Protect Bill of Rights from judges like Bork
There is now historical revisionism by some that the late Robert Bork would have made a good justice on the Supreme Court. No, he would have not.
Robert Bork, even 20-plus years after the civil rights era, believed it was perfectly within the right of state governments to enact segregation laws if they so choose. He not only thought it was fine for government to ban what he perceived as obscene but was an eager supporter of those kinds of laws. In fact, he sung the praises of censorship.
The reason we have a Bill of Rights is to protect us against people like Judge Bork. Men and women like Bork are the type of people who believe we as Americans have a very limited degree of liberty and rights. They believe that if a right isn’t explicit in the Constitution, then it doesn’t exist. This of course ignores the Ninth Amendment which guarantees rights not already previously listed in the Bill of Rights.
By the way, some Founders opposed a Bill of Rights, not because they opposed necessarily a list of rights for Americans, but they realized people like Robert Bork would come around and state that if a right isn’t explicitly listed, then it doesn’t exist for Americans.
Yes, we Americans do have a right of privacy against the government. It is one of our rights left unlisted, but preserved by the Ninth Amendment. We do have a right to read books like “Tropic of Cancer” or magazines like Playboy. We do have a right to bear arms, another right Judge Bork didn’t believe we possessed.
Now, to ensure these rights, we need to be sure judges like Judge Bork never wind up on the Supreme Court.
Colleen Kronquist, Kokomo
Civic literacy should be on Pence agenda
For a country that is saturated 24/7 in media, our ignorance of politics is stunning. Sixty-two percent of us can’t identity the governor, according to a survey by Xavier University. Three-fourths can’t answer the question, “What does the judiciary branch do?”
The Indiana Civic Health Index conducted in 2011 placed Indiana near the bottom on other key indicators of civic responsibility. For example, we rank 48th in the nation in voting and 43rd in the number of citizens registered to vote.
In his new role as Indiana governor, Mike Pence should take the lead in confronting civic illiteracy, which threatens our ability to deal with problems from unemployment to immigration to taxes.
“Civic illiteracy makes us less likely to exercise freedom by understanding and engaging in our public life,” warns Xavier’s Center for the Study of the American Dream. “Failure to achieve and maintain this understanding inevitably makes us more susceptible to manipulation and abuses of power.”
We the People, launched in 1987 with the blessing of Congress to mark the bicentennial of the Constitution, is a curriculum about democracy and constitutional history for elementary, middle and high school students. It uses a simulated congressional hearing format to test students on their analytical skills.
Congress stripped the program of funding in 2011, but it’s continued to reach about 6,000 students a year here thanks to the commitment of the state’s lawyers and the Indiana Bar Foundation. Studies show that students who take part in We the People vote and get involved in politics at higher rates than other citizens.
A $300,000 line item in the state budget would replace what Indiana used to get from the feds and make it possible to expand the program to schools that can’t afford it on their own. The money would help fund textbooks and professional development for teachers.
Winston Churchill famously said, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” Wouldn’t it be grand for Indiana if the opposite were true?
Andrea Neal, Indiana Policy Review Foundation
Opinion
Letters to the editor - Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013
- Opinion
-
-
Prepared for a disaster?
Put together a disaster plan and make sure everyone in your family knows what the plan is.
-
Move over, Ind. drivers
Keep highway and utility workers safe; remember to pull over for utility vehicles.
-
May 18, 2013: Cheers & Jeers
Commissioner earns respect of inmates
Kyle Stacy sends this Cheer for Howard County Commissioner Paul Wyman:
-
House of Burgess: The revolution will be printed
Another major milestone in the history of 3D printing was reached earlier this month when Cody Wilson, director of the nonprofit Defense Distributed, announced he had conducted the first-ever successful test firing of a completely 3D-printed gun in (where else?) Texas. Wilson then uploaded the plans online. These files were then downloaded over 100,000 times over the next 48 hours. That was, until the State Department intervened.
-
Hayden: From good to great in education
On the campaign trail last year and early into his administration, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said repeatedly that his goal as governor would be to take Indiana from “good to great.”
-
Mom’s simple advice still presents a valuable challenge
Most moms don’t base their advice on scientific research. Instead, their words of wisdom come from a greater source — the heart, where they store and process life experiences. Unfortunately, some folks don’t receive the gift of maternal guidance, for various reasons.
-
Wolfsie: Making bird calls
One afternoon in 2011, my friend Eric spent a couple of hours over lunch explaining Twitter to me and I thought I understood it all, but as you’ll see from my first few tweets, I wasn’t very confident: “Is anyone getting this?”
-
Letter to the Editor: May 13, 2013
Good people wouldn’t do this to their neighbors. This common refrain is being heard over eastern Howard County where industrial development is planned for our farmland in the form of massive wind turbines.
-
Vasicek: Mother’s Day stresses
For two hours, the lady sitting next to another airplane passenger boasted about her grandchildren, producing a barrage of photographs. She finally realized that she had been talking the whole time, so she tried to make amends:
“Oh, I am sorry! I have monopolized the conversation. I will listen to you now. So please tell me: what do you think of my grandchildren?” -
Letters to the Editor: May 12, 2013
How fortunate, that after years of trying to bring top-notch wind energy companies to Tipton County, this great choice is here for us — just at the right time. Tipton County badly needs the revenue from clean wind farm companies.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
Prepared for a disaster?
Looking for Love? Take the Prague Metro
Crews Race to Find Survivors of Okla. Twister
First Person: Baby Falcons on a New York Bridge
Oklahoma: Images of Devastation, Reunion
Reunited Dad, Son: 'We Just Praise God'
Slow Pokes: Acupuncture Helps Sick Turtles
Moore, Okla. City of Reunions, Tears After Storm
Former IRS Chief: Can't Say How List Happened
Gov. Fallin: Okla. Facing Horrific Disaster
Tim Cook Defends Apple's Tax Accounting
AP Photograher: 'It Was a Miracle' They Got Out
Raw: Crews Search for Survivors of Okla. Tornado
Raw: Tearful Reunion After Okla. Tornado
OKC Hospital Describes Treating Tornado Wounded
Obama Pledges Urgent Aid for Tornado Victims
Raw: Massive Funnel Clouds in Oklahoma
