Yesterday, President Barack Obama took the road never before traveled before by a sitting U.S. president: universal support of unalienable rights in a whole new way. In short, President Obama openly stated in the run-up to a historical presidential re-election campaign, that he supports codifying, at the state level, the rights of individuals to enter into civil union contracts, marriages if you will, for same-sex couples. So how is same-sax marriage, or gay marriage, an issue or opportunity to clarify the definition, and even differentiation, of the terms unalienable rights and inalienable rights?

Unalienable Rights Basis for America’s Founding

In case it has been a while, or you slept through your last U.S. history course, the term “unalienable rights” may sound familiar because it is the profound thesis of Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

This preamble thesis statement sets up one of the most treasured historical documents of human rights throughout the world, despite its youth, that will lead to an equally time-honored declaration of people-centered governance, the U.S. Constitution. While these documents were not perfect, it is noteworthy that upon these and their predecessors (most notably John Locke), we still continue to thrive today.  Jefferson astutely places Locke’s definition of unalienable rights as our necessity – and justification – for this declaration of our independence from what we perceive as an oppressive government. So what are these unalienable rights?

Unalienable Rights Defined

In short, unalienable rights means those rights which a person has that cannot be transferred, sold, or surrendered to or by another, whether it be an individual person, or in the case of our Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was obviously saying that a government (or king) has not the right to infringe upon these “natural” rights. While our Declaration calls these “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” we have further defined and protected these rights in the Constitution, its Amendments and other laws protecting civil rights and liberties; additionally, these have usually been further defined and codified to be more inclusive of life, liberty, happiness and the rights of the individual.

Upon this foundation we built our lighthouse of democracy to be a beacon, not a siren. This fundamental freedom of unalienable rights gave us the confidence, right and might to demand the ability to choose a religion (or none) of our own, to be able to speak out against our government, to be able to face our accusers in open, to be able to defend ourselves, to be represented in our government imposing laws, and the list goes on! Unalienable rights is not an archaic or antiquated term; we still have and demand them today – or so I hope. Remember, unalienable rights are those rights which one is born with, they are “natural” rights that everyone has or possesses.

Inalienable Rights Defined

While unalienable rights are those which everyone is born with (for example, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” in the U.S. Declaration of Independence) and cannot be taken away or transferred, inalienable rights can be sold or transferred, but generally only with the consent of the person holding the privilege or right. So I may be born with the unalienable right to practice a religion of my choice and not the government’s, but I can transfer the ownership of my inalienable rights to my cemetery plot to someone when I later choose to be cremated. Okay, morbid example maybe, but you get the point hopefully.

Gay Marriage Unalienable Right

The BLUF (bottom line up front) is that marriage is an unalienable right. Yes, marriage between a man and a women, or between two men, or between two women, or between two transgendered persons, or … I really don’t care, for the most part, so long as they’re two consenting adults. Why? First, how do you begin to codify love? Is that not a human emotion that everyone is born with and impossible to define, codify or regulate; hence, an unalienable right? Because you cannot make the argument in the United States that it must be protected as a religious institution as that would be a violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. To protect one group of people and not another would be a violation of the equal protections of the Constitution. The fact is, on most every logical, objective level of basic human rights, denying the same rights, privileges and protections to same sex or transgendered couples cannot be justified.

Final Thoughts

I was married for over 14 years and never once was my marriage threatened by a homosexual, bi-sexual or transgendered person. However, mine, like many marriages, did suffer from adulterous heterosexuals. The LGBT community is neither destroying the “nuclear family” nor is it a threat to the stability society or procreation – we breeders our doing our part in both those arenas amply.

