We should be respectful of those whom disagree. Disagreement is the fire in the forge of democracy. Our legislative process logical argument: it is a process of thesis, antithesis and resolution. Take the U.S. Senate for example. One hundred duly elected senators from fifty state representing the total spectrum of U.S. citizens with myriad of concerns, hopes and agendas coming together in logical, respectful debate to hammer out those laws which are best for our country. No, this author is not naïve enough to think that our 111th Congress has ever conducted itself in such a manner. Very possible no Congress has ever done so continually, but once in a while it has come close.

The U.S.A. is more than a country: it was and is a grand experiment in personal liberty, law and government. It is a dream of human rights we all must strive for each day.

The Constitution sets in place not only the machinery to run our government but the means to achieve the hopes our fore-fathers held for themselves, their descendants and the World.

The oil and grease that keep this great machine, this Republic, from grinding to a dead-stop and destroying itself, are an abiding tolerance and collective respect based on the belief that all citizens are equal and have the same rights.

“Every human being, of whatever origin, of what station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.”

“Men are respectable only as they respect.”

“Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all men.

“Laws alone can not secure freedom of expression; in order that every man present his views without penalty there must be a spirit of tolerance in the entire population.

@Thomas A Salley
June 20, 2010
Used with the permission of Thomas Salley – guest author
All Rights Reserved, do not reproduce in whole or in part without the express written consent of the author.

The expressions in this blog article are based on the opinions of our featured author, Thomas A. Salley, please remember we are not lawyers and those opinions expressed here are each of our individual opinions and should not be taken as legal advice and/or legal opinions. The comments following this blog article are the opinions and sole property of the blog site members and do not necessarily reflect those of the site owners.

Please also read our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.

Tags: Albert Einstein, Amendments, Amendments to U. S. Constitution, Benjamin Franklin, Bill of Rights, Broadcast Media, commentaries, Consevative, constituents, Constitution, Democrat, every man able to read, Free Press, indepentent moderate, Jane Addams, Jefferson Davis, liberal, liberty and property, Marbury v. Madison, Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee, Monticello, Monticello Home of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello.org, nation, news commentaries, News Papers, news story, political commentaries, Political Op Ed, Print Media, Radio News, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Republican, State Supreme Courts, Supreme Court, Tea Bag Party, Tea Party, Teas Baggers, Television News, Texas History Books, Texas school text books, Thomas A Salley, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Quotations, Thomas Payne, Thomas Salley, Thomas Salley Political writer, U. S. Constitution, U. S. Supreme Court, U. Thant, We the people, well-read citizen, Wikipedia

We should research. We should start with building a firm foundation of knowledge of the history, content and workings of our constitution. Before measuring what the press and politicians say against our understanding of the constitution, check their facts. It is not as difficult as it use to be: Bing, Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia and other internet resources require much less effort that the old card catalog in libraries before the computer age.

We should use our reason. Once we have constructed our individual standards for a Constitutional American Democratic-Republic (i.e. a government directed by the will of the people yet restrain by a set of laws applicable to all citizens equal), have read the news and what politicians and commentators said, have check their facts, then begins the real work. We have to think for ourselves. We most carefully consider all we have read and reason through things on our own. Blind acceptance of anyone opinions can lead to slavery of thought and free-will.

Beware of dogma. Webster’s New World Dictionary gives four definitions for dogma and three for dogmatic. The following is the author’s attempt to consolidate all seven in a single statement: Dogma is a doctrine, tenet, belief or a collective there of which is assumed to be unquestionable and may be the basis for a system of religious, political or philosophical belief. This is not to suggest it is not true but that all things should be respectfully questioned form time to time.

The Apostle Paul writes in II Timothy 1:7 :
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and a sound mind.”

Can any of us live in fear and be free? How can we overcome the fears that are ever-present in the world? Perhaps they can be overcome by all of us having a strong personal faith (regardless of our religion or lack there of), having charitable hearts to all especially if our politics disagree, and by using the mind with which we have been blessed.
To be continued

Dear readers,
Thank you for your time and attention. I hope this series does not convert you to my way of thinking but inspires you to think for yourselves and to engage in the 234 year old debate that is American politics. After our look a the constitution, some of our future discussions will include:

WHAT IS A FREE ECONOMY: in which we will discuss what a free economy should within the spirit of the constitution, is that what we have, and if not, what should we do about it.

HOW REPUBLICAN WAS THE GEORGE W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION: we will compare the last administration to the concepts of the Republican Party, past and present, and compare and contrast it with the administration of notable Republican Presidents such as Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Hoover.

All suitable suggestions for future topics are graciously welcomed.

@Thomas A Salley
May 16, 2010
Used with the permission of Thomas Salley – guest writer
All Rights Reserved, do not reproduce in whole or in part without the express written consent of the author.

