Today marks the 225th
anniversary of the Bill of Rights – that is, it was on this date in 1791 that
Virginia became the 10th of 14 states to ratify the first ten
amendments to the Constitution (for a complete text, go to https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript).
For well over two centuries, these foundational concepts of American democracy
have been the source of discussion, debate, inspiration and argumentation
regarding nearly every aspect of civil liberty. To this day, the Bill of Rights
fosters difference in interpretation, and therefore in enactment of policy and
procedure. Yet today, it appears these sacred values – which were meant to add
to and expand our understanding of how civilized, democratic society operates –
are under attack like never before. Beyond scrutiny of the text, beyond
articulate if even biased justification of its nuances, we now have masses of
our people who would abuse the Amendments for political posturing – or worse,
neglect these rights out of intentional prejudice or sheer ignorance. Saddest
of all, this movement is fronted by the President-elect, a person singularly
stunted in his grasp of history and fact.
What strikes me as so odd is a growing
voice over the last year that contradicts the Bill of Rights itself: the
seeming zeal, among some, to defend the public reverence for the Ten
Commandments, and comfort in invoking those values as a tool in the governmental
arena
The First Amendment states that Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof (the Establishment Clause), which not only protects
individuals and groups in practicing (or not
practicing) as they wish, it also prevents the imposition of any one’s
respective personal religious vantage point over another in political affairs.
Ironic that when this is violated, as it has been over the years, it often
accompanies abuse of the very next phrase, or
abridging the freedom of speech – as its too common in our history, and
that of the Western world, that zealots attempt to prove their position by
silencing any opposition.
I am a lifelong liberal Jew, which means I have
been educated and encouraged to engage in thoughtful, often difficult
navigation between “tradition” and “innovation” in a rich complex religious
system. Like the Founders, this has informed my worldview. More so, I am a
lifelong political progressive, which demands a similar, if not even more vexing
responsibility to understand a dynamism between my personal outlook (including
religion) and my place as an actor in an American society that is (yet still)
free and requires my participation. I for one fully “get” that no matter how
strongly certain religious values are ingrained in me, they are not right for
everybody (anybody?) else. Classically, my right to believe in anything, or
uphold a position about anything, ends – respectfully – where another person’s
begins.
One hope I maintain as this crazed political
season endures: that the tumultuous campaign and its aftermath will motivate people
to return to their roots – their elementary scholastic roots – and embrace a
conscientious regard for our founding documents, and the awe they should inspire
about the prospects of our shared humanity.
(By the way - don't you think there's a reason we protect even the very paper its written on? Just sayin'...)
This
past week marks the 30th (!) yahrzeit since the passing of my grandmother, Mary
Siroka. Hard to believe how much time has gone. I was a sophomore in college
(at American University, Harvard on the Potomac :) and was on winter break.
Mom, Dad, Eliot and I were vacationing in Hawaii when we got the call, the
morning of the day before the first eve of the holiday. People plan, God
laughs. Dad quickly re-arranged our travel plans so we could get to New York
for the funeral, and be with our extended family. Change of pace indeed. We
flew through LAX (where Dad insisted on purchasing me a t-shirt with Fred and
Barney doing the hula) and arrived at JFK on a blustery cold morning (the
warmest item of clothing I had with me was an AU sweatshirt, needless to say no
appropriate outfit for the service). Getting settled, Dad and I hustled out to
Alexander's to get me a jacket and tie, etc.
One hope I maintain as this crazed political
season endures: that the tumultuous campaign and its aftermath will motivate people
to return to their roots – their elementary scholastic roots – and embrace a
conscientious regard for our founding documents, and the awe they should inspire
about the prospects of our shared humanity. 