Erosion of the Constitution
I will begin by allegorically defining erosion. The Grand Canyon was formed out of solid rock by water over eons of time. Water ‘eroded’ a small obstructing hill into a chasm over a mile deep. Erosion may be insidious, but it is also ruthless. A term that might be applied to the power mad in Washington of today.
Many people refer to FDR’s New Deal as the start of the erosion of the Constitution by our government. I submit that it began much earlier than that. Take a look at Grant’s administration and his use of carpet baggers during the Restoration following the Civil Was. I could take you on a long and boring walk through many presidencies, but being the kind and gentle soul I am I will spare you that tedium.
So how about some things closer to our time? OK that should be easy. Let’s start with the Supreme court hearings during the Carter term. The media began to make an epithet of the phrase “Strict Constructionist” when referring to candidates that believed the constitution means just what it says. Skipping over many other worthy examples we come to what, in my opinion, is the single greatest practicing threat to the constitution the so called “Patriot Act” that ended with the formation of the Department of Homeland Security. This “act” was envisioned by Bush as way to imprison foreign terrorist whether on our soil or some one else's. You see the constitution strictly prohibits the incarceration of American citizens without that little thing called Habeas Corpus. Basically that is the right to appear before a judge. It does not so protect our non-indigenous enemies, nor should it. The case could be made that it doesn’t even protect a foreign national committing a lesser crime on our soil, but we habitually and rightfully extend that courtesy to them.
Now the Department of Homeland Security (Insecurity?) has decided that our mental property is not a Constitutionally protected asset to the point of saying that they have the right to search and seize your Emails, thoughts committed to hard disc, Text messages, listed phone numbers and anything else they deem ‘potentially subversive’ without either probable cause or a warrent. Particularly if it is within one hundred miles of ANY border. I wonder who decided to stop at the one hundred mile point? Why limit themselves?
In addition we are now subject to spying from the skies by our own government and threatened with murder for being in the company of a non convicted suspected person. The CIA and FBI has taken the right to open our mail, listen in on our conversations, invade our homes without warrants and on and on and on.
A Constitutional Republic? Not lately. I submit to you that most of this is caused by you and me. We have allowed the country to be taken over by the power hungry politician that is much more concerned with keeping his/her POWER than governing in a constitutional manner.
