Editor:
With all due respect, in the Town Crier, Sept. 13, issue, Dr. Haddad made a few statements that caused me concern: “The issue is what’s legal.” “If you don’t like our laws, change them. It’s your right.”
As we have seen over decades of politics in this country, especially apparent during this administration, the law is in the hands of the majority party in Congress who, instead of representing the people, are bought by special interest groups to do their bidding. For the right price, you, too, can buy a lawmaker.
As long as politicians and lawmakers can be bought, we are at the mercy of their power and greed. We can’t trust that the law is doing what it should.
We must develop and bring forth our missing, yet innate, compassion. Every belief system — call it religion, if you will — has at its core the conviction that we are all one; that how we treat the least of us is how we are as a group.
In “The Declaration of Independence,” the framers of the Constitution (and “The Declaration of Independence) — men claiming a monotheistic belief by the use of their word “Creator” and “God” — defined what they believed could be an ideal society.
Where the Declaration acknowledged natural law, the Constitution outlined the positive law of rules enforceable by the government.
“The Declaration of Independence” informed and continues to inform the Constitution. Both continue to be interpreted by lawmakers, educators and philosophers. It was with this hope and intent of an ideal society that the framers would see positive law coming as closely as humanly possible to natural law.
When the gap widens between these two, which we have seen happening, the system loses its credibility and its rightfulness. When that happens, it’s time to make changes, not bend to the will of a few or accept authority that deserves no respect. The Grand Experiment seems to be unraveling at the seams.
Preserving our humanity — our compassion — goes beyond the written law. It goes to our very core — our souls, if you will. Without laws that echo natural law, we all become less than we are.
Emily Roossien
Idyllwild
(Editor’s note: As always, the views of our columnists and letter writers are not necessarily the views of the Town Crier editors. The Town Crier welcomes views from all writers, including those in letters to the editor.)
