For the last several weeks I have been listening and watching, trying to absorb all that is emanating from Washington, from this new administration. All that I have observed thus far makes me sad beyond words. However, I cannot and will not grieve because that suggests permanence and the absence of hope. A world without hope is unimaginable to me.
I am neither a lawyer or, much less, a constitutional scholar, but this much is clear to me. I have always believed that one of the most remarkable aspects of our shared American life is the existence of a Constitution that reflects the foundational values of who we are as a nation, and our purpose as a dynamic culture and civilization. Yes, of course, interpretative debates periodically rage at the intersection of an ageing document and a society that is perpetually dynamic and evolving. Please, correct me if I am wrong, but I have always believed that central to every constitutional debate is the promulgation of core principles, such as fairness and justice.
However, when truths are hijacked by โalternative facts,โ when these same principles implicit to constitutional guarantees and protections are set aside for ill-considered political expediency, this is so much more than a polite (or even heated) disagreement between rational individuals advocating for nuanced gradations around the political โcenter.โ
Remain engaged. Remember to breathe. But let your voice(s) be heard!
SCOTT DICKMAN
Concord