Finally, if President Obama held a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden honoring Seal Team Six for their actions in the successful elimination of UBL, no doubt all the world would be in virtual attendance and we Americans would be full of pride for all that these silent professionals represent. Undoubtedly they would be worthy of our praise (and I hope they all got to split the reward money though I know it was the last thing on their minds) and more over most the world holds them, unknown though they may be, as heroes. But what if … what if one of those big, buff, bad ass special operation soldiers with a chest full of muscles and medals all of sudden announced he was a homosexual? Would he still be a hero? Would he still be worthy of your praise? Should he be afforded less rights than you or your spouse? I think not …

Share/Bookmark

I don’t fancy myself some kind of underdog champion prize fighter by no means, but done wrong, backed into a corner and given no other option, I will come out swinging until one of us is exhausted or dead. One of my favorite NCO’s in the Army, 1SG Perry, called me his bulldog because when given an issue to work or advocate on behalf of a soldier, I wouldn’t let go of it until it was completely dead. I was a great human resources NCO, not because I had a photographic memory for regulations or was the smartest, but because I gave a damn. I didn’t go to seminars to memorize specialized BS psycho babble terms in fake attempts to show sympathy and empathy with customers while giving them the run around and no help or answers. I learned my job and even the jobs of others so that neither I nor my soldiers couldn’t be given BS answers and therefore get faster resolution, better services and overall reach greater efficacy levels in cohesion, production, retention, and the list easily goes on!

So why don’t more people have that attitude? Apathy! Why is apathy so rampant in the workplace? Apathy is infectious! However, apathy can be avoided, reversed and even eradicated from the workplace if a company truly fosters a healthy environment where rhetoric and reality at least attempt to meet. Huh? Companies like Comcast cable talk a good game in the public relations about their customer service commitments, customer service guarantees, on-time appointments, customer relationship management and the rhetoric goes on. But here’s a reality check, Comcast: How much CRM money are you wasting when you aggravate (piss off!) your customers by asking for the same information time and time again when they are prompted for it by the automated answering service, then asked again by a representative, then if transferred that information is not transferred to the next rep as the customer now gets to give her information all over again to another person – well done. How much did that cost you to piss off all those people?

That is just a small case in point that I bring up. I’m picking on Comcast because they recently picked on me, so to speak, and it’s reanimated my need to get off my duff and get myself and others talking again. Please join me and others over at Customers Count for a discussion about Comcast Customer Care (or that’s what they call it anyway) and other consumer advocacy issues facing us today. Thanks!

Share/Bookmark

Cliché has it wrong

Ignorance is not bliss; and certainly when it is arrogantly portrayed as blatant bigotry, the cliché becomes an all too-readily available excuse by others for another’s words or deeds. No, in fact ignorance is divisive, delusional and deadly, but rarely is it blissful.

Recent letters about Sharia law, immigrants and foreign language speakers, coupled with the news about current bills being debated in Congress that may allow U.S. employers to opt out of certain insurance coverage(s) under moral or religious grounds provide perfect examples of the hypocrisy by which most view, filter, act and react. It seems you’re welcomed if it’s my God, if you speak my language, if you believe my ideology.

It’s too bad writing wasn’t more widespread a few hundred years ago, that our ancestors didn’t keep better diaries or accounts and those that did weren’t more honest about their struggles. Then maybe, xenophobia, prejudices and even violence — or ignorance — wouldn’t be so rabid.

Political correctness or incorrectness has nothing to do with being right or wrong. You can be completely brash but still be fully spot on; conversely, you can be polite, speak well and even smile but be wholly wrong and profusely offensive.

Yes, many, if not most, Americans do believe in God, but that includes not just the hundreds of Christian denominations, but also His children who worship through Judaism or submit unto Him under Islam. Despite this overwhelming commonality and seeming majority, that gives us not the right to opine or oppress others to our ways in every way.

Should we force the Amish into our public schools and shun them for not taking a pledge to our flag because they consider it sacrilege? Should we call Jehovah’s Witnesses out for jury duty just to see if they’ll take an oath and then jail them when they won’t? Would Teddy Roosevelt, who protested “In God We Trust” on money as sacrilege, approve of Congress limiting healthcare for women under moral grounds while providing Viagra to men without question? What is the ancestry of 99 percent of Americans? I wonder what language [my] the Mignot family spoke when they emigrated to the U.S. in 1856 from France?

