Do You Believe
Everything You Read?
His point
was that we should not be ruled by the ideas of people who knew nothing of our
country as it exists today. For
instance, the rule that our President must be born in this country was probably
more meaningful and important in 1783 than it is today. What does it matter, for instance, if Barack
Obama was not born in this country? If
it did matter, then people would use that as a basis to not vote for him.
The comments
that followed this article were full of venom and hatred for this
intellectual. I doubt that many of this
person’s persecutors even read the entire article. The title “Let’s Give up the Constitution”
was all they needed to go all “Fox News” on him.
Much of this
man’s argument for getting rid of The Constitution was really more in a “Let’s
rewrite those sections which make no sense in today’s world” vein. I don’t agree with the assertion that we should
junk The Constitution. We do have the
ability to amend the document plus judicial interpretations often effectively
make the document more in keeping with today’s world. I’m not sure the professor really wants to
junk The Constitution either. I think he
was being provocative to make a point.
I almost
commented on this article myself, with the intent to stick up for the author
and point out that he might not really be a America hating intellectual Liberal
piece of crap, but if you read the piece with an open mind, he had an
interesting point of view. I thought
better of commenting to people with such closed minds.
Politically
I am generally a Conservative (some would say just right of Ghengis Kahn) and certainly do not want to scrap The
Constitution. However in reading the
comments to this article I was reminded of one of my favorite retorts:
Years ago at
a weekly meeting my old boss held with his underlings, he mentioned an article
he had read which suggested a unique way to manage people (I don’t remember the
specifics.) He wasn’t telling his
managers to follow this advice; he merely thought it an interesting
perspective.
One person
at the meeting disagreed with the ideas the article raised. He challenged my boss, “Let me ask you…do you
believe everything you read?”
My boss paused and then
responded, “No…but I THINK about
everything I read.”
Too often
people today make the same mistake.
Thoughts and ideas are immediately accepted or lambasted and discarded
based on the perceived political bent of the author.
The world
would be a better place if everyone would not either believe or deride
everything that we read, but if we would at least THINK about what we read.
Knee jerk reactions are much more common than genuine thinking these days. There's a notable lack of reason in most of the extreme politics of today—left and right. As a liberal I tend to be more incensed by the Fox news brand of stupidity, but I can't ignore it on MSNBC, either.
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice. Too many people only want to hear things that confirms their beliefs....no thinking necessary. But to hear something to the contrary, and think it through, then decide it's validity, is beyond them. Thinking has become a lost art.
ReplyDeleteS
Lots to think about in what you have written.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to read this article! Can you tell me where to find it?
ReplyDeleteQuite a thought provoking post. The United States id a relatively new country yet our constitutional government is one of the oldest on earth. I think it continues to provide us with what we need as a people, and our forefathers were intelligent enough to understand the need to amend this document to keep it relevant. But it is interesting to consider what America would be like without it.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine living under the Articles of Confederations today.
Heck, we might not have survived the War of 1812.
In any event I have a tendency to treat anything new I read with a bit of skepticism.
I would venture that has more to do with experience than anything.
A great piece and a fabulous suggestion.....Think.
ReplyDeleteThere is evidence to support the conclusion that the founding fathers did not expect the Constitution to be forever. They expected there to be future Continental Congresses. But, it was difficult enough to get the original 13 colonies to agree (and then they had to include slavery in the document), can you imagine it possible to get 50 states to agree? I tend to think that when the amendments to a document are longer than the document itself, perhaps it's time to do it again. I just don't see the possibility on an outcome...
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is always worthwhile to listen to the other side of the argument -- I might learn something ;-)
Agreed. We don't have to fully embrace or categorically dismiss everything. How else are we going to learn something new every day? (See what I did there? Sorry, couldn't help myself.)
ReplyDeleteBut first, people need to READ. A variety of sources. Not watch one TV network. The basis of free public school education was to provide an informed electorate.
ReplyDeleteYou make a really good point there - I think that is a huge problem nowdays - people just don't think anymore !
ReplyDeleteHave the best weekend !
Me
SO true. This is a great, well-needed post. I was interested in your description of why you didn't comment as well, because I just read an article talking about how trolls need to be shut down immediately, due to how they stifle conversation. As you said, normal people don't want to comment on a conversation that has deteriorated into a brain-dead flame war.
ReplyDelete