An Open Letter to the T.E.A. Party (whoever and whatever that may be).

Hello, my friends.

It heartens me to see such a revival in interest in the Constitution.  For a very long time, the Constitution was just something people studied in high school civics class.  But now, hardly a day goes by when that vital document, the very foundation of our country, isn’t on the front page of the newspaper and the lips of various news anchors.  People are once again interested in the Bill of Rights, discussing what they mean and how they apply in daily life.

I just have a question for you:  Which Constitution are all of you talking about?

It certainly doesn’t seem to be the U.S. Constitution.  There are some remarkable differences, and I thought it might be nice to discuss those.

Lets start with the First Amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

What this means is, the government cannot back one religion, nor prohibit another, cannot prohibit someone from saying anything they please (provided it does no endanger others, like shouting “FIRE” in a crowded theater), cannot censor the press, cannot stop a group of people gathering for peaceful intentions, and cannot stop people from seeking legal redress if they have been harmed.

What it does not mean is Freedom from Consequences.  Actions (and words) have consequences, and if someone loses their job because they were verbally offensive, that is their problem and their own fault.

It also does not mean Freedom for MY Religion only.  You may not like a particular religion.  That is your problem.  It in no way means that the government should prevent that religion from practicing (as long as it does not violate other laws, like bigamy and human sacrifice).    There are several reasons for this.  There is the historic, including the fact that many of the first settlers here came to escape religious persecutions, where they were not allowed to practice their religion because the people in power did not like them.  There is also the fact that once there is a restriction on one religion, there is nothing stopping restrictions on other religions.  We MUST allow people to celebrate their religion in their own way, because it is either Freedom for All or Freedom for None.

I realize that sounds a bit bombastic.  But it is the truth.  The Constitution must apply to everyone or we might as well throw it out.  That doesn’t mean you should stop protesting things you don’t agree with.  That is part of your First Amendment Rights.  But you have to accept that nobody gets to choose which freedoms apply to which citizens.

The simple matter is, the First Amendment is a promise to the people that our government will be different from the totalitarian regimes of the European Monarchies.  In those days, the religion of the people was decided for them, and they had no say in the matter.  A person could be executed for criticizing the King or Queen, and the government had the final say on what could or would be printed.  A group gathered in protest ran the risk of being attacked by the military.

We are supposed to be better than that.  People from around the world come here because we are supposed to be better than that.   If we wish to remain that shining beacon to the rest of the world, we cannot abandon our basic principles of Freedom for All.  Because, if we do, America will truly cease to exist.

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