If we want ignorance to be blissful, then be humble enough to know we don’t always really know; ask more questions before purporting to espouse the answers, please.

W. R. Mineo

Share/Bookmark

It is always tough to read about a soldier, police officer, fire fighter, first responder, or others who willing serve others so that we may all live with more assurance, who dies in the line of her or his duties; however, and no doubt being a parent is in and of itself a bias, there is something so striking, so innately primal and instinctive about the protection of a child – especially your own – that in some instant, bizarre and macabre thought, I began to question how not to rank but to recognize this level of “service”.

When a soldier or police officer dies, especially in the line of duty, very rightful, respectful and solemn honors are paid to the fallen. I have seen many memorial services for people from many backgrounds of service and duty over the years, but I cannot begin to fathom a rightful, respectful and honorable service for a parent who dies in the line of duty; nothing seems to come close to honorific enough. A flag may drape his coffin, bagpipes may play Amazing Grace or Taps, guns may fire in salute to his service, but what will truly honor his ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty as a parent?

I know it is a huge digression from the devastation and other sad news surrounding the storms in the area for many, but I think some of those who have served and some of those who are parents too will understand the philosophical dilemma so to speak. When my time is up, military and masonic honors conveyed and that folded flag presented to my children, I certainly want them to be cognizant and hopefully proud of my service, but I hope I have done them a better service simply as their parent.

Maybe there is no appropriate honor we can bestow upon this yet named champion, but rest assured that no one will ever be able to define amply terms like sacrifice, hero, service, and parent to his little girl that her father’s line of duty and ultimate deed as a parent has taught and will resonate with her and others for lifetimes to come.

Share/Bookmark

Okay, so this is not a steamy or politically charged entry that a few have come to enjoy, but you might learn something or confirm your knowledge and get a free ego stroke, so stick around for a minute. Like most, I write for a variety of reasons whether by choice or consequence. So, it is handy to have a good working knowledge of words, uses and meanings … or at least a quick reference, especially useful for times of uncertainty or when expedience takes precedence over excellence. Personally, I think computers have a mixed history when it comes their efficacy in increasing education. I’m not sure which is more true: the computer makes me seem smarter by helping learn to spell (spell check is built into my word processors and as a toolbar add-on for my browser for typing in most online applications, to include this website); or, I am slowly becoming smarter by use of my computer. For example, MS Word tells me when I misspell something and even warns me when I may be writing a confusing or run-on sentence; further, with a few keystrokes (Shift + F7) I can bring up the built-in thesaurus and avoid reusing a word too often, or even find a word to which I never even considered, or possible knew. Either way, were here (in the Digital Age) now so we may as well make use of the resources and hope for the best.

Commonly Confusing Words

There is no two ways about it, English is probably one of the most confusing languages there is and it’s full of confusing words. Beyond homophones, many of our American English words have near or same pronunciation with different meanings. Furthering the confusion is words with exact spellings and pronunciations with different meanings. And you thought memorizing theorems was tough – the English language can be a tough bear to bear around sometimes.

Confused Words List #1

Grandpa and Dad both use to tell me, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” Well to be sure, that was sound advice. Make sure you are saying what you mean and that you have used the right word for the right requirement in everything you write; practice makes perfect.

1. accept: take, receive
   except: exclude or leave out
2. advice: noun meaning to guidance
   advise: action verb meaning to guide
3. air: noun for the atmosphere we’re breathing
   err: verb meaning to make an error; mistake
4. affect: verb; to influence
   affect: noun describing psychological state
   effect: impact and purpose; noun
5. a lot: many
   allot: divide
6. all together: all at one once; at one time
   altogether: completely; all inclusive
7. already: happened before;  previously
   all ready: wholly prepared
8. conscience: moral sense
   conscious: alert; awake
9. eminent: distinguished
   imminent: at any time; expected
   immanent: inherent; inborn
10. loose: noun meaning not fastened; not tight
    loose: can also be used as a verb to mean let go
    lose: verb for misplace

No doubt we’ll be adding to the list in the near future, but this will make for a decent dent in hopefully clarifying commonly confusing words.

