[at-l] Monday Humor

[ellen at clinic.net (Bob C)]

Which Skylander to you agree with?
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"Of course it is preposterous to think that GWB will appoint unqualified judges or even that his father did. ?The keen minds of the judges split the meanings of words and discuss the implications of law, and then pronounce their opinions. ?Opinions can change with enlightenment and according to interpretive stances or understanding of progress and/or the Constitution. But neither you nor I will have any impact on this process. ?It is for us to hike and enjoy the world of nature. ?Oh, I know, it is fun to think that we can add to the body of enlightened knowledge and interpretive judicial renderings but our political affiliations will not affect the outcome of the President's decisions or the Courts decisions" argues skylander. 
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"The interpretations of late (since the writing of the Constitution) have gone to the extreme whereby people are denied their right to practice their religion. ?The arguments are many on both sides (as well as the other sides) of the issue. Perhaps we do need some judges who are bold, and innovative, and, in fact, able to allow people to express their religious faith wherever they may be. ?That there is a God was understood by the framers of the Constitution. ?The Declaration of Independence used the term or phrase "endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights." ?These "understandings" were held by the framers and by almost all at that time. ?The question that keeps cropping up is: ?should the expression of faith by the majority be denied because one person or a minority of people find it offensive? ?To be offended is everyone's right and to take offense at another's belief system is boorish and not nice behavior and is anti-American or anti-Constitutional in itself. ?The Court has failed to keep in mind the intention of the original framers of the Constitution in their decisions to deny religious expression to those who have beliefs." argues skylander. 

FWIW, I agree that no one of us will have a significant influence on the Supreme Court, but the total of the public debate in fact has an influence. That's why decisions are reversed from time to time. Court decisions are not made in a vacuum. They reflect the prevailing mood and the judges political beliefs, that grow out of the continuing public debate. Skylander is correct. We used to be?mostly a ?Christian nation with mostly common beliefs, though the beliefs of the founders were far more liberal than the Bible-belt evangelicals would have us believe.?We now are a nation divided among Christian sects, with growing minorities reflecting most of the religions of the world.? I blame the resulting chaos and rancor on our educational system that caters to the least knowledgeable among us.
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And I agree with Skylander that it is truly time to take a hike. I'm going to, but first I have two more grant proposals to write. The proposal I completed last?month resulted in a $10,000 grant to our town land trust. I wish I had equal success with our Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust. You can help the latter, however,?by opening
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http://www.matlt.org/
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Weary
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