If a teenage Kamala Harris had been a student in my American History class, she would have flunked. Same thing for Joe Biden, although chalk wasn't even invented when he was in high school. Our leaders are clueless when it comes to how the United States was actually founded. Frightening, right?
Let's go back in time to when Tom Jefferson, Jemmy Madison, and Ben Franklin were figuring out exactly how a government "by the people and for the people" would work. Remember, there were no models. In Europe, the peasants had few rights and did what the kings told them to do, or else it was a noose or a dungeon.
The American colonies were a divided bunch. In order to get all 13 to unite and fight England, compromises had to occur. Thus, slavery was not addressed even though Massachusetts and other areas in the north believed it was wrong. Colonial leaders well understood that about 50 percent of the population would not oppose the English King. So accommodations were made for those who would fight.
Tom, Jemmy, and Ben also did not want a powerful federal government because it would be too easy for an American "king" to emerge and obliterate constitutional rights. Also, the three architects of freedom feared a military coup.
That's why the Second Amendment is there - to guarantee that folks would have the "right to bear arms" in case a dictator tried to seize power in the country.
Memo to Ms. Kamala and Mr. Joe: the founders wanted the individual states to deal with all "social" issues - like abortion! That's why the Tenth Amendment was invented. It states that any policy not articulated in the Constitution should be handled by the states.
Hello, Roe v. Wade. There is no citation for abortion or marijuana or gay marriage, or most other personal matters in the Constitution. Therefore, these issues fall under state authority—different strokes for different folks in the individual 50.
However, if a state violates the constitutional rights of Americans, think Jim Crow laws, then the federal government has the authority to stop the state from doing that. With force if necessary.
Are you all with me?
In 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the USA, citing "privacy." But there is no guarantee of privacy in the Constitution. There is a private property provision, sorry, Bernie Sanders, that allows citizens to live without outside intrusion in their purchased domains as long as they don't violate the law.
With abortion "rights," however, there is not just one individual. There is another presence within the domain. That would be the unborn fetus. And that's the controversy. Do Americans have the "right" under the Constitution to kill the unborn?
In June, the Supreme Court is likely to rule 5-4 that each state has the authority to regulate abortion. Liberal states will continue unfettered access, conservative legislations may limit the procedure.
No doubt progressives and even some pro-life people will hate that ruling. Fine, despise it. But the Tenth Amendment will rule, as they say, as it should.
We live in a country where the law is interpreted by nine imperfect people. Those Supreme Court Justices head the judicial branch, which checks the power of the president and congress. Tom, Jemmy, and Ben clearly understood the system they devised was not infallible. But the American concept of freedom has led the world for almost 250 years.
Let's respect that as we sort out the complicated and emotional abortion situation. And stop the politics. Please.