Here is an easy, fun theory to test how quickly information degrades from authenticity into audacity:

Purposefully tape a piece or two of toilet paper to the bottom of your shoe, and exit into a public, but “controlled” arena, such as at the office. Make sure a colleague or even a friends takes note of your faux pas. Before long, a cute anecdote is circulating around the office email pool about how silly you looked or how embarrassed you were when you came out of the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to your shoe; and before long, by the end of the day, absurdity morphs the anecdote into asininity and before you know it, you shit your pants at the office.

Sorry for the graphic imagery, but you are already very likely thinking of a very similar situation exampling the contrast of the authentic against the comprehension of the asinine twists of the former?  If the above experiment were carried out, even to a different less degrading depiction without shocking terminology about defecation, who would be the victim of the misinformation? Certainly you may feel victimized if a story were taken out of context and passed around as the truth, and rightfully so. Is the only “innocent” victim the one misreported? What about the recipients of the wrong information? Are they victims of being misled? Don’t be too quick to come to theirs, or even your own, defense.

This is exactly what happens to each of us nearly every time we receive an email forwarded to us. You recognized them at once:

• Please Forward
• Please Read
• Please Do NOT  Delete
• I Don’t Normally Forward Emails, But This ONE is Really IMPORTANT

These are just a few examples of subject and opening lines to emails that anyone with an email account receives. For that matter, I get more of these than emails from Bill Gates offering me ten cents for every time I sent and get others to resend emails for their tracking and testing; I have yet to see a guest on Oprah, Good Morning America, or even a local paper story or picture of anyone holding up a huge check from Microsoft or Bill Gates making them an overnight millionaire. I am more inundated with emails from friends, family and colleagues that require my immediate attention, reading, action and forwarding to everyone I know on a daily basis than the times I have won the Internet Lotto or failed to help some heiress in Africa get her late father’s wishes and money to me. What is so important that my friend who never finds it important enough to forward emails to everyone she knows to send this one to me for my immediate consideration and call to act?

Read and Forward THIS Email Examples

Here are a few examples of emails that I have received demanding my attention and begging for my reaction

• No Presidential Prayer Day Proclamation for 2010
• UK to Outlaw Holocaust Education

As time, energy and frustration dictates, I will periodically revisit, edit and add to this entry with link over to others that are expamples.

The bottom line up front (BLUF) for me is multiform for me, I guess. First, the emails are malicious; they are meant to be hoaxes from the starting gate with the juvenile goals to see how far the farse will travel and bogging down lanes on the information superhighway. Secondly, I suppose I am a bit offended by receipt of such emails; my sensibilities are offended. Finally, I am struck by the very audacity and ignorance of those who continue to readily jump on a phantom bandwagon and then ask everyone they know to realize their ignorance while lending a hand to help them up onto the audacious and ignorant wagon with them.

Ignorance v. Stupidity

For me, there is a fine but definitive line between being ignorant to the facts or about the knowledge of something and the stupidity of further promoting and propagating untruths without the simple expenditure of a couple of keystrokes and a minute of time. In essence, it also comes down to an exercise in common sense. When we see an ad too good to be true, we almost automatically look for “the catch.” Where is that “sixth sense” when we read an email so full of pathos it is an obvious assault on our sensibilities requiring the same speculation and suspecting of the all-too-good advertisement?

