Some opinions expressed recently in this paper are worrisome. The Bill of Rights and the Constitution as a whole are manmade, not God-given.
No one should presume to read the Second Amendment as if it was written today. Words were carefully chosen by our founding fathers and reflect the times in which they lived.
If you read the current Supreme Court decisions regarding that amendment in District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago you will appreciate just how complicated that task is and many will side with the interpretations of Scalia and Alito, the majority opinions, while others will find Breyer and Stevens’ opinions more convincing.
Regardless, the Roberts Court decision is the law of the land and it has ruled that the individual has the right to a firearm for self-defense. Interestingly, any credence given to the right to be armed in case our government becomes tyrannical was treated as a vestige of the past, rooted in the fear of a standing army like the ones that were menacing much of Europe at the time.
As a matter of fact, both Alito and Scalia said that reasonable regulation of firearms can stand and Scalia pointedly said, “Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”
Regardless of your opinion, we need a dose of reality. Today we have a standing army, the most powerful in the world. It could park a softball-size drone outside your bedroom window and zap your backside while both you and your assault rifle lay sleeping.
Should you upgrade to surface to air weaponry? There is no need for more powerful weapons in our society other than the one we received on our 18th birthday — the right to vote. Every four years you can vote the commander-in-chief out or in.
President Obama and liberals are constantly accused of killing the unborn. How about sharing the blame? The Roberts Court has had a majority of five very conservative Catholic justices — Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Scalia and Kennedy.
Their religious beliefs are strongly against abortion. They could have green-lighted a challenge to Roe v. Wade years ago and heard it by now. Isn’t it fair to say that five conservative Republican justices are responsible?
Teachers can pray before, during and after school for their students. Many students, who receive their religious training at home and at houses of worship, can do likewise. It’s called silent prayer.
My experience with public prayer in school was as a student at a Jesuit high school. Prayer at the start of class and then a slap across the face when you didn’t remember a Latin vocabulary word.
Yelling, humiliating, in your face put downs would make us into the men that some letter writers eulogize over as missing in our society today because we no longer pray publicly anymore.
Let’s stop claiming that our founding fathers spoke with one (Christian) voice. Talk of George Washington praying for hours each day is from the same literary genre that claims Thomas Jefferson was an Evangelical Christian. Read Pauline Maier’s book, “Ratification,” to see how messy the whole process was.
The millionaires on cable news and radio would rather have us spend our energy fighting over all these issues than see the bleak economic future facing us and our children.
Let’s start talking about the economy before the very wealthy, who are making $97,000 an hour, reach $100,000.
William Tunney
Grantsville
Letters
We waste time arguing about the wrong things
- Letters
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‘Forgotten warrior’ not forgotten
The Korean War is often called “The Forgotten War.” My generation remembers the Battle for LZ X-Ray at Ia Drang, The Tet Offensive, and Khe Sahn of the Vietnam War.
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Organization needed to help utilize the Potomac River
I am a committee remember on the Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway which stretches from Palmetto to Venice, Fla.
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Reducing meat consumption can help ease climate change
A review of 12,000 papers on climate change, in the May 15 issue of “Environmental Research Letters,” found that 97 percent of scientists attribute climate change to human activities.
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Maryland has stopped being “The Free State”
I am a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and, last but not least, the National Rifle Association. I am a yearly member of the American Legion.
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Save the Bridge Program
Please do not close the Frostburg United Methodist Church Bridge Program. The community and many families need this program. Let me enlighten you about a few things.
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Town of Westernport needs a police force and a curfew
Since the consolidation of Bruce and Valley high schools the town of Westernport rapidly deteriorated from what was once a quite respectable community to a community in a decline in residents, and along with that came a collapse in local government due to lack of knowledge and bad decisions that set the town of Westernport back 60 years.
One bad decision was to give up their police force, and with no constant visual law enforcement it has created an open range for drug dealerss, addicts, thieves, drunks and speeding vehicles that choose to ignore our city laws and speed limits and have totally disregard for the safety of the citizens who are on the streets, especially the children who are like deer, you don’t see them until their in front of you. -
Financial gutting will damage school system
I am writing in response to the Allegany County Commissioners’ efforts to cut local education spending to the lowest possible level allowed under state law.
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Cemetery organization plans events to mark Memorial Day
This upcoming Memorial Day marks the 30th anniversary of the Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization (CHCO).
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Outside water customers pay for town’s mistakes
The following is the opinion of the individual and in no manner reflects the opinion of any other person or organization.
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We’re twisting the meaning of the Founding Fathers’ words
I really had to chuckle when I read a recent comment someone made in a northeastern publication: “I’d like to suggest that Congress make a tiny change in our Second Amendment that would more accurately reflect the Founding Father’s intent (to wit): “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear muskets, shall not be infringed.”
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‘Forgotten warrior’ not forgotten
