Populism vs Rule of Law
Cynthia Tucker’s Feb. 28 racially charged commentary, “Polls favor a pathway to citizenship” apparently written for the advancement of President Obama’s amnesty by executive order for residents who entered the United States illegally, is flawed and censorious in nature.
Cynthia’s demonizing commentary is full of heart wrenching populist ideas and demagoguery of the republican party for challenging of the president’s executive order. Since, Cynthia’s claim that the Republican party “is held hostage by an aging and nativist minority”, which includes patriots such as myself, I choose to respond.
The troubling aspects of the polarizing politics in this great nation continually make allegiance to either party virtually impossible. But, when a president’s persistent pattern of lawlessness and disregard for written law is superceded by enforcing his policies through executive fiat, all patriots must demand action from our congressional elected officials. Any president’s abuse of his “sworn oath” to the office by unilateral action to circumvent congress, should concern every citizen, regardless of party or ideology.
The great 18th century political philosopher Montesquieu theorized “there can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or body of magistrates.” Throughout America’s early beginning, our founding fathers took this warning very seriously , and so should we.
Since dictatorships are often characterized by an abundance of laws, the “rule of law” does not simply mean that society has laws, but as outlined within our constitution, the “rule of law” means that we are a nation ruled by laws, not men, and that no one is above the law. The failure of congressional leaders to hold president Obama to his sworn oath of office, to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed”, is a dangerous precedent for the survival of our nation.
Senior fellow and director, Roger Pilon, of the Cato Institutes Center for Constitutional Studies, put it best; “no constitution can be self-enforcing. Government officials must respect their oaths to uphold the constitution; and we the people must be vigilant in seeing that they do. The founders drafted an extraordinarily thoughtful plan of government, but it is up to us, to each generation, to preserve and protect it for ourselves and for future generations. For the constitution will live only if it is alive in the hearts and minds of the American people”.
Cynthia’s racially demonizing some in the Republican party as those “who cannot stomach the idea of a browning America.” She further rants that the Republican’s “cannot afford to alienate Latinos, a growing bloc, as they have alienated black voters with their resistance to civil rights measures.” She then goes on to suggest that the survival of the Republican party is at stake. Come now, is Cynthia suggesting that she really cares?
What really matters here, is that the lawlessness of this administration has gotten so outrageous that constitutional scholars are sounding the alarm. During a February, 2014 hearing before congress, law professor Jonathan Turley warned that Obama has accelerated the rate at which the president makes the other branches of government irrelevant to a pace that is almost unimaginable. Because of Obama’s actions, Turley said; America is at “a constitutional tipping point.” Turley further testified that “the rate at which executive power has been concentrated in our system is accelerating, and frankly, I am very alarmed by the implications of that aggregation of power”. And the scariest part of all? Professor Turley is a liberal democrat who voted for Obama.
So as president Obama, the most gifted orator in recent times, skirts the nation in pursuit of political ambition, sinuous in nature, pitting American’s against each other with fiery speeches of inequality and oppression, in lieu of opportunity and success. Does America really need venomous affirmation from gifted Pulitzer Prize winning journalist such as Cynthia Tucker?
Are these speeches and commentaries designed to poison the hearts and minds of Americans against our beloved and world envied constitution? Is this the “change” American’s voted for in 2008 and 2012? If so, American patriots must speak out and become much more vigilant in the future.
Ron Talbott, Witter Springs
Some good reads
I have been pleasantly surprised by the opinions page in the Record-Bee lately. I believe this is what Shirley Hunter was talking about when she mentioned helping people rather than degrading their beliefs. The articles ‘Lessons from a default Caregiver’ and ‘Bill’s Saw Shop…’ (and let’s not forget Mr. Strasser’s letter, ‘Violence’) all in the Feb. 25 paper are what I consider good and positive information, not to mention great reading. Finally, I can look forward to the opinions page once again. Thank you!
Jeanene Parnell, Kelseyville
Thinking outside
If God made everything then who made God? I am glad you asked that question. The God of the Bible is outside his creation just as a painter is outside of his painting. You can see attributes of him in his creation, but he is not contained in his creation. God created the trees but is not in the trees for example. Reality exists in three aspects: time, space and matter. These three must exist simultaneously. The Evolutionary hypothesis has no answer to how these came into being. The Bible addresses this question in the first verse. In the beginning (time), God created Heaven (space) and the Earth (matter). The God of the Universe (one verse) is not restricted by the laws of his creation. Arthur Compton winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in Physics stated, “An orderly universe testifies to the greatest statement ever uttered: “In the beginning, God …’” This verse was also mentioned by Apollo 8 as they viewed the Earth from space.
Stacey Salvadori, Hidden Valley Lake
Care for the mentally ill
The situation of many, many mentally ill people continues to be overlooked. As we address the many wrongs in dealing with our social issues, a time must come when we face up to the need to spend and support with taxpayers dollars the humane treatment and overseeing of those poor indigent folks with mental problems. We now just try to fill them with pills and allow them to walk around and sleep on the streets as part of the homeless population. They also often fill our jails while we, as a nation, turn our heads and hearts from the reality of the disgusting way we have dealt with this matter, ever since sweet Ronny closed those places that once offered housing and care to them. But even then, the pay for those who looked after them was so low that their care was often of shameful standards.
Not everyone is geared to be able to care for folks in need of being cared for. Its not an easy or even pleasurable task to do, and for those with that gift, we can dismiss the value of that gift. Caregivers need to receive pay at the same leave at least a LPN. I am at an age that I totally understand the sadness of having to ask others to do things that you no longer can do. Some of those things are very embarrassing when needed and just one of the reasons many folks can’t handle. We elderly need to speak with our children and let them know we understand that fact.
How much longer are we as a nation going to pretend they are not in need of nor deserve better treatment than what is being offered today. Being mentally ill by itself is surely bad enough without being bone chillingly cold, hungry and rejected by many as being valueless and a nuisance. It is a national shame for the current state of affairs to continue in a country as rich as ours is. We think nothing of spending billions on developing weapons of mass destruction over adding compassion and care to the millions who are so in need of our help and concern. Shame on us. Shame on our leadership at all levels for not addressing and correcting this issue.
And our religious organizations could regain some of the prestige they have lost in recent years by really taking the high ground, getting out on the streets and getting seriously busy. Do as you preach, be that role model so many of us seem to deem important these days.
Jim Hall, Clearlake Oaks