Let Your Fingers Do the Walking

Before the Internet killed the yellow pages star the oft quoted and re-used slogan of the Yellow Pages, “Let your fingers do the walking,” was applied across the spectrum of academia, not just to finding a reputable plumber on a Sunday. When I didn’t understand a word, my grandfather and father were quick to point to a dictionary and let my fingers do the look-up so my brain would remember the definition and meaning. When you receive an email that begs you to get involved and forward, do yourself, your credibility and your sensibilities a favor and let your fingers type on over to a few verity checks before becoming an accomplice to stupidity:

• Google – yep, Google – put that pathetic subject line in the search engine and see what comes up; probably the real answer or a link to Urban Legends who give the “rest of the story” to these too oft BS emails. For example, if I search Google for “2010 prayer day canceled by obama” the first link to appear is to Urban Legends and merely from the viewing of the SERP (search engine results page) I can clearly read “False:…” and the story and link are a click away.
• Urban Legends – click on over and you’ll see the Paul Harvey version of your email and a verity of its authenticity in seconds; a great way to educate yourself and the sender of the email to you! Using the above example, here’s the rest of the story on the 2010 Prayer Day issue.

Keep your credibility and sensibilities in tact – suspect and check the authenticity of those outlandish emails with passionate pleading to forward to everyone you know; else everyone you know may know may know ….

Share/Bookmark

Amps Will Kill Ya!

A few weeks ago my son and I got off on a digression that led to a nearly two hour debate about which was the killing factor in getting electrocuted. I honestly got so engrossed in the debate I really cannot even recall how the subject came up; but somehow I ended up making the comment, ” … it’s not the voltage that will kill you, it’s the amps,” to wit my teenage son was all too eager to correct, stating “… it’s not the amps, it is the ohms that is the cause of death in electrocution.” Okay, game afoot, please clarify.

Tyler decided that he had been convinced by a former teacher and science textbook that it was in fact the very fact that the human body had a natural resistance (ohms) that made would cause its death should electricity be introduced. Really?

So most assuredly, we “debated” the issue back and forth for some time, swapping analogies, examples and factoids to better make our respective cases … all to no avail; we simply could not agree. Ironically, we really seemed to be talking about the very same thing, but we were looking at it from different perspectives and understanding it from different points of view. But honestly, I really felt we were talking about the same thing and merely using and understanding the definitions on different levels. My position was that the “introduction” of electricity into the body was an unnatural offense to it and the fact that the body has a natural ohm was not the culprit, but the electricity that contained enough amps (0.5  amps by the way is all it takes to kill a human) to kill the individual, while Tyler maintained that the body’s ohm resistance being present stopped the electricity from passing through the body and hence rendered it “dead”. Hmm … let’s think on that a moment; nope, back to arguing!

Communication Failure

After unsuccessful attempts and an hour later trying to prove my case, I did not give up, but I did offer a challenge and reward. I would allow Tyler access to my computer, books and any reference material he could find within an hour and if he could prove me wrong, by an authoritative source, I would give $10 for helping me see the light … sorry, the pun just slipped. However, as a former non-commissioned officer in the Army, I was taught to make use of available resources which I have tried with little success to impart to my children. As such, I felt it only fair to also offer up my phone for the research … “Call your grandfather who spent over 40 years of his life as an electrician, meaning that every single day of his career and the majority of his life, he’s had to live or die by the very knowledge which you are seeking.” With that, I handed him my phone and walked away to allow him optimal concentration and use of faculties for proving me wrong. Good luck.

Now, I knew the answer, not because of my own education, but from my father who survived life as an (electrical) lineman with the knowledge that a little amp goes a long way. After a few minutes, I re-entered the room to find my son busily typing at the computer researching the Internet looking for any source that would prove him right, and me wrong … and apparently grandpa too!

“What did Grandpa Gordon say?” I asked upon entry to the back of Tyler’s slumped over body steadily pecking at the keyboard.

“Amps will kill ya!” and then he hung up, Tyler informed me.

Yep, sounds like grandpa – short, succinct and sure; case closed. Not so fast …

Communication Errors Kill

What started out as an intended correction of the old man to put me in my place, migrated over to a debate, and evolved into an exercise in communication. Again, in essence, we were really talking about the same thing: the amps are the “killing agent” in electrical shock and because of the body’s natural resistance, it is almost always a deadly introduction when the two meet. However, we were so headstrong in our positions and being proven right, that we failed to see the common ground that we were standing in – we were talking about the same thing but failing to hear the commonality enabling us to reach an agreement and move forward …

You know, maybe ohms do kill you … if you’re too resistant to communication?