The expressions in this blog article are based on the opinions of our featured author, Thomas A. Salley, please remember we are not lawyers and those opinions expressed here are each of our individual opinions and should not be taken as legal advice and/or legal opinions. The comments following this blog article are the opinions and sole property of the blog site members and do not necessarily reflect those of the site owners.

Please also read our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.

Tags: Amendments, Amendments to U. S. Constitution, Benjamin Franklin, Bill of Rights, Broadcast Media, commentaries, Consevative, constituents, Constitution, Democrat, every man able to read, Free Press, indepentent moderate, Jefferson Davis, liberal, liberty and property, Marbury v. Madison, Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee, Monticello, Monticello Home of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello.org, nation, news commentaries, News Papers, news story, political commentaries, Political Op Ed, Print Media, Radio News, Republican, State Supreme Courts, Supreme Court, Tea Bag Party, Tea Party, Teas Baggers, Television News, Texas History Books, Texas school text books, Thomas A Salley, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Quotations, Thomas Payne, Thomas Salley, Thomas Salley Political writer, U. S. Constitution, U. S. Supreme Court, We the people, well-read citizen, Wikipedia

How can you tell if something has been lost or stolen, if you never knew you owned it in the first place? Most of us have some idea what is in our bank accounts, garage, even our refrigerator. However, do you know what is in your Constitution, Bill of Rights and other Amendments?

Do you have a copy close at hand? It is not hard to do in the internet age; the author has the Wikipedia article on the United States Bill of Rights bookmarked. There are many other sources just as convenient. Have you ever considered doing an inventory of your personal rights, the rights of neighbors or that of your local and state governments? If we Americans do not do so, then how will these Rights be protected?

The very governmental bodies from which the Bill of Rights was written to protect them will guard them. It is true that the Supreme Court is the arbitrator of what is or is not constitutional and has the power to correct interpretations of the federal constitution by state supreme courts.

However, a case has to make it to the Supreme Court before it can rule. In the end, it’s the people that must be the defender of the constitution; the preamble of the constitution boldly opens with “We, the People … do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” The People claimed the legal and moral authority to create this Constitution without the decree or approval of any Monarch, foreign power or organized religion.

Therefore, it is the People who must constantly guard the rights assured by the Constitution and to be aware that, if the rights of one person or group of persons are compromised, then the inalienable rights of all Americans has been compromised. I would dare to say that when such as this happens the Country and the dream of democracy on which it was founded are compromised.

“I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.”

How then are “We, The People” to account for and safeguard these right? Perhaps we can start by utilizing six or seven other “R” words:

1. Read
2. Research
3. Reason
4. Respect
5. Responsibility
6. Rational Response

We should read. I use the word, read, in both the broadest and narrowest sense. Television and radio news and commentaries are an important part of being a well-read citizen, but they will not suffice on their own. Broadcast media has a tighter time restriction than print. This limits content to the basics of facts. For obtaining and retraining detailed information, print media is more efficient. However, what good are the facts of a news story without an accurate standard by which to measure them? What better resources from which to construct your own standard, than the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the writings of people like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Payne?

“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”

“The functionaries of every government have propensities to command at will the liberty and property of their constituents. There is no safe deposit for these but with the people themselves; nor can they be safe with them without information. Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe.”

To be Continued next Sunday May 16, 2010.

Thomas A. Salley has multiple degrees from engineering to theology and has been a student of history for many years. Rose Speaks.com is proud to announce that Mr. Salley will be doing a political OP ED each Sunday, we look forward to his encouragement of what Rose Speaks.com believes. “Let Google be your friend and each of you find your own truth”. Both of which is all the more important at a time of turmoil as our nation now faces. When Texas wants to minimize Thomas Jefferson in text books and elevate Jefferson Davis for the nations history books, we all need to read.

@Thomas A Salley
May 9, 2010
Used with the permission of Thomas Salley – guest writer
All Rights Reserved, do not reproduce in whole or in part without the express written consent of the author.

The expressions in this blog article are based on the opinions of our featured author, Thomas A. Salley, please remember we are not lawyers and those opinions expressed here are each of our individual opinions and should not be taken as legal advice and/or legal opinions. The comments following this blog article are the opinions and sole property of the blog site members and do not necessarily reflect those of the site owners.

Please also read our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.

Tags: Amendments, Amendments to U. S. Constitution, Benjamin Franklin, Bill of Rights, Broadcast Media, commentaries, constituents, Constitution, every man able to read, Free Press, Jefferson Davis, liberty and property, Marbury v. Madison, Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee, Monticello, Monticello Home of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello.org, nation, news commentaries, News Papers, news story, political commentaries, Political Op Ed, Print Media, Radio News, State Supreme Courts, Supreme Court, Television News, Texas History Books, Texas school text books, Thomas A Salley, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Quotations, Thomas Payne, Thomas Salley, Thomas Salley Political writer, U. S. Constitution, U. S. Supreme Court, We the people, well-read citizen, Wikipedia