See Second Commentary
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/
index.cfm?section=38&screen=news&news_id=22008
See No Dissent, Hear No Dissent, Speak No Dissent
See Third Commentary
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/
index.cfm?section=38&screen=news&news_id=26611
Fair Taxes Are Supported
See First Commentary
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/
index.cfm?section_id=38&screen=news&news_id=25575
Safe From Bioterrorism But Not Other Social Woes
See Fouth Commentary
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/
index.cfm?section=38&screen=news&news_id=29681
Sometimes You Get What You Need
See First Commentary
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/
index.cfm?section=38&screen=newsprint&news_id=31536
Homeland Hypocrisy
James Madison Would Be Ashamed of
State Senators
Our fourth president, co-author of the Bill of Rights, and the only southern contributor to the famous treatise on free government, the Federalist Papers, would be saying "shame on you Tennessee Senate," were he alive today.
In Federalist Paper 51, James Madison clearly warns of factions and of majorities (perceived or real) oppressing minorities. We are witnessing such oppressing in 2004 as members of our state senate are insisting on amending our state constitution to restrict a woman's right to privacy.
Madison understood that humans have a natural tendency to insist that others confirm to their beliefs. In the case of those who are anti-choice, the majority of them base their belief on their interpretation of the Bible. Yet what right do they have to inflict their personal beliefs on all of society? There certainly should be no avenue to them in a government formed under the basic tenant of separation of church and state!
I have listened to senators insist that their anti-choice amendment gives power to the people to decide on a woman’s right to chose. A group of people infringing its will on the private rights of an individual is unconstitutional!
The same senators also say that they, rather than courts, should have the authority to decide if and when any exceptions should be made to their amendment (exceptions to what is not clear since the anti-choice amendment ends rights). Who really believes this would be a good thing? We need only go back forty years to see a Tennessee legislature that had no problem with segregation. It took the courts to throw off the oppressive majority.
As long as legislators are funded and elected by powerful special interests, we are at risk of government infringing on citizens’ private lives. If you believe in democracy as was laid down by James Madison and the other original patriots, you know that this simply wrong. Call the senators who are trying to restrict individual rights and tell them, "James Madison says shame on you!"
Unequal Pay Equals Economic Repression
Dogs and the Death Penalty
Tennessee Liberal