“We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us” – Pogo
I have read with interest the ongoing dispute between the writers from Schroeder and Colvill. I take issue with both.
The Schroeder writer, as pointed out by a well-written response from a person in Bemidji/Poplar Lake, is clearly a victim of “fake news,” which is often found in social media such as Facebook or Twitter. He resorts to demeaning language or name-calling: “Liberal Lunacy,” “Put on your big boy pants,” “Go back to your Art Colonies and Fluff Centers,” etc. When he asserts that a West Coast Federal Court committed a coup d’état by their eminent domain, he shows a lack of understanding of those concepts, as well as that of Judicial Review and the Separation of Powers, as set out in the U.S. Constitution.
The Colvill writer, in responding to the above taunts, falls into the same trap. He refers to our president as “Herr Trump” and the “moron in the White House.” He makes an accusation of “fake patriotism.” He believes the Electoral College is an anachronism—a concept that has outlived its usefulness and should be discarded. He alleges that it possesses elements that would otherwise be considered election fraud. Such statements reflect a lack of understanding of our Constitution and the representative republic it established. Our founding fathers did not seek to establish a democracy. They feared the electorate could too easily be swayed and created the Electoral College to act as a safeguard to prevent the election of a demagogue – a person who would prey on the fears and prejudices of the country.
The writer from Schroeder did make a statement with which I agree. He wrote “there is a clear and nasty divide in America.” He predicts this will get worse. I hope that he is wrong. If it is to get better, we need to do a better job of educating ourselves, and understanding and respecting the views of those with whom we do not agree. We need to have a better understanding of our Constitution and how our government is supposed to work.
If this paper is willing to print them, I intend to write a series of articles concerning our Constitution. It is a document that is rarely read and poorly understood. Yet, it affects all of us on a daily basis. I hope that a better understanding of our Constitution will help us realize we are all Americans and we are less different and divided than we are alike and united.
George Harrelson
Hovland
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