Letter: Constitutional freedoms can’t be negotiated

Friday, Oct. 12, 2001 | 4:26 a.m.

In the Oct. 7 issue of the Sun there was a letter by Christian Daughton, "In a democracy, true individual freedom is a myth." He may be right, but then we live in a republic, not a democracy, so what's the point?

Just to prove the distinction, when a citizen asked Benjamin Franklin, as he was leaving the meeting of the Constitutional Convention, what they had given him, Franklin replied, "A Republic, if you can keep it." Apparently Mr. Daughton is not entirely clear on the content, meaning, spirit or purpose of our constitution because he believes the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution are nothing more than, as he put it, "merely conveniences and contrivances."

I would suggest that Mr. Daughton find a copy of that document. I would be happy to provide him one, so he can find out what it is actually all about. Then if he wants to know what is really behind it, get a copy of the Federalist Papers. I am sure it will be very enlightening reading, though it seems rather certain he won't like it.

Our constitutional freedoms are not open to negotiation or compromise. They are, as the saying goes, "carved in stone." Unfortunately our government, all three branches, Democrats and Republicans alike, for the last several decades often ignored that.

So when the constitution got in the way of something government had decided to do they just ignored it or "reinterpreted" it in a manner to support their agenda. But none of that diminishes our Constitution, it only diminishes those who abuse it for their own ends.

BOB SCHULTZ