The U.S. Constitution Fetish

Tea Party “originalists,” John Boehner, Sarah Palin, and a large percentage of Americans who want less government and more “freedom,” profess an undying fealty to the Constitution of the United States of America. From its 4,400 words (written and agreed upon by the richest elites of the new Republic) stems the philosophical underpinnings of their “movement’s” ethos.

“All men are created equal.” “Of the people, by the people, for the people.” “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Awfully nice sentiments, these. And if you can find them in the Constitution — early drafts included — you’ve got a Pulitzer in your future. None of these phrases appear in our Constitution.

Like the Bible, which often says something quite different than what its adherents believe, the U.S. Constitution is widely and greatly misunderstood. Unlike the Bible, it’s short. So reading it, as House Republicans did to open the 2011 term, shouldn’t be a hardship on all those who allegedly model their thoughts on it.

Ladies and gentlemen, you may begin your patriotic duty.