{"id":928,"date":"2008-10-20T12:14:20","date_gmt":"2008-10-20T17:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/?p=928"},"modified":"2008-11-09T13:10:45","modified_gmt":"2008-11-09T18:10:45","slug":"don%e2%80%99t-ignore-the-constitution-during-election-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/2008\/10\/20\/don%e2%80%99t-ignore-the-constitution-during-election-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t ignore Constitution this election season"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kathleen Taylor
\nAmerican Civil Liberties Union<\/a><\/p>\n

America is in the midst of an election season, nearing an Election Day with what likely will be far-reaching consequences. Public interest is extraordinarily high, and candidates are debating many critical issues. Yet we have heard little or nothing about the Constitution and its Bill of Rights \u2013 the touchstone of our individual freedoms.<\/p>\n

The most significant words of the U.S. Constitution may be the first three: \u201cWe the people.\u201d Not \u201cI the King,\u201d not \u201cI the Grand Religious Leader,\u201d not even \u201cI the elected President.\u201d Our governing structure was created by the people, and ensuring that it works for the people is a continuing legal, moral, and political journey.<\/p>\n

All through the centuries, arguments about the Constitution\u2019s meaning have persisted: What does it mean that only Congress can declare war? (Article I) What constitutes \u201chigh crimes and misdemeanors?\u201d (Article II) Is taking an oath of office with your hand on the Bible a \u201creligious test?\u201d (Article VI) Under which conditions, if any, should explicit sexual language not be considered free speech? (Amendment 1) Is a urine test for drugs an \u201cunreasonable search?\u201d (Amendment 4)<\/p>\n

The remarkable characteristic of the Constitution is that it offers bedrock principles\u2014checks and balances, procedures, freedoms, responsibilities, protections\u2014while at the same time responding to the needs of contemporary society. It\u2019s not an accident; the founders wrote it that way on purpose. The Constitution is our civic compass. It points the way for courts, legislatures, and executive administrations. It guides us in times of war and of peace, of boom and of bust, and of everything in-between. It keeps us on the path of fair play, equal treatment, liberty, and security.<\/p>\n

Or it does if we\u2019re constantly vigilant.<\/p>\n

Over the last two centuries, through activism, dissent, and dedication, citizens have expanded the scope and depth of our liberty. And today, more Americans enjoy the \u201cblessings of liberty\u201d than at any time in history.<\/p>\n

Yet, in recent years, our federal government has grown more powerful and secretive, assuming powers it does not rightfully have. Our government has:<\/p>\n

\u2022 spied on Americans without the approval of Congress or the courts;
\n\u2022 allowed the CIA to torture and abuse hundreds of people, including Americans, in secret prisons throughout the world;
\n\u2022 held prisoners indefinitely without charge;
\n\u2022 placed hundreds of thousands of Americans on terrorist watch lists without an explanation or opportunity to appeal; and
\n\u2022 restricted the free flow of scientific information and set up barriers to the use of scientific materials.<\/p>\n

No matter who wins the election, we must remember that the Constitution applies to everyone. It applies to the least desirable among us and to those with whom we vehemently disagree on matters of politics, religion, or ethics. That\u2019s the tough part. We need to be vigilant for all people, not merely the ones whom society favors.<\/p>\n

This election season is an opportunity to think about what the Constitution has given us, as well as what we ourselves can do to make sure it survives — not just in letter, but in spirit. We can consider whether what\u2019s been going on is consistent with the Constitution. We shouldn\u2019t fall into the trap of \u201cWell, it\u2019s not me; it\u2019s that awful other person who\u2019s being tortured\/spied upon\/denied an attorney\/discriminated against\/harassed.\u201d Any of us could be that person in the future.<\/p>\n

Taylor is executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union<\/a> of Washington. This commentary was supplied by American Forum<\/a>, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational organization that provides the media with the views of experts on major public concerns in order to stimulate informed discussion.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kathleen Taylor American Civil Liberties Union America is in the midst of an election season, nearing an Election Day with what likely will be far-reaching consequences. Public interest is extraordinarily high, and candidates are debating many critical issues. Yet … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-national-newscommentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=928"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1024,"href":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928\/revisions\/1024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scpronet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}