Thanks to Tyler for the education in communication; I’m never too old to learn – I hope!

Thanks to my Dad, William G. Mineo, for the education, experiences, and humility to enable turning the other ear! (And the short, direct, and on-point answer / phone call couldn’t have been better scripted.)

Thanks to my own grandfather, William L. Mineo, and great-grandfather, Robert T. Mineo (for whom (Robert) Tyler is named) for their ever-consistent ethos, and stubbornness, that resonates throughout our generational lineage that empowers our logos and drives our pathos!

Thanks be to God for them all!

Share/Bookmark

Another Year Closer to Humus

I ended my birthday with an MRI this year; damn it sucks getting older. As I lay in the very loud thumping noise of the MRI machine with my shoulder even further restricted by a special image capturing device, my mind was racing. I was wondering what ever happened to the grand daughter of my old neighbor’s who’d been born on my 8th birthday over 30 years earlier. I was wondering if I had thanked everyone on Facebook who’d posted a reminder to my age earlier in the day; surely I left someone out, but hopefully they all knew I was grateful. I was wondering where and how I would celebrate next year; hopefully not confined in an MRI machine! But then it dawned on me … I really don’t like to celebrate birthday’s anyway. Then I really began to wonder – why was I wondering about a day I would personally prefer to be another day? I’m not vain about my age, but the idea of birthday celebrations after a certain point just seems pointless. Unless of course, you reach another plateau range which is in itself noteworthy; when my great-grandfather turned ninety and later ninety-five, now that’s worth commemorating in my book!

Birthdays – Annual Reminder of Mortality

So if you are reading this and I’m between the ages of 21 (which I have long surpassed) and 80 (that’s my “goal” year) do not feel it necessary, an obligation, or a necessity to remind me of my passing mortality, the aging process in and of itself is reminder enough … daily.

Share/Bookmark

Don’t Detract From Democracy Via Distraction

Can we mix politics, religion and democracy?

Okay, I admit it, that was a bit long for a title and subtitle, and you are probably expecting a really long dissertation to explain it … probably not going to happen; we’ll have to see how it types out. It is really simple, but as you can see, a long, complicated, or confusing title could easily lead into an entire diatribe when some simple dialog will suffice. It seems to never fail, with every major election year, we have to drum up major issues to distract us from real problems that politicians fail to fix.

“We will not forget” is an oft used statement among several organizations, groups and countries, most especially here in the United States; I am reminded not only of that statement, but the commitment with which it comes as well, every day that I display the POW/MIA flag with its similar, somber message, “You Are Not Forgotten”. Both of these terms took on special meaning for the entire world on the morning of September 11, 2001. While the generation a few years before me will always remember where they were, with whom they were with and what they were doing when Jackie was assassinated, when Brother Martin was gunned down, or when Bobby was taken from us too. Similarly this generation will always remember with painful clarity the morning, the moments, and the mourning of 9/11. We could not forget, should not forget, never forget the events of 9/11; but let us not turn the remembrance of those lost into a misguided trip onto distraction drive by politicians who do not have real answers to our real problems.

2010 Election Year Distraction Delegate: Mosque at Ground Zero

The Mosque at Ground Zero, more appropriately should be referred to as the mosque near ground zero, first off. Then again, Newt, Ann and other ranters would not have gotten nearly the press play that they did had they titled their discussions (diatribes really) more appropriately and accurately. While religion is just that and should not be equated to race, that is exactly where detractors and distractions are  trying to lead the discussions, to an unjustified question of an us versus them mentality … an attempt to race bait.

