Constitutional Adherence – What exactly does that mean and why is it important?
The Constitution is the law that spells out how our Federal government shall operate and what it can and cannot do. Article one spells out the duties of Congress, Article two spells out the duties of the Executive branch, and Article three spells out the duties of the Federal court system. What those in the Tea Party want is for our Congressmen and women, our President, and our Federal judges to follow the law that is outlined in our Constitution. Considering that all those who serve in these three branches of government swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, it seems only reasonable that they should be expected to keep their word.
Unfortunately, today most of our elected representatives violate both the intent and letter of this law.
Imagine how you would feel if an ordinary citizen gave you a speeding ticket simply because they didn’t like the way you were driving through their neighborhood? You would not only complain about their action but could successfully argue that they have no legal authority to give you the speeding ticket in the first place.
In the same way, the Constitution gives the three branches of government authority to do certain things but today Congress passes bills that the Constitution gives them no authority to pass and many times the courts uphold this illegal action. Worst yet, in most cases, these laws infringe upon and put limits on our individual liberties. Even so, most Americans are oblivious to this loss of freedom and the violation of our law by those whom we elected to protect and defend our liberties. That’s akin to letting a thief steal your property and not being concerned about it.
As Americans, all of us need to make sure that those who serve in the Federal government follow the law as contained in the supreme law of our land, the Constitution (see Article VI). If they don’t then there is nothing they can’t take away from us anytime they want. The Constitution was carefully and deliberately written in a way that was meant to preserve our freedoms. All that the Tea Party wants is for those who serve in the Federal government to adhere to the Constitution.