Editor, Times-Union: America continues to be dominated by courts, whose judges are negating natural and man-made laws by their declarations of “unconstitutionality” of laws enacted by elected representatives of legislatures and, at times, Congress. The checks and balances of what are intended between executive, legislative and judicial branches of government are increasingly trumped by judges ignoring morality, common sense, and the will of voters or their elected representatives. So what is the big deal? The big deal is the moral abyss into which our courts have cast the United States, and where we are headed. Without belaboring the point, since 1962 America has lost: 1) the freedom to include the Holy Bible in the curriculum of education of children; 2) Constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech was taken from us with the Supreme Court ruling banning Christian prayer in schools; 3) the sanctity of God-given life through Court-sanctioned murder of infants in the womb. For well over 150 years, our Congress and some states have paid for the printing and distribution of the Bible for public schools, American Indians and others right here in America. (Courts didn’t stop them). When the Bible began to be banned by the High Court in the 1960s, America changed for the worse. Living together without marriage came on the scene, drug use, declining church attendance, the hippy culture and loose living–all supported up by judicial verdicts. Next on the agenda for the U.S. Supreme Court is the issue of legalizing sodomite and lesbian unions as if such matters constitute marriage. There were some matters our forefathers naturally assumed did not have to be addressed in writing constitutions, such as what marriage means. The recent election has given so-called conservatives an even greater majority in both houses of Indiana’s legislature. Since the will of the people of this state is to deny the recognition of same-sex unions, I wonder why the legislature doesn’t go about writing a new state constitution? If a new Constitution set down all these matters which now need to be spelled out, then let’s get to it. A new state constitution would preclude judges from touting their constitutionality argument, since the new Constitution itself would be the final answer. All these matters would be “in the Constitution,” spelled out for judges to like or dislike but carry the force of law. It is in fact, high time to disregard the intrusion of federal courts on state’s rights. Future generations of Hoosiers would benefit immensely. There is no authority for governing education in the U.S. Constitution. It is a state’s right under the Tenth Amendment. A new state constitution could spell out freedom of speech and prayer for schools, as well as define marriage for even the simple to understand. Let’s opt out of federal education money, which comes with dictates about what to teach our children. We want majority rule. This means reverse America’s court-appointed demise, ending minority rule by judges. Rick Wagner Pierceton, via email