While I am personally not in favor or the mosque near ground zero, it has nothing to do with anyone’s religion. Actually, it is my concern, that irrespective of the intention of the Islamic center at this location, it will be a target for heated debated, discussions and potential hotbed for violence by all those whipped up in a frenzy over its existence. We have the opportunity and yes, even the obligation, to show the world that we are truly that beacon on a hill that we have always aspired to be and be the tolerant, respectful and freedom loving people of the American ideal. Blocking the building of a religious center would accomplish what? Blocking the building of the mosque at or near ground zero will only serve to show that we are no more free than the theocratic, oppressive political systems we openly abhor.

Share/Bookmark

First, a reading of the original editorial by Jim Wiese of Elizabethtown KY entitled “Who are the scofflaws?” should be in order. Second, though Mr. Wiese did not identify himself as such, indicating a personal view versus a stance on behalf of any organization affiliated with, many local residents know and identify him through his chairmanship of the Hardin County Republican Party, and he ended his opinion with a firm recommendation to elect “conservative” politicians in the upcoming November 2010 election. Thirdly, without respect to his political opinions, associations or affiliations, Mr. Wiese is locally infamous for his continual commitment to community, commonwealth, and country. Finally, I personally know Mr. Wiese: he is a member of the Staff Judge Advocate for the United States Recruiting Command (USAREC) at Fort Knox KY, where I served in the military as a Human Resources Specialist from 1997 – 2001, and as a government contractor working on the re-branding and transition of the Army into the cyberspace with GoArmy.com from 2001 to 2004; I have nothing but reverent memories of our limited encounters.

After painful editing of my original 634 word response, I settled on the below submission to the newspaper’s editorial board; not knowing what, if any, will appear in print, here is my final draft.

Clarifying Constitutional Confusion

I’m not a constitutional scholar but that doesn’t prevent me from taking a participatory role, or anyone from taking active roles to fuller understand the issues facing our common tranquility and security. I’m sure it was a mere matter of space allocation wherein Jim Wiese (Aug 1^st “Who are the scofflaws”) was unable to explain clearly how federal government had no business in Arizona’s state law to handle the immigration problem as they saw fit.

Yes, we are individual states ‘contracted’ for a common goal (mainly defense) creating our United States of America, after deciding it was counter-productive and dangerous to go it alone; recognizing and accepting the fact that, at times, the needs of the whole must sometimes trump the desires of one. This is why states are forbid from entering into treaties and cannot pass laws counter-intuitive to the nation’s goals as a whole.

Does a state have the right to protect itself? Absolutely! They have every right to expect that when threatened, the collective United States will come to its aid. Does any state enjoy the right to circumvent federal statutes, going outside prescribed parameters of the law? No. Is Arizona really the litmus of American ideals we want to champion? They recognized and adopted the federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. only when they couldn’t obtain a Super Bowl bid – when it became financially necessary, not morally acceptable or right. Is Kentucky that beacon for others to emulate, passing the 13^th (KY rejected 2/24/1865) 14^th (rejected 1/8/1867) and 15^th (rejected 3/12/1869) Amendments on March 18, 1976?

America needs action, not knee-jerk reactions. America needs reasonable, equitably enforced immigration laws. We don’t need states running amuck, acting outside the prescribed (constitutional) guidelines. We have recognized, reacted, and corrected that behavior before – at the federal level – Brown v. Board of Education as a small example. Current calls for the repeal of the 14^th Amendment are distasteful, disenfranchising, and a deliberate distraction.

An un-adjudicated charge of malfeasance doesn’t justify subverting federal law by individual states. WE, the American citizenry, are guilty of malfeasance; we fail to participate, we fail to vote, and it is we who keep sending to our hallowed capitol those more concerned about corporate campaign donations than the constituents they’re charged to serve. In November, we need common sense citizens regardless of political affiliation; who know what living on a budget means, can balance a checkbook, and appreciate the struggles of citizens, not corporate donors.

W. R. Mineo
Vine Grove KY

Update: 16 August 2010

The News Enterprise ran a nicely edited version of my editorial, enhancing it with the following cartoon as its lead:

14th Amendment Political Cartoon by Artist Clay Jones

Read the online, edited version at News Enterprise Opinion section for Aug 15, 2010