP's lack of respect for the Constitution is both fair and accurate.
One need look no farther than the agenda the past two weeks in the House of Representatives. First, they passed legislation stripping all federal courts (even the Supreme Court) of jurisdiction to hear cases involving the pledge of allegiance. Second, they voted on the flag burning amendment. Today, they're voting on the Federal Marriage Amendment to override decisions by local legislature on same-sex marriage and to deny gay men and women equal protection under the law. You've got wacky Allen Keyes (and Zell Miller...not technically a republican) calling for the repeal of direct election of Senators.
To top it all off, the powers that be continue to appeal decisions that have struck down the ability of the feds to conduct secret searches of your computer, phone records and who knows what else- with disregard to Constitutional protections against unwarranted search and seizures.
To say I'm disappointed is an understatement and to make it worse it angers me that these attacks on the constitution only serve to lend credibility to whack jobs like Michael Moore and such.
