American children learn early in school that America stands for personal freedoms, equality and brotherhood. Those concepts of America are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, the founding legal document that all government servants and service members take an oath to. It’s the legal basis for the decisions of the Supreme Court.
Though it was revolutionary in its rejection of monarchy, it was flawed in the way all 18th century thought was flawed: the only people who hold power – even in a new democracy – should be white male landowners.
But it’s also fluid; changes and improvements came over time, such as granting voting rights to women and people of color.
It will continue to improve as we go forward into a more democratic future.
Constitution Day is on Thursday, Sept. 17. It’s not like the Fourth of July, not celebrated with joyous parades, and fireworks. It’s noted mostly in our public schools: federal law requires its recognition in all federally funded institutions.
Is there anything to celebrate this Thursday? As the president and his sycophants, the Supreme Court and Republican Congress members – including our own “representative,” Ben Cline – continue to use the Constitution for toilet wipes?
The challenge to birthright citizenship; the Department of Justice’s new role as the president’s personal lawyer; congressional Republicans’ abandonment of their responsibility to rein in a reckless president? All these are great examples of the disdain Republicans have for the Constitution.
But the most egregious defiler has got to be Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (it’s the Department of Defense, not war, but Hegseth changed it, because, you know, manliness).
In his “leadership” of the Pentagon, he has shredded the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Let’s look at that first one – freedom of (and from) religion. For that we can thank, among others, our own James Madison.
Nowhere in America is James Madison more revered than Virginia, where, as a young man, he demanded freedom of religion be placed in the Virginia Declaration of Rights. He then pushed for its inclusion in the U.S. Constitution.
It’s clearly restated in Article 6: No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any Public Trust under the United States.
Not something Pete Hegseth believes in. He has infused his right-wing theology into the workings of the Defense Department 100 percent unconstitutional. This is a man who believes governance comes from God, not the consent of the people – clearly against the Constitution.
America has seen a lot of bonkers rationales for unnecessary wars in the last several decades, but Hegseth’s reason for the Iran War is to finish the Crusades. The Crusades ended in 1291! But hey, our boy’s beliefs command him to convert Muslim nations to Christianity. Not the threat of nuclear war, as Trump contends, but conversion to Christianity, and a skewed version of Christianity at that.
He also tried to limit religious practice among service members to religions of his choosing. A clear violation of the Constitution.
Then there’s that pesky freedom of the press that Hegseth is desperately trying to abolish, at least in the Defense Department.
On X, he said, “Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right.”
He’s wrong there; it’s a right, a constitutional right.
Since last year, the press’ access to the Pentagon is limited. This move, made early in Trump’s second term, has been challenged in the courts. Hegseth demanded that all reporting must be approved by the Pentagon. In court, The DOD was found to be in a constitutional violation of the rights of the press, but that ruling remains under appeal.
Meanwhile the press still only has restricted access.
Hegseth has also wrested control of military newspaper Stars and Stripes, which has been editorially independent since the Civil War. They serve the military community, not the president, political party, or leader. Hegseth’s takeover removes editorial content and is not constitutional.
Under Hegseth’s leadership, the Pentagon is not, as required, reporting to Congress on its doings.
Trump and Hegseth’s evil concoction of incompetence and stupidity have led to the loss of their war of choice: they chose to attack Iran and promised the war would end in days.
It has not. We are in the sixth month. Their leadership has crippled 17 U.S. military bases across the Middle East and a caused a two-thirds depletion of critical munitions, leaving us vulnerable to attack. They have caused skyrocketing prices and inflation. Gas and oil supplies are dwindling. We are no longer respected in the world as any kind of leader.
Against this backdrop, constitutional issues may seem small.
But they are not. Destruction of the Constitution means ending democracy. And Hegseth and Trump are hellbent on doing that.
At our founding, Benjamin Franklin famously stated that a Republic had been achieved only, “If you can keep it.”
Have